Why I re-wax my bumper every weekend
 

Every Sunday it breaks my heart after washing my car and finding a hundred extra little rock chips and scratches on my front bumper. Luckily re-waxing it fills in all the little chips and scratches and makes it look 100x better.


BEFORE: Yikes. :(


http://i.imgur.com/mARk86A.jpg


AFTER: (Meguiar's Gold Class) Yaa :clap:


http://i.imgur.com/l6jBbkN.jpg

There's plenty of bug splatter I didn't get. I just wax over it and then peel it off later.

I'm considering getting a heavier pure polish since this works so well. Let me know what you think.

Should have bought a clear bra.

Yep.

I don't think you're approaching this correctly. By letting bugs sit on the paint you're allowing the acidity to etch into the paint worse, You should aim to remove it as safely and quickly as possible. Waxing every week isn't necessary with a quality product as most have durability varying from 2-6 months condition dependent (rain, road condition, parking placement, etc...) and is only a waste of product.

Also a glaze and a polish are inherently different products. Glazes were created to fill in and create a more uniform surface thus making the paint look in better condition than it actually is, an example is Chemical Guys Blacklight, a polish is similar to a liquid sandpaper and works by bringing down the surrounding paint level so there is no discernible difference creating a more even paint surface, an example is Menzerna SF4000.

If it works good enough for you go for it, I just think there are better, more efficient ways.

I'd be more vigilant about removing the bug splatter, but I'm already washing once a week. Bug splatter is just the way it goes in the South. I might experiment with bug and tar removing though.

Thanks for clearing up the difference between glazes and polishes. What I meant was a pure polish then. A really heavy one. I think I'll try Meguiar's #7 "Mirror Glaze" (see where I got confused).

I know I don't need to wax every week. Meguiar's gold class holds up well enough for a few months, so the question isn't durability, but the polishing oils wear off quickly after a rain. I just do it because it cleans up my rock chips super easy.

Yeah unfortunately glaze and polish are marketed incorrectly by many companies and in different ways so uniformity is hard.

At least its not a white car where the chips are obvious

That's just an excuse for half-assing the cleaning. It is not that hard to QD the bugs when you get home and they're fresh. I keep QD and a microfiber in the car just to handle bugs. It only takes a few minutes and then you won't have to polish the already stupid thin pain.
Get the chips touched up then get the front end clear bra'd. It's worth it.

I like this, there may be a cheaper alternative but I like this stuff.

http://www.autogeek.net/auto-finesse-citrus-power.html

Spot treat with it, don't waste it easy to clean dirt.

I keep Griot's bug/tar remover in my trunk along with speed shine. Anytime I find bird crap or bugs I clean them off immediately, only takes a minute.

Poorboys Bug Squash is amazing

So I had this same issue on another car. By accident I hit a rubber cone and broke the front facia slightly. Eventually I had it repaired and when they fixed it, they also re painted the front of the car. I was astounded. It looked like brand new. So after that experience I decided I would just plan on re painting my front end every 100k miles or so. I haven't tried a vinyl mask but that should help too. Anyway my plan is to just do a little work with hand waxing and washing and then throw down some cash on fresh paint when she's middle aged.

If you don't keep a quick detailer and atleast one clean microfiber in your car, you probably don't care too much about looks.

bird crap will etch your clear coat leaving an ugly mark. left on long enough can bubble the paint. bugs, same way.

i use nothing but meguiars products on my brz. gold class car wash, ultimate polish, ultimate quick detailer, clay bars, ultimate spray wax, supreme shine microfibers, foam applicators, microfiber applicators, interior (matte finish) protectant, and bug/tar pads.

the only non meguiars product i use is a leather conditioner from mothers.

You can fuck right off (I care a damn hell a lot about the looks on my car), I keep a boxful of meguiar's stuff neatly organized and use a dyson vaccum on the interior. Who cares if I have constant lovebug splatter on the front of my car. Your oregon garage queen probably hasn't seen a fraction of the national highway coverage mine has seen.

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.