How to prevent insect/rock damage during One Lap of America (Cannonball Run)

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imported_FLAWLESS

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A customer of mine is going to be participating in the One Lap of America, Cannonball Run at the end of the month.

He has done this before, and said the front of the car gets absolutely covered with insects. He asked me how to prevent damage and expressed his concerns, since I've detailed the car he'll be using.

A bra is not an option. I have 2 things in mind:

1.Put a good couple coats of sealant on the car and show him how to use QD and a microfiber to remove the bugs at the end of each day.

2.Get an invisible bra and install it temporarily. I know these are hard to install perfectly. The car is silver which I hear is the easiest to install on. I don't even know the price of these or if this is a viable option.

So lets hear your opinions. You gotta get excited when a customer is concerned about something like this! That shows I must have educated him well. :up
 
"Painter's Masking Tape" - that's exactly what i saw alot of showcar owners doing to their cars that drove them to and from the event. they would tape the frontend, side mirrors, and a strip or two across the top of the roof where the windshield and roofline meet. they'd also tape anyother parts that tend to stick out a little. worked great!
 
You could also try racer's tape. I know it comes in different colors and should be easier to pull off afterwards.
 
Don't waste your time with the blue painter's tape - it's too thin and doesn't offer buffering to protect the paint underneath.



I'd go for the clear bra from one of the reliable sources. I've used them for over 5 years, and they've saved my bacon more times than I can count.
 
This is a publicized/photographed event, so blue painter's tape is out of the question, along with non-clear bra's.

The article linked above was good. I'm still leaning towards my option of wax and QD, unless anyone else can come up with something better.
 
I'm going to track down some of that Pro Bug Guard later this spring to see how well it repells bugs
 
He should definatly use a good clear bra, A lot of the guys that run in this use them now, because it isn't the bugs that do the damage it is the rocks!!! I witnessed a F1 go from immaculate to needing a new paint job from all of the rock chips incurred. Depending on where you get the clear bra, the price will vary. If you let me know the make and model, i can get you a price from a shop here in rochester that has their own plotter. This is the most accurate price that i think you will find.



Clear bra's offer just enough thickness and softness that the rocks hit, embedd, and dont damage the paint. A paint sealant is a joke since the rock will hit, and not only remove the sealant, but the layer of paint underneath it :) These guys drive very fast, and very close. If you think of it, they are going 85, a rock shoots out from under a tire at 85 in the opposite direction, therefore at the time of collision with the front end the total impact of the rock will be 170 miles per hour!! bye bye paint. or if you go the clear bra, it will be bye bye clear bra, which can be removed. Talk him into investing in it. Say it costs $300, what is worse $300 for the bra, or $1200 for a nicely matching front end paint job?
 
If he has enough money to go on the Cannonball run, he can cough up enough for a clear bra. As for going 85, depending on what car he is driving, it will probably be more like 140+ mph.
 
the 85 was just an example, because in the 3m tests they were tested to be full protection up to that speed
 
i've used the Pro Wax Bug Guard before and it works pretty well. it's a clear protectant that's sprayed on, once it dries it is hard to see(dries clear) unless you catch the right angle of light. it works by keeping the bug guts from getting to the paint. when you need to wash the bugs off they come off pretty easy with a high flow of water. however, this doesn't help with rock chips. in that case the clear bra is the way to go.
 
Concur with Southern271. Lived in Florida for 15 months and during the spring and fall "love bug" seasons, then only really effective protection for cars traveling on the highway (other than a bra) was a good thick coat of Vaseline. Will only help, but not completely prevent damage from rock chips.
 
speedingpenguin said:
whats he drive?

its not a silver lamborghini, is it? LOL

My dad has a clear bra on his G35x and it seems to work pretty good....
Click to expand...

Well, actually...lol, he has a black Coutach that I detailed, as well as an F40, a Lotus 7, a Carerra, and some others :cool:

But the one he'll be using for this event is an 04? or 03 350Z convertible.



I'd like to find a place that sells the clear bra for the front, and just stick it on and take it off after the rally.
 
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