I'm going to be purchasing a new GS in may or june from out of state. What are people using for temporary protection that don't have PPF? I'm going to have an ExPel guy install the film after I get the car home. I know that autocross guys sometimes use blue painters tape... but, I'm not sure if this is the safe way to go or not?! I see that ExPel offers something called TracWrap for temporary use that can be used but, don't know much about it. The main objection is to reduce chips on the drive back home without chip damage until I get it covered. Thoughts??

 

Does the car ship with any sort of plastic wrap on the hood? Some cars come pretty wrapped up, but the dealer removes everything. If so, perhaps they would leave it on for you?

If not, just use painters tape and do not tail anyone on the way home... keep excessive distance from the car in front of you.

 

I'll probably be buying from dealer stock since special ordering one is not in the cards for me. It will most likely be already stripped of the shipping plastic if it's already in inventory. If I find one in transit from the factory I'll request the dealer leave it on. The chances of that happening I bet will be slim though. Communications at dealers to other employees for a request usually always gets screwed up and some lot boy will already strip it I'm sure if that's the case.

 

I might get flamed for my suggestion, but maybe 5-6 coats of clear PlastiDip? Will only run you $20, then you just rip it off. If you do choose to go this route, be sure to layer it on really thick so it's easy to remove. Whenever winter rolls around here, I spray my wheels with a few coats to protect them, then rip it off around spring. Doesn't take long at all. Do keep in mind that it CAN be a nightmare to remove if not applied properly.

 

Thanks for the tip but I think I'll stick with the painters tape. I don't want to do any experimenting on my new Lexus that I just paid moocho $$ for.

 

Looks like I'll be getting to try the tape out next week. Just bought a new 18 GS F-Sport Caviar/Red. I'll be driving it home from Houston and will have a blast on the trip. This car has the 3M optional Lexus PPF installed on it already. I'll have to ask them tomorrow just what areas are covered. Totally pumped and the wife can have the boring RX full time now!

 

^ only half the hood, and front bumpers, maybe mirrors.

The film is a machine cut out, you can actually see the seams of where it starts and ends on the front bumper.

 

Sounds awesome.

My recommendation if doing a long distance trip like this is to keep a large distance between cars and if you must pass a semi on the highway (trust me you're gonna be passing hundreds of them on a long trip like this) I try to accelerate and pass them as quickly as safely possible. I think riding near semis is what really gets you.

Tape is nice and all but is not bulletproof and you can't cover the headlights or windshield...

 

Actually the hood, fenders and mirrors are partially covered from the factory and not the bumper. Why they don't cover the bumper is beyond me. It's a $429 option listed on the factory window sticker. I'll get my ExPel guy to cover the rest once I get the car home. I'm going to put some clear packing tape on the headlight lenses and blue painters tape everywhere else. It will only be on the car for the one day drive. It's not 100% protection but better than not having anything covered.

 

After taking delivery of the car in Houston on tuesday I spent 2 hours covering the front end with tape for the 1100 mile journey home. I used blue painters tape on the painted sections and 3M clear packing tape on the headlight lenses. I must say it was worth the effort, I had zero damage from the areas that I covered after arriving home thursday. I kept my distance from trucks or passed them rather quickly. One problem I ran into was it rained on the drive home. Some of the tape started to peel and I tore off sections that flapped in the wind and recovered those areas once the rain stopped.

After inspecting the factory installed 3M brand PPF I found that the mirrors are not covered. Only the partial hood and partial fenders are covered for the $429 Lexus option. It is not worth the price for what Lexus charges. Installation quality is rather poor with some wrinkled areas that I'll try to straighten out with a hair dryer. The care card that came with it recommends not to use a clay bar or harsh abrassives when polishing. I'm starting my paint correction process today and will only use my usual mild compounds on it. I'm ready for my ExPel guy to come to the house and cover the rest when I finish polishing.

 

I sure had some strange looks from people on the drive home.