Cheap temp paint protection?
 

I'm doing a long road trip in the next two days and the clear wrap protectant that I ordered last Monday apparently won't arrive in time. What temporary paint protection for the hood etc. do you folks recommend? What type of tape is used by the folks that go the drag strip, road courses etc.? Scotch painters tape, any tape? Helpful tips and recommendations would be greatly appreciated...:iono:

Get a roll of carpet runner protection tape from Lowes or Home Depot. It won't look pretty but it is cheap so you can peel if off when you arrive and put more back on when you return.

Good deal, thanks!:thumbsup:

The one 'watch out' I'll offer here comes from experience -

A good friend and photographer for some magazine publishing companies was driving a show vehicle from SoCal to Vegas for SEMA a few years back. He decided to do something similar with the thin semi-adhesive film.

Part of the way there a corner lifted and as he drove 80mph + it flapped against the paint for 100 or so miles. When he arrived in Vegas and pulled the film, the area that had lifted and was flapping had created a very badly dulled spot.

Not saying that will happen here, but be aware of what the film is doing b/c if its flapping around it can do a good bit of damage without you realizing it.

That is absolutely true. Make sure it it is firmly and completely flat on the car.

Tracwrap
 

I'll just leave this right here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq77_21ZecE

Tracwrap is as thick as regular clear bra, but has an air-channel adhesive that allows it to come off easily when you're ready to remove it.

^^ thats awesome!

How long would you say its a good idea to leave that film on for? Does there ever come a point where it can become difficult to remove?

I live by Road Wrap adhesive film. Like its been mentioned before, the trick to this product is that it must go on the surface tautly applied. If you lay this film on your surface in a flimsy manner, you may risk the edges coming up and possibly marring or staining your paint. When applied properly the film stays on well and gives you great protection against rocks and debris, and it removes cleanly from your paint. You can buy them in two different size rolls, so depending on your panel size you can cut out a couple o pieces to cover an area. I never go on road trips without some type of protection, and I will usually use road wrap on my bumper, hood edge and even in the lower rocker areas.

Edit: There are a couple of spray on film products that are temporary and will peel off when desired. I believe 3M makes such a product; It might be worth a try as well.

does that tracwrap look clear when on the car? In that demo it appears hazy and air pockets. I've been going to use the 3M stuff but haven't gotten around to it yet. I want to cover the front and the fins on the side. Both areas seem to take a beating.

http://www.trakktape.com/

I bought a roll of this and it goes on very easy.

It looks clear on the car, similar to a clear bra.

It also comes right off and leaves no residue.

Looks so much better than blue tape and protects better too!

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f100...81/index3.html

If you follow the info in this thread you can get a pretty good discount also. (at least you used to be able too)

Hey Gents, thanks for the tips. I made the trip, however, I started out using an inexpensive clear wrap, which didn't last too long. I then switched to painters tape. The tape worked much better. I still ended up with two small rock chips on my lower front bumper, but fine otherwise. Any help on how to touch up with paint before I have the XPEL clear bra installed would be greatly appreciated. The color is summit white.

Tracwrap
 

It just depends on how long the adhesive stays clean. We've had customers leave it on for about a month when on a cross country road trip. Because Tracwrap has an air channel adhesive, it shouldn't be difficult to remove at any given time.

When installed thoroughly, Tracwrap by XPEL will look clear on the car. As I mentioned above, it does have an air channel adhesive so up close it will look like a honey comb pattern. But standing back a bit, it won't be a noticeable texture.

Tracwrap is the same thickness as XPEL ULTIMATE. It will provide maximum durability for a temporary paint protection film.