Operation AVS bugshield salvage

[Alpine Warthog]

Well, a while back I bought the much hated AVS bug shield with the lights. Not knowing just haw tacky and walmart rigged it really looked, I opened it up and was super disappointed. Stupid roll up rope light.

Well after tossing it and then dragging it back out and tossing it again. I decided I was going to do something to make it work.
Here's a sneak peak for tonight and I'll do a short write up tomorrow after I take some pics in the light tomorrow

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[Toyfrog]

Is that how it’s supposed to mount? Looks like a big ole wind catcher that at highway speeds will be in the rear view mirror?

 

[Rocksalt]

Well, a while back I bought the much hated AVS bug shield with the lights. Not knowing just haw tacky and walmart rigged it really looked, I opened it up and was super disappointed. Stupid roll up rope light.

Well after tossing it and then dragging it back out and tossing it again. I decided I was going to do something to make it work.
Here's a sneak peak for tonight and I'll do a short write up tomorrow after I take some pics in the light tomorrow

looks like you mounted yours backwards... my AVS doesnt look like that

 

[Alpine Warthog]

Is that how it’s supposed to mount? Looks like a big ole wind catcher that at highway speeds will be in the rear view mirror?

yes. It's pretty conformal to the hood. It's way less than the stone shields of the 80s....

looks like you mounted yours backwards... my AVS doesnt look like that

Ummm, Interesting you'd say that but.. this is how I mounted mine:

From the interwebz:

I'm going to post better pics in the daylight tomorrow.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

Some pics of the process

I poured poly resin in there to encase the rope light and attempt to make it what the original ads made it look. Turns out poly is harder to work with than you tube makes it look

Since the resin turned out to have a TON of bubbles in it and it turned out ugly as sin, I got the bright idea of covering it with Tail Light tint rattle can. NOPE. still looks trash and even worse when it's light up.

Threw it away again. But once I remembered I'd dropped $75 in materials I'm into this stupid project over $200.... I pulled it back out and started thinking.

Pulled out a heavy duty sanding disk and started digging out the resin as deep as I could.
Couldn't get it all because I started damaging the rope light casing once I got deep enough. BUT, there's lots of bubbles still...... so I painted the remaining resin black and masked off squares so the lights could still shine but the screwed up resin beneath was hidden when it's lit.

Poured more resin on top to completely fill the cavity flush to to the outer edges.
This turned out to be really tough because of the curvature.

Started sanding again. This time trying to get to that mirror finish so i can spray it black with tail light tint.

More pics to follow

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Is that how it’s supposed to mount? Looks like a big ole wind catcher that at highway speeds will be in the rear view mirror?

Wind tunnel tests prove that a vertical face on a "bug deflector" is actually worthless. All of us who put those "stand upright" acrylic shiels on our vehicles in the 70s and 80s - actually have been proven to make things worse because of the low pressure area created behind them, pulling the bugs downward toward the windshield.
Amazing what the wind tunnel and computer simulations have taught about "bug deflectors".
Upright = bad
sloped back with gentle lift = good.
You don't want a vertical face on the front of the hood.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

Wind tunnel tests prove that a vertical face on a "bug deflector" is actually worthless. All of us who put those "stand upright" acrylic shiels on our vehicles in the 70s and 80s - actually have been proven to make things worse because of the low pressure area created behind them, pulling the bugs downward toward the windshield.
Amazing what the wind tunnel and computer simulations have taught about "bug deflectors".
Upright = bad
sloped back with gentle lift = good.
You don't want a vertical face on the front of the hood.

I saw your post from a couple of years ago when you were "ordered" to get one. What did you end up with?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I saw your post from a couple of years ago when you were "ordered" to get one. What did you end up with?

I went with the MOPAR shield.
Does it help? It's hard to quantify since I don't run over the river with it, then remove it and run back. I'd say it cuts down the bug gunk, moves it upward on the windshield a bit.
The problem is that bugs just aren't always impacted by air flow. Butterflies and moths, yeah, but others, not so much.
My wife had the idea of me taking a shop vac out and dealing with the sweat bees hovering around the oriel feeders.
OK, sounds like an idea. Made sure the filter was sort of clean, checked and it had plenty of pull. Put the nozzle up where they were flying and.................... out of 20 I might have pulled in a couple. they simply resisted any change in the air around them and weren't pulled into the shop vac. That told me that something that interferes with the bug's desire to get somewhere will be compensated for by the bug and he's going to go where he wants to go and it would take a tornado to deter him.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

OK, sounds like an idea. Made sure the filter was sort of clean, checked and it had plenty of pull. Put the nozzle up where they were flying and.................... out of 20 I might have pulled in a couple. they simply resisted any change in the air around them and weren't pulled into the shop vac. That told me that something that interferes with the bug's desire to get somewhere will be compensated for by the bug and he's going to go where he wants to go and it would take a tornado to deter him.

You've got a point, And I've tried to research it, which brought up a whole bunch of ads and bug shield company claims, but I've not seen any wind tunnel graphics or data. either direction, proving or disproving. I'm still digging.
I do like that the leading edge is now protected and the aesthetics of it appeal to my taste. I've got a 12 hour drive this weekend, so we'll see if I see any drop in gas mileage.

 

[GOCAMPN]

These AVS products are designed and advertised only to protect the front of your hood, not your windshield.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

You've got a point, And I've tried to research it, which brought up a whole bunch of ads and bug shield company claims, but I've not seen any wind tunnel graphics or data. either direction, proving or disproving. I'm still digging.
I do like that the leading edge is now protected and the aesthetics of it appeal to my taste. I've got a 12 hour drive this weekend, so we'll see if I see any drop in gas mileage.

Isn't it crazy, try to do a search for facts and science and what pops up are the web sites for the companies that make them, ads and promotional stuff.
I did a search for something earlier this week and could never find anything beyond companies that make and market the product - and so-called "review sites".
Google all but worthless as those who know how to put a web site on the top with their clever SEO tactics get the hits - even if irrelevant. Money.

Anyway, I like the protection on the front of the hood and can point to multiple vehicles as proof that that part alone can be worth some money.
If you like it, it looks good to you on your Jeep, and it has some benefit beyond that appearance (hood protection just as an example), then no one can say you made a mistake.

 

[Alpine Warthog]

Here it is in the day light. I'm relatively pleased with the final look but the mistakes I made and all the sanding and stripping and everything else really served to beat the plastic up.

I like it for the look and for the hood protection. We'll see if the gas is hurt or if it gives any incidental rock protection. It does prove the concept that the tacky factory can be improved. And if done by somebody that knows what they're doing it would look even better. This was my first poly resin project so I made lots of mistakes

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Will be watching.

 

[MPMB]

Will be watching.

stalker.

I have the swoopy plain, no-lights bugshield and I've noticed it affects more than just bugs. Snow and light rain get pushed higher. The lower half of the windshield gets less than the top half.

But that could be anecdotal. I haven't removed the deflector to test.

 

[rharr]

Here it is in the day light. I'm relatively pleased with the final look but the mistakes I made and all the sanding and stripping and everything else really served to beat the plastic up.

I like it for the look and for the hood protection. We'll see if the gas is hurt or if it gives any incidental rock protection. It does prove the concept that the tacky factory can be improved. And if done by somebody that knows what they're doing it would look even better. This was my first poly resin project so I made lots of mistakes

For the rough plastic you can take a heat gun and run it over the plastic to regloss it a little sometimes. I have done it with some various plastic parts. Just keep it moving if held in place to long it will create a hot spot that doesn't blend.

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