Xpel Headlight Protection

Xpel Headlight Protection Kit

[9/1/2008] Reviewed by: Albert Popalis

Applicable to: '99-'05

This product is a clear, slightly felxible "vinyl" like material cut to fit your headlights and fog lamps. The kit comes with four pieces, two for the headlights and two for the fog lights. Each piece has 3M backing paper on one side protecting the adhesive. It claims to protect your lamps from large rocks on the highway, yellowing, hazing, etc. while remaining maintentance free.

I purchased this kit from GoodWinRacing.com because the headlights on my '99 Miata show their age. They yellow easily and become hazy. Without frequent polishing, they always look a bit .. drab. I personally think that clear, pristine headlights help a car to look young. So, I bought these thinking that, after polishing the lights and adhering the shields, the lamps might maintain their clear, like-new look. I first polished the lamps, then washed them thoroughly to remove the polishing compound. Next, following the installation directions line by line, I mixed a water and rubbing alcohol solution in a clean spray bottle. I sprayed my hands before removing the backing paper, then, after removing the paper, sprayed the back of the shields. I carefully placed the shield on the lamp, then, while my father kept it warm with a hair dryer, worked the shield onto the light using the supplied squeegee. My biggest tip is to first start at the very center and work along the center axis to each side of the light. Then, work in quadrants from center to top and bottom. The first went on near perfect (some moisture was left underneath which the directions say will vanish in no more than a couple of weeks) and the second went on perfectly. Overall, applying the shields is simple. I was very impressed with the ease of working with the material and how well it bonded to the light without any pro! blems or blemishes.

Again, I bought these hoping they would allow the lights to maintain a new look. Time will only tell, but the immediate results are astonishing. After polishing the lights to the point that all the yellowing was gone, there was a bit of a haze from the tiny scratches the polishing compound left behind. However, the shields, probably due to the adhesive, apparently filled these in to leave a perfectly clear, glass like appearance. You cannot tell that there is anything on the lights, they simply look new, no exaggeration. For $30, this is an extremely cheap and simple way to have lights that are perfectly clear without maintenance. If they provide some problem over the long term, I will submit an update. For now, I strongly recommend them.

Over 30 minutes to remove completely