Photos of XPEL Ultimate install on Multi-Coat Red

[Hometheatremaven]

Dave, your paint protection film looks great.

Like Zesty Chicken, I wrapped the entire car with Xpel Ultimate with the exception of the hatchback. I was able to negotiate a much better price by having my windows and sunroof tinted (3M Crystalline), paint protection film and vinyl wrap for window trim and nose cone trim done at the same location. The shop was willing to give a significant discount over what I was being quoted when I separated all the jobs.

I assume you used San Diego Tint. Did Travis give you a bottle of Xpel Flawless Finish PPF Sealant?

The vinyl wrap for the nose cone and window trim; how is that different from the Xpel wrap?

 

[Sancann]

Yes, I used San Diego Tint. I purchased a bottle of Xpel Flawless Finish PPF Sealant prior to installation but did not get one free from Travis.

The vinyl wrap on the nose cone trim and window trim was used to black out the chrome trim pieces. I think most vinyl wrap is used to change color without painting. Whereas, the Xpel wrap is used as paint protection.

 

[ZestyChicken]

Dave, your paint protection film looks great.

Like Zesty Chicken, I wrapped the entire car with Xpel Ultimate with the exception of the hatchback. I was able to negotiate a much better price by having my windows and sunroof tinted (3M Crystalline), paint protection film and vinyl wrap for window trim and nose cone trim done at the same location. The shop was willing to give a significant discount over what I was being quoted when I separated all the jobs.

What did you do to the nosecone? Pics? :biggrin:

 

[Sancann]

I simply blacked out the chrome on the nosecone with exception of Tesla T. The rest of the nosecone has Xpel Ultimate and looks the same as it originally did.

 

[XPEL Jeff]

We'd be happy to design the rear hatch and luggage area as soon as we get our hands on a Model S. If anyone knows a Model S owner living in or around San Antonio, TX, we'll install film for free on their hatch and luggage area if they'll let us use their car for about an hour to design the patterns!

Also, we do have the full rear bumper option, which would include the luggage area if you are interested.

 

[Hometheatremaven]

Also, we do have the full rear bumper option, which would include the luggage area if you are interested.

Jeff:

Is the luggage area you refer to the same area shown in my post #16 above?
Or is the luggage area an entirely different area than I'm pointing to?

If it's the same, then am I hearing that the full rear bumper option includes that luggage area as one piece of Xpel?

David

 

[XPEL Jeff]

Jeff:

Is the luggage area you refer to the same area shown in my post #16 above?
Or is the luggage area an entirely different area than I'm pointing to?

If it's the same, then am I hearing that the full rear bumper option includes that luggage area as one piece of Xpel?

David

The kit we currently have covers the entire rear bumper including the horizontal portion on top which we typically refer to as the luggage area or trunk ledge. It does not cover the small horizontal area under the gasket/weather-stripping. Here's an image of the kit design if it helps at all:

The benefit of the rear bumper is that you would have seamless protection for the luggage area, as well as the rest of the bumper (think impacts from other cars, stray shopping carts, etc.). The downside is that the full rear bumper involves quite a bit more film and labor than the luggage area coverage.

- - - Updated - - -

Jeff:

Is the luggage area you refer to the same area shown in my post #16 above?
Or is the luggage area an entirely different area than I'm pointing to?

If it's the same, then am I hearing that the full rear bumper option includes that luggage area as one piece of Xpel?

David

Hi David,

Our existing kit covers the entire rear bumper as well as the horizontal area on top that we usually refer to as the "luggage area" or "trunk ledge."

Although the cost would be more due to the additional materials and labor, it does offer the protection you are looking for, as well as seamless protection from other cars, stray shopping carts, parallel parkers, etc.

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry about that. Technical difficulties, and I am not able to edit my posts.

 

[ZestyChicken]

We'd be happy to design the rear hatch and luggage area as soon as we get our hands on a Model S. If anyone knows a Model S owner living in or around San Antonio, TX, we'll install film for free on their hatch and luggage area if they'll let us use their car for about an hour to design the patterns!

Also, we do have the full rear bumper option, which would include the luggage area if you are interested.

I live in Dallas but travel down to San Antonio on occasion...

 

[Corinna]

My car (blue P85) was the first MS that Evan wrapped (back in March) and I get lots of compliments on the wrap - he does such great work. I can't recommend him enough either. My husband has a McLaren that came pre-wrapped and the wrap job is shamefully subpar compared to Evan's work on my MS. He wrapped almost all the same places on mine as he did on Dave's (excluding the door edges - I may have to talk to him again about those), but back to the point....

This afternoon (before the SD club meeting) I just had him do my whole rear bumper and put on the HOV sticker sandwiched between layers of XPEL (so it'll be really easy to remove/move later on). Only took an hour and change - got lunch while he did it, so not that time/labor intensive. I'm so pleased and relieved.

One reason to get the whole rear bumper wrapped instead of just that upper ledge is to protect the car from children and their shoes if you have the rear jumpseats, as I do. My kids (6 and 3yo) and their little friends, who don't know any better, are climbing in and out of the back all the time, so you can only imagine the stress about scuff marks. I would highly recommend anyone with the rear jump seats to wrap the entire rear bumper. Just something to consider....

 

[Hometheatremaven]

I would highly recommend anyone with the rear jump seats to wrap the entire rear bumper. Just something to consider....

Corinna: I had Evan wrap my entire rear bumper (which includes the trunk ledge for a seamless job) last week. The rear bumper is vulnerable to dings from parallel parking mistakes, runaway shopping carts etc.
Now I'm thinking that more of the car needs to be wrapped to protect it from bird "super poop". There are lots of threads about the clear-coat being damaged by bird poop.

 

[Zythryn]

Evan Rowe of Auto Armour LLC. in La Jolla just wrapped my Multi-Coat Red 85 with XPEL Ultimate.

I had the following areas wrapped:
1. front bumper
2. nose cone
3. head and fog lights
4. front fenders
5. full hood
6. front of outside rear view mirrors
7. "push" surface of all door handles
8. all door edges
9. small areas immediately in front and rear of the rear tires
10. flat area under trunk lid (susceptible to scratches from loading groceries, luggage etc.)
11. small area of trunk lid that hits my garage door when I open trunk

I honestly think the product is shinier than the original paint.

Here are 4 pictures he took of the finished job.

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Could I trouble you, or any others, for a close up of the corner of the hood closest to the side mirrors?
Ours didn't turn out so great and I think the installer simply misaligned the kit for the hood.
It doesn't wrap around the tip of the corner and instead there is a small area that peels up (only a millimeter or so).

Looking to have it done again, but I would like to see an example of this done right.

 

[BillShepp]

Hi, All,

The installer (from a very well-reviewed firm) just left my house after doing the front (will come back to do rear bumper and fenders and some window tinting). There are some minor bubbles under the film, but he says they will disappear in a few weeks as the moisture is absorbed. Did you all have the same experience?

Bill

 

[bollar]

Hi, All,

The installer (from a very well-reviewed firm) just left my house after doing the front (will come back to do rear bumper and fenders and some window tinting). There are some minor bubbles under the film, but he says they will disappear in a few weeks as the moisture is absorbed. Did you all have the same experience?

Bill

Yes, typically they will go away in a few weeks. If they don't, he will have to redo that section.

 

[EarlyAdopter]

I had a few water bubbles in the Xpel on my lower front air splitter. Took about 3 months for them to all go away, but I just think it took that long because it was cold and gray. Once the film got exposed to some warm sun the bubbles went away quickly.

 

[Kraken]

I used Rocky Mountain Window Tint in Sacramento to do a full body coverage with XPEL Ultimate and window tinting. Total was well under 3k. Highly recommend. They used the kits and they made parts for where the kit didn't cover. They wrapped around the backside of the trunk/frunk, and the only visible lines are just inside the edges of panels where access to the backside wasn't possible like it is on the trunk/frunk.

 

[JerryNycom]

I had every painted surface done plus all the front lights and the strip between the windshield and the pano roof DFW, Invisibra. $5,500 with SunTek. Of all the places I looked, none would do Xpel (including the ones listed on the Xpel site) and Invisibra had the most positive reviews. Norm is great to work with.

Are you happy with the SunTek product? Can you post some pics?

 

[Luder94]

Evan Rowe of Auto Armour LLC. in La Jolla just wrapped my Multi-Coat Red 85 with XPEL Ultimate.

I had the following areas wrapped:
...3. head and fog lights....

I'd be weary of doing the headlights (or any plastic for that matter).

A similar product from the past "StonGard" was a popular brand that used a 3M product. A lot of early S2000 owners bought the product. When used on headlights for a long period of time, the clear headlight lenses would end up crazed (with micro-fractures).

If you Bing 'crazed headlights' or 'crazing headlights', you'll see a lot of results about this. I'm hoping if it is attributed to protection films, that it's been addresses and a non-issue these days.

Just keep your eyes open.

 

[Hometheatremaven]

I'd be weary of doing the headlights (or any plastic for that matter).
I'm hoping if it is attributed to protection films, that it's been addresses and a non-issue these days.

You might want to check out this link: http://www.xpel.com/products/headlight.asp

 

[Kraken]

Hmm... Turns out I actually got ventureshield that was cut to the xpel pattern.... Not the xpel ultimate I requested. The owner prefers ventureshield (thinks xpel is unproven) and didn't want to do xpel cuz he figured i wouldn't want to pay double for it when he thinks ventureshield is better anyway. i am Kind of unhappy about that, but hopefully ventureshield works... He also thinks ventureshield is self healing... I probably would have paid double for the xpel if he did offer it.


edit: this difference between cutting another material to xpel patterns and actually using xpel is probably why people are getting such a wide range of quotes for xpel. Those who got it for about the price I did, probably actually got ventureshield just cut to xpel patterns. Even xpel's website shows different ratings for vendors. Some are listed as actually selling xpel, while others are shown as using the xpel software (for patterns). Rocky Mountain window tint was on xpel's website (which is how I found them in the first place) as a vendor who just uses this software. Unfortunately, I didn't notice this difference in vendor types until after I realized what was going on, so I unknowingly picked one from the list of xpel vendors one that didn't actually sell xpel material. Rmwt's website discussed xpel ultimate (and it takes reading between the lines to realize they aren't actually selling it), so that didn't help me realize what was actually happening, instead, it led me further into the belief that they actually did install xpel ultimate.

 

[Hometheatremaven]

Hmm... Turns out I actually got ventureshield that was cut to the xpel pattern.... Not the xpel ultimate I requested. The owner prefers ventureshield (thinks xpel is unproven) and didn't want to do xpel cuz he figured i wouldn't want to pay double for it when he thinks ventureshield is better anyway. i am Kind of unhappy about that, but hopefully ventureshield works... He also thinks ventureshield is self healing... I probably would have paid double for the xpel if he did offer it.


edit: this difference between cutting another material to xpel patterns and actually using xpel is probably why people are getting such a wide range of quotes for xpel. Those who got it for about the price I did, probably actually got ventureshield just cut to xpel patterns. Even xpel's website shows different ratings for vendors. Some are listed as actually selling xpel, while others are shown as using the xpel software (for patterns). Rocky Mountain window tint was on xpel's website (which is how I found them in the first place) as a vendor who just uses this software. Unfortunately, I didn't notice this difference in vendor types until after I realized what was going on, so I unknowingly picked one from the list of xpel vendors one that didn't actually sell xpel material. Rmwt's website discussed xpel ultimate (and it takes reading between the lines to realize they aren't actually selling it), so that didn't help me realize what was actually happening, instead, it led me further into the belief that they actually did install xpel ultimate.

It looks like Genesis Autoworks, Inc of Elk Grove and The Gold Wurks in Rocklin are the 2 Sacramento area companies that install Xpel, but I guess you know that already.
Did Rocky Mountain tell you they were installing Xpel?