Can anyone recommend a nice, fairly inexpensive front mask for the 05 GT? Love bug season in FL is a nightmare :bang: Thanks.

 

I wouldn't do it. Of course we don't have lovebugs or whatever up in the northwest.

Car bra's will mess up your paint job. The ram air (wind) from driving the car will cause the bra to flap against your paint thus leaving marks.

Just some food for thought

 

You cold also look at one of the "clearshield" products... if you aren't familiar with it, it's basically a clear urethane (almost like saran-wrap) that's applied over the front of the car. Supposedly it's nearly invisible, and it helps keep bugs/salt/rocks/etc. from damaging the paint.

Saw a car with it, and looked pretty good. Was rather pricey though.

 

for people unfamiliar with love bug season, this isn't your typical little bugs here and there. If you go on a decent roadtrip, the front of your car will be COVERED in black guts from these things. It puts the word swarm into perspective. They especially like bright colors which white is where they are most attracted. I still wish I could slap the UF grads who brought them here. :bang:

 

True dat. I might add--

Love bugs are among the most fragile, delicate creatures on God's green earth. They will squish at the gentlest touch, and a car moving at even moderate speeds will reduce them instantly to pulp.

BUT!

Once they HAVE been squished, the juice they leave behind hardens in seconds to a rocklike substance that combines all the worst attributes of krazy glue, battery acid, and quick-drying cement. If you don't get them off within a day or so, you will need a hammer and chisel, and you can kiss your paint job goodbye. If you're lucky they won't eat too deeply into the metal underneath.

And, of course, depending on where you drive, they can fill the air like a black snowstorm.

A car bra seems pretty harmless by comparison.

 

Anyone try driving across Alligator Alley (I75 Naples-Miami) during love bug season. I did it in my Jeep and had to stop and scrape them off my windshield twice since the wipers were basically useless. I'm looking for one that also has a screen mesh to cover up the grill to keep them out of the radiator.

 

After you wax, spray a coat of Pam across the front end. Wipe off each evening and re-apply the Pam.

Pam WILL NOT damage the paint job, and keeps the bug guts from sticking so badly.

 

one thing i do is drive mostly in the morning to work and such and later in the evening i noticed there isnt as many love bugs out as during noon hours where they swarm the roads and keep a bottle of spray and wipe them off quickly when you reach your destination

 

i like how alot of Florida members pulled in for this thread

 

The Pam idea is great, will definately try that on my next road trip to northern California. Durring the summer at night the I-5 near Sacramento is covered in HUGE grass hoppers. I drove a black car up one time, a bug hit the hood so hard it left a inprint (not a dent) that I was never able to wash completely off.

Good tip.

Car bra's are really ugly and DO damage the paint, guess you gotta pick which is more damaging.

 

lovebugs are a nightmare. on a two hour drive last year I had to stop literally once every 30min to clean the windshield so I could see to drive.

 

I was actually going to suggest this. A friend of mine suggested this at the end of last season but I never had the chance to try it. He kept a couple of rags in the trunk, when he got where he was going he would give the front end a quick rub down, this got about 80% of the debris, the rest would pretty easily hose off later.

 

I also suggest a spray bottle of water in the trunk to help clean off the bugs and Pam before re-applying the Pam.

I'd also probably put an extra coat or two of wax whereever you are putting the Pam.

I think I'm going to have to look into the clear vinyl 3M stuff myself, because I've already noticed a couple of small paint chips up front.

 

3-M's 'Clear Bra' would work...and it is expensive. Cost here is about $450.00 and that does not include coverings for the lights or the turn signals. Works great. Takes a while to install - the pieces are cut and put on wet - and it takes a well trained person to bend the covering to the shapes and angles on the car. I love that stuff!

Check out 3-M's web site or search for 'clear bra.'

 

B) We had the X-Pel (3-M) professionally installed. You're correct, it is on the expensive side but it is great. We had the front bumper, hood and fender, lower rocker panel, lower rear quarter panel, lights, signals and fogs done; came to under a grand which included installation, comes with a 5 year warranty. Not once has anyone noticed the product unless they are told about it, it is invisible onec you're about 3-4' from the car. Tried to take photos but it is clear and doesn't show. There are some fairly good photos and information on the X-Pel website

 

The guy that did my window does this for $100. It was Tints-R-Us out of San Jose, CA.

 

UGH!!! I hate love bugs! I had a nose mask on my 02 altima for about 2yrs, never left it on longer than a week though, I would take it off for a few days wash and wax the car then put it back on, never damaged my paint, I used to drive from West Palm Beach to Stuart on the turnpike and I-95 and those friggin bugs are nasty!!! I didnt care for the look of the mask but it has saved the front end of the vehicle, esp from road debris, because we all know how many dump trucks there are with loads spilling out and sand-blasting the front car..
I am going to wait to see how the begining of the season is before I make a decision on what to do, since I do not travel up there any longer.
Spraying PAM is an interesting idea though.

 

B) We had the X-Pel (3-M) professionally installed. You're correct, it is on the expensive side but it is great. We had the front bumper, hood and fender, lower rocker panel, lower rear quarter panel, lights, signals and fogs done; came to under a grand which included installation, comes with a 5 year warranty. Not once has anyone noticed the product unless they are told about it, it is invisible once you're about 3-4' from the car. Tried to take photos but it is clear and doesn't show. There are some fairly good photos and information on the X-Pel website
[/b][/quote]
B) Took a bunch of photos today trying to show the X-Pel. Can barely make out the reveal line across the hood. No ... stuff on the front rocker panel is dirt I wiped off the x-pel later

 

I bought the Ford bra for mine, just for install when I'm heading to the cottage. It's a really nice, tight fit and yes, a little ugly, but I'd rather spend time putting some extra wax underneath where it sits than picking away at bugs or worse, touching up paint chips.

Just an FYI

 

I bought mine from a Ford Parts dept. in Troy Ohio....paid $121

877-695-FORD


I live in GA and the lovebugs are the main reason I got mine....I have owned 3 new cars prior to my new Mustang and never had a paint problem at all...no fading, chipping , no changes at all...my last car had 102000 on it when I took the bra off and the front end and hood looked like new and that's no exageration!!....Everyone has their opinion of course, but I myself like the look of the bra....To each his own of course....