View Full Version : Headlight Protection


SDB
04-03-2005, 02:04 PM
Does anyone have any experience, either good or bad, with these headlight protection products. I have looked at several, xpel, invisigard, clear guard, stonguard, etc. They seem similar and are all priced at about $60 for a set of four.

Invisigard advertises a 15 mil thickness where the others seem to use the same material as their paint protection.

I am concerned about long term performance, can they be cleaned easily and will they last? Also, can you see them after installation or are they really invisible?

Thanks

SDB
04-07-2005, 12:01 AM
Bump.

I guess these things aren't any good since no one responded.

Go48
04-07-2005, 07:21 AM
Bump.

I guess these things aren't any good since no one responded.
Well, I haven't installed the headlight protection, but I'd be happy to give you my two cents. I purchased the material in bulk from ClearGuard and used it to protect the front of the rearview mirrors and the "tip" of the side skirts that are getting battered by stones and sand. In other words, I made templates, cut the material and installed it according to the instructions that came with the material. (BTW, installation of the material is not too difficult unless the installation site requires complex bending of the material. It can be done, and a little heat helps, but it is still a PITA.)

Then I made a template for the headlights and was going do the install, but decided to NOT do that for one reason only. And that was, some of the owners have had internal clouding of the headlight enclosures. And if that happened with the protective plastic in place, I'm sure the dealer would claim it was due to the plastic. So I have the material that I may use elsewhere on the car, but not the headlights.

DreRX8
04-07-2005, 08:22 AM
I need to get this for my foglights at least--I just replaced one due to a cracked lens for $217! Depending on how that looks and what not I'll do it to my headlights.

SDB
04-07-2005, 11:33 AM
Then I made a template for the headlights and was going do the install, but decided to NOT do that for one reason only. And that was, some of the owners have had internal clouding of the headlight enclosures. And if that happened with the protective plastic in place, I'm sure the dealer would claim it was due to the plastic. So I have the material that I may use elsewhere on the car, but not the headlights.

Thanks for the response. According to the Invisigard information, they can be removed but not reused. Do you think that different companies use different materials? I assumed that they all used the 3M stuff.

Go48
04-07-2005, 03:03 PM
Thanks for the response. According to the Invisigard information, they can be removed but not reused. Do you think that different companies use different materials? I assumed that they all used the 3M stuff.
Don't know for sure, but I suspect it is all made by 3M. Check out the www.clearguard.com web site for more information on the various materials they sell. May be a clue there.

wndotinter
04-07-2005, 03:10 PM
I install Clearshield. Works great. Same for my headlights as the paint protection film. The only issue with the headlights is that plastic always outgases in it's 1st few years. The outgassing can cause slight bubbling. Didn't stop me from doing mine though. If it does outgas and cause any bubbling it can be removed and redone. Still cheaper than replacing the headlights.

Tamas
04-07-2005, 03:19 PM
I have the headlight protection kit from one of the vendors (forget which one, there was a dude on this board who gave a discount for RX8Club members for a while).
I had no problems with either installing these or with any bubbling. They are on for more than a year and work fine. As wndotinter said, it's cheaper than replacing the headlights due to scuffing or a rock chip.

wndotinter
04-07-2005, 05:13 PM
For the record...i've only seen a couple of headlights bubble from outgasing. It seems to be pretty rare.

crossbow
04-08-2005, 08:19 AM
Stoneguard is about 2-4x thicker then clearguard. Big difference between the two if your looking specifically for headlight protection. Most tracks will actually let you run stoneguard instead of taping up your headlights.

success07
04-08-2005, 11:16 AM
I've had my head/ fog light protection from clear-guard on for well over a year now and all is still perfect. A must have in my book.

Snake8
04-08-2005, 07:40 PM
I had clear bra installed - front bumper & 1/4 of the hood and fander, head lights, fog lights, and sider mirrors. It's really good. Requires no special cleaning. Just wash your car regularly and use some spray on wax to protect it.

ThinkGlobal
04-16-2005, 02:28 PM
I would go with some colored ones as you get a cool look and you protect the lights at the same time. 217 for a fog light ? YIKES :eek:

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