Paint Protection
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Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 258
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From: Southern California (L.A.)
2019 S65 Coupe, 2017 S650 Maybach Convertible, 2020 S560 Sedan, 2022 Porsche 911 Turbo S
Paint Protection
Can someone shed more light on paint protectors like Xpel. Don't know much about these types of products and looking to protect my soon to arrive S-65 Coupe. Do they really work? How long do they last? What are the downsides or concerns when using these products?
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2008
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Porsche guy who drives SL63 w/ perf pkg AND perf suspension
yes you should have the front end done before you ever drive the car. xpel is good, others are good
find a shop that does alot of cars and look at the job they do, it should be perfect work.
find a shop that does alot of cars and look at the job they do, it should be perfect work.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2013
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2013 S550 SOLD / 2016 S63 SOLD / 2017 GLS450 / 2017 G550 4x4 / 2019 G63 E1 SOLD / 2019 AMG S63 COUPE
@amir1 My experience with Xpel is fantastic and most of the installers stand behind any installation or product issues.
I used both Xpel ultimate and stealth nothing but a great experience.
The best investment you will do in a new car.
I used both Xpel ultimate and stealth nothing but a great experience.
The best investment you will do in a new car.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2008
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Porsche guy who drives SL63 w/ perf pkg AND perf suspension
it is a urethane sheet that bonds to the paint, and lasts along time and is very good quality. the product is good, but the skill of the installer is what makes the job. It can be very bad, or very good.
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Joined: Aug 2008
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Porsche guy who drives SL63 w/ perf pkg AND perf suspension
https://www.autopaintguard.com/
This is the best shop around tampa, all the dealers take their carts there.
Try to find a shop that dealers take cars to. One that shows you their work and has alot of good cars sitting around waiting to be done
I used xpel stealth on the matte car, I just did clearshield on the normal car s550 217. and its great. He prefered it to xpel so i said ok because I know he gives the best advice and doesnt try to sell specific brands to me
This is the best shop around tampa, all the dealers take their carts there.
Try to find a shop that dealers take cars to. One that shows you their work and has alot of good cars sitting around waiting to be done
I used xpel stealth on the matte car, I just did clearshield on the normal car s550 217. and its great. He prefered it to xpel so i said ok because I know he gives the best advice and doesnt try to sell specific brands to me
Last edited by okbarnett; Oct 29, 2019 at 09:56 PM.
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From: Scottsdale, Arizona
2020 S63 Coupe, 2006 Hummer H1 Alpha, 2018 McLaren 720S, 2022 Porsche 911 TurboS, 2022 Tesla Model X
XPEL and Suntek are the industry leaders. Standard PPF is has a gloss finish, but there are also satin products that will turn any factory paint into a satin/magno look. It is way more durable than vinyl wrap but can discolor from bird droppings, chemicals, etc so consider applying a ceramic coat on top of it. Also any clear coat defects will be 'sealed in' by the PPF so get any necessary paint correction/polishing done before it is applied.
The PPF protects factory paint from clear coat damage, light scratches, and rock chips. PPF can and will tear but it is tough and can absorb enough energy from small rocks to spare the paint beneath it. Light scratches will 'self heal' with heat.
You can install it in two ways -
1. Using cut pieces specific to the car, either from a pre-packaged kit or laser cut by software from a roll using templates. This is the cheaper route, full car expect to pay about $5000 and partial coverage (bumper, hood, fenders) runs about half that.
2. Full custom wrap, meaning no edges are visible. This requires a good bit of disassembly, similar to a color change vinyl wrap. Compared to vinyl the product is more expensive and also less flexible, so there is more labor involved. Expect to pay $6000-7500.
If you want the satin/magno PPF, you will definitely want the full custom wrap. For gloss PPF, the cut pieces are adequate but when the car gets dirty you will notice the edges no matter how good the installer is.
The PPF protects factory paint from clear coat damage, light scratches, and rock chips. PPF can and will tear but it is tough and can absorb enough energy from small rocks to spare the paint beneath it. Light scratches will 'self heal' with heat.
You can install it in two ways -
1. Using cut pieces specific to the car, either from a pre-packaged kit or laser cut by software from a roll using templates. This is the cheaper route, full car expect to pay about $5000 and partial coverage (bumper, hood, fenders) runs about half that.
2. Full custom wrap, meaning no edges are visible. This requires a good bit of disassembly, similar to a color change vinyl wrap. Compared to vinyl the product is more expensive and also less flexible, so there is more labor involved. Expect to pay $6000-7500.
If you want the satin/magno PPF, you will definitely want the full custom wrap. For gloss PPF, the cut pieces are adequate but when the car gets dirty you will notice the edges no matter how good the installer is.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2008
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Porsche guy who drives SL63 w/ perf pkg AND perf suspension
here is full coverage hood, NOT laser cut pattern. lf you use the patterns you still get edges. So on a panel like the hood you can always spot the cut edges. If you have hood vents or openings, they dont go close to the trim obstacles and show even worse. So you should always remove the trims and do a full panel wrap , wrapping the edges.
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 70
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From: New York City
2020 E63s Sedan
here is full coverage hood, NOT laser cut pattern. lf you use the patterns you still get edges. So on a panel like the hood you can always spot the cut edges. If you have hood vents or openings, they dont go close to the trim obstacles and show even worse. So you should always remove the trims and do a full panel wrap , wrapping the edges.
