Monte road trippers: how do you deal with all the bug splats?
 

This is a matter that always "bugged" me. :D Lots of people have driven their nice, well-kept cars & trucks long distances to display them at car shows... but what do they do to minimize or clean off the inevitable bug splats on the front end, and areas around the windshield (like mirror housings)?

On a weekend road trip of my own last year, I cleaned off the accumulated bug splats early in the following morning, and to my pleasant surprise, the morning dew on the car that day made it a lot easier to wipe it all off the paint. But is that all there is to it? Are there any special tricks you've heard of, or use?

I keep a bottle of windex in my trunk for the bug thing.. Along with a microfiber towel that has a TON of dried carwax on it. I use the "wax towel" after I wipe all the bugs off.

The towel, I actually purposely put a large amount of wax on the hood, let it dry, then wipe it off so I can do this. It can give the whole car that fresh waxed look and you can use the towel 4-5 times before you need new wax on it..

Also, I use the windex with ammonia. The ammonia-free stuff just doesnt clean the bugs off that well. As for "how safe is ammonia on car paint", well I dont know that but ive been doing it long enough to feel comfortable continuing it.. I use the stuff on the entire car probably once a week at least.

EDIT: Just so im not confusing.. The bug towel and wax towel are two seperate towels. Lol, Hopefully that was apparent.

Good subject:
 

Good subject: The windshield is always catching bugs. However I use RainX on the windshield and make sure it is always fresh and that helps a lot. Prior to application I will clean the windshield with windex or other glass cleaner, I use an old newspaper for the wipe down. Then I do it again only I use 2000 steel wool. Cleans the windshield really good. then I apply the RainX again.
For the front of the Car I use Eagle one Nano was spray and it stays fairly slick so the bugs will come off using a sponge/bug sponge with water. There is a bug and Tar remover that I have used to clean the stuff on the front that is really tough as well, seems to get the bugs off.

Most of the time, make sure the front nose has a fresh coat of wax. Make the trip, wash the car if needed. Or use a wet (with just water) bug sponge and "touch up" clean the affected areas. I am finding the quick detailer product from Adams Polish with a microfiber towel helps. The spray softens the guts and allows the towel to sweep them off and leaves a nice finish when done.

I have seen someone use a bra on a 2000 Monte. Drive to the location, once there, remove bra. Seems to work well for him.

I show quite a bit. I always wash the car the day before (or super early the day-of). On drives usually over an hour I put the bra on (mainly for stone protection) and remove it once at the show. That usually ends up being just Monte Nationals but I've used it a few other times for more local shows. For bug removal when I don't use the bra, I usually keep a thing of water with me and simply use it to dampen a shop rag or microfiber towel to do the bug removal (wipe damp then wipe dry). That works for any water spots as well. Then I use my duster over the entire car. That's my routine for local shows. Monte Nationals is entirely different because the car gets a full wash once there.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/monteca...8502301d54.jpg

My 96 Monte had a bra. The first time I took it off, it turned out the paint under the bra was a different color than behind the bra. I'll never put a bra on any car again, unless I move to someplace like Alaska that has insignificant UV radiation.

How long was it on for? You're not suppose to leave em on forever, let alone or for an extended period of time. Leaving it on will fade the paint, yes, but it'll also collect a bunch of debris and scratch the paint to hell. I never had issues with the bra on my 03 and I've never had issues with the bra on my 06 but they go on the car for longer trips and that's it - they never stay on more than a day. Ugh, the people I see that have bras on the front of their vehicle that clearly haven't touched it in years, maybe decades. I mean, they're made to protect the paint, yes, but you're doing the exact opposite if you just leave it on forever - might as well not even have one on.

Speaking of the bra on your 06, where's the piece that goes on the hood?

It was on for longer than a year. You weren't around to warn me in 2000, nor was anyone else. Since the goal was to protect my front end from Florida love bugs and garbage, and I never had more than a week at a time where I didn't drive it, removing it wasn't a realistic option, even if someone had advised it.

To answer for others - I don't use it anymore because the seam that goes across the hood scratches the paint and I refuse to have to buff it out after every time I use it. It's a LeBra, and quality-wise it's okay, but I had a Colgan bra for my 03 and their's was a very high quality bra.

Nobody mentioned the wet dryer sheet for bug removal yet. I always wipe down the front end with a wet dryer sheet before washing. It works in seconds without any hard rubbing