Got my car

[MCarsFan]

Wow! Start watching online track vids.... you'll learn more. And then do it.

I'm actually flying out to the track attack program this Wed.

I probably should and I will!

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[J_Maher_AMG]

I never understand the point of xpel or 3m or any other solutions.

I understand they protect the paint, but eventually when damage occurs, on them, it still looks back. So if you dont want it to look like crap, you have to take the whole thing off, pay for it again, and replace it. So its more of a peace of mind thing?

No?

Honestly, never spent a time on xpel before. I use a quality sealant on all my cars, but thats it. I drive 18,000 miles a year of which at least 8-9k is in snow/salt.

Well I guess it really happened, congrats!

I think the biggest benefit with XPEL is that it will not show minor dings and scratches. Sure if a big rock hits you, it could damage the film, but the majority of sand or smaller pebbles on the road that can pepper your car on the highway for example most times aren't enough to damage the film. And I have witnessed first hand after accidentally using a microfibre with some dirt it in and scratching the xpel on mine, that with minor heat application it heals instantly with literally zero evidence of anything ever being there. Amazing stuff, highly recommended, especially on a gloss paint like red!

 

[montreal ponies]

Oh, and if you plan to drive the car with any regularity, I would recommend getting PPF installed ASAP; the paint on these cars is PAPER thin. Even after taping up a lot of the front end with Trakk Tape, I managed to get a sizeable chip in the center of the hood on my ~640 mile drive home...

Yeah tell me about it, going to see someone tomorrow to see what can be done to fix my chip on the hood, i had PPF installed, but just had the lower part of the hood done. I should've had the whole hood done, but too late now. Probably will have to have part of the hood repainted. :frusty:

 

[MCarsFan]

Well I guess it really happened, congrats!

I think the biggest benefit with XPEL is that it will not show minor dings and scratches. Sure if a big rock hits you, it could damage the film, but the majority of sand or smaller pebbles on the road that can pepper your car on the highway for example most times aren't enough to damage the film. And I have witnessed first hand after accidentally using a microfibre with some dirt it in and scratching the xpel on mine, that with minor heat application it heals instantly with literally zero evidence of anything ever being there. Amazing stuff, highly recommended, especially on a gloss paint like red!

Maybe I should do it then. Need to find a good installer though because I'm sure if for instance they dont properly clean the car before applying, it will be a mess.

How much did you guys pay for it?

 

[ThreeFiveO]

First manned space flight and now MCars buys a 350. What is the world coming to!
Congrats man, you need to get to get your ass to Utah now and do the track attack! Worth every penny. :cheers:

 

[MCarsFan]

First manned space flight and now MCars buys a 350. What is the world coming to!
Congrats man, you need to get to get your ass to Utah now and do the track attack! Worth every penny. :cheers:

Thanks for the kind words.

I had no idea about the utah thing until this thread. I will make every effort to attend and maybe meet some of the forum folks there.

 

[Variance]

I never understand the point of xpel or 3m or any other solutions.

I understand they protect the paint, but eventually when damage occurs, on them, it still looks back. So if you dont want it to look like crap, you have to take the whole thing off, pay for it again, and replace it. So its more of a peace of mind thing?

No?

Honestly, never spent a time on xpel before. I use a quality sealant on all my cars, but thats it. I drive 18,000 miles a year of which at least 8-9k is in snow/salt.

Quality films nowadays typically have self-healing polymer top layers that significantly extend the effective life of the film. Also, unless you have a hook-up, repainting damaged panels will generally cost more than replacing the film. Covering the front bumper, hood, and front fenders should only cost around $1-1.5k at the most; to have those same parts repainted would cost probably twice that, if I had to guess?

I'm not familiar with the paint on modern BMWs, but the paint on my GT350 is WAY thinner than the paint on my E36 (on the hood, at least). Had I not taped up the parts that I did with Trakk Tape for the drive home, I can only imagine how many more chips I would already have, which, in my opinion, is unacceptable for the distance I traveled.

Ultimately, it's up to you; just giving my 2 cents.

 

[Variance]

Yeah tell me about it, going to see someone tomorrow to see what can be done to fix my chip on the hood, i had PPF installed, but just had the lower part of the hood done. I should've had the whole hood done, but too late now. Probably will have to have part of the hood repainted. :frusty:

Yeah, my "big" chip was something like 6-8" behind the vent; based on the xpel patterns I looked at, I think it would have been JUST past a "partial" install. I'm having the chip filled and the entire hood covered, since I plan to drive this car a lot.

Regarding the repair, a quality detailer or paint guy should be able to fix it without repainting. Generally, a "proper" repair will have them sand inside the chip, fill with color, top off with clear, then wet-sand level to the surrounding paint. A proper repair should be nigh-unnoticeable, and while more expensive then a "quick fix", far cheaper than repainting an entire section of the panel.

 

[2011gt350]

Congrats on the new car always liked the race
red! Your going to love this car and the resonator delete is really loud in all the best ways!!

 

[krt22]

Yeah most precut kits only partially cover the hood, I had them wrap the entire hood as well since the stripes are also easy to damage

 

[MCarsFan]

Quality films nowadays typically have self-healing polymer top layers that significantly extend the effective life of the film. Also, unless you have a hook-up, repainting damaged panels will generally cost more than replacing the film. Covering the front bumper, hood, and front fenders should only cost around $1-1.5k at the most; to have those same parts repainted would cost probably twice that, if I had to guess?

I'm not familiar with the paint on modern BMWs, but the paint on my GT350 is WAY thinner than the paint on my E36 (on the hood, at least). Had I not taped up the parts that I did with Trakk Tape for the drive home, I can only imagine how many more chips I would already have, which, in my opinion, is unacceptable for the distance I traveled.

Ultimately, it's up to you; just giving my 2 cents.

Uhoh, I drove 400 miles today. I guess I should check the paint tomorrow? I am scared to look.

But one thing I dont want to do is to worry about this car like those people with 250-300k GT3RS and treat the car like its a child or a house made out of glass. I really dont want to ruin the experience and constantly worry about it.

Painting the bumper or hood will not cost $1.5k. I had the entire front bumper of my M5 replaced which required it to be repainted, cost for $1,800. I doubt a repaint will cost more than $800 for bumper and another $500-800 for the hood.

 

[96cobra]

Your wife is really busting your balls about going out to the garage to see your new GT350? Man, when I got some of my new cars I was giddy and was going out to look at the motor, sit in it, program the radio, whatever damn excuse I could.

Just turn off the buzzer on the house alarm for a few hours and have at it. Buying a new car like this is a special moment, you should be able to enjoy it to its fullest extent.

 

[MCarsFan]

Reading all these posts, I am really worried about the damage I may have caused during the 400 mile trip home:(

 

[MCarsFan]

Your wife is really busting your balls about going out to the garage to see your new GT350? Man, when I got some of my new cars I was giddy and was going out to look at the motor, sit in it, program the radio, whatever damn excuse I could.

Just turn off the buzzer on the house alarm for a few hours and have at it. Buying a new car like this is a special moment, you should be able to enjoy it to its fullest extent.

Thats all fine, problem is, I keep shutting the door and the horn is going off all the time. I still couldnt figure out why, first I thought it was the headlights but then I think its because carplay was on. So every time I closed door (4-5 times total) it was beeping really loud. :(

I know I should have read the manual.

 

[Steve68]

"paper thin" is being way too generous. How about "tissue paper thin". And not the kind you have at home in your bathroom. The kind they put in institutions like truck stops and prisons. You know, one ply.

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