cartertims

I have a 2015 GT3 and I am looking to protect it but am having a hard time deciding between a clear film or these new compounds like Xpel that are out nowadays. What are the pro's and con's of each? And what do most of y'all prefer? Thanks!

mooty

xpel is a clr flim, not a compound
ceramic, nano coating etc is a coating, greatly simplied, think of it as synthetic wax that last a long time.

flim protects paint from chip
coating does not
coating makes paint slippery so water, dust and contaminants doesnt stick as much

ideally you paint correct the paint
cover with film
then coat the film

this is excessive but that's the order to do it

WenigerAberBeser

I'd suggest searching for some threads that already exist for more specifics. XPEL is clear film (or PPF - paint protection film). Many people get XPEL Ultimate Film or some other type of PPF. Just remember a quality install matter as much or more than the type of film. PPF will prevent most stone chips.

Coatings (like Modesta) can be used with or without PPF installed. The basic function is to keep your car looking like it is detailed all the time (although you still have to wash it). Coatings won't prevent stone chips.

It's common to put on PPF and then apply a coating.

Archimedes

Apple meet orange. Orange, apple.

Oldmxnut

Learning something every day, I wouldn't have thought about using a coating (I have ceramic pro on a black audi and really happy with it) on top of a film such as xpel. Mooty is this what you did on your signal RS ?

I was inclined to take a risk on the stone chips and go ceramic only on my incoming GT Silver as previous films i've put on looked plastic with dirty line edges after a few months etc. That said, may not have seen a good XPEL job either to compare.

Can someone show some close up pics of Xpel edge etc. Does the film dull the metallic colours ?

GiuseppeM

Edges depend on installer, ask for the edges to be wrapped but there are still a couple spots that can't physically be wrapped.
The forum is good for feedback but you should go see the different PFF brands in person, they have different properties and look.

Outlaw

Sage advice. Look at suntek films. They lay flatter so no orange peel. And are self healing etc. find an installer that has the equipment to cut an exact fit for your car.

neurotic

get a bra

you can wash dirt off

you can't wash rock chips off

but ceramic coating makes cleaning car EASIER

mooty

i film all
my cars

if u have edge issue u need a new installer

i only ceramic coat my DD asi only spemd
90min eaxh weeksn cleaning it so with coating it’s faster

on p cars i take my time cleaning
and waxing. sometimes days if not weeks. they are nevwr exposed to elements unless i’m driving them. so thy don’t get super dirty and i
like the warm luster over wax over coating

im not necessarily right but that’s just my personal
preference

Apex-Monkey

I have been very happy with the xpel on my vehicles, the few issues that may have occured were covered by the xpel warranty. You can also do a flat color on xpel so there are minimal options available, depending on what look you are going for.

0to60

Nano on the wheels only, thats it. Xpel at a minimum, entire front end and rear wheel area, 1/4 panel. Xpel is a PHYSICAL BARRIER, nano is a chemical barrier. See the difference now ?

Lapis

Matt of Obsessed Garage (see his YouTube Channel) is in Ohio as wee speak getting all this done to his new-to-him RS. Decontaminate/wash, multi-stage polish/paint correction, wash, clear film application on whole car (using Suntek brand), then ceramic coating on top of film.

Today they’re starting to apply the film. Among other things, a quality installation will wrap the edges around the panels and inside the headlights, etc (by removing them fist) so there will be no edges visible.

Nine1won

ideally you paint correct the paint
cover with film
then coat the film

This

Lapis

I’m just learning all this stuff in detail myself, no expert. Certainly if you want the ultimate in cosmetics and protection at same time, this whole process is way to go. As the detail shop owner said, “it allows you to have a highly detailed car that you can really drive.”

The fim protects the paint well from damage from stone chips but also from the effects of scratching the paint when washing the car when it gets really dirty, preventing swirl marks, etc. Then the nano-coatin on top of the film makes the car look glossier still and makes the finish more hydrophobic so that dirt and bugs don’t stick to it as much as so that it washes clean more easily.

The “paint correction” phase before you do any of it is to try to achieve as perfect a condition of paint before you memorialize the paint job by wrapping it and so that it/when you remove the wrap you’ll have great condition paint under it all, but it’s debatable, IMO, how far one needs to take that on a basically new car without serious paint defects in the first place. Although supposedly even new from the factory paint isn’t perfect, you need a trained eye to see the defects, and the film installation, when done right, does help to obscure slight imperfections in the underlying clear coat anyway.

The cost of it all is quite high... about $7-$8K to do a full wrap, not including the full polish/paint correction beforehand. The nano-coating is less expensive, we’ll under $1,000 to start. But cost also depends on how many coats, which can be from 1-4 I’m told. The more coats, the longer it lasts (from 6mo-1yr, to many years, allegedly) and the higher the gloss. YMMV.

Lapis

Matt and I had an interesting discussion yesterday about all this and whether it’s worth it in the end...

both of of us have just traded our 991.1 GT3s, which has roughly similar spec and miles. We both got similar prices from two different dealers in Ohio as trades toward purchase of another high-value Used Porsche (his much higher value). And we both had the prices they paid us for our cars separated from the prices we paid for the new (used) ones. That is, the dealers would have bought our cars outright for those prices before we even negotiated purchase of the new (used cars).

Long story short, Matt’s GT3 is probably one of the most pampered and well-cares-for, constantly detailed cars ever (though it wasn’t wrapped in PPF). Mine was just used normally and rarely washed at all, and when washed, just run through a touchless car wash or power washed at a do it yourself car wash place. Never detailed since before I bought it. Mine had partial PPF on it from previous owner, though not the best job (edges visible since it didn’t wrap around panels).

Anyway, didn’t make difference on resale.

So so I think what it comes down to is personal satisfaction / pride of ownership, and risk tolerance for potential damage from stone chips. On the latter point, I really wonder though: so what if you get a few stone chips on the front bumper? Is it really going to devalue the car by even the cost of repairing them? Or put another way, couldn’t you replace the whole bumper and have it professionally painted and installed for less than the cost of all the processes, products and effort people go to to prevent it?

Maybe its it’s more worthwhile on a rare PTS car, but on a standard white or black car, for example, hard to imagine anyone could ever tell the difference if Done professionally