Picked up this morning - After five days, xPel ClearBra installed on bumper, full hood, front fender, mirrors, and rocker panels.


Not Bad...



But, look closely:


Front Bumper was installed in three pieces with a seam under both headlights - is that proper?



In addition, I was advised that they only have rolls that are 76" and that "this is the longest bonnet he's ever seen." So, the inward most tips of the hood are separate with a seam (that's the open door on the bottom of the picture):



The installers seems very "aware and conscientious"...but as Cousin Pearl once asked Jedd Clampett - "did I just get snookered?"

 

Perhaps you should have asked prior to the install, but I have NO SEAMS on my hood. It is a 1 piece install. Nor do I have seams by the lights. Also, the edges were all wrapped.

Pictures coming...

 

Those seams will attract dirt and debris over time and against a white car, that won't be a good look...just saying.

 

No Edges to be seen and no seams.




All one piece. No seams. No edges either... all wrapped




Pardon the water spots UNDER the bonnet... But you can see the edges were all wrapped.

 

I'm curious, did your installer purchase a kit for the car, or do a "custom" install?

The guy who does all of my detailing/clear bra work will order pre-cut kits for cars when they're available, otherwise he has a printer/software so he can custom-design pieces that aren't available.

The reason I mention this is because the bit about the rolls only being 76" is true if he custom-made his own pieces and printed them. However, as other members have posted, when you order the pre-cut kits, there should be no seams and they should wrap around the body panels.

There would be no reason I could think of for your installer to custom-design all those pieces that are readily available as kits- other than it would be a higher profit for him possibly (my installer charges a lot more for custom-design vs. kits).

XPEL Kit for 2015 F Type S Coupe: http://www.xpel.com/products/paint_p...68&series=1848

For my XKR-S, he was able to use some pieces from a kit for the standard XKR, but had to custom-make some XKR-S specific parts that aren't available since the car is limited production.

 

01Silverstone: When I went to them, I asked if they used 3M (which is what I had researched) and the said no they used xpel (although the name didn't resonate with me)...they said that they were "laser cut" and the "same thing".


But, from my research, I knew the bumper was a three piece kit:

Invisible Mask - Clear Bra Automotive Paint Protection, 3M Scotchgard, Carbon Fiber 3M Films (note that even 3M doesn't have the 2016 kit out yet...so this example is the 2015 - is there a difference?)

So, I wasn't surprised, until I saw others' pictures...and that got me thinking. But the hood is a total shock.


If you look at the bumber, it's a very tight fit, but the hood has a decent gap that, agreeing with buickfunnycar, will be problematic on a white car.


I'm not really feeling schnookered, but this is my first bra installation and I never thought to ask the question...

 

XPEL is a good quality film, better than 3M from what I've heard- but if you look at the diagrams for the kits for the bumper and hood, you will see the bumper is one piece, as opposed to 3M which is 3, as you mentioned. However, it does look like the corners of the hood for the XPEL kit might have seams? Unclear from the diagram. Other members who posed above have seamless designs, so it's clearly available from somewhere.

TXJagR: Do you know what brand your film is?

The other issue with the clear bra that doesn't wrap around underneath the body panels is that, in time, the edges can begin to lift and peel away due to washing, etc. and attract dirt. When wrapped underneath the panels, this is less likely to happen because the edges cannot get caught on anything.

For me at least, I wouldn't be satisfied with this install. If it were my car, I would want it redone with the kits- the installer should have made it known up front that there would be seams.

 

Thanks Silverstone. Bumper is clear...but that's the same seam at the very tip top of the hood

I never knew about the edge wrapping though...my FiL-who is a real car guy-doesn't even have any of his cars edge wrapped...this includes Bentleys, Ferraris, 'vettes, Porsches and Beemers... are the kits cut to edge wrap?

 

That's an interesting observation. The kit on my XKR-S that I had installed is edge-wrapped, however the older one on my XKR that was on the car when I bought it, is not.

I know XPEL makes different quality-levels of their film- perhaps different grades offer edge-wrapping? I'll ask my installer, because now I'm curious about it as well.

 

Thanks. My understanding was that I had the best option available.

 

Hey Lookout!

I was given very few (like one?) options here in the State of Maine for getting my car "filmed" without having to drive into another state. I picked an installer of both XPEL and Sun Tek and he advised me to go with the latter mostly due to my Stratus Grey color. And while he used templates all around and wrapped what he could, I too have a few seams here and there and, perhaps curiously, they don't bother me. In the year plus I've had the car, I barely, if ever, notice them. Given the choice, sure I'd desire it be completely seamless but it's certainly not something to lose sleep over.

 

XPel Ultimate. I had it done through my dealer before I took delivery of the car. Based on information from my salesperson I found the installer they used. I asked before hand to make sure there were no seams and the edges were all rolled. I was shown work they performed on a McLaren which was absolute perfection and was assured mine would be just as good (which I feel it is)

From the installers website...
"Stratashield Customs, LLC provides clients in Dallas, Texas, with affordable and lasting custom car wraps. With more than 10 years of experience, we meticulously apply clear shield paint protection film on cars, boats, and even planes. At our company, everything is custom-made and nothing is pre-cut. Individual owners and exotic car dealerships that sell high-end vehicles can vouch for the quality of our work. Get in touch with us now and let us install the first-rate vehicle wrap that suits your car best."

Not sure it'll help you at all, but here is his facebook page (Business page is very under rated) You can scroll through the pictures and see all the high end cars he has done work on.

https://www.facebook.com/people/Hous...00008379693237

 

My installer used Xpel Ultimate and chose to custom wrap using a 76" roll to ensure adequate material for a complete roll around the edges. The film can be stretched to cover the additional 2" that would otherwise be missing on the hood (at least 78" needed). Electronic patterns are available to the dealers (who can print them on large printers) from Xpel to make custom installations easier. My dealer ignored the hood pattern, stretched from scratch and cut while the film was already mostly applied to the car.

 

I have suntek pre cut kit.
No seams.

 

Well, caveat emptor...I hope we have given future members a good sense of the questions to ask before they sign up for something different than they expect

 

I had front bumper, full hood, lights, mirrors, rocker panels, rear spoler, and lower portion of rear fender and rear done with Xpel Ultimate.. No seams except on the rear fender and lower rear but I expected that.

 

My FTR had a full custom install, all edges wrapped, even had the whole rear of the car covered and inner wheel arch lips.
There should be no seams as XPel, and it easily stretches to cover the bonnet (hood) from a stock 76'' roll.
Lookout!, it doesn't look like it has been cut very nicely, it doesn't even follow the shape of the curve in the trailing edge of the bonnet (hood)!
I'd be straight back down to the installer to get it taken off (and that has to be done correctly) and reapplied correctly.

 

I got my entite BRG V6S wrapped in Suntek- there was a seam on the hood near the windshield- I'd say about 2-3 inches- installer says the f-Type has the longest hood and he didn't recommend strteching too much to cover the whole hood- affects film durability and may thin it out too much. Got it wrapped around the edges- he did a great job and I'm very happy!

Cler Bra North Dallas in Argyle

 

I assume the seam you're referring to is near where the top of the fenders meets the top of the drivers and passenger doors? (See my picture from a previous post)

 

My installer also stretched my hood to get it done in one piece and wrapped without seams. He said it took 4 of them to get it done and was very proud of how good it came out. I ignorantly didn't even think to ask - just had a comfort level from the cars in his shop that were much more expensive than mine. It was a 5 day process for him so I knew he was being meticulous -either that or simply charging by the hour ;-)