DoubleDare

Hi all. I'm getting ready for my first DE - Laguna Seca next week.

I know you have to tape up your headlights if they're glass, but what's the consensus on the newer plastic ones. Tape to protect against rocks and rubber, or not required?

dan212

Don't bother. You will cause more harm taping and ripping the tape off. Use an exacto to trim it and make it prettier and you will cause even more harm.

Don't bother.

This practice goes back to the days when headlights were fragile glass and perhaps sometimes standing straight up instead of an angle.

Yeah.... and if it helps, i taped my headlights too the first few times. Then realized it was silly.

mhm993

What Dan said.
No one past novice tapes their car.

DoubleDare

Thank you Dan and MHM. I'll skip the tape.

mhm993

So the OP knows what to expect, the step after "I don't tape my lights anymore" is "I bought a track car" shortly followed by " and a truck and trailer". (Ask Dan!)
Welcome to the club.

minthral

You're going to definitely get some chips in the front if you don't do anything. Windshield, headlights, radiators, hood bumper, etc. You guys just let it take the beating and live with it?

okie981

XPEL Tracwrap.
http://a.co/d0Z0S3W

DoubleDare

So only 3 steps to get in. . . are there 12 steps that will get me back out?

DoubleDare

I have X-pel Ultimate on the front end. Thinking I'll put Tracwrap over that to keep the Ultimate from getting cut up.

But X-pel recommends against putting any of their films on Porsche headlights due to delamination risk, right?

okie981

Plenty of threads on RL about film on 981/991 headlights, some people have experienced delamination of the OEM coating on the headlight lens for UV protection when paint protection film was removed.

I took the dive and had my headlights coated with Suntek PPF, similar to XPEL Ultimate. They both have a strong adhesive, much stronger than what is on the back of the XPEL Tracwrap. The Tracwrap is designed to be easier to remove but sticks very well under all conditions including heavy rain.

I'm such a nerd that I put Tracwrap over my PPF on the front of my car and on my headlights to, yes, prevent the PPF from taking track abuse.

Would the Tracwrap peel the UV coating off of your headlights if applied directly to the surface with no PPF on the headlights first? Don't know. I've applied and removed Tracwrap at least 5 times from my headlights with no issue, but mine have PPF on them also. YMMV

gbuff

del

gbuff

Simply go and buy about 12 rolls of blue painter's tape and put it all over the front of the car, the fenders and the rockers

But don't do the headlights

Gary

Blue Chip

Step 3: I don't tape my track car. I don't even wash it.


Step 2: I don't tape my car anymore but I have track wheels / tires.



Step 1: I tape my car all over the place.

Blue Chip

Truthbomb.

Tape is a gateway drug.

DoubleDare

Heh - maybe that explains why Tracwrap is transparent. So you can start your addiction on the down low.