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Had ClearPlex installed on my Spyder. Recently a rock (from another Porsche) hit the windshield and damaged both the film and glass underneath. The installer’s comments: “…they’re great for stopping small pitting, sandblasting type chips but are still not good against large or sharp stone chips.” That would be my assessment as well.
Bummer! The film does have its limits but in my experience it is pretty tough, not just sand blast sized particles but much larger ones as well get stopped before the glass gets damaged... over 8 years and nothing has made it through on my cars.
That must have been a sizable stone, nothing would have helped with it.
Westcoast - thanks for that info. I don’t believe we’ve received either product despite multiple cars being covered in Xpel Ultimate and Clearplex. In the most recent installation the installer did a “house-call”. In most other cases he does the work at our dealer although he installed the Xpel on the GT4 at his shop. So I’m not sure why we don’t receive the products but I’ll find out. Usually hubby oversees these transactions so maybe he has a closet full of this stuff in the garage. He also loves to wash cars so for all I know he is already doing it (and I”m out of the loop).
Odo3 - bummer about your windshield. I’d agree that it can’t protect against the major hits. Just like Xpel couldn’t protect against something big enough to create a dent. I had something (probably a small rock) hit the windshield and the film is definitely “chipped” and hubby thinks the glass underneath is affected but I didn’t think so based on what I saw. I’m not sure we’ll know unless a crack develops or we have the film removed. In the mean time I’d still rather have windshield protection as I’ve taken too many hits from rocks being thrown up by trucks, or rocks bouncing off of a trailer flat-bed. I don’t tailgate, and I try to avoid following trucks, and try to get past them quickly - but we can’t control everything and sometimes “chips” happen. But with Xpel and Clearplex I feel as though I’m better off than without any protection.
Westcoast - thanks for that info. I don’t believe we’ve received either product despite multiple cars being covered in Xpel Ultimate and Clearplex. In the most recent installation the installer did a “house-call”. In most other cases he does the work at our dealer although he installed the Xpel on the GT4 at his shop. So I’m not sure why we don’t receive the products but I’ll find out. Usually hubby oversees these transactions so maybe he has a closet full of this stuff in the garage. He also loves to wash cars so for all I know he is already doing it (and I”m out of the loop).
Odo3 - bummer about your windshield. I’d agree that it can’t protect against the major hits. Just like Xpel couldn’t protect against something big enough to create a dent. I had something (probably a small rock) hit the windshield and the film is definitely “chipped” and hubby thinks the glass underneath is affected but I didn’t think so based on what I saw. I’m not sure we’ll know unless a crack develops or we have the film removed. In the mean time I’d still rather have windshield protection as I’ve taken too many hits from rocks being thrown up by trucks, or rocks bouncing off of a trailer flat-bed. I don’t tailgate, and I try to avoid following trucks, and try to get past them quickly - but we can’t control everything and sometimes “chips” happen. But with Xpel and Clearplex I feel as though I’m better off than without any protection.
Your welcome, I will check with my guy, he mentioned that Clearplex has some suggested alternatives to the ClearplexHD product.
But with Xpel and Clearplex I feel as though I’m better off than without any protection
Yeah, it’s a bad break, so-to-speak, but I’ll get the film again with the new windshield. Fortunately the damage is on the far passenger side and not in line of vision. Unfortunately, I’ve heard that many installers are no longer paying deductible.
I had a good size rock him my Clearplex protected Spyder windshield. It resulted in a small chip, but I think it would have been worse without it. I actually had a guy come and inject epoxy into the chip to stop it from migrating. Three months later it has not grown. The repair guy was a little unfamiliar with doing a repair through Clearplex but it was not an issue.
Last edited by CDACH; 07-30-2021 at 01:39 PM.
Reason: typos
I saw the Obsessed Garage video on the ExoShield. Found an installer in Georgia and took my GT4. They couldn't make it work. Multiple install attempts. Found another installer. They couldn't make it work. Had Alchemy come onsite to do additional training on the install, took my GT4 back, and they still couldn't get it.
Went to a Tint shop that also does ClearPlex and they had no issue. 99% of the time, I can't even tell it's there. When wearing sunglasses I can see some very slight distortion in one spot, but only if I'm looking for it.
I apply BeadMaker to it after each wash to keep it slick.
It's been on the car for a couple of years now with no issue. No scratches. No pits.
As already stated, completely comes down to the installer.
Which installer did you use for it? ClearPlex that is. I'm picking up mine at PEC ATL and probably will get it done before I head home.
I had a good size rock him my Clearplex protected Spyder windshield. It resulted in a small chip, but I think it would have been worse without it. I actually had a guy come and inject epoxy into the chip to stop it from migrating. Three months later it has not grown. The repair guy was a little unfamiliar with doing a repair through Clearplex but it was not an issue.
I hadn't even thought of what would happen if you do get a chip under the windshield protection film. I guess you can fix it through the film without having to remove it? Please keep us up to date of how the fix is holding up. I'm getting Exoshield put on my car this weekend and will ask my installer about this and see what he says.
Where the rock made impact with the film and then your windshield, did it break through the film and actually rip/puncture it or was the impact hard enough that it transferred through the film to the windshield?
I asked my tint installer about these external windscreen protectors this week when he was doing my tint. I said he does not install them because he cannot warranty them because they can become damaged if wipers are run on it with a dirty windscreen. He said it will come off in heavy rain with the wipers on. He said it is best for track cars that run in good weather.
I asked my tint installer about these external windscreen protectors this week when he was doing my tint. I said he does not install them because he cannot warranty them because they can become damaged if wipers are run on it with a dirty windscreen. He said it will come off in heavy rain with the wipers on. He said it is best for track cars that run in good weather.
I don't know? I decided to pass on it.
I call BS on your installer...
(a) running wipers dry across a dirty windshield glass or with windscreen protection will cause scratches, if anyone thinks this is a warranty issue they should be... well lets say turned away!
(b) scratches in the plastic are not in the glass, replace or remove the film and you have a perfectly clear windshield, I suppose you could replace the windshield too for a little more money.
properly installed windscreen film coming off in heavy rain, you have got to be kidding me.
it's good for all cars street or track, good or bad weather.
Sounds to me like you installer is not very good at this and/or he has customers with unrealistic expectations
(a) running wipers dry across a dirty windshield glass or with windscreen protection will cause scratches, if anyone thinks this is a warranty issue they should be... well lets say turned away!
(b) scratches in the plastic are not in the glass, replace or remove the film and you have a perfectly clear windshield, I suppose you could replace the windshield too for a little more money.
properly installed windscreen film coming off in heavy rain, you have got to be kidding me.
it's good for all cars street or track, good or bad weather.
Sounds to me like you installer is not very good at this and/or he has customers with unrealistic expectations
I’ve actually buffed out the scratches at the 4 year mark and got a couple of more years use out of it.
(a) running wipers dry across a dirty windshield glass or with windscreen protection will cause scratches, if anyone thinks this is a warranty issue they should be... well lets say turned away!
(b) scratches in the plastic are not in the glass, replace or remove the film and you have a perfectly clear windshield, I suppose you could replace the windshield too for a little more money.
properly installed windscreen film coming off in heavy rain, you have got to be kidding me.
it's good for all cars street or track, good or bad weather.
Sounds to me like you installer is not very good at this and/or he has customers with unrealistic expectations
I don’t know? He has a large business installing film in cars and buildings. He has done a nice job for me on several cars over the years. I don’t have a dog in this fight but I tend to listen to experts in their field.
I'm not an installer so I don't have first knowledge nor experience with the product but in watching one of the videos with Obsessed Garage, the installer seemed to imply that doing Exoshield is going to be a little more difficult because it's a little thicker and the installer has to know to heat the area just longer enough to mold the film to the windshield but not too long because then it will cause distortion. Again, I'm not an installer so it sounded like the installer was implying that if you're seeing distortion, it might be because the installer used the heat gun too long on that area.
Maybe someone with knowledge or an subject expert can chime in and clarify?
07-27-2021, 09:09 PM
