New Spyder Owner - Any tips
12-19-2022, 08:41 PM
#61
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StilettoPat (12-20-2022)
12-20-2022, 12:58 AM
#62
Banned
this board and these threads are literally set up for the exchange of information and to ask/answer questions.
no one is forced to read or answer anything.
12-20-2022, 01:00 AM
#63
Banned
12-20-2022, 01:33 AM
#64
Rennlist Member
I've learned some things here due to this thread. After 2200 miles and 5 months this is my take. The full PPF and ceramic coating has been amazing and has allowed me to drive with peace of mind the Shark Blue paint is protected. Texas has bad roads with chip seal overlay which is a paint and windshield killer. The PPF is holding up great. Still looks perfect today and easy to keep clean. Hanging with stock exhaust and plan to keep it that way, I guess I am done with loud exhaust. I may track a few times a year, but keeping the factory setup as is. So far just enjoying the German engineering as is, but plan to do the following after much feedback and research. A few on here have mentioned some of these already. On order is the cargraphic valve control unit, BMC air filters and recliner brackets for the LWB. The cargraphic valve control unit so keep the exhaust valves fully open all the time (seems to be an inexpensive mod for a quality sound upgrade without replacing the factory exhaust, the BMC air filters is a harmless upgrade that allows the car to breathe better and to increase the induction sound some (which I like) and I love the LWB, but they do need to recline about 1" for comfort (I have these on my other Porsche that has LWB and they are awesome).
Last edited by Runner; 12-20-2022 at 01:35 AM.
12-20-2022, 07:52 AM
#65
Interesting point about PPF. So many folks here recommend it. As you have it on your car, and you don't recommend it. Is it the XPEL brand? I have my new Spyder coming next month, but with XPEL and ceramic coating, I am looking at about $8k. It's a lot of money.
Last edited by VVG; 12-20-2022 at 07:53 AM.
12-20-2022, 08:33 AM
#66
I think the clarity on PPF has dramatically improved over time. You sometimes see waviness in some installs if the person doing the work wasn’t as particular in inspecting how the film looked prior to laying it down.
12-20-2022, 01:03 PM
#67
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Film is never perfect, anyone expecting it to be will be disappointed.
12-20-2022, 01:09 PM
#68
Rennlist Member
With a good installer, it's pretty darned close to perfect, IMO. (not accounting for aging effects)
12-20-2022, 01:20 PM
#69
RL Community Team
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I really don't think you need to do the whole car. I skipped the doors, rear fenders, most of the rear bumper and rear deck lid. I did Ceramic the whole car. $4300 for that using XPel Ultimate and Ceramic Pro, including full paint correction prior to application.
I think there are many of us that are quite OCD about our cars, and I am no exception. I think how PPF looks on body panels vs unwrapped panels is highly color and ambient light dependent. White cars with indoor lighting are the worst. My GT Silver Spyder is about 50% wrapped....full hood, front bumper, front fenders, full rocker panels/lower side panel, and rear bumper just behind the wheels. I used XPel Ultimate. Then ceramic on the whole car. I really can not tell without touching what is wrapped and what is not. Maybe the Ceramic on the whole car makes a difference? The installation makes a huge difference also in terms of how the edges and body lines are managed.
I think there are many of us that are quite OCD about our cars, and I am no exception. I think how PPF looks on body panels vs unwrapped panels is highly color and ambient light dependent. White cars with indoor lighting are the worst. My GT Silver Spyder is about 50% wrapped....full hood, front bumper, front fenders, full rocker panels/lower side panel, and rear bumper just behind the wheels. I used XPel Ultimate. Then ceramic on the whole car. I really can not tell without touching what is wrapped and what is not. Maybe the Ceramic on the whole car makes a difference? The installation makes a huge difference also in terms of how the edges and body lines are managed.
Parked at a hotel and some dimwitted person dragged their roller bag down the passenger side door, a 3 foot long scratch into the clear coat.
Drivers side rear fender, up on top, a rock flung by the front tire tagged the top surface twice leaving 2 paint chips. On another occasion and on the ferry returning from the US, a passenger stumbles out of their vehicle pushing their door into my car, without PPF on the wheel arch there definitely would have been paint damage, as it was the film took it like a champ, insurance covered it replacement, no paint required.
Trunk surface, again probably at a hotel, someone decided to put something on there (purse or box) while the getting something out of their car... yep more scratches.
Life happens, so for me and piece of mind, PPF goes on the entire car!
Last edited by Westcoast; 12-20-2022 at 01:21 PM.
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Toon902 (12-20-2022)
12-20-2022, 01:28 PM
#70
Banned
On a previous cars a I skipped the rear fender, trunk lid and doors... YMMV but it was a mistake in my case.
Parked at a hotel and some dimwitted person dragged their roller bag down the passenger side door, a 3 foot long scratch into the clear coat.
Drivers side rear fender, up on top, a rock flung by the front tire tagged the top surface twice leaving 2 paint chips. On another occasion and on the ferry returning from the US, a passenger stumbles out of their vehicle pushing their door into my car, without PPF on the wheel arch there definitely would have been paint damage, as it was the film took it like a champ, insurance covered it replacement, no paint required.
Trunk surface, again probably at a hotel, someone decided to put something on there (purse or box) while the getting something out of their car... yep more scratches.
Life happens, so for me and piece of mind, PPF goes on the entire car!
Parked at a hotel and some dimwitted person dragged their roller bag down the passenger side door, a 3 foot long scratch into the clear coat.
Drivers side rear fender, up on top, a rock flung by the front tire tagged the top surface twice leaving 2 paint chips. On another occasion and on the ferry returning from the US, a passenger stumbles out of their vehicle pushing their door into my car, without PPF on the wheel arch there definitely would have been paint damage, as it was the film took it like a champ, insurance covered it replacement, no paint required.
Trunk surface, again probably at a hotel, someone decided to put something on there (purse or box) while the getting something out of their car... yep more scratches.
Life happens, so for me and piece of mind, PPF goes on the entire car!
12-20-2022, 01:40 PM
#71
RL Community Team
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I look at PPF this way when compared to paint, paint is rarely perfect either nor stays perfect unless you never go out into the real world, if you do then see my post above.
With unprotected paint you will get scratches and chips, if you are OK with this or feel that a re-paint is easy then there is nothing left to say, you have your plan.
For me like most of us we have had less than perfect 'touch up painting' or body work over the years I prefer a way to stay out of the body shop, PPF that needs to be replaced is generally only on one panel or section of the car, a fender, door or hood, it is easy to do for the installer and takes less than a day, requires minimal cure time the colour match of the paint is 'factory perfect'.
I would also guess that the cost to paint a door including blending the paint into the adjacent panels would cost as much or more that simply replacing the PPF (assuming no bodywork is required).
12-20-2022, 01:43 PM
#72
Rennlist Member
On a previous cars a I skipped the rear fender, trunk lid and doors... YMMV but it was a mistake in my case.
Parked at a hotel and some dimwitted person dragged their roller bag down the passenger side door, a 3 foot long scratch into the clear coat.
Drivers side rear fender, up on top, a rock flung by the front tire tagged the top surface twice leaving 2 paint chips. On another occasion and on the ferry returning from the US, a passenger stumbles out of their vehicle pushing their door into my car, without PPF on the wheel arch there definitely would have been paint damage, as it was the film took it like a champ, insurance covered it replacement, no paint required.
Trunk surface, again probably at a hotel, someone decided to put something on there (purse or box) while the getting something out of their car... yep more scratches.
Life happens, so for me and piece of mind, PPF goes on the entire car!
Parked at a hotel and some dimwitted person dragged their roller bag down the passenger side door, a 3 foot long scratch into the clear coat.
Drivers side rear fender, up on top, a rock flung by the front tire tagged the top surface twice leaving 2 paint chips. On another occasion and on the ferry returning from the US, a passenger stumbles out of their vehicle pushing their door into my car, without PPF on the wheel arch there definitely would have been paint damage, as it was the film took it like a champ, insurance covered it replacement, no paint required.
Trunk surface, again probably at a hotel, someone decided to put something on there (purse or box) while the getting something out of their car... yep more scratches.
Life happens, so for me and piece of mind, PPF goes on the entire car!
The world's always been falling apart; we just have a much larger caliber gun with which to shoot our own foot, these days.
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Ken in San Diego (12-20-2022),
Westcoast (12-20-2022)
12-21-2022, 10:25 AM
#73
Windshield Washer Fluid Leak
I found QuickJack to be too fiddly for me for oil changes, although it's great for everything else. I bought Race Ramps for oil changes. They make it so much easier to access the screws to the aero panels. Every time I change the oil I think about how awesome it would have been if Porsche provided a small access panel for an easy oil change.
Also, if you AX or track, the windshield washer fluid is guaranteed to dribble down the lower left front fender close to the door.
Also, if you AX or track, the windshield washer fluid is guaranteed to dribble down the lower left front fender close to the door.
Quickjack comment also interesting - I've seen it suggested that you remove the outer screws holding the aero panels on before jacking the car up - is that too much of a pia when compared to using ramps?
12-21-2022, 11:07 AM
#74
RL Community Team
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Interesting comment about the windshield washer fluid. After tucking my Spyder away for the winter, I found a nice little pink puddle on the floor right behind the left front wheel - I think coming from around the jack point. I assumed it was soap slowly draining from the end-of-season washing so I haven't investigated further- but is there a known problem with some sort of leak from the WWF reservoir?
Quickjack comment also interesting - I've seen it suggested that you remove the outer screws holding the aero panels on before jacking the car up - is that too much of a pia when compared to using ramps?
Quickjack comment also interesting - I've seen it suggested that you remove the outer screws holding the aero panels on before jacking the car up - is that too much of a pia when compared to using ramps?
12-21-2022, 05:47 PM
#75
Burning Brakes
Interesting comment about the windshield washer fluid. After tucking my Spyder away for the winter, I found a nice little pink puddle on the floor right behind the left front wheel - I think coming from around the jack point. I assumed it was soap slowly draining from the end-of-season washing so I haven't investigated further- but is there a known problem with some sort of leak from the WWF reservoir?
Quickjack comment also interesting - I've seen it suggested that you remove the outer screws holding the aero panels on before jacking the car up - is that too much of a pia when compared to using ramps?
Quickjack comment also interesting - I've seen it suggested that you remove the outer screws holding the aero panels on before jacking the car up - is that too much of a pia when compared to using ramps?
Have not tried removing screws beforehand. Race Ramps provide great clearance for removing screws and panels. So I’ll continue to use the RR’s.