cy456

Posted in the Care Care forum, lotsa looks but no responses. Hoping someone here can share their experience and help me decide.

I finally received my PTS 2014 c2s. Along with looking for a good tint shop in my area, I am debating whether to go with the Xpel Ultimate or use a coating like 22ple instead. Supposedly very similar to Opticoat which puts down a very thin layer of resin (?) that hardens and protects the car from minor scratches for 18-24 months. This car will be a daily driver but my commute is only maybe 5-10 miles total with very little highway/freeway driving. I usually put on 5-6k miles a year on my cars. I do like to detail them myself, but due to my work schedule don't usually have as much time to spend on it as I would like to. The color is Ice Blue Metallic (M5Q).

In Hawaii there is only 1 detailer ive found that does Xpel. He can do precut or custom jobs. I haven't used him before but he seems to know his business (talked to him for like an hour today about the process). My regular detailer does the 22ple coating.

My question for those of you who have worked with this or have it and understand it better:

1. If I go with Xpel would it be better to go for full coverage or just the full front and rear bumper? Full front protection covers the entire hood, front fenders, front bumper, and side mirrors. I read the rear tires kick a lot of debris onto the rear bumper.

2. Will Xpel discolor my paint? If I opt not to go full coverage when I do someday take it off will my hood be a different shade from my body?

3. The hood scratches, nicks, and door dings on our dark blue car is what makes me think about doing Xpel on this car for protection, but with a ~5k quote for full coverage and ~2k for full front and rear bumper only I wonder if its better spent getting 22ple every 2 years and a good professional wash/sealant every 6 months instead.

Pics when I can get it properly detailed and tinted, for now heres a shot from the dealership:

911sanantone

I do not think that this comparison is a fair one. I have Xpel on one vehicle and I have used Opticoat. Both are excellent products but one can't compare the protection that is provided by film versus a product like Opticoat.
I would go full front on film and rear quarter panel protection (behind the wheels). It is my understanding that there is no paint discoloration but I have not had to replace any film so far (2 years +).
My 3M film has been on another vehicle for 9 years. It has yellowed slightly and needs to be replaced but I do not think that the paint has been effected.

Ma991

You'll get all kinds of opinions about plastic protection. I went thru the same agony before getting my car. I think the general consensus is that xpel will not yellow so you don't have to worry about that. My decision was to do a full wrap xpel AND Opticoat. Yes it was expensive but no one said owning a porsche is cheap. I live in New England and I'll be driving my car year around, now that the roads are covered in salt and sand I'm really glad I got the full protection. I got CLE22 for my sons 8 year old car, it's nice but does not compare to opticoat imo. Good luck with your decision.

Ma991

I forgot to mention that I had choices between an installer that uses a template and one that does a custom wrap. I had a template in my last car and was not happy with the results. With my porsche I went with a custom wrap. The difference is night and day but it really is an art and installer experience is key. Ask for references and detailed pictures of other custom wraps. Absolutely no one that has looked at my car can tell that there's a wrap including two other detail shops that have looked at it.

LiteWait

I did a paint correction, full XPEL coverage, C-Quartz finest on top, and Huper-Optik 40 tint all around on my 2014 C2S. In my opinion a full XPEL wrap is a must. Like Ma991 is saying, having a talented installer is a must. A talented installer will wrap your edges where they can which makes a huge difference. I have seen some bad XPEL installations before including ghosting and material hanging off edges.

Anyways it seems like its a tough decision for you since you only have one option out there for installation. Maybe I would tell him to do the front end only. Then I'd want to take a look at how good of a job he did on it before proceeding with the rest of the car. Kind of like an incentive to do a really good job since he would get another 3k to do the rest of the car.

If your guy can't do C-Quartz Finest then just go with Opti-Coat on top. I had 22PLE on one of my cars and I guess it was good but nobody else I know ever got it. Seems like C-Quartz and Opti-Coat are the best choices.

Money2536

I think of myself as a professional grade amateur detailer. I'm a freak about my car's paint, but I would never put a clear film on my car. I just don't think there is anything better than properly polished and and coated paint. Plastic film just doesn't offer the same shine or look. Plus, you could get a full paint correction done every six months for ten years for $5,000. I would think that most people that get their care wrapped are pretty particular as well, so why not just take better care? Rocks are still going to mess up the clear film. Also, 22ple, Opticoat, etc. don't look as nice a other last steps that don't last as long. I put Opticoat on my wife's Explorer Sport that I don't want to work on regularly, but it doesn't look as good or bead water as well as other options. Since you are willing to invest in your paint, why not drop it off at the detailer and have him put something better on the car a couple of times a year? Sonax Polymer Net Shield, Swissvax Concorso, etc.

If you don't want to care for your paint, then plastic film and Opticoat/22ple/C-Quartz are for you.

911sanantone

All great points. I too am very particular about my paint and finish. While I agree that nothing looks better than a properly detailed vehicle, it is the protection that film offers that I require. No detailing (amateur or professional) is going to make a collection of road chips look much better and touch-ups ( no matter how skilled one is) are still just touch-ups.
Film opponents in similar threads have accurately stated that a respray is equal to the cost of film. What many fail to acknowledge is that in some circles, resprays can diminish value at the time of a sale or trade in.
I have elected to "sacrifice" a little in overall appearance for the protection that film offers!
What are your preferred wax/polish products? I have used optimum and P21. Thx

Money2536

My newest favorite is Menzerna FG400 compound, SF4000 finishing polish, Sonax Polymer Net Shield last step.

GrayBlack

I've had Opticoat and XPEL Ultimate on my cars before. I agree you can't really compare the two. Opticoat was great because the water would bead off of my car after washes. It also protects from light swirl marks and scratches. Nothing compares to XPEL for protection though. Ive had no issues with yellowing or discoloration. Picking an experienced installer is crucial for the wrap.

kitwetzler

I love how long the Sonax PNS lasts, but man it is a pain to remove. I am going to try buffing it with a machine next time, it's a pain to get off by hand.

cy456

Thanks for all the great info, it really helped me in my decision making as well as giving me ideas on how/what to use in the future.

Think I'm gonna go with the front and rear bumper Xpel coverage for now, upgrade to full coverage if I like what I've seen.

Being a daily driver, this car will get taken to the mall, the grocery store, work, and theaters so it's important to me to make sure it has the best protection possible. Something that goes beyond the occasional bird poop or rock chip, which provides more protection than trying to park the furthest away from anyone. We've had our previous car keyed before, so the whole hassle of getting it appraised, taking it in, and dealing with a rental has made me extra cautious about this one. not to mention that you just don't look at it the same afterwards (damaged goods syndrome?). Luckily it was a lease so when it's term was over we were happy to let it go.

Money2536

I hear you. That sounds like a solid plan.

BradB

Be aware that the rear bumper covering will either have to be trimmed around the chrome Porsche model designation (if you have that) or it can be removed, new logotype purchased, and reinstalled.

I've seen both and while the former is cheaper, the results with doing it the second way look better.

I did a full front and wheel arches and rockers, but chose not to do the rear at all.

I'm also consider myself a detailing expert and perfectionist. Like Money2536, I agree there is nothing like great paint. And I struggled at first with clear bra. But in the urban area I live, with crappy degrading streets, work trucks and crazy drivers, the clear bra offers a sense of security which has proved in my case to be well worth it. Plus I will track the car like I did my previous rides. Paint chips keep me up at night. I feel better now.

Good luck with whatever you do then DRIVE THE HECK OUT OF IT!

LiteWait

I agree with Money 2536 that original paint does look best however, he is forgetting one major item that drove me to get XPEL in the first place. Sometimes water marks and bird droppings in particular can mar your paint so badly that even the best detailer can't get all of the marks out with the best polishing equipment.

My paint is black so the XPEL was a must because obviously marring shows up best on black. Now I have 3 layers (XPEL Ulitmate which is something like 10 mils thick, and 2 coats of C-Quartz Finest) of the best technology on the planet to prevent that from happening along with giving me the peace of mind to drive the car to the max in all conditions. Its basically like coating the car in Teflon. Everybody loves Teflon.

To comment on what the difference between the factory paint and XPEL look like: What I have given up is that crisp reflection you get from paint. It's more of a hazy reflection. Factory paint isn't all that great anyways because you can always see orange peel. If you want glass paint you need to get the car repainted by hand by a talented professional.

BradB brought up a good point about the emblem. I had my rear end de-badged for the XPEL (Although they have a pre-cut kit to go around the 991 emblem) so I would have less clear bra lines and wouldnt have to worry about marring in between the bra and the letters. I still haven't put anything down yet but you can put whatever you want on top of the XPEL and coating. I'm contemplating either just "Carrera S" or putting the factory badging back on. I've gotta get it figured out because it's just a bit too naked for me. Some people like that clean look though.

With the Ice Blue Metalic I don't think you would be able to see marring from water marks and stuff as easily as black or a darker color so I would say just doing the front end would be alright. I wouldn't recommend just doing the bumper. You're definitely going to have all sorts of things hitting the fenders and bonnet. I would worry more about doing the entire front end including headlights, A pillars and mirrors than the rear bumper. If you do Opti-Coat over the entire car after XPEL installation that will give you protection in the interim and also help to prevent marring. If this guy is a good installer you will not regret it at all. In fact, you'll be hooked for life.

shaytun

I'm still waiting for my car and still up in the air about getting a clear film. However, I commute at least 30mi a day with a mix of city and highway. I think if I only drove 5k a year and mostly city driving, then the benefits of a clear bra seem to be minimal. That's not to say you can't get chips driving in the city. But it's a numbers game. Someone driving on the highway all day versus a city driver has worse odds of course. Just my two cents. Also, are you leasing? If so, the value of the clear film is decreased.
Nice color combo btw