Originally Posted by auditoamg (Post 6931356)

Ok, so car arrives and I'm doing both of the above.....i was told that the xpel should be applied first, but this seems counterintuitive to me... I would think the Opticoat should go first???

Thoughts and experience?

Originally Posted by vaelin (Post 6931402)

I paid $3500 for full Xpel Stealth PPF wrap, bumper to bumper.

I had the unlucky experience of dealing with a semi pulling almost-empty-but-not-quite gravel hoppers, one of which was left open.. spewing gravel across the entire freeway as he trucked along last week.

Constantly heard the gravel pelting my car.. all the cars in front of me were swerving at least 2 lanes away from the truck.

Got to work, did a full inspection.. not one ding. Lots of dusty residue and places where the gravel hit the Xpel dead on.. and pretty much did nothing to my paint and body. I hosed down the car when I got home and walked away.

EDIT: I did get 2 windshield dings, but both ended up on the passenger side so I'm a bit less annoyed.

Originally Posted by vaelin (Post 6931504)

Yeah, 3500. The place I took it to is right next to my work, so it was one of those situations where I'd drop it off for the day, and take it home after work. It took two weeks and during that time my car was in various states of gloss/matte and missing emblems. So basically they did it during their downtime.. they're a tint shop.

Material cost is about $1200 for a full roll (60" x 50') so what you're paying for is labor.

Originally Posted by auditoamg (Post 6931356)

Ok, so car arrives and I'm doing both of the above.....i was told that the xpel should be applied first, but this seems counterintuitive to me... I would think the Opticoat should go first???

Thoughts and experience?

Originally Posted by SBH- (Post 6931626)

last thing I remember that I've been told in these situations, you would apply the PPF first then do the coating on top.

Originally Posted by - Guilty - (Post 6931413)

$3500 for the whole car? I got quoted 6k for Xpel Ultimate on the whole car at Sticker City :crazy:

Originally Posted by auditoamg (Post 6931394)

So most of you are saying Xpel only, which is different from my past experiences with OptiCoat. It saved my paint in a few situations, from rocks and from chemicals. But, if you're all saying that I can get the same long term shine and durability from Xpel, then I'll give that a shot...

What have you all paid for a full wrap?

I was quoted $2500 for Tint (photosync) and full front hood, full bumper, full fenders, full rockers.

Originally Posted by XPEL (Post 6931926)

If you do choose to go with a Ceramic Coating, be sure it is applied AFTER your paint protection film has been installed. If you have the coating applied first, and then film on top of the coating, it can cause adhesion issues, which would cause premature lifting of the film. Film first, coating second(if you choose to use a coating)



You are 100% correct



That is a bit low, Keep in mind these are what we typically see across the country and it can vary with these factors:
- Where you live
- Demand for paint protection film
- Size of your vehicle

For a partial front end: This includes 18-24” up the hood and fenders, front bumper, mirrors and sometimes headlights. This ranges from $895 - $1,195.

For full front coverage: This includes the entire hood and front fenders, front bumper, mirrors and sometimes headlights. This ranges from $1,895 - $2,195.

For full car coverage: This includes every painted surface on the car possible. This ranges from $4,500 - $8,000.



That price is not bad considering they're doing window tint and rockers for 2500.

Originally Posted by - Guilty - (Post 6931948)

Is there a difference in protection between Stealth (Satin) and Ultimate (gloss)?

Originally Posted by XPEL (Post 6931926)

If you do choose to go with a Ceramic Coating, be sure it is applied AFTER your paint protection film has been installed. If you have the coating applied first, and then film on top of the coating, it can cause adhesion issues, which would cause premature lifting of the film. Film first, coating second(if you choose to use a coating)

Originally Posted by vaelin (Post 6932140)

So, while you state that IF you choose to use a coating.. what do you guys think about coatings with your XPEL PPF? Regardless of applied before or after.. is there even a point?

It would seem that XPEL is more than enough protection in itself that if it required replacement of the film from impact, it's likely a coating wouldn't do anything 'more'.

The glossy XPEL Ultimate PPF seems to provide showroom shine with minimal upkeep already.

Originally Posted by XPEL (Post 6932142)

If you're installing a coating, the coating certainly needs to be applied AFTER the film has been installed. We haven't seen any issues with the film by having a coating installed over the film.

Originally Posted by vaelin (Post 6932166)

Heh, not quite what I'm asking.

I'm asking if there's even a point to using the coating, as XPEL seems to provide all the protection you'd need...

Originally Posted by vaelin (Post 6932166)

I'm asking if there's even a point to using the coating, as XPEL seems to provide all the protection you'd need...

Originally Posted by XPEL (Post 6932190)

Can't speak for all the properties of all the different coatings on the market, but it has the same effect it does on a bare painted surface. So depending on the coating, it will make the film even easier to clean, more hydrophobic, etc. The top coat of the film is an automotive clear, so it will react nearly the same.

Originally Posted by otakki (Post 6932193)

Indeed, it seems counter-intuitive to provide protection to the protection.

I have also heard that protection film ends up embedding a lot of dirt and debris if you travel frequently on highway with lots of blowing debris. As a result, the front end film needs replacement every 1-2 years.