I live in MO and drive my car 50 mi a day when I'm not taking a road trip. I clean the bugs off the bumper every day, especially when I've driven after dark. It's sooooo much easier to get them while they are fresh. I use Optimum No Rinse at QD dilution and a high quality microfiber (I keep a pile of microfibers, ONR, quick wax, and interior detailer in my trunk in the summer).

this stuff is awesome!

i use it mostly in the winter months

it really gets the salt off the car, use this with a pressure washer, barely have to wash down the car after using it

great stuff!

subaru paint has always sucked i have watched pdr guys glue pull repair cars and have the paint pull off the car, this is something i have only seen happen on a subaru.

Yeah I also carry some of that Gary Dean's Infinite Use Detail Juice and a freshly cleaned microfiber cloth in my car. I drive about 60 miles to work every day. (And then back) I Knock the bugs off when I get to work, and when I get home. And I try my damnedest to keep at least a hundred feet of road between me and the car in front of me. Which is maddening because I want to punch it a little bit ;) I still got a couple really tiny knicks though. Check out the junkmans YouTube videos. He will beat it into you how important it is to get the bugs off as soon as humanly possible.

It's almost as if this is, collectively, the first new car for everybody on this forum. Rock chips, door dings, dents, scratches, etc. are all going to happen. Wax your car twice a year and wash it regularly; you'll be fine. Preventative measures have their compromises and aren't for everyone.

Can we all refrain from making broad, baseless statements about car care? Please?

Waxing twice a year? Maybe if you don't care about your paint. Unless you're talking about using a high quality sealant, wax isn't going to last more than a month in many places (especially where I live), and true carnuba wax isn't going to last even a week during the summer because of it's low boiling point.

Preventative measures only have compromises in their cost...

You're exaggerating a bit (a lot) and that's my point; clearly, frequency depends on the treatment of the car (garaged, daily driven, etc, etc). That said, if water beads, your car is at least somewhat protected. Additional protection or coats added are personal preference (and likely a waste).

To address your specific point, "true" carnauba car wax is, at most, 30% carnauba. Sure, the complete wax content of the "wax" may be carnauba (no other wax types), but 70% of the composed "wax" is additives. Additionally, carnauba wax boils at 160°; it doesn't boil in AZ and I doubt it boils in Texas.

I've never before been accused of not caring about my paint. If you want my sources, let me know.



EDIT: The preventative measure I was referring to was the ClearBra. I call looking at the damn thing a compromise.

True, if it's a weekend driven garage queen it doesn't need the same care as a care left in the elements and daily driven. That's kind of the point though, the OP of the thread obviously drives his car a lot if he has that much damage and bugs.

Surface temps of the paint in direct sunlight is easily enough to boil carnauba wax off. This is well known by detailers and it's why a sealant is used under carnauba wax for the best shine and protection.

http://www.drbeasleys.com/blog/2011/07/22/heat-and-wax/

Clear bra depends on the brand and installation. If an entire panel is covered, there's not much to look at. Edges are annoying, I agree, but it's better than rock chips.

Nowadays edges are pretty much invisible even on partial panel installs.

Carnauba will absolutely bake off. I only use it as a top layer on darker colored cars to add depth most sealants don't give you. For most cars Meguiars #21 is pretty awesome.