Paint chips seem a little too prevalent

That was good information. The 2rd generation 3M films seemed to craze within the warranty period. We have removed many at no cost to the customer mind you. 3M warranty was enforce at the time. The 3rd generation film is much better. As with all paint protection films you need to care for them - times have changed so have the coating technologies. We also offer nano fusion films which are a prem film with no OP. I always recommend to our customers to care for the films anda we provide a care and maint brouchure with each install and as the warranty comes to a close have a 3M certifed installer inspect the film, Oh and keep the paperwork in the glove box. Hope this helps.

 

This is going to sound totally ghetto, but for bugs: on long road trips I just put a few strips of saran wrap over the most critical areas of the front bumper. It's barely visible on blizzard pearl, and when I reach my destination I just peel everything right off.

 

actually that isn't a bad idea but my concern would be going down the expressway and have it come off and block the grill thereby not allowing airflow into the radiator.

 

It's no different from bird dropping etching the clear coat, in which case you need something stronger than wax. Claying won't cut it either. Try NuFinish Scratch Doctor or Zaino PC-Fusion. I'd do repeated applications of NuFinish Scratch Doctor first and see if it's strong enough and use Z-PC Fusion only as a last resort (as it causes hazing and you must use a better finishing polish in order to remove the haze). If you do use Z-PC, you can use Scratch Doctor to finish down the haze.

 

I've tried Scratch Doctor, Meguiar's scratch remover and Zymol. I even tried a light application of rubbing compound on these, and haven't had any luck. I considered going heavier on the rubbing compound, but based on the apparent softness of the clearcoat I decided not to throw caution to the wind and risk a burn through.

I won't pretend to actually know the reasoning behind the paint Toyota used, but it's very reminiscent of the cheap clearcoats and/or poor mixture ratios (paint to hardner) I used 25-30 years ago.

 

Well, there hasn't been a bird dropping etching that I haven't been able to minimize using Scratch Doctor or Z-PC Fusion or a combination thereof. Z-PC Fusion is an excellent paint cleaner (but sucks as a finishing polish). Not sure why bug juice would be any more caustic. I don't get too many bug splatters around here.

 

You need to come to Florida during love bug season. Not only do you need to get the splatter off immediately or remember the little sex fiends forever from their portrait on the front of your hood, but it is a purely awful smell. They are called love bugs because you hardly ever run into one of them, even in a swarm. There are almost always together, probably practicing their version of the Heimlich maneuver. At least that is what I always told my kids they were doing. They seem to get distracted for some reason and go into oblivion in a state of eternal bliss.

 

Do we know if certain colors are more likely to chip, than others?
Also, from my experience, keeping a good coat of wax on your car makes ALL the difference in the world regarding this whole subject of chipping and bug debris, etc. When my vehicles are waxed often, they are easier to clean off bug splatter and are less susceptible to scratching or chipping.

 

I agree that protecting the paint with wax makes a difference regarding paint etching from bug debris, etc.

But there is no wax, polymer, etc. that will do anything regarding protection against scratching or chipping. A coat of wax will hide those issues (temporarily) but there's no way a coat of wax will stand up to a rock hit or anything else that would cause a chip or scratch.

For those that experience issues with a lot of bug splats, I'd recommend RejeX: RejeX: Nothing Sticks but the Shine!

Provides a strong protective layer, and also makes cleaning much easier. Also great on the windshield.

 

Thanks Stream, for that info on RejeX.
I've not heard of this before, but looks like something I'll be trying soon.
Might take a ride to my nearest TV hardware store today.

 

If you apply it to a clean, waxed surface, it adheres pretty strongly... that's my experience anyways.