XPEL, 3M, Other PPF, NO PPF, CQuartz???

[Mike02z]

I've been in Calgary for the last 2 weeks, but while i was away i had the car done with Xpel ppf and 22ple sealant, as far as i can tell it turned out pretty good. The pic i took was to show a small imperfection on the sealant that's going to be corrected, but everywhere else on the car it looks great. There is a little dust on the surface which i have not washed off.

It looks really good. No PPF will be 100% perfect. If people want 100%, don't bother with PPF. This also means you'll need to accept more stone chips. Also keep in mind Black will show every little imperfection. I think your installer did a nice job based on your above picture.

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[Zitrosounds]

The cost factor is the main reason I have chosen to forgo paint film protection. at the current cost I can refinish and repaint by bumper cover several times. I have tracked my car a couple times thus far and it is not a DD and I have very little chips.

 

[GTP]

My free advice for those considering clear film protection

OP, note that white stripes will show almost no tell-tale white line next to the stripes.

Also, I recommend that you allow your stripes to cure for a few days before applying clear film.

As for pulling off the clear film, it is actually "stretched off" almost parallel to the body surface. There is high likelihood that it will release from the stripe without damaging them if this method is used. Plus mild heat gun will help. So no worries, IMO.

And yes, choose the best installer over the film brand. A factory-trained Xpel installer with his own plotter/cutter, and lots of high-end cars as samples is a pretty safe bet.

Good luck.

 

[Mike02z]

See what others say about Suntek vs XPEL. Seems like an even split to me.

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c7-z06-discussion/3591359-xpel-ultimate-vs-suntek.html

http://www.tintdude.com/forum/index.php/topic/77279-xpel-vs-suntek/

http://4c-forums.com/12-appearance-body/27490-paint-protection-film-xpel-vs-suntek.html

 

[Spa2k]

See what others say about Suntek vs XPEL. Seems like an even split to me.

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c7-z06-discussion/3591359-xpel-ultimate-vs-suntek.html

http://www.tintdude.com/forum/index.php/topic/77279-xpel-vs-suntek/

http://4c-forums.com/12-appearance-body/27490-paint-protection-film-xpel-vs-suntek.html

A lot of this battle comes down to product availability and the skills of the installer. In my area, there are two very good installers that use Xpel - but there are no Suntek dealers. Plus, for awhile some people thought Suntek's film was slightly less noticeable up close, but now Xpel has fine-tuned the look of its Ultimate material. :shrug:

 

[CanadianHorseMan]

My free advice for those considering clear film protection

OP, note that white stripes will show almost no tell-tale white line next to the stripes.

Also, I recommend that you allow your stripes to cure for a few days before applying clear film.

As for pulling off the clear film, it is actually "stretched off" almost parallel to the body surface. There is high likelihood that it will release from the stripe without damaging them if this method is used. Plus mild heat gun will help. So no worries, IMO.

And yes, choose the best installer over the film brand. A factory-trained Xpel installer with his own plotter/cutter, and lots of high-end cars as samples is a pretty safe bet.

Good luck.

Interesting post. I do know of a very reputable installer in my area. Highly recommended. He subsequently uses XPEL Ulitmate Pro or something. The price I listed above is a wild guess and I haven't called him yet to get an actual quote because I decided to get everyone's opinions here first. So who knows...it may be even more than I'm anticipating.

 

[R1Jester]

Agree with the rest, its really in the hands of the installer. I have Suntek and from 2 ft away you can't even tell there is anything on the car...edges blend right in.

 

[mattlqx]

Just be aware when they remove the film in the future, it will most likely take off your stripes with it. I ended up just driving careful, staying a safe distance from the car ahead of me.

That's what I thought too, but all it took was one time...

 

[mattlqx]

SunTek here. Same installer did this GT350 and my Focus RS. The stripes and lines of the 350 make it hands down a harder install. I have to say the Focus RS was done extremely well. The 350 less so. It's definitely less perfect in terms of template coverage and how the material goes over the stripes. I do have a small raise to the side of my stripes that's somewhat noticeable up close but blends pretty well from a few feet away with Grabber Blue. The edges of the material in general are unnoticeable unless the car is severely dusty or you're right up on top of it.

If it can stop what happened to the front of my last 350 getting peppered with chips and splits from rocks, then it'll be hugely worth it. Also will be good getting rubber strikes off of it from the track.

 

[smsgt350]

I went to an installer that mostly does higher end and exotics. He only does expel or suntek and charges the same for each. He said for a tougher product with a longer warranty go expel. For a better looking product that goes on easier and usually results in a more " invisible" job go suntek. I went with the suntek and i must say the result is very impressive. People are surprised when I tell them its on there as it next to impossible to see it. It has saved my paint from about a dozen chips now (10,000 miles). Small translucent marks where the chips would have been are not exactly "self healing" with heat or hot water as some of the videos showed however Im glad I protected it as I was on the fence about getting it done for quite a while.

 

[AshelbyR]

I had a particularly bad experience with wrap on my GT350R. I'm having it redone and plan on only the front clip ahead of the windshield, the rocker panels, and the rear quarters behind the wheels.

The better films have their own pros and cons. XPEL has more orange peel than Suntek, but it's more durable. 3M VentureShield is widely regarded as shit, but the Scotchguard Pro is supposed to be great.

Find a good installer. Talk to them. ASK IF THEY OUTSURCE, AND TO WHOM (this could get you, as it did me). Look at their work.

Would you ever see the need to protect the rear wing as well?
Now that I have the car I almost don't want to track it since it's so amazing. it's meant to be on the track so I'm sure I will bring it in a few months. Expel on front clip/rocker and behind wheels Andy other suggestions? Not the stripes?

 

[GTP]

Would you ever see the need to protect the rear wing as well?
Now that I have the car I almost don't want to track it since it's so amazing. it's meant to be on the track so I'm sure I will bring it in a few months. Expel on front clip/rocker and behind wheels Andy other suggestions? Not the stripes?

(Quoting myself): You can't apply too much, or too early.

Don't wait a few months to get the film. Instead of opening your wallet, open a 0% credit card so you can pay it off over time. When I first started checking around, it was $600 for minimal coverage by Ziebart. Then I spent $1200 with my Xpel installer. Ultimately I have spent ~$2000 on Xpel, and that is what I would now recommend to anyone else who just got their new car.

The earlier you get your car in, the better the condition of your paint. Keep in mind that the installer needs to have a "mini detail" done to even a new car, because the film won't hide any swirls or other imperfections.

Your installer not only has a 60" wide roll of the expensive film, he also has narrow rolls such as 1/2", 1", etc. Ask him to quote the leading edge of your wing as well as the entire thing.

I recommend you protect your stripes with it. Just view stripes as part of the paint job.

 

[CanadianHorseMan]

I'm gonna find out how much this will cost by the end of the week. I have some guys who know some guys (lol), we'll see how much it costs. I'm still weary on the stuff...I have to admit I like my Zaino....A LOT. And with this stuff, I can't use it anymore, and there's no way it's a slick and smooth as Zaino. Just no chance. I could be wrong, but I find it very hard to believe a film can be "slick".

I will have lightning blue w/white stripes, so XPEL right over them wont bother me too much. there is a red border on the white...not sure if the air gap between the red and blue will be ugly...

R

 

[firestarter2]

The cost factor is the main reason I have chosen to forgo paint film protection. at the current cost I can refinish and repaint by bumper cover several times. I have tracked my car a couple times thus far and it is not a DD and I have very little chips.

I think i paid around 1200 to cover the full hood front bumper and the leading edges of the fenders. I already had a chip from some where. And I had something fall on the hood so it already paid for it self.

There are some gaps in the front I notice but my impression is the paint is fairly thin.

 

[GTP]

Just my opinion, but I never got the 1/4" pinstripe on the outside of Shelby stripes. If it was my car, I would check if I could pull off the pinstripes. Then you would never notice the white-ish air channel next to a white stripe.

As for Zaino, you can apply any slick or ceramic coating on top of clear film, too, although then the total cost really goes up.

My take is that every dollar spent on ceramic coating is a dollar better spent on clear film. Then I just seal and/or wax myself periodically. It doesn't take too long. Plus, you really never pick up swirls, due to the self-healing properties of the film. (Not to mention that yellow is about the most immune color to showing swirls.)

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