Hi everyone.

I'm finally getting delivery of my 14 Carrera S in about a week (just got the call from the dealer) after a 4 month wait

I will be getting paint protection film on full hood, full front fenders and full bumper. I am using an experienced local installer - they do Mclarens, Ferraris, etc so imam in good hands. I will also get the detailer to then apply Opticoat coating on the full car, including over the film.

I have the choice of Xpel or Ventureshield Ultra. The price difference quoted is about 10% more for the Xpel.

Now, I don't mind paying more for a superior product. I was told by the installer they prefer Ventureshiled Ultra as they find it is more clear and looks more OEM. Even though Xpel advertises self healing properties, I'm told the other films also exhibit this to a certain degree.

I am looking for some facts regarding the two films. What are the differences between the two and is one superior to the other ? Is Xpel hyped because it is the new kid on the block.

I know it's all about the quality of the install, but all things being equal, which one should I go for?

 

I'll be anxious to see the responses on this thread. When my car comes in I am seriously considering protection.

However, I do have one silly question for you...

Are you sure about putting a coating OVER the entire car, including over the vinyl??? What happens if you decide in a few years to replace the vinyl??? How will you avoid the lip created as a result of removing the vinyl???

 

I have my entire car done with xpel and topped with opticoat. Overall I'm very happy with the results. Hopefully the attached picture will give you an idea of the results.

There are a couple of marks on the xpel from road rocks that do not seem like they will come out but the whole point is that they didn't hit the paint.

I don't have any experience with the other product but I remember reading that xpel is softer.

 

I don't follow. Opticoat has the consistency of water. It's not like it has a noticeable thickness. Any part of the the vinyl can get replaced and the opticoat can be easily redone in that section.

 

I had my 911 50 done with xpel across the full hood, fenders, bumper and mirrors and it looks great. Once you do full coverage it is really hard to notice its there as you don't see the seams. I would focus on what is the best product, not the cost, given the small difference in price.

 

I had the full front ventureshield on my car for 3 years and it held up very well. It prevented damage once from hitting a cardboard box on the freeway. It ruined the shield, but the paint was OK underneath.

Last week, my wife saw that her mercedes was hit in a parking lot accident. Her front bumper (her car is white) looked like her paint was badly damaged. I went out and pulled the shield off and it turns out that the white paint on the venture shield was from the other car. Her paint was fine. Both of these incidents saved us from the bodyshop. I can post pics too.

Next week, we are having the full bumpershield put back on the Merc. It's worth every penny. As a side note, you can see the shield pretty easily on a white/pearl paintjob. I could not see it on my meteor grey car.

 

Food for thought?:

https://rennlist.com/forums/991/7776...naysayers.html

 

My fault for not knowing exactly what Opticoat is. Seems to me that if you place vinyl on a surface, then place a coating (no matter how thin) over both surfaces, if you remove the vinyl, you will have to smooth out the surface in order to apply the vinyl again. Just seems like the Opticoat is unnecessary.

I am almost 99% certain I am going to use Xpel on my front bumper and hood; nothing else.

 

Thanks for the comments guys. Great to know everyone has good things to say about the Xpel.

The Opticoat just makes the car so much easier to clean and the water beads nicely without having to wax it- it's like a permanent wax. Have it on wife's BMW and just love it.

Another question. For those who've had the film installed, was it a full custom job using bulk film or a pre cut from a template. The installer I was speaking to said they usually do custom except the front bumper piece is made from a template.

 

I believe most people get 100% custom. I got a custom job on my 911. Years ago I got a template on a BMW I owned and I was not happy with the results. I know the materials have come a long way but there was a huge difference in the craftsmanship. There are two key pieces to getting great results, great materials and an experienced installer. Personally I would never use a template again.

 

I had the full front done with VentureShield. I think the installer could have done a better job. There are some little air bubbles; you have to look for them. In any event, I was offered a redo anytime and I haven't taken them up on it yet. The VS has already saved my paint several times. It really works and is worth every penny. My car looks like new after 5400 miles of driving with lots of small rocks bouncing off the front. I wish I had installed it on my 2001. Whatever brand you go with you'll be pleased you did it.

 

Mine was a precut and looks pretty good but I imagine an installer with a lot of experience doing custom installs would look better in some areas. The template has wrapped edges in a lot of places but its not everywhere.

The film on the headlights looks like it was a little too small, the outside edge doesnt meet the edge of the headlight.

 

I don't intend this question to stir up any angry feelings, but I have to admit, I've been pondering the following question : if these coatings are so fabulous, why isn't Porsche using them? And by "Porsche" I'm taking about the factory - not what dealers may or may not be doing.

 

My guess is that it's the same reason they don't make coffee.

 

I have Xpel Ultimate on my BMW 1M and I must say, it is an awesome product. Previously had 3M on other Porsches and it would get scratches and look pretty bad after a while. The Xpel Ultimate is now 2 years old and not a blemish on it. I had them use a template and as others have stated, custom is the way to go. Well worth doing for a car I intend to keep for a while. Don't forget about the lower rocker panel and behind the rear wheel. I did the whole front, lower rocker, but they didn't do behind the rear wheel and the rear bumper is peppered pretty badly now.

No experience with VS so can't compare.