L400 ABS Headlight Protectors

[Mr. Flibble]

Well, if the customer support is any indication I will be going with the 3M coating myself!

I have gone through no less than 4 emails where they tell me that they can't send me the covers due to "Hello We do discount for large orders but we are unable to supply to Canada" (After I asked them to ship to the UK...)
"Hi I am sorry but due to insurance we are unable to sell to Northern American customers." After I asked them to ship to the UK *AGAIN*.

I have a feeling that their email support is either in China or India, and they are not native English speakers.

Never before in my life have I had to bust out my dual citizenship with the UK before to berate someone...

*Edit*

I guess my post looks kind of crass! I should edit it and make it less so, but I feel that would be disingenuous, so I will leave it as is and just apologize for being frustrated with the lack of email support I got from this company. No response longer than a single sentence. :(

I think the product looks great, but the odds of getting a group buy are getting lower and lower.

[Pacific JDM Parts]

If the 3M film is only $26 for that much the headlight covers are going to be a lot more even in a group buy.
I will check in to this what i can find out and let you know.

[FalcoColumbarius]

I use the 3M stuff. I think it was $26 for a six metre roll that is six inches wide, ideal for L300 headlamps, not sure about L400s. Sasquatch Hunter turned me onto it and I got it from a body shop supplier on Bridgeport Road, not far from Shell Road.

Falco.

Okay, I have the box right here in my lap. It is called "Scotchgard Protector 3M". It's actually meant to protect the paint on yer rocker panels but as mine are removable and repaintable I will deal with them later. The product number is either: 75-3470-1914-5 or 84906 (Both numbers on the front of the box). The roll is six inches wide by 84" long. So I guess that's only two metres long. I hope I didn't pop any bubbles just now.

I have had my lights covered for two years now and it has yet to yellow. This stuff is not bullet proof, it is only meant to stop chips or hold the light together should something bigger hit it. I think the place I got it from was a Sherwin Williams supplier, on the north side of Bridgeport Road, east of Shell Road.

Falco.

[Pacific JDM Parts]

So the company got back to me and this is there reply.

Hi
Yes that would be no problem, and we would be able to give you a 10% discount so the total would be £475.92 inc vat and delivery
To place the order call us on 01332 601016
Thanks
Mark

Now this is just the price delivered to my address in the U.K for 10 sets so there is still more shipping from the U.K and then G.S.T and Import duties.
Which is going make these twice as much approximately as buying the plastic film by the time there landed on your door.

[DeliTan]

Just so we are clear...

There are 2 types of "film" mentioned above. The thin paintwork protector stuff that Falco has and the thick rubbery stuff discussed by Green1.

I use the thin stuff on my motorcycle and will add it to the hood of the Deli (too late). I have the thick stuff to go on the headlights when the temp warms up to the recommended 16C. The brand I got from Lordco is Ricochet Lens Protector

john

[Green1]

Okay, I have the box right here in my lap. It is called "Scotchgard Protector 3M". It's actually meant to protect the paint on yer rocker panels but as mine are removable and repaintable I will deal with them later. The product number is either: 75-3470-1914-5 or 84906 (Both numbers on the front of the box). The roll is six inches wide by 84" long. So I guess that's only two metres long. I hope I didn't pop any bubbles just now.

I have had my lights covered for two years now and it has yet to yellow. This stuff is not bullet proof, it is only meant to stop chips or hold the light together should something bigger hit it. I think the place I got it from was a Sherwin Williams supplier, on the north side of Bridgeport Road, east of Shell Road.

Falco.

That's the wrong stuff, it's for metal panels, not glass lights, it will work, but a rock could still break your lights right through it, the stuff I'm talking about is designed for headlights and is significantly thicker, it comes as 2 sheets for about $30-50
(one sheet does one headlight)

[deLOOKA]

I'm not sure if this helps. May be too thin.
MTBers use it to protect the downtube and other areas of their frames.
$10 for the 12x18 sheet at Carter Honda, Granville Island.

http://www.factoryeffex.com/shop-online ... uct_id=630

[FalcoColumbarius]

Okay, I have the box right here in my lap. It is called "Scotchgard Protector 3M". It's actually meant to protect the paint on yer rocker panels but as mine are removable and repaintable I will deal with them later. The product number is either: 75-3470-1914-5 or 84906 (Both numbers on the front of the box). The roll is six inches wide by 84" long. So I guess that's only two metres long. I hope I didn't pop any bubbles just now.

I have had my lights covered for two years now and it has yet to yellow. This stuff is not bullet proof, it is only meant to stop chips or hold the light together should something bigger hit it. I think the place I got it from was a Sherwin Williams supplier, on the north side of Bridgeport Road, east of Shell Road.

Falco.

That's the wrong stuff, it's for metal panels, not glass lights, it will work, but a rock could still break your lights right through it, the stuff I'm talking about is designed for headlights and is significantly thicker, it comes as 2 sheets for about $30-50
(one sheet does one headlight)

Actually...... That two metre strip was used to cover the Miss Lil' Bitchi's headlamps; it also covered the Mitsushi's headlamps; it covered the MLB's running/indicator lamps; it covered the Mitsushi's running/indicator lamps; and then it covered the MLB's running/indicator lamps again as the first one got hit by a rather large rock from a rather large ore truck up in the Omineca Forest. Jolly lucky, too! We are not talking about a "ping", we are talking about a cross between a bang and a thud. When I felt that one hit I thought bodywork for sure, but luck would have it that the rock hit the lens (splitting it from top to bottom) without hitting the surrounding paint ~ and the 3M covering held it all together for the rest of the trip. I think I have the right stuff.

I have seen the protection on the Erebus's headlamps. Pretty skucum stuff, to be sure. Not sure how old the application is but it was pretty yellowed. After two years the 3M has not yellowed. I doubt there are many things out there that are 100% rock proof but this stuff protects against chips because it absorbs the impact. Think of it like aircraft engineering: If the aeroplane was completely made of the same stuff as the "Black Box" is then there would be no aviation accidents, ever ~ because the planes would never get off the ground. Yet with such thin, light weight metals the aeroplane is very resilient due to the way those light weight metals are put together. That's how I look at the 3M stuff ~ as light weight polythene engineered to absorb some of the impact and still maintain it's integrity and hold the lens together if the rock happens to be a big one. Any way you skin it: if your lamp is hit by a bullet of a rock at a direct angle ~ I doubt if any of these protections will stop it. Armour is meant to deflect, not stop ~ but the 3M will keep it together.

I could put two layers on which would substantially strengthen it, but I'm not sure how hot the lens would get with the added layer of insulation, or whether it would be necessary ~ but for twenty-six bucks? Hmm.

Falco.

[Green1]

~ and the 3M covering held it all together for the rest of the trip. I think I have the right stuff.

nope, that is dead PROOF you have the wrong stuff, had you had the RIGHT stuff you woudn't have had to "hold it together" as it wouldn't have broken in the first place.

as for the "yellowing" on Erebus' headlights, it's actually sort of odd, I find mine often look yellowed to, but when I wash the vehicle they clear right up... so I think it's just the way dirt sits on them as they aren't quite as slippery as some surfaces.

[Mr. Flibble]

~ and the 3M covering held it all together for the rest of the trip. I think I have the right stuff.

nope, that is dead PROOF you have the wrong stuff, had you had the RIGHT stuff you woudn't have had to "hold it together" as it wouldn't have broken in the first place.

as for the "yellowing" on Erebus' headlights, it's actually sort of odd, I find mine often look yellowed to, but when I wash the vehicle they clear right up... so I think it's just the way dirt sits on them as they aren't quite as slippery as some surfaces.

Do they come clean if you use your headlight washers?

[FalcoColumbarius]

To each their own. If that rock had hit the body it would have bent the metal. If I had your stuff on that lens to still would have split ~ I'm sure your system would hold it together all the same.

[fexlboi]

dead PROOF

As dead proof as your comments about PTO?

wouldn't have broken in the first place.

Are you 100% dead proof sure about that as well? Do you know how big the rock was?

[Green1]

Do they come clean if you use your headlight washers?

Hard to say, I think so, but I haven't really used the headlight washers enough yet to be able to say for certain

If that rock had hit the body it would have bent the metal. If I had your stuff on that lens to still would have split

That's the point, this rubber I am quite confident makes the lenses STRONGER than the metal, it absorbs impact due to it's thickness, things bounce off instead of the force being pushed through, there is no way the thinner coatings designed for the body work can compare to the protection this stuff offers.

As dead proof as your comments about PTO?

Considering that nobody has yet posted an easy way to attach to the non-existent PTO, yes. (If you disagree, please post a step by step how-to on how to attach a PTO winch to the Delica, please include links to where you can buy all required parts)

Do you know how big the rock was?

It didn't go through his coating and out the back side of the light, so I can pretty much be sure it wasn't big enough to get through the proper headlamp protector film.

[FalcoColumbarius]

Do you know how big the rock was?

It didn't go through his coating and out the back side of the light, so I can pretty much be sure it wasn't big enough to get through the proper headlamp protector film.

In 1987 there was this big hurricane in London, UK. The small village of Seven Oaks (named after the seven ancient oak trees on the village green) became "One Oak". Six of the ancient oak trees blew over in the strong winds. Many stiff trees, oaks, elms, &c., blew over throughout London and the surrounding counties. No willow trees blew over. There is a lesson here.

The rock didn't go through the 3M because it is a willow in the wind ~ it gave. Where the plastic lens is an oak in the wind ~ it didn't give, therefore it succumbed to the rock. But because the 3M was the willow and not an oak it maintained it's integrity and did it's job ~ and as I said already: Armour was never meant to stop, only deflect, which is why it is usually built at angles.

Falco.

[Green1]

The rock didn't go through the 3M because it is a willow in the wind ~ it gave. Where the plastic lens is an oak in the wind ~ it didn't give, therefore it succumbed to the rock. But because the 3M was the willow and not an oak it maintained it's integrity and did it's job ~ and as I said already: Armour was never meant to stop, only deflect, which is why it is usually built at angles.

now your 3M material was able to "give" a total of about 1/2 a mm (possibly less) because it was against the plastic lens, as a result, the rest of the impact was transfered through the 3M material to the light, causing it to break.
Had you had headlamp protector instead of paint protector, it could have "given" a total of closer to 2-3mm (4-6 times as much, possibly more) and absorbed a MUCH larger amount of force before transferring any to the solid plastic behind that can not bend. in addition to absorbing more impact directly, the thicker material also spreads out the force of the impact to cover a much larger area behind it, lessening the force of the impact even more.

To continue your analogy, would you prefer armour made of thin flexible cotton, or thick leather? Struck on it's own, the cotton is more likely to survive as it can bend away better, however when against your skin with nowhere to go, the leather will keep you alive while a stick will go right through the cotton.


You just gave the argument FOR the proper protector and AGAINST the one you are using.
The proper protector is MORE flexible due to it's thickness, this allows it to "give", something the 3M can't do because it has nowhere to go, it's too thin to "give" without bending the light beneath it (and the light DOESN'T bend)

Armour MUST give to do it's job, your coating CAN'T give because it's too thin (on the metal all it needs to do is spread the impact enough to avoid a chip, on the glass it must do more than that to avoid a crack)