Paint Protection Film - Worth it?

[PungoteagueDave]

Just got a quote for $2000 for the front clip. Maybe for an exotic, but not sure about for a truck. Picked up some touch up paint for $20 from AutoZone.

Yeah, It isn't cheap - My guy did the XPel tint and full front clip plus jambs, mirrors, above windshield, basically everything facing forward plus full hood for $1,800. That seems reasonable considering the window tint. For an extra $500 he threw in ceramic coat on top of the whole car. Exotic Solutions in Delray Beach. He (Devin) does a lot of Ferraris, Lambos, Bugattis, did my wife's Porsche, our Teslas, is always reasonable. I see it as the needed finishing touch because we spend part of the year on our farm that has a mile-long gravel driveway off a five mile tar and chip road - stuff will and does happen.

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[houstongoose]

Went ahead and did the partial front coverage today - Xpel 8mil. Want prepared to do the full front, as that would have put me back $2100.I still want to get some other accessories

 

[houstongoose]

Updates for those who were on the fence like I was, here’s what it looks like:

Bubbles will go away eventually, they told me to come back in two weeks for a check up. I feel a lot better about the truck now. Here in Houston, there’s tons of debris getting kicked up on your vehicle. My last ride was basically sandblasted on the front splitter after 5 years ?

 

[jeffcrum]

I decided against the protection when I did my ceramic because I am mostly chrome up front and did a hood deflector. Had I been mostly paint, I would have.

 

[Whoskyle]

Just got a quote for $2000 for the front clip. Maybe for an exotic, but not sure about for a truck. Picked up some touch up paint for $20 from AutoZone.

Order from DR color chip, way better and blends a lot easier

 

[EVTruckGuy]

I had XPEL applied to my Mach e. It hasn't been all that long obviously, but so far it has been well worth the investment. It definitely prevents a lot of rock chips and scratches. I can't comment on how well it will hold up over time.

 

[70Mach1]

I got a sport with the painted bumper that is prone to rock chips so I opted to get PPF on the leading edge of the hood, fenders and bumper. Very happy with it so far.

Did you do the whole fender? Leading edge is that up until the hood curves to the top or the first 10 +/- inches?

How much did that run you? I’m thinking of doing the same.

 

[houstongoose]

I decided against the protection when I did my ceramic because I am mostly chrome up front and did a hood deflector. Had I been mostly paint, I would have.

This was a factor for me as well. A lot of chrome on the front, but I decided to do it anyways. My main concern was the hood, I hated the rock chips on my previous vehicle. To each there own I guess

 

[Daddonap]

Third vehicle done with Paint Protection. First was a 2011 GT500, with 3M. Second is a 2016 GT350 - Full front, Rockers, impact area in front and behind of rear wheels - also full Ceramic coated.

Third Vehicle done 2021 King Ranch - Full Front End, Rockers, Front Grill (painted section), B-pillars (protect black plastic), mirrors. At the same time, tinted Drivers Door and Passenger door to match rears, and 70% tint on front windshield. Full Ceramic coating. Including the wheels (helps keep brake dust off them & easier to clean).

I tend to keep my pickups long times and the front end of my last one was unprotected and needed a lot of work (Full road rash chips, etc), wanted to protect this one.
I will probably put Xpel on any vehicle that I get from now on. great product.

 

[houstongoose]

Third vehicle done with Paint Protection. First was a 2011 GT500, with 3M. Second is a 2016 GT350 - Full front, Rockers, impact area in front and behind of rear wheels - also full Ceramic coated.

Third Vehicle done 2021 King Ranch - Full Front End, Rockers, Front Grill (painted section), B-pillars (protect black plastic), mirrors. At the same time, tinted Drivers Door and Passenger door to match rears, and 70% tint on front windshield. Full Ceramic coating. Including the wheels (helps keep brake dust off them & easier to clean).

I tend to keep my pickups long times and the front end of my last one was unprotected and needed a lot of work (Full road rash chips, etc), wanted to protect this one.
I will probably put Xpel on any vehicle that I get from now on. great product.

Looks really sharp. Thanks for sharing your experience

 

[70Mach1]

Third vehicle done with Paint Protection. First was a 2011 GT500, with 3M. Second is a 2016 GT350 - Full front, Rockers, impact area in front and behind of rear wheels - also full Ceramic coated.

Third Vehicle done 2021 King Ranch - Full Front End, Rockers, Front Grill (painted section), B-pillars (protect black plastic), mirrors. At the same time, tinted Drivers Door and Passenger door to match rears, and 70% tint on front windshield. Full Ceramic coating. Including the wheels (helps keep brake dust off them & easier to clean).

I tend to keep my pickups long times and the front end of my last one was unprotected and needed a lot of work (Full road rash chips, etc), wanted to protect this one.
I will probably put Xpel on any vehicle that I get from now on. great product.

Did you do the full hood or the first 12?

 

[pkinneb]

I had my Xpel applied today they did full front 18” back for $700

 

[euchre_u]

Was on the fence like @houstongoose. My build is a MY21 F-150 SCREW Limited 4x2 3.5 Hybrid. AMB.

Here’s what I found in the Houston area, some as others have mentioned . . .

XPEL cost / price is going to vary by location. There are “corporate” XPEL pstores and there are private installers that have been licensed and trained by XPEL to apply their product. I contacted the XPEL store in north Houston and they were pricier than other stores as they are one of the corporate owned stores (there are other XPEL private stores and other PPF brand installers, namely 3M in the Houston area). I toured their shop. It was almost clean-room clean in the work bays. They did a demo for me on a swatch of XPEL film - took sandpaper to it, made grooves, and then applied heat, wipes with a cloth, and the streaks from the sandpaper scratches had disappeared. This store did all of the PPF for the Porsche store in north Houston, the Lamborghini store, and did a bunch of corvettes. When I was there picking my truck up mid-week, there were 5-8 Porsche’s, 4-5 vettes, and 2 Lambos. It was cool seeing cars I have no chance of ever owning. I give this background to help you all understand the difference in price that an PPF installer can (and does) charge.

I had the full front XPEL back to the front fenders (full hood and front fenders), the A-pillars, the front roof back to moonroof, the B-pillars and front door jam seam. @houstongoose has noted there is a ton of construction in Houston and specially in the west Houston area where I live. Going half way to save a few dollars ultimately didn’t make sense to me. There is a 10 Year warranty on the PPF.

I had the XPEL tint done on all of the windows and the full sunroof as well. It is supposed to cut around 85% of the heat transfer coming through the windows. Lifetime warranty.

I have been pleased with the results so far.

The PPF and the tint described above was right at $2,800. Hope this helps others place their own value on both the XPEL product and the installers who do it.

Okay, now @UGADawg96 - I need a good meme from you; either how dumb I am or how poor I am now. We both waited too long for our trucks, so I hope yours is looking and running nicely. You too @pkinneb . . .

 

[F150SWPlat]

Im just curious, with PPF being around $3500 all around, how much does it actually cost to professionally repaint the car in the same 10 years that supposedly PPF should last.

 

[Ajzride]

Im just curious, with PPF being around $3500 all around, how much does it actually cost to professionally repaint the car in the same 10 years that supposedly PPF should last.

a good repaint is at least twice that.

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