1809

With all the highway driving I do and the salt rocks from the Utah winter, I'm debating whether or not to use some Xpel PPF for my 2014 steel gray E63.
I'm thinking a full front vs. total car with Xpel Ultimate vs. total car with Xpel Stealth. Thoughts? Your experience with Xpel film?

CliffJumper

I have it. Full front, mirrors, full rear bumper, rocker panels.

Can't see it all (good installer is more important than brand of wrap). Does it work? Hard to know for a fact unless i covered exactly half my front and compared. No visible damage yet.

Lenin

Same here. Xpel is self healing and therefore it is hard to tell how well it is working. But looking at my 2 other cars without Xpel and the wagon with Xpel, it is working well.

Wickdwagon

We have used xpel ultimate in the past full wraps on a few cars. On the wagon we went with a full wrap of expel stealth. Its all about the installer and I take the car through the automated car wash nearly daily! The ultimate has amazing healing properties and I would say the stealth has very good healing properties but their is a difference.

1809

How do you care for Xpel? Do you wax or seal it like you would normal paint? I've read on the Xpel site that they have a proprietary sealant but I wasn't sure if that was just marketing BS or really the best way to care for it.

CliffJumper

I put Opticoat Pro ceramic coating on top of my Xpel Ultimate (and rest of the paint, of course)

allenjdmb

Wont be without it again. Agree that installer is more important than brand.

benyl

Here is stealth on a Diamond white wagon. Got it done the week I picked it up.



More pics here:

http://www.beyond.ca/life-lessons-co...s/39305.html/3

Wickdwagon

You did the ceramic and then applied the xpel correct? You did not put ceramic over the coating.

10speed

Beautiful wagon ! I love the wheels , do you mind sharing your setup, size ,offset, brand , and size and brand tires , will that setup work on a sedan ?

Also did you wrap the headlights and tail lights ?

My car is a CPO , the full hood is clear wrapped and front bumper , that's it , the hood is still good but the bumper needs to be redone , Thanks

CliffJumper

No no, absolutely put wrap on first, then ceramic coating. Hydrophobic properties of the ceramic coating may cause the wrap to not adhere properly. Also, your wrap then stays exposed to the elements (can dry out, etc) so you'd have to keep waxing/maintaining it.

Wickdwagon

Pretty interesting, I know from the marine world that waxing and buffing of wraps is a big no-no. Very interesting that you sealed the wrap. Our installer that did not have a very strong opinion on expel's open sealer.

CliffJumper

I don't know about Xpel's sealer specifically, but last year, I did a lot of research on wraps and ceramic coatings because it was my first time ever getting either one. Every top detailer on Car-specific forums and detailing forums agreed that you wrap first, then apply ceramic coating. The guy I ended up using also said the same thing without me asking.

CliffJumper

Xpel's own FAQ states not to put any coating on before wrapping.

http://www.xpel.com/paint-protection-film-installation-frequently-asked-questions-faq/

Wickdwagon

Thanks for that, I just had assumed that from the marine world that the same would apply since the boat see more sun and salt than the car does. Thanks for the details.

jvakos

i have a 2015 steel grey e63 just like yours and just got an Xpel wrap on the full front bumber, full hood, full fenders and side mirrors (paid approx 1600) which looks great and I think you also will really like.

i'm in downtown chicago oand garage park the car but felt i needed this added protection due to our winter, ice, salt, and pot holed streets and grimy roads totallybeat on the paint

There is zero color or shine differences between the Xpel covered areas and non-covered areas on mine in steel grey which i was concerned about.

Also for washing, while i ypically get it hand washed it is OK to run it through a gas station car wash if needed which i've done a couple times and doesnt damage the wrap.

the installer i used in chicago did a very good job. the only questionable area i saw after the install was the "Biturbo" badge area where my installer just cut around that and if you look very closely at that "Biturbo" badge area you can see where it was cut out and the lines. i heard some installers remove the badge or something to avoid that... but its not a big deal to me and you really dont see it especially on a dark steel grey colored car like mine.

here's a pic....

HKJay

Funny I came across this post now. Just had crystal serum with exo put on yesterday. As he was finishing the one step polish I was looking at the front of the car and there were a few rock chips. Starting talking about xpel and turns out he does that too. So he did not apply the CSblack to anywhere the film was gong to be applied. Same reason as was previously stated. But the CS definitely does not go on the xpel wrap. Why bother ceramic coating your existing "coating". Coming fri to finish wrapping the front. Also did the rim faces only. He wanted to do the entire wheel and inner barrels and calipers, but passed this time. Wanted to find out if there is any detriment to applying a cermanic coating to the calipers?

CliffJumper

To answer your two questions:
1) ceramic coating is like a hydrophobic wax that keeps your car shiny, easier to clean and some protection against stuff like bird poop. The wrap is for protection against rocks. So, you can put the coating on the wrap.
2) yes, you can put ceramic coating on the calipers, but each brand has a caliper-specific formula that you need to apply. These will be able to handle higher temps generated by your brakes.

Chappy

How does a wrapped car complicate repairing a car after collision damage? Will the wrap be covered by insurance?

CliffJumper

funmy you should ask. My car just got hit lightly while at the dealership. Your own insurance company will generally only cover it if you report it to them as a modification. They may increase your premium by a couple of bucks.

If someone else hits you, then they'll have to cover the cost of replacement assuming you've kept your receipts or can otherwise prove what you have.

Chappy

Sorry about the fender bender....same happened to me at a hand car wash to my E350 a couple years ago. Sucked because it ended up being reported to Carfax and then had to fight for diminished value.

HKJay

But doesn't the xpel also make it easier to clean and also protect against bird poop?

HKJay

I had to fight for diminished value about a year ago after getting hit on both right side doors and rear quarter panel. Took almost 8 months and finally I accepted their 2nd offer with no lawyers involved. Always felt like I took a little less than I should of. Just wondering how much you got for yours. You can pm if you want.

CliffJumper

I'd be curious to learn about how successful both of you were regarding your diminished value claims. I tried and didn't get very far in my M3 incident. That was an extremely busy time at work so I didn't continue to pursue it after the first few denials.

HKJay

I had to deal with the other drivers state farm insurance. They offered 2500 after pursuing them for 2 to 3 months. Said no. Payment calculators told me closer to 10k. After almost 8 months from the accident, they came back with 6k and I took it. Was a total pain in the as* calling them every week or two. They also told me to return a certified document saying this matter was closed and I would not pursue anymore. But the check cleared and I never signed and returned the document.