Lovebugs on a convertible

[ponygirl06]

Tomorrow my husband and I are taking my convertible to my father's house in Boynton Beach, then driving down to Key West Sunday or Monday. It is lovebug season in Florida and we are bound to have them plastered all over the car. I waxed the car and plan to bring a bucket and a bunch of car cleaning stuff with me. I want to get them off the paint as soon as possible, but the hood gets so hot with the big 5.8 and most quick detailer sprays say not to use on a hot car. Should I use a detailer spray when we stop for gas or let the bugs accumulate? I might have enough light to hose them off at my dad's house, but it will be dark when we get to Key West. I've been so worried about the paint I didn't consider getting them off the top and my last top wasn't fabric. Will it hurt the top for the bugs to stay on for a day or two? Any tricks to getting lovebugs off the top? I know this is short notice but any help would be appreciated.

 

[VirtualSVT]

Honestly if I knew I was going through a ton of love bug area's I'd pam the front of my Cobra and they'd wipe right off. Also a Dryer sheet gets off of a nicely waxed surface.

Luckily they haven't been bad in Orlando...yet

 

[jream]

dont wanna let them dry on...
its crap in their guts that eats the clearcoat. front of your hood and the nose of your car should be the only place you get them. which shouldn't get as hot as top of the hood area. so with a coat of wax on there, just take some detailer spray a couple microfiber towels w/ you in the trunk. when you stop to get gas or get where you are going, just spray a little bit on the bug and his guts... should wipe right off. i've never had problems w/ doing exactly just what i described. and never have any clearcoat damage from them SOBs!! you don't wanna let them set on there very long...

and the convertible top, their guts won't eat the material. but still won't hurt to hit w/ the detailer spray and let soak on them for a sec. they should also wipe right off after that.

 

[03Cobra05GT]

TurtleWax Ice brand says you can apply it in direct sunlight.

Might be worth it for now.

 

[usmotox]

If you are waxed up good spray them off for a couple of bucks at a spray wash and micro fiber dry after dark so it doesn't dry to quick. Just my thoughts and what I do we don't have the love bugs but the rest live here

 

[Great Asp]

ah, you don't want lovebug juice on ur paint.... :lol1:

E

 

[13 Cobra Toy]

Honestly if I knew I was going through a ton of love bug area's I'd pam the front of my Cobra and they'd wipe right off. Also a Dryer sheet gets off of a nicely waxed surface.

Luckily they haven't been bad in Orlando...yet

:thumbsup: Pam works great on paint & chrome

 

[SignalZero]

Just south of Orlando here and looking outside, I don't see a single damn bug! epper:

Hopefully you don't get into much. But I'd shoot the front with Pam or something before hitting the road.

 

[Lethalchem]

Tomorrow my husband and I are taking my convertible to my father's house in Boynton Beach, then driving down to Key West Sunday or Monday. It is lovebug season in Florida and we are bound to have them plastered all over the car. I waxed the car and plan to bring a bucket and a bunch of car cleaning stuff with me. I want to get them off the paint as soon as possible, but the hood gets so hot with the big 5.8 and most quick detailer sprays say not to use on a hot car. Should I use a detailer spray when we stop for gas or let the bugs accumulate? I might have enough light to hose them off at my dad's house, but it will be dark when we get to Key West. I've been so worried about the paint I didn't consider getting them off the top and my last top wasn't fabric. Will it hurt the top for the bugs to stay on for a day or two? Any tricks to getting lovebugs off the top? I know this is short notice but any help would be appreciated.

You might want to consider the Road Warrior product. I found a video of it for you, but I first heard about it from a fellow GT500 owner who put it on his car when he had to drive it from the delivery location across country back to his house. I THINK it was a guy on this site, but it may have been on another GT500 site. He posted pics of it and was positive about his results. Might be too late for you to find it locally since you're leaving tomorrow, but who knows. Something to consider anyway.

ROAD WARRIOR PLUS Paint Protection / Roll On Demonstration - YouTube

 

[Lethalchem]

Different site. Here's the thread:
Road Warrior Plus temp clear bra review - Ford Shelby Cobra GT500 Forum

 

[Chris!]

Clear-bra. Your nose with thank you later

 

[John@Lethal]

OP, sent you a PM for some specific info that will be helpful.

RaggTopp is one of the best products out there for vert top maintenance. Anyone else with a vert must get this, you'll thank me later.

 

[dustin88lx]

I know it sounds crazy and it prolly didnt look the best but when I made my 10 hr trip from fl to ky i coated all the contact areas including where the tires could throw anything up from the road with paste wax and left it there for the trip. I would rather have one trip where people think WTF than everytime I clean it it looks crappy.

 

[JakeSpoon3]

Waterless Wash / Adam's Polishes

Tomorrow my husband and I are taking my convertible to my father's house in Boynton Beach, then driving down to Key West Sunday or Monday. It is lovebug season in Florida and we are bound to have them plastered all over the car. I waxed the car and plan to bring a bucket and a bunch of car cleaning stuff with me. I want to get them off the paint as soon as possible, but the hood gets so hot with the big 5.8 and most quick detailer sprays say not to use on a hot car. Should I use a detailer spray when we stop for gas or let the bugs accumulate? I might have enough light to hose them off at my dad's house, but it will be dark when we get to Key West. I've been so worried about the paint I didn't consider getting them off the top and my last top wasn't fabric. Will it hurt the top for the bugs to stay on for a day or two? Any tricks to getting lovebugs off the top? I know this is short notice but any help would be appreciated.

Adam's waterless wash works great. Whenever I reach my destination, I spray a little waterless wash on the front end and use their blue waterless cloths to remove bugs. I recently added a clear bra and the process became even simpler. Here is a link to the video on Adam's Polishes website. Lots of great detailing videos on their site.

http://www.adamspolishes.com/t-Detailing_Video_Vol_8_Chapter_11_Waterless_Washing.aspx

 

[reason4treason]

sopping wet dryer sheets take dried bugs off surprisingly easy. just gotta give it a rinse and rub afterward or it'll leave a white residue.

I lived in FL for 23 years and if you've never seen the front hood lip of old pickups with holes eaten right through the metal you'd probably never believe pairs of little bugs like that could do such damage. gotta get 'em off quick for sure.



know what the last thing is to go through a love bug's mind when it hits the front of your car?

his ass.