What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Any - PE Foam tape and other hacks - catsdad
The plastic grille around my cars foglight had some play as some of the mounting clips, which are part of the grille itself, had failed after hitting a pheasant. It costs upwards of £65 for a new part.

Looking at it I thought that a piece of double-sided tape might hold it firm but its a very neat fit and the usual bulky tape for number plates would show too much. Rummaging online I found a black PE tape, 9mm wide and only 1mm thick by Sanojtape. Its watertight and good up to 80 degrees C. Its made a pretty much invisible repair. Its early days but its survived the heatwave and a motorway dash so far.

Needless to say I've no connection with the company.

It got me thinking about other hacks and tips other backroomers might have to avoid awkward or expensive repairs.........a hundred uses for cable ties perhaps?

Any - PE Foam tape and other hacks - focussed

Cable ties, gaffer tape and inny tape always in tool kits on all vehicles.

I don't go to the extremes my old dad used to, full tool kit, socket set, spark plugs,dizzy cap, points set,spare rad hoses and hose clips,trolley jack, overalls,blanket to lay on, a gallon of water, same of oil, and that was just to go and do the shopping!

Any - PE Foam tape and other hacks - Gibbo_Wirral

Sheets of 5mm neoprene from Ebay are brilliant for making replacement gaskets for rear light clusters on older (10 years old+) cars, where the original goes brittle or just wears out with age.

Any - PE Foam tape and other hacks - John F

In September I insert two flaps of stiff cardboard (12 bottle wine box bottle separators are ideal to cut to size) in front of our Ford Focus condenser to protect it from flying stones and grit. There is still plenty of air flow available for the radiator immediately behind it, so no overheating. They stay there till May.

Any - PE Foam tape and other hacks - Gibbo_Wirral

Reminds me of the square of cardboard people used to put on the front grille of an original Mini to protect the dizzy cap!

Any - PE Foam tape and other hacks - Andrew-T

When the front of my 207SW was put together 18 months ago after a minor bump, the repairer saved the cost of a new headlamp unit (more than your £65 I guess) by reattaching the lugs which had snapped off. I think it was some kind of quick-setting resin. Superglue might be enough, and probably longer-lasting than ducktape or other sticky stuff which comes unstuck with heat.