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I'm in the Nay box, all look worse than paint, done well it won't last forever and will cost a lot. A front PU respray is cheaper and more authentic. Get close to any PPF and you'll see it, same wth stone chips...... which they reduce and not stop. I have seen a lot of badly done or badly refitted panels after being done
I bet there will be plastic seat covers next......
I do agree that you can still see some small rock chips, but I still believe that overall is better protected with the paint protection film then without.
I'm in the Nay box, all look worse than paint, done well it won't last forever and will cost a lot. A front PU respray is cheaper and more authentic. Get close to any PPF and you'll see it, same wth stone chips...... which they reduce and not stop. I have seen a lot of badly done or badly refitted panels after being done
I bet there will be plastic seat covers next......
On the latest SunTek Ultra and top-of-the-line Xpel, I just have to say that I disagree that it looks worse than paint. The original film someone had put on the nose of my car was certainly not right, but I replaced that right way. My SunTek Ultra PPF looks super-glossy and with its self healing nature I see no swirls or scratches anywhere. It's about as close to a glass-like finish I could hope for without any coating (although I do infrequently use Xpel's rinse-free wash and PPF sealant).
The PPF already saved the paint on the mirror when someone opened their door into my mirror hard enough to rip the film. Replacement was cheap and its just like new again. I see both the top SunTek or the Xpel PPFs as a win-win. And it makes keeping the "paint" swirl and scratch-free so easily compared to all of the work of waxing and buffing.
I'm in the Nay box, all look worse than paint, done well it won't last forever and will cost a lot. A front PU respray is cheaper and more authentic. Get close to any PPF and you'll see it, same wth stone chips...... which they reduce and not stop. I have seen a lot of badly done or badly refitted panels after being done
I bet there will be plastic seat covers next......
My car is not done yet, but I looked at an M3 that was getting a full wrap. I was able to compare a panel that did not have film with a panel right next to it that did. I could not tell a difference, at least on this part of the car.
Some PPF looks better than others, but I was at a high end detailer and he was fitting the 'best' (Can't remember the name it X- something) and I know detailers lights are good, so easier to see but the film finish was noticeably below that of naked waxed panels. There is a 'shimmer' and a texture on the PPF that is different to paint and for me detracts. If it was cheap, I'd fit, but well done it's expensive, most used Porsches will have the front PU resprayed anyway in the UK before they are forecourted.
I won't quote the detailer, but very high end and he does a lot of it but wouldn't fit to his own car as he prefers waxed and naked paint.
For me it's a shame to cover up the paintwork, to save a few scratches that can be polished off in the majority of cases. My car is 4 years old 5.5k miles and very nearly perfect, under any lighting, I have a handful of stone chips, you won't see them without getting on your knees !
Sandblasting...thats the main problem IMO. Finish goes dull but PPF keeps that from happening. You really have to look closely to see PPF. Respray isn't good for resale is it?
Believe me, I fought this hard for a long time (like plastic on your couch etc etc.) but after a few chips and a little blasting i Got front end done and will do so from now on. Having said that I have put 30,000 kms on my car in the last year and a half. To each his own....this discussion is never ending.
In my opinion getting the Paint protection film is a necessity in this day and age if you are going to drive the car. If you’re only going to put 1200 miles on it a year of course the rest is far less of getting any damage on the paint. If you’re going to drive it down to you in the least need to cover the front half of the vehicle. And of course there is the peace of mind it gives you while driving down the highway that if a rock jumps up and hits even the side of your door the damage will be minimum if at all. Even Porsche understands the importance of this protection, after all they do put it right aft of the rear wheels.
I’m a huge believer in PPF. Every time I buy a car it immediately goes in for a wrap. The really question you should ask is who do you go with?? I’ve seen dealerships that charge 10k to get wrapped, pay the installer $2500 for the work then profit the rest for themselves! Clearly someone must be an idiot if they go that route! Research and ask around! The idea installer is not afraid of removing items off a car to do the job right! Next, ask for references!!! I personally have zero issue of calling someone out on their work!! Why?? Well I go thru cars like I go thru underwear! Clearly I’m looking for the right installer that’s going to do the right job the first time! I know guys in my area that are amazing detailers but when it comes to wrapping.... well they are not even close to doing a good job! Then there’s the reverse, excellent installer, not so good detail/paint correction. So find the right installer and at a minimum do Full Bumper/Fenders/Hood/Lower Body/Rear Bumper/Pillars. With that coverage you will be set and happy! Piece of advice? If you have a lighter color car, wrap the entire car so that panels are not color mismatched. I don’t care what film you use there’s always a color issue!! Take it from me, 37 cars wrapped to date!
OK, yesterday I learned something new about PPF protection of Porsche headlights. PCNA and their dealers were adding PPF film to headlight lenses on 991.1's to be used as demos and executive cards. It was "approved". On the new 991.2's, Porsche has added a factory protective film to the headlight lenses and does not want the customer adding PPF to that. In fact, i was told, if you do add the PPF Porsche will not replace a headlight that fails (e.g., it burns out) under warranty. They seem to think the extra film added could increase operating temperature inside the headlight and contribute to failure. That's what my SA (a former Porsche service tech for many years). is telling me, and he usually knows what he's talking about. I'm still having trouble accepting that, but decided not to apply PPF to my headlamps.
I’m a huge believer in PPF. Every time I buy a car it immediately goes in for a wrap. The really question you should ask is who do you go with?? I’ve seen dealerships that charge 10k to get wrapped, pay the installer $2500 for the work then profit the rest for themselves! Clearly someone must be an idiot if they go that route! Research and ask around! The idea installer is not afraid of removing items off a car to do the job right! Next, ask for references!!! I personally have zero issue of calling someone out on their work!! Why?? Well I go thru cars like I go thru underwear! Clearly I’m looking for the right installer that’s going to do the right job the first time! I know guys in my area that are amazing detailers but when it comes to wrapping.... well they are not even close to doing a good job! Then there’s the reverse, excellent installer, not so good detail/paint correction. So find the right installer and at a minimum do Full Bumper/Fenders/Hood/Lower Body/Rear Bumper/Pillars. With that coverage you will be set and happy! Piece of advice? If you have a lighter color car, wrap the entire car so that panels are not color mismatched. I don’t care what film you use there’s always a color issue!! Take it from me, 37 cars wrapped to date!
I’ve only used XPEL for all of them except for a few 3M in the early days. 110% believe and request XPEL! My only issue with XPEL? There needs to be better vetting in your installers.... Unfortunately that makes or gives your company a black eye when installers do a horrible job. Sorry....
I’m a huge believer in PPF. Every time I buy a car it immediately goes in for a wrap. The really question you should ask is who do you go with?? I’ve seen dealerships that charge 10k to get wrapped, pay the installer $2500 for the work then profit the rest for themselves! Clearly someone must be an idiot if they go that route! Research and ask around! The idea installer is not afraid of removing items off a car to do the job right! Next, ask for references!!! I personally have zero issue of calling someone out on their work!! Why?? Well I go thru cars like I go thru underwear! Clearly I’m looking for the right installer that’s going to do the right job the first time! I know guys in my area that are amazing detailers but when it comes to wrapping.... well they are not even close to doing a good job! Then there’s the reverse, excellent installer, not so good detail/paint correction. So find the right installer and at a minimum do Full Bumper/Fenders/Hood/Lower Body/Rear Bumper/Pillars. With that coverage you will be set and happy! Piece of advice? If you have a lighter color car, wrap the entire car so that panels are not color mismatched. I don’t care what film you use there’s always a color issue!! Take it from me, 37 cars wrapped to date!
Originally Posted by JPJRJR70
I’ve only used XPEL for all of them except for a few 3M in the early days. 110% believe and request XPEL! My only issue with XPEL? There needs to be better vetting in your installers.... Unfortunately that makes or gives your company a black eye when installers do a horrible job. Sorry....
We appreciate the support very much! We do our best to quality check the installers as often as we can but we do understand that sometimes they'll hire a new person or the quality won't be the exact same as it's a very difficult product to install.
Where are you located? I can help locate a quality installer nearest you. Also, as a thank you, I'd like to send you an XPEL Swag Pack for your years of commitment to XPEL. If you're interested, email me directly at marketing@xpel.com with your t-shirt size and shipping information.
Thanks for the offer my friend! No need for the Swag Bag or T-Shirt. As far as recommendations for installers, I have my installer already and clearly he does an amazing job! I’ve sent him more customers in the last 5 years and I truly appreciate the job he does. Never once have I asked for a discount nor do I question his pricing since it’s dead on every time! If something happens he fixes and replaces ASAP with zero charge! Unfortunately he’s not one of your preferred installers but that’s ok, he’s my preferred and only installer! Thank You again for the offer and keep up with the amazing product you produce for us car fanatics! If your ever looking to test products, feel free to use my DD Cayenne to trial film! It goes in and out of NYC every day and racks 800 miles a week commuting! Enjoy!
We appreciate the support very much! We do our best to quality check the installers as often as we can but we do understand that sometimes they'll hire a new person or the quality won't be the exact same as it's a very difficult product to install.
Where are you located? I can help locate a quality installer nearest you. Also, as a thank you, I'd like to send you an XPEL Swag Pack for your years of commitment to XPEL. If you're interested, email me directly at marketing@xpel.com with your t-shirt size and shipping information.
Can you recommend your best installer or two in the Atlanta Area (Someone that can remove old, paint correct where needed, and replace with new XPEL Ult. If they do Ceramic Coatings, that'd be a plus!
Oh, and if the posted above doesn't want the Swap pack, I'll Gladly take it and advertise for you
08-08-2018, 03:00 PM
