Dead bug spots

akaaronkatz · 06-06-2012, 06:39 PM

I was washing off my car the other day and noticed I had some dead bug stains on the front bumper. I tried just about everything and still couldn't seem to get rid of them. I've done a little research and have heard that "Clay Bar" does the job... Any other suggestions?

NissanGuy23 · 06-06-2012, 11:49 PM

Possibly a product called "Goo-Gone", Goo Gone is a go-to product for me to remove sticky crap from anything.

But the clay bar does work really well, you spray the clay lube, glide the clay over the bug residue, and after a few glides its gone and its feels smooth. Don't even need any pressure. But you need to soap wash really well first before the clay

One_Quick_Z · 06-06-2012, 11:57 PM

If you leave the bug guts on to long they will stain the clear coat 9 times out of 10. Clay bar works and sometimes I even use a mild buffing compound and hand buff it out. To prevent this after cruising around just take some spray detail and wipe of the bug guts before the stain sets in.

DAN

nizmoJ · 06-07-2012, 12:56 AM

Sorry bud, the bugs have an acid in them. If you leave them on your paint, it eats through. Only way to fix it after a while is getting it repainted. Always wipe your car down when you can, to avoid it. It sucks

Pauly · 06-07-2012, 06:10 AM

its a pain to keep bugs off, and down here they pile up fast. i draw steamy hot water from the bath tub and mix some car soap to get them off without too much scrubbing, then claybar the residue and wax the front end often. its all i can do to minimize this

NissanGuy23 · 06-07-2012, 09:11 AM

This must be why i have "dead spots" in my clear...damn bugs. Maybe ill start driving around with spray and mf cloth

MacCool · 06-07-2012, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akaaronkatz

I was washing off my car the other day and noticed I had some dead bug stains on the front bumper. I tried just about everything and still couldn't seem to get rid of them. I've done a little research and have heard that "Clay Bar" does the job... Any other suggestions?

Clay bar won't do the job. The stains you're seeing are bug-corpse acid etching of the clear coat. You can get rid of them completely and easily, but it will take a Porter-Cable and some Adam's polishes (or similar) to do it.

Here in Minnesota, two hours on the road at highway speeds makes for a pretty buggy front end. My approach is foam with good car wash soap, power wash the bug bodies off, dry, clay bar. If the bugs have been on there more than about 24 hours, it's very unlikely that that will remove the staining, so I then go to polishing with Adam's SSR, then SHR, then FMP, then maybe some sealant, maybe some Brilliant Glaze, and certainly some Americana carnauba wax. Takes about an hour if I skip the sealant which needs some extra time to cure.

kenchan · 06-07-2012, 12:47 PM

yah, if it's stained, claybar will not work.

what can work is UV. keep it out in the hot sun. ive had instances this worked quite well on a white car in the past.

06-06-2012, 06:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
akaaronkatz Base Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 65 Drives: 09 Nissan 370Z M6 Rep Power: 13	Dead bug spots I was washing off my car the other day and noticed I had some dead bug stains on the front bumper. I tried just about everything and still couldn't seem to get rid of them. I've done a little research and have heard that "Clay Bar" does the job... Any other suggestions? __________________ If you're not first you're last!

06-06-2012, 11:57 PM	#3 (permalink)
One_Quick_Z A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2009 Location: Seneca Il Posts: 1,374 Drives: 10 Civic EX Sedan Rep Power: 219	If you leave the bug guts on to long they will stain the clear coat 9 times out of 10. Clay bar works and sometimes I even use a mild buffing compound and hand buff it out. To prevent this after cruising around just take some spray detail and wipe of the bug guts before the stain sets in. DAN __________________ -My BRZ with exhaust will decimate all if we overnight parts from Japan- 10 Civic EX Sedan- Current Daily

06-07-2012, 06:10 AM	#5 (permalink)
Pauly Track Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Lafayette, La Posts: 645 Drives: and parks Rep Power: 14	its a pain to keep bugs off, and down here they pile up fast. i draw steamy hot water from the bath tub and mix some car soap to get them off without too much scrubbing, then claybar the residue and wax the front end often. its all i can do to minimize this __________________ Gun Metallic 2012 370 Z 7AT

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06-06-2012, 11:49 PM	#2 (permalink)
NissanGuy23 Track Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: West Chester, PA Age: 35 Posts: 752 Drives: 09 370Z NISMO PG 6MT Rep Power: 14	Possibly a product called "Goo-Gone", Goo Gone is a go-to product for me to remove sticky crap from anything. But the clay bar does work really well, you spray the clay lube, glide the clay over the bug residue, and after a few glides its gone and its feels smooth. Don't even need any pressure. But you need to soap wash really well first before the clay

06-07-2012, 12:56 AM	#4 (permalink)
nizmoJ Base Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Houston, Tx Age: 39 Posts: 75 Drives: 2015 Sport Tech Rep Power: 13	Sorry bud, the bugs have an acid in them. If you leave them on your paint, it eats through. Only way to fix it after a while is getting it repainted. Always wipe your car down when you can, to avoid it. It sucks

06-07-2012, 09:11 AM	#6 (permalink)
NissanGuy23 Track Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: West Chester, PA Age: 35 Posts: 752 Drives: 09 370Z NISMO PG 6MT Rep Power: 14	This must be why i have "dead spots" in my clear...damn bugs. Maybe ill start driving around with spray and mf cloth

06-07-2012, 12:47 PM	#8 (permalink)
kenchan A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: N/A Posts: 76,801 Drives: N/A Rep Power: 141520	yah, if it's stained, claybar will not work. what can work is UV. keep it out in the hot sun. ive had instances this worked quite well on a white car in the past.