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The tint is Suntek CXP and looks lighter than the pics in person. For a black car with a black interior and that big hatchback rear window, I think having some tint is huge for helping reduce the heat in the car. I prefer no tint since the tint can scratch (dog), I wear sunglasses when I drive anyway, and I like the clarity of bare glass but after a summer in my last black hatchback, the difference in comfort with a good light tint is totally worth it to me so I think of tint as a functional mod first, an aesthetic mod second.
I also think the wrap is practically a necessity for black cars! The self-healing aspect of the film sounded like bs but the wrap really does tend to hold less swirls than bare paint and I worry less about washing the car more often. One thing that I noticed on my last car is that the wrapped panels do seem to get dirtier slightly faster than bare panels so while the wrapped panels are practically identical when clean, there is a subtle difference over time as they get dirty between washes. This is especially noticeable on a black car, hence the decision to wrap the whole car. Most of the wrap focus is usually on the front and rear surfaces but I think the side skirts are also a critical area to wrap not only because of the debris kicked up from the front tires but also because the lwbs aren't the easiest seats to get out of and its easy to brush up against the side skirts. After installing the extended sport side skirts on my last car, I noticed some significant wear in the paint from my jeans brushing past the same spot everytime I got out of the car. The door handles, gas cap area, tops of the doors, and trunk were also high wear (more swirls!) areas so at that point, it was a no brainer to just wrap the entire car.
I do like the look and feel of paint more than the wrap but honestly the material technology has come so far and with a good custom installation I can't tell the difference. Plus, my car will go to the grocery store, home depot, get parked on the street, eat cones at the autocross, get pelted with rocks and rubber at the track, etc, so I think of the wrap as a protective wear item. The fact that a good installer can make it nearly invisible is a bonus!
What about a matte wrap on the front lid instead of the PPF? Specifically, a black matte on a black car. Wouldn't this provide the same level of protection?
Yup, they are using the Nav-TV interface and cameras. I'm not sure how much they needed to get behind the PCM module since by the time I saw it everything was put together and working.
Sorry to necro this old thread. Car looks great, ajw45. Quick question: Do you know if the installer used the same cameras that come on other Porsche models?
Sorry to necro this old thread. Car looks great, ajw45. Quick question: Do you know if the installer used the same cameras that come on other Porsche models?
The installer used the standard Nav TV cameras and interface so not OEM but both cameras do use the OEM nav screen for display. I was pretty concerned about how they would look but to be honest, now I don't even see them, especially on a black car. It's sorta like the wart on the roof, it drove me crazy in pictures but now I don't even notice it.
What about a matte wrap on the front lid instead of the PPF? Specifically, a black matte on a black car. Wouldn't this provide the same level of protection?
I really considered this but just didn't get a chance to see/try it but I think the XPEL matte wrap would look amazing over a metallic color and is equally thick/protective. You should do it and send pictures so I can decide if I should rewrap mine
That is just beautiful
My next favorite color !!
If I got black, I would have had to get PCCB's as well, as the look is just off the charts !!
Awesome ..
I really considered this but just didn't get a chance to see/try it but I think the XPEL matte wrap would look amazing over a metallic color and is equally thick/protective. You should do it and send pictures so I can decide if I should rewrap mine
Hehe. Suntek installer has clear, satin and matte ppf. I was originally thinking vinyl wrap but would just use one of the Suntek products.
I might just do it... I did see satin (pretty sure it was satin) on a black Huracan (wrap was in progress).
Just wanted to update this thread now that I've had the wrap on for a few weeks. First off, the wrap came out great! It's already taken on some scratches that are apparent in the XPEL but don't appear to have penetrated the film so the film is definitely doing it's job. I found a wide but shallow scratch in the rear quarter, probably from someone in the garage, and it was so satisfying to NOT be super pissed and know that it can be buffed or at worst that panel could be re-wrapped. The car has also picked up a few rock chips in the lower front bumper that have left a nick or two in the wrap but the paint still looks good so again, feeling really good about all the crap the XPEL is taking instead of the paint.
Two areas that I'm still considering are the side scoops and the end plates. I'm finding a ton of gravel and debris end up in the scoops and even though they are wrapped, I almost wonder if they warrant a second layer. FWIW, they did their best to cut around the embossed GT4 logo in the side scoops so those aren't wrapped and I've seen the same on a few other cars, not sure if anyone has been able to actually wrap into the logo recess.
The installers also added a patch of XPEL to the wing end plates but didn't really wrap around the edges since that's all tight corners. I've seen a few pics of rock chips in the leading edge of the endplates and I know my car cover tends to hang off the top/rear of the end plates so I'm going to have to chat with them and see if there's a good solution for more coverage around the edges.
The installer used the standard Nav TV cameras and interface so not OEM but both cameras do use the OEM nav screen for display. I was pretty concerned about how they would look but to be honest, now I don't even see them, especially on a black car. It's sorta like the wart on the roof, it drove me crazy in pictures but now I don't even notice it.
The OCD in me wants to use OEM Porsche cameras (whoever makes them), but I agree that your install looks profesh as hell. Nicely done.
Edit: If anyone knows of an installer that works at this quality level in Southern California, please let me know!
Edit 2: I reached out to JK Automotive, and they recommended an installer in Huntington Beach.
Edit 3: ...and it turned out to be Al & Ed's
Last edited by Ferrarisimo; 12-16-2015 at 07:44 PM.
The OCD in me wants to use OEM Porsche cameras (whoever makes them), but I agree that your install looks profesh as hell. Nicely done.
Edit: If anyone knows of an installer that works at this quality level in Southern California, please let me know!
Edit 2: I reached out to JK Automotive, and they recommended an installer in Huntington Beach.
Edit 3: ...and it turned out to be Al & Ed's
Apologies to the OP for sidetracking but is there a reason for the "banghead" emoticon and Al & Ed's? I'm asking because Jeremy at JK gave me the same referral as I am in Dana Point and want to do this same mod. Several GT3 guys have used Al & Ed's Hollywood to install the same setup with great results but I'm very leery about doing this and would appreciate as much input as possible.
Apologies to the OP for sidetracking but is there a reason for the "banghead" emoticon and Al & Ed's? I'm asking because Jeremy at JK gave me the same referral as I am in Dana Point and want to do this same mod. Several GT3 guys have used Al & Ed's Hollywood to install the same setup with great results but I'm very leery about doing this and would appreciate as much input as possible.
I'll tell you what I told Jeremy, and that's I'm not familiar with car audio at all, but my perception of Al & Ed's, which is a chain, is nowhere near as I high as that of a bespoke shop like JK in Mass. Jeremy said he understood, and that his guy in Huntington Beach (JT) is strong and can easily match the quality of work that Jeremy does. I did speak to JT a bit yesterday, and it seems he does this type of work regularly. I don't get my car till the summer, so it'll be a while before I get the work done (If I end up going with him at all). If you end up going with him before then, by all means report back.
11-17-2015, 02:41 AM
