Somewhat of a detail question...about painter's tape

M

Matth3w

New member
I have a 300 mile trip to my next Army duty station coming up in about 1.5 weeks. It's still about 80-90 during the day here. Should take about 5 hours total.



I was thinking of using painter's tape all along my front bumper and mirrors etc, so I can just peel off the crap and prevent rock chips when I get there.



However, the last time I did this it was on a carbon fiber hood that had been painted aftermarket, and unfortunately when I got to my location I peeled it off and the clearcoat came with it. I'm thinking this is a fault of the paint job, not the painter's tape, but I could be wrong. Previously I had done this with an OEM hood with ZERO issues, and that was an 18 hour drive.



Your thoughts?
 
Thanks, 35M.



So definitely use the painter's tape? I know it's a pain to use in terms of balling it up at the end etc but HWY10 in the SW is known for rock chips, and I'd like to minimize this chance. PS, my Camaro only has 4300 miles on the ODO so the paint job is new if that makes a difference.
 
lol matt i don't know if you really need any other opinions man... lol Barry is more or less as solid of advice as it comes imo...I mean...i SUPPOSE you can put on a clear bra or something like that...but I mean....unless you're ganna keep it on...is it really worth it? lol



I say stick with barry's idea (hard to go wrong with one of the forum Sage's advice...know what I mean?)
 
Matth3w- What Barry Theal said (both his appreciation of your service and his suggestion to use the Griot's stuff instead of regular masking tape).



The Griot's film oughta be a whole lot better, especially when it comes to cleaning it off. I can imagine all sorts of issues from using the tape, even though other people have done it. I'd spend the money for the Griot's in a heartbeat compared to using tape.
 
Hey Matthew. The clear wrap Barry linked to looks promising but I'm wondering how thick it is and how well it might protect from rock chips. ....maybe he can chime in again?



Another option (or perhaps an additional option to use in conjunction with other alternatives) is a bra/mask. I have a 120 mile commute I make once per week with my new Challenger. The 60 miles going in during the morning are on a stretch of highway that is populated rock/gravel haulers, etc. ....you should see the windscreen of my wife's 2008 Forester (our daily driver). I purchased a Colgan vinyl bra for it specifically for this commute and/or when traveling on road trips. While other parts of the car are not protected, it certainly helps with the exposed front nose, grille, bumper and part of the fenders. I also installed Lamin-X film on my headlamps and fogs. ....just some ideas.
 
Kean- How's the bra with regard to *it* causing any issues? My RX-7 has some "can't fix" issues from when the original owner used a bra when he moved/drove to FLA.



That commute of yours sounds like murder!
 
As I’m sure you know all too well, results can vary wildly with these things depending on several factors. I was pretty impressed with the materials, design and workmanship of the Colgan model I chose. I’ve been using it off and on since May on my black Challenger and have yet to observe and marring caused by the product up to this point (I just did a full correction/detail a couple of weeks ago). ….and while not hyper-sensitive to sniffing out defects, I consider myself relatively anal about such stuff. As with any new mask/bra I use, I always make sure to constantly and carefully check for potential problem areas especially around the mounting points, edges, seams, etc. I do occasionally find loose debris within the interior fabric but I am quite diligent at removing the bra immediately after use, maintaining it and only installing it as needed. I don’t use it around town or trips that don’t take me on highways/roads that pose a risk.



I also use a factory bra on the wife’s Forester. However, in this case the bra is on the car for much longer periods and I only take it off once per week when washing (sometimes once every two weeks depending on her schedule :eek:). In her scenario, I initially noted light marring (only noticeable under certain lighting due to the color of her car (light gold)) along the hood where the edge of the bra meets the finish. As a result, I try to keep this area well maintained with a wax/sealant to do what I can to help prevent damage. I also noted scuffing to the inner lip of the fender at the j-clip mounting points. These are uncoated plastic unlike the ones on my Colgan bra that are a felt(?)-lined. I use foam ear plugs that keep the plastic from contacting those areas. Being that it’s on the inside lip, it’s probably not something most would complain about or even notice (including my wife), but it bugs me. I’ve been using the bra on the Subaru over 3 years now without any blemishes other than what I pointed out above. To be honest, even that level of marring is relatively minor and easily corrected with a few passes of a light polish (I have had to address this twice since we bought the car in ‘07). ….considering Subaru’s relatively soft paint, that’s not too bad.



I know bras have an evil reputation with some and rightfully so. They do require a lot of care/maintenance and even then, there is no guarantee they will not damage your finish in one way or another. In my case, I simply don’t like any of the clear bras I have seen but I also don’t like to leave our vehicles unprotected when exposed to situations where impacts are likely. Bras/masks (in my scenario) seem to be a good compromise. ….at least for now.





....and yeah, the commute is a bit of a killer. ;) Luckily, we only need to do it about 3 times during the week though.
 
Kean- Sounds like you're doing the bra/mask thing the right way :xyxthumbs And yeah, I don't really care for the clear bra/PPF thing either; got it on vulnerable areas of the Yukon XLD but didn't have him (it was ebpcivicsi, who did a great job) do the hood because I just hate how it looks.
 
Accumulator said:
Kean- Sounds like you're doing the bra/mask thing the right way :xyxthumbs And yeah, I don't really care for the clear bra/PPF thing either; got it on vulnerable areas of the Yukon XLD but didn't have him (it was ebpcivicsi, who did a great job) do the hood because I just hate how it looks.
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Thanks. I guess it's all a matter of compromises when using something like this. I can do what I can to help try to prevent marring but the potential is definitely there and in the case of the wife's Forester, it is a reality. For now (at least) I'll take my chances with the vinyl bras since it is far better than no protection at all. ....and I'm not quite sold on the alternative solutions for the reasons mentioned. I guess one good thing I have going for me is that I'm not as “Autopian” as some others may be (or as I once was) so my expectations, tolerance, etc. are a little more lax these days.
 
I have sort of a masking tape related question. I did a paint correction on a car yesterday that had tape pinstripes around the beltline. I masked them off to protect them during buffing. Of course the swirl marks still remain where the masking tape was. How do the professionals handle this ? I plan on just going back and blending the area by hand with swirl remover. Any input would be helpful.
 
gtppilot said:
I have sort of a masking tape related question. I did a paint correction on a car yesterday that had tape pinstripes around the beltline. I masked them off to protect them during buffing. Of course the swirl marks still remain where the masking tape was. How do the professionals handle this ? I plan on just going back and blending the area by hand with swirl remover. Any input would be helpful.
Click to expand...



Not sure what a pro would do, but I tape the pinstripes and only the pinstripes. If I have to, I'll tape 'em twice so I can do the correction on both sides.
 
Accumulator said:
Not sure what a pro would do, but I tape the pinstripes and only the pinstripes. If I have to, I'll tape 'em twice so I can do the correction on both sides.
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Ok, that sounds good. Thanks for your help !!
 
Kean said:
Thanks. I guess it's all a matter of compromises when using something like this. I can do what I can to help try to prevent marring but the potential is definitely there and in the case of the wife's Forester, it is a reality. For now (at least) I'll take my chances with the vinyl bras since it is far better than no protection at all. ....and I'm not quite sold on the alternative solutions for the reasons mentioned. I guess one good thing I have going for me is that I'm not as “Autopian” as some others may be (or as I once was) so my expectations, tolerance, etc. are a little more lax these days.
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....and as luck would have it, I just noticed some light marring this past weekend beginning to occur on my Challenger where the J-hooks secure the bra to the fenders (same place as the Forester on the inner lip). Although the clips for my car are fabric lined, there is obviously quite a bit of tension at these points and potential for wear (which is why I have been keeping an eye out). Anyhow, it looks like I will be using painters tape for now on the paint under those clips.
 
Kean- I get nervous about long-term use of tape...wonder if there might be some way to use pieces of MF or somesuch :think:
 
gtppilot said:
I have sort of a masking tape related question. I did a paint correction on a car yesterday that had tape pinstripes around the beltline. I masked them off to protect them during buffing. Of course the swirl marks still remain where the masking tape was. How do the professionals handle this ? I plan on just going back and blending the area by hand with swirl remover. Any input would be helpful.
Click to expand...



Most times I'll remove the stripe and replace it. It will also give a fresh look to the car. I will also use 3m fineline masking tape. This stuff is amazing for that. As far as the Griots masking stuff goes. Its very durale and pretty think. I had a car get transported back on an open trailer and when the customer seen it, he thoght I was nuts. I wrapped the wole front end, hood mirrior. It was like I was delivering a nw car. Except it comes off with no residue fast. Good Luck.
 
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