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Where to put Paint Protection Film?

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Old 05-09-2018, 04:40 PM
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Default Where to put Paint Protection Film?

All, Curious to know where to put paint protection film on this car. Is it really necessary on the hood, given that the leading edge of the hood is several inches behind the nose??

Also... I’ve broken 2 windshields in two weeks on this car. As costly as those are to replace, I’d hate to see the bill for rock chips in the roof glass. Has anyone protected the roof glass somehow? I’ve seen pictures of rock chips in this glass and I’d really like to prevent that from happening.
 
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Old 05-09-2018, 04:54 PM
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I have wrap on the entire front of the car (forward of the doors) and on the rocker panels. The entirety of the hood shows evidence of strikes. To date only one very small (<0.5mm) chip on the roof.
 
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Old 05-09-2018, 04:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Unhingd
I have wrap on the entire front of the car (forward of the doors) and on the rocker panels. The entirety of the hood shows evidence of strikes. To date only one very small (<0.5mm) chip on the roof.
+1, plus mirrors, no glass roof chips to date.
 
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Old 05-09-2018, 05:29 PM
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Originally Posted by jaguny
... plus mirrors,
Yeah, I forgot those.
 
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Old 05-09-2018, 07:00 PM
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You can really go overboard on the PPF, but the above recommendations really are pretty good. The only other area you mike consider are the rear quarter panels in back of the rear tires. Jag does a good job with the design in that area, tire inside the wheel well, but if you drive thru an area with loose gravel, it could still pop up and nick that area. Front, hood and mirrors are vulnerable, get them covered for sure. I don’t know what typePPF you’re getting but Xpel Ultimate is the best....a little pricey, but it’s the premium PPF.
 
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Old 05-09-2018, 07:05 PM
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I had the area behind the rear wheels done too. Forgot.
 
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Old 05-10-2018, 10:02 AM
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I prefer Suntek now - same thickness as Xpel. My installer has had more quality issues with Xpel in the last 3 years than they did when they were the best in the business
 
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Old 05-10-2018, 10:19 AM
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The most overlooked is the headlights.
I used 3mPRO (different from regular 3M)
Did just one headlight and observed it for 6months.
I had to touch the light to tell which side its on.

Since its very easy to apply and only takes 15minutes- its easier than many hours of sanding and polishing it would take to remove pitting and oxidation.

3mPRO is a 7 year rated film- which means you dont have to worry about the adhesive causing any problems for 6years.

The lights are expensive.
 
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Old 05-10-2018, 11:46 AM
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Originally Posted by dmchao
I prefer Suntek now - same thickness as Xpel. My installer has had more quality issues with Xpel in the last 3 years than they did when they were the best in the business
Suntek PPF has had great reviews over the recent past, most often because of its clarity. The durability issue king is supposedly still Xpel Ultimate from all of my studying on this subject. The reviews I’ve seen say that side by side applications to two vehicles, same models and colors, Suntek is a tad better for color clarity. But durability tests on those same applications show the Xpel product to be more resistant to debris hitting it. Maybe “fake news”, but I’ve seen those sentiments duplicated a number of times by the professionals who install the PPF. I had the Xpel on a black Corvette and color wise, you couldn’t see it from 3 feet away.
 
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Old 05-10-2018, 12:09 PM
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^ I'm with ya. Imo whatever the installer prefers to install is better for the outcome I think
 
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Old 05-10-2018, 12:34 PM
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If your car is white, like mine, the suntek looks better. I had xpel then changed to suntek. The xpwl protected very well though.
 
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Old 05-10-2018, 12:52 PM
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I have a few clear strikes on both doors (which are protected, luckily).
 
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Old 05-11-2018, 11:24 AM
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I used the Suntek PPF. Did the front bumper, partial hood, side mirrors initially. Ended up liking it so added the front windshield pillars, doors, headlights, and rocker panel areas under the doors front front to rear wheels. No complaints and easy to maintain. Also ceramic coated the paint and PPF.
 
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Old 05-11-2018, 02:19 PM
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Entire front and side mirrors, as well as multiple layers of ceramic coating. If I recall, they ceramic coat the windows and wheels as well. Time will tell if that was all worth it but the shine is fantastic.
 
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Old 05-11-2018, 10:08 PM
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Where? Hmmmm. Interesting question. Recent experience leads me to ask, are you needing to protect from turkey attacks, or just simple road damage?
 
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Old 05-12-2018, 08:31 AM
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All, Thanks for the advice thus far. It seems like you could go overboard pretty easily with PPF, and then there are the benefits of Ceramic Pro to consider. I went on a great Texas hill country drive earlier in the year, and those roads are all paved with tar and pebbles - resulting in one destroyed windshield - and making the need for PPF pretty obvious.

I guess what I'm really trying to decide, is PPF or Ceramic Pro on the hood?

Lizzardo... I saw the turkey post. I hope that buffs out. I took my car in for the windshield replacement (for the above loss) and took a direct rock strike in my brand new glass ON THE WAY HOME from the dealership. Foot long crack. Even the scotch couldn't coax me into a better mood.
 
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Old 05-12-2018, 12:23 PM
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They make Windshield Protection film.

Ceramic is a gimmick when it comes to rock chip protection.
 
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Old 05-12-2018, 12:26 PM
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Film that hood.
 
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Old 05-12-2018, 01:10 PM
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Originally Posted by Queen and Country
They make Windshield Protection film.

Ceramic is a gimmick when it comes to rock chip protection.
+1. It does however protect from micro-scratching and swirls.
 
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Old 05-13-2018, 11:58 AM
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My installer is just about the best around and he is authorized by SunTek and Xpel. He looks at the color of your paint and makes his recommendations based on various factors. In my case my car is Caviar which is highly metallic and he recommended SunTek which he said would provide a bit more clarity than XPel. Outstanding job and just this week the film paid for itself. My car was struck when parked in a shopping center parking lot. I was only in the store for about 15 minutes and I found that my car was struck on the front right side bumper. My factory paint had no damage at all but the film was torn and with scrape marks. The film looked bad so I simply removed the film on the right front bumper. As of now I don't know if I will be replacing it because the one downside of PPF (I have used it on three cars) is that it will stick pick up blemishes from flying stones etc and there is nothing that you can do other than remove the film and have a new piece installed. With older cars I had with no film I was always able to work on the small rock chips and remove most defects by myself. Can't do that with PPF no matter how much they tell you that it is self healing. From my experiences it is easier (and less costly) to deal with paint chips than chips or scuff marks on PPF film.
 


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