XtremeSS

So I will b making a trip to phoenix which will b over a 1400 mile trip. That's about 22-24hrs driving. I am debating on buying a bra from HHR boutique.com because bugs are not the easiest to clean off. Does anyone know what I could use on the front fascia that would help keep bugs from sticking to it?

sleeper

As a former trucker we used Pam* non-stick cooking spray. We'd spray the whole front end & later clean up was a breeze.

Worked great.

2manyvans

What a great idea! I'll have to remember that one...

jx3

If you don't feel like using cooking or laundry supplies, just apply a fresh coat of wax. Of the 4 trips to Pittsburgh from Miami and back, only the last one was preplanned and I made sure to get the QX waxed the week of departure. Sure enough, the bugs pretty much just sprayed right off without the effort it took to clean from the 3 previous trips, which involved dryer sheets to help with bug removal.

ekotecki

Try a Colgan Bra. Fit is great and its easily removable. I would worry more about stone chips

XtremeSS

Thanks for all the replies! I decided to just buy the colgan bra. As ekotechi said, paint chips are most of my worries. I can clean off the bugs but u can't scrub off paint chips

doogal123

Yup, paint chips are a pain. The bugs can be gotten off by various means. The shorter time they are on there, the less chance they have to damage your finish. I would recommend cleaning them off with a waterless wash product daily if you can't get to a car wash. I used Adam's Waterless Wash and their Waterless Wash Microfibers last trip and it worked well.

Snoopy

XtremeSS....

I have made that trip many times. In fact, I basically purchased my HHR for vacation travel. So, MAYBE I can offer some assistance, if I ask a question.

When are you planning on this travel? Anytime UP TO EARLY MAY you need not to worry about bugs. They are minimal at best. But I do clean the front of my car, on a daily basis, with Meguairs Ultimate Detail Spray and a microfiber cloth. Bugs are removed with very little effort. But do note, I have a very good application of Meguairs NXT applied (I find the "poly" products provide better longevity, than "wax" products)...this provides an excellent protective base for removal of the bugs.

If you travel later in the Summer, yeah, you will encounter more bugs....especially in agricultural areas. But again, a good recent application of a protective wax or poly will make cleaning very easy.

Front end chips are potentially a problem. I have not used any type of extra front end protection and frankly, see no need for it. The chips I do have, are minimal and are part of this type of vehicle ownership. But my opinion, if you are concerned, would be toward a quality "clear bra" product. While somewhat expensive, it is installed and you can essentially forget about it. Nominal cleaning and polishing, while doing the rest of the car is all that is needed.

While the Colgan type products are nice and do provide the protection you are seeking, for extended trips, they have been know to present "flapping" and adjustment problems. Admittedly most of this is caused by improper installs by people who refuse to read installation instructions. However, these types of bras are know to cause fading and other types of paint color problems. And should be removed when washing a vehicle, washed independently and dried, then reapplied. Of course, if you just use it for the occasional trip....disregard the above (Note...I do have a GM Accessory bra for 2 of my other vehicles, which are notorious for stone chips. The bras are ONLY installed for long trips. I have the install of a clear bra scheduled in the near future).

Good Luck.

XtremeSS

I decided to go with the colgan carbon fiber look bra. I think it will complement the silver nicely. I purchased it mainly for this trips and any other long road trips in the future. It will b removed when I bring her home. My SS is still a baby at 6000 or so mile and the paint is 100% perfect and I would love to keep it that way as long as possible.

When you get a clear bra install please post some pics. Might have to sell mine and go for one of those...the only drawback with a clear bra is " I think" it may discolor after a certain amount of time leaving you with a yellowish clear bra.

Snoopy

Hey, Good luck. You probably made the right decision.

yeah, you're correct about SOME of the clear bra materials.......especially older Avery, 3M. The newer products are better.

I'm looking at a very new product made of nano technology. Can't remember the name right now. When I find the link I'll post it.

However, VERY FEW installers of this. May need to travel to another state, IIRC.