Should I use painter's tape on my hood if driving from Socal to SF?
09-25-16, 04:17 PM
#16
Here's a photo after a couple stops at rest areas. The road wrap doesn't stick to curved areas well in the wind and the painter tape doesn't stick to the road wrap well so I had to trim off the wrap to apply the tape. This did do the job though. Only my windshield and license plate ended up with a lot of bug splatter
We had a good customer do this on his car and it completely destroyed his paint beyond repair. That's the short story.
Here's the long story: Good customer orders a brand new BMW M4 for European Delivery. Car is fully loaded with all the oem CF options, price tag over $84k. He schedules a detail with us when the car arrives in the US. Before we got the car to our shop, he went out to Germany, and installed the Xpel Track Wrap (or whatever way it's spelled) in the same exact fashion as this fella here on his IS. Drove the M4 around Germany and then a few days in the US. Went through some rain, etc.
When we removed this track wrap, the paint was so badly water spotted and stained, it was beyond repair. Heavy compounding with wool and M101 did little to improve it. My guess is sanding wouldn't have helped too much either.
The problem of installing a film in this fashion is that it has way too much moisture and water get trapped in it since it's applied in such a sloppy fashion. All that water and moisture will for sure spot the paint.
If you're going to do this, or 3m painters tape, apply it as flush as possible, otherwise you will have a heart attack when you pull it off and see what you've just done to your paint.l
Luckily for our customer, he was booked for a full front ppf install anyways and the new film, obviously correctly installed, hid most of the damage. But underneath, he knows the paint is still destroyed. Bad idea. Would never do this or recommend others to.
09-25-16, 04:55 PM
#17
Intermediate
Thread Starter
No offense Sir.... but to everyone else DO NOT do this.
We had a good customer do this on his car and it completely destroyed his paint beyond repair. That's the short story.
Here's the long story: Good customer orders a brand new BMW M4 for European Delivery. Car is fully loaded with all the oem CF options, price tag over $84k. He schedules a detail with us when the car arrives in the US. Before we got the car to our shop, he went out to Germany, and installed the Xpel Track Wrap (or whatever way it's spelled) in the same exact fashion as this fella here on his IS. Drove the M4 around Germany and then a few days in the US. Went through some rain, etc.
When we removed this track wrap, the paint was so badly water spotted and stained, it was beyond repair. Heavy compounding with wool and M101 did little to improve it. My guess is sanding wouldn't have helped too much either.
The problem of installing a film in this fashion is that it has way too much moisture and water get trapped in it since it's applied in such a sloppy fashion. All that water and moisture will for sure spot the paint.
If you're going to do this, or 3m painters tape, apply it as flush as possible, otherwise you will have a heart attack when you pull it off and see what you've just done to your paint.l
Luckily for our customer, he was booked for a full front ppf install anyways and the new film, obviously correctly installed, hid most of the damage. But underneath, he knows the paint is still destroyed. Bad idea. Would never do this or recommend others to.
We had a good customer do this on his car and it completely destroyed his paint beyond repair. That's the short story.
Here's the long story: Good customer orders a brand new BMW M4 for European Delivery. Car is fully loaded with all the oem CF options, price tag over $84k. He schedules a detail with us when the car arrives in the US. Before we got the car to our shop, he went out to Germany, and installed the Xpel Track Wrap (or whatever way it's spelled) in the same exact fashion as this fella here on his IS. Drove the M4 around Germany and then a few days in the US. Went through some rain, etc.
When we removed this track wrap, the paint was so badly water spotted and stained, it was beyond repair. Heavy compounding with wool and M101 did little to improve it. My guess is sanding wouldn't have helped too much either.
The problem of installing a film in this fashion is that it has way too much moisture and water get trapped in it since it's applied in such a sloppy fashion. All that water and moisture will for sure spot the paint.
If you're going to do this, or 3m painters tape, apply it as flush as possible, otherwise you will have a heart attack when you pull it off and see what you've just done to your paint.l
Luckily for our customer, he was booked for a full front ppf install anyways and the new film, obviously correctly installed, hid most of the damage. But underneath, he knows the paint is still destroyed. Bad idea. Would never do this or recommend others to.
Yah I wouldn't recommend it to anyone either. The only reason I did it was because it was recommended above and seemed easier to apply. Turns out I was wrong. I think you'd need like 100 pieces to even get it flush without creases due to the way the car is shaped but I was in a hurry to leave. Got my car washed today and everything is looking good now.
12-16-16, 04:17 PM
#18
Driver School Candidate
Anyone had any experience with this product from Griot's:
https://www.griotsgarage.com/product/bug+barricade.do
This looks a lot easier than applying film, and the principle sounds good. I don't care one iota what it looks like for the 2 days I will 'use' it - on drives between SF and Phoenix. I'll wash it off the moment I arrive and looking silly on I-5 and I-10 is fine by me.
The only question is, does it really do the job? I've driven SF-PHX and back over 30 times and I just hate dealing with the aftermath.
https://www.griotsgarage.com/product/bug+barricade.do
This looks a lot easier than applying film, and the principle sounds good. I don't care one iota what it looks like for the 2 days I will 'use' it - on drives between SF and Phoenix. I'll wash it off the moment I arrive and looking silly on I-5 and I-10 is fine by me.
The only question is, does it really do the job? I've driven SF-PHX and back over 30 times and I just hate dealing with the aftermath.
12-16-16, 06:59 PM
#19
Anyone had any experience with this product from Griot's:
https://www.griotsgarage.com/product/bug+barricade.do
This looks a lot easier than applying film, and the principle sounds good. I don't care one iota what it looks like for the 2 days I will 'use' it - on drives between SF and Phoenix. I'll wash it off the moment I arrive and looking silly on I-5 and I-10 is fine by me.
The only question is, does it really do the job? I've driven SF-PHX and back over 30 times and I just hate dealing with the aftermath.
https://www.griotsgarage.com/product/bug+barricade.do
This looks a lot easier than applying film, and the principle sounds good. I don't care one iota what it looks like for the 2 days I will 'use' it - on drives between SF and Phoenix. I'll wash it off the moment I arrive and looking silly on I-5 and I-10 is fine by me.
The only question is, does it really do the job? I've driven SF-PHX and back over 30 times and I just hate dealing with the aftermath.
To get bugs off very easily, just park your car in the shade, spray the front end down with APC (4:1 Meguiars or similar product), let it dwell for a few minutes, turn on your pressure washer and 80% or more should come off without even putting a mitt on the paint. Very easy to do.
12-17-16, 09:15 AM
#20
Driver School Candidate
That should work to make washing bugs off easier....but that aint goint to protect you against paint chips which is why I think most people put some kind of masking tape/film on their car before doing a long road trip.
To get bugs off very easily, just park your car in the shade, spray the front end down with APC (4:1 Meguiars or similar product), let it dwell for a few minutes, turn on your pressure washer and 80% or more should come off without even putting a mitt on the paint. Very easy to do.
To get bugs off very easily, just park your car in the shade, spray the front end down with APC (4:1 Meguiars or similar product), let it dwell for a few minutes, turn on your pressure washer and 80% or more should come off without even putting a mitt on the paint. Very easy to do.
Also, FYI, while I have such luxuries as pressure washers, etc in SF, in PHX I'm in a condo complex and there's no opportunity to use a pressure washer.
I ordered a few rolls of the 'road wrap' and also the Griot's product above. I'll be driving down next week for Xmas so we'll see how it goes!
12-17-16, 10:17 AM
#21
What is 'APC' ? I know Meguiars is a brand but what is 4:1 referring to - a dilution? Sorry, not up on these products!
Also, FYI, while I have such luxuries as pressure washers, etc in SF, in PHX I'm in a condo complex and there's no opportunity to use a pressure washer.
I ordered a few rolls of the 'road wrap' and also the Griot's product above. I'll be driving down next week for Xmas so we'll see how it goes!
Also, FYI, while I have such luxuries as pressure washers, etc in SF, in PHX I'm in a condo complex and there's no opportunity to use a pressure washer.
I ordered a few rolls of the 'road wrap' and also the Griot's product above. I'll be driving down next week for Xmas so we'll see how it goes!
That's the one we use at work most of the time. APC is All Purpose Cleaner. Almost every company has their own version. This one, we use 4:1 dilution for outside and 10:1 for interiors.
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