love bugs!

the stuff on the black stripes of my mini will not come off. i've tried various sprays to no avail (like bug and tar remover)

anyone successfully deal with love bug juice on their stripes?

thx!

 

Try a clay bar and lubricant like quick detail spray. Rub lightly with the clay, don't take the dye off the stripes.

If that doesn't work, try some Scratch-X or Scratch Out (very similar products) on a microfiber towel.

 

you know, i was trying to find a clay bar 2nite. where do u buy it?

thx!

 

Online.... Google it and you'll find tons of retailers.

Or buy it locally. Any decent auto parts store should carry it.... Autozone, NAPA,etc.

Not sure it will take the stain out but it's something you can certainly use to keep your paint looking good. So you won't be wasting your money.

 

Just make sure to follow the directions.. wash car.. dry car.. use lube+clay... then seal with polish..

Make sure not to drop the clay, it will pick up grit and then you risk doing more damage with it.

 

not at local autozone

 

I use my local advance auto.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...earchTerm=clay

Three brands, all the same I am told. Meguiar's Mother's and Griot's

I have had zero luck getting the stripes clean with clay though. Let me know if you find something that works.

 

will do

thx!

 

I'm coating mine with NXT wax right now... That stuff is good.. I had a few splats.. Did get them off with a clay bar after soaking a wet towel on them in the sun...

 

My Countryman has white bonnet stripes and they were filthy. I tried any number of things to clean them with no success. Finally, in desperation, I tried a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, and BINGO! They look brand new again!

 

^I'm surprised that didn't buff through the color, i guess the white stripes are probably white all the way through rather than just a surface layer. I would be careful if you have vinyl stripes that have any color on them that doesn't go through the whole sheet if that makes sense.

 

I realize this is an old thread, but one thing that has worked for me in regards to getting bug splat off of my black stripes and clear bra. I use Adam's Car Shampoo and HOT water.

 

As it turned out, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser did damage the stripes after all. If you looked at them from certain angles, they appeared dull, instead of semi-gloss. Fortunately, my dealer was nice enough to agree to replace them under warranty. I'm going to hit them with some 303 to keep them in good shape from the start.

 

Yeah, you took off the top layer of dye which had the satin finish in the color.

Now that you have new ones, keep a spray bottle of quick detailer and a microfiber cloth in the boot and get those bug guts and bird poop and other contaminants off the stripes as soon as you see them. Same goes for your paint, of course.

In most of our MINIs, I keep a quick detail emergency kit in a small plastic container and use a bungee cord to keep it in place in the boot. My new JCW came with two very handy cargo nets, one of them is small and is perfect for holding my emergency kit contents.... two small spray bottles (one has my QD spray, the other has glass cleaner), a microfiber cloth, and a glass cloth.

 

florida love bug juice is known as the stickiest most resistant bug splat on the planet

whoever invents the stuff to get that off my Mini stripes will have a fan for life

anyway, it's time for new stripes and bra. the bra has produced fine line cracks this year. this '04 MCS has always been in a garage and still has less than 40k miles on it

 

How many years has that clear bra been on the car ? And you'll be glad to know that clear bra films have improved over the past several years. If you replace it, you'll get better results from this one as long as you don't get an off-brand film.

 

bra is original. so you mean i should not complain?

anyway, good to know they are better

what's the price to install new?

thx!

 

9 year old clear bra from 2004 when they technology was still in its infancy... no you shouldn't complain a bit. That's pretty impressive, in fact.

Cost to install another should be in the neighborhood of $700 to $1K if you're doing the typical half-bonnet, bumper, mirror caps.

I just paid a lot more than that on my new JCW but I got a full bonnet bra using 3M film and installed by the dealer before the MINI ever left the dealership.