Headlight & Bonnet Protectors

**SpeedBird** · 27-03-2010, 08:19 PM

A couple of dealers in sydney I rang 3 weeks ago, quoted me $80-83 inc GST for a pair of them from the spare parts department.

So try ringing the spare parts up and ask then first before going for aftermarket ones.

**pologti18t** · 27-03-2010, 11:08 PM

Do you need headlight covers nowadays? The lenses are polycarbonate aren't they?

**Corey_R** · 27-03-2010, 11:33 PM

Yeah - they're no longer glass. They can still get small 'chips' in them though... but that's why you put on the Paint Protection Film

**craig_the_german** · 28-03-2010, 11:26 AM

Hi,
I've always fitted headlight (and bonnet) protectors to all of my cars and when the new Golf arrives I'll be fitting them as well. Where I live (semi rural), without headlight protectors I would have lost probably half a dozen lights as I am always being hit by rocks etc thrown up by cars coming in the opposite direction or from cars/trucks/4wds I am following.

If I lived in suburbia I would probably just put some of that protective film on them but I like the idea of having something more substantial infront of my lights.

**Corey_R** · 28-03-2010, 01:36 PM

Craig - I'd disagree. I do live in suburbia and my current Polo GTI has the 'paint protection' from the dealer and has the bonnet protector. Both were already in place when I purchased the car when it was ~8 months old. Bonnet protectors are largely useless as they don't protect what's above or below it. So the entire front bumper etc is unprotected, and the upper half of the bonnet is not protected, nor are the front guards.

The ONLY thing which protects all of these is Paint Protection Film.

Bonnet protectors also have the issues of 'carrying' dirt and leaves etc which can damage the paint, they vibrate and damage the paint, they make it harder to wash under them, which damages the paint.

So sure - a few years ago bonnet protectors were about all you could do to protect your car, but in the last few years, that has changed. Not looking at the recent developments in technology is only hurting yourself, AND your car

**Corey_R** · 28-03-2010, 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by craig_the_german

If I lived in suburbia I would probably just put some of that protective film on them but I like the idea of having something more substantial infront of my lights.

More substantial? That is exactly why you should be looking at paint protection film !

Take a shot gun, and shoot headlight/bonnet protectors and what would happen to them? If you think that they'd probably smash, you'd be correct.

Do the same to paint protection film, what happens? The film deforms, but holds the shotgun pellets.

So which one do you think provides more protection to your car?

Paint Protection Film is sometimes called helicopter tape. It is made of mylar (the same thing which is in the space shuttle tiles to protect it during re-entry of the earths atmosphere) and was developed during the Gulf War to protect the blades of helicopters from sandblast and damage. It has continued to be improved since that time.

So again, time goes on, new technologies arrive, and improvements are made all the time. Do some research before 'settling' for something which you're only contemplating because it's "just what I've always done"