16'991GT3

That does seem true, we are out in MA and haven't encountered too many areas that have excess stones or gravel, we also tend to use backroads to travel more than highway where the ones near us have construction, so far been free of paint chips although he has been thinking of possibly putting on some xpel

Shineshop

Lot's of great information in this thread. Thanks for posting this Jean Claude

Detailed Designs

A good rule of thumb is to consider how much it will break your heart if anything that could have been stopped with PPF is not stopped due to not having it. Some owners see cars in a utilitarian way and don't care and some will hate it if even the tiniest thing happens. I say let that be the best guide to making the choice to get it or not.

Thank you.

Riz

I am ocd in a way that I don't want anything removed by anyone except for servicing. What ever you can get to with removing the simple stuff like license plate, mud flaps etc ok. Great work but too much for me. Great for the next owner.

Detailed Designs

I understand that feeling completely. Sometimes less is more.

Norcalgt3

Would you be able to PM me the price for this service?

Thanks!

Detailed Designs

Sure thing. Headed your way.

RealityGT

@ DD
- What is the typical timeline for having an entire car wrapped? ie: hours it would take to completely wrap a GT3.
-What if any draw backs are there when going with a pre-cut film over a custom cut?
As mentioned by another, I have OCD and do not want parts removed if possible..

This is a really tough decision for me as I hate the feel of PPF..

Detailed Designs

Timeline
That greatly varies. I will give you 2 polar opposites for our full body wraps. For both cases, I will outline what our most basic prep includes. But you should consider if more extensive prep is required, like more intensive paint correction. That prep can potentially take days longer.

Our basic prep consist of a thorough detail-style wash, decontamination process, inspection, single step polish and then another wash and inspection(as due diligence for polish dust removal prior to installing film). This process happens regardless of the style of wrap as it's what we see as ideal prep. This is pretty much a full day of work for 2 people. I am not describing some nuances like additional care for lips, trim and other nooks and crannies debris gathers and gets out into the film from if these steps aren't taken. This is just a brief overview.

Once prep is out of the way, we can consider the style of wrap options. Our core installation includes removal of some very basic parts; hood shield/emblem, bumper side markers, headlights(in the 991.1, the 991.2s will have a higher entry cost due to the need to remove the bumper for headlight removal) and tail lights. We modify the pre-cuts used to give us the additional coverage and ability to wrap that we need and install. This style of wrap takes us about 3 days without interruption. The actual installation of the film from the backing paper to the car does not take an incredible amount of time. It is the fine edge wrapping and modification of the pieces that takes about 60% of the time. So for someone who is not as concerned with the prep work, fine wrapping and modification of the pre-cuts, it is not unheard of that they sling film on a car in a single day to under 2 days.

Our advanced wrap consist of removal of every part that is realistic to remove to give the most seamless wrap possible. What I mean when I talk about "realistic to remove parts" is this. A mirror is realistic to remove due to the practicality of actually removing it not just once, but possibly multiple times should film need to be replaced. Removing a fender from the body is not a practical, nor a necessary part to remove. Something else that is worked out with our client for the advanced wrap is their desires for how, say, the front bumper is wrapped. A modified pre-cut offers great protection and is practical and not as expensive to re-wrap as a full custom front bumper. Why does this matter? Because your bumper will take damage over time and you may want it rewrapped. Some may be okay paying a premium for each rewrap of the front bumper and some may not. Some may view film as a single installation long term protection solution and some may want pieces replaced the moment it takes an impact. Everyone is different and we have different solutions for different types of owners. Our full body advanced paint protection film wrap takes about 5-8 days to complete. The nuances in this style of wrap is great and it is not the best for everyone. Quite frankly, more is not better in all cases and this style of wrap is "more" of more than anything else.

Potential drawbacks
The potential drawbacks are based solely on the type of owner and the hands working on the car. There are no absolute answers. We have clients that insist on custom everything and some that prefer less custom and more precut. The design software allows for a great variety of modifications to a precut but in most cases, even with full and very basic precuts, even some minor trimming may be necessary. So to some extent, custom trimming can be a part of either process. This is part of the reason it is so important to find a qualified expert to perform the work. I suppose the biggest reason folks will go with custom is the minimization of visible seams and potential for additional coverage over even a modified precut.



As a personal note, I know where you are coming from. I believe you should make your number one focus on finding the most qualified professional for A) creating the right solution for you, and B) performing the work. The right professional will focus on educating you and not "closing a deal".

I hope this helps you!

Detailed Designs

Here is an example of the best of everything on a GT3 RS:

RealityGT

^It does indeed. Thank you so much for the explanation of your service and personal opinion.
My issues are compounded by the level of proficiency that I have observed with local installers.. 2 of the reportedly "best" installers in my city provide substandard work relative to their cost for service.

I will continue searching..
Cheers,

Detailed Designs

I know exactly what you mean. It is easy to take flattering shots and share them with the world. But the devil's in the details and while no one is perfect, there is a divide between what is marketed and what is actually given in many case.

WernerE

A cardinal rule is to not cut the paint during the install. Does this mean all film is cut before applying it or do you use a razor blade to trim film once on the car?

Detailed Designs

Trimming film can be done over a car without touching paint. I have a video in my Instagram account showing this off. There are techniques that allow this.

There is no quick way to do it.