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I plan to keep this car for a while so I decided to go all out on the protection of the exterior.
I did full hood, full fenders, front bumper, head lights, side mirrors, B-pillars, C-pillars and portion of the rear bumper meets the trunk.
In hindsight I would have also done the side skirts as I find passengers always kick the side skirts getting in and out of the vehicle.
I also had them apply Cquartz Finest on the whole car.
My advice is to definitely protect the B and C pillars. They are prone to spider webbing and people always use them to close the doors. You don't want your shiny new car to have ugly door pillars.
Try to also find an installer that will tuck the wrap behind the panels. Some of the pics uploaded here shows that it was simply cut along the lines. Tucking the wrap will ensure proper coverage.
I talked with the best installer in my area today. I asked if they also tint windows and he said they only do Xpel and have been doing it for over thirteen years. They are a high volume dealer according to Xpel website rating system. He said they just got done doing six Hellcats full body wraps for Chrysler.
The guy I talked to on the phone was extremely nice, provided me with all the info and did not rush the conversation at all. I told him I wanted to bring the car straight from the dealer and he said that’s the best thing to do. He said he could ship me some type of cover I can affix to the car to protect it on the drive to their shop, very cool and a sign of a professional outfit. He says he has customer that come from neighboring states to get their car wrapped.
They do cars that cost 4x more than my S3 so I'm sure they know what there doing.
He said they wash and clay bar the areas where film is being applied and wipe all edges with alcohol. They blow dry the car with warm air to get all the water out of the creases. Sounded very detailed.
So although they can do custom work, the guy I talked with highly recommends using the kits that are cut on the plotters. He said the S3 has full hood, fenders, bumper and mirrors for $2195 installed.
He said there is A pillar roof (I think just up to the sunroof), headlights, rocker panel and luggage area (he described this as the area when the trunk is open).
He said he could custom wrap the doors but that requires cutting on the car and there is some risk and the lines are not like the plotter lines but they can do it.
He stated that as far as wrapping all corners, he said where possible its done, like the hood but to wrap the front bumper, you would have to disassemble the bumper and you really don't want anyone doing that. He also said that the area behind the bumper would only have overspray of paint and the film would not really adhere to it.
So to do the front protection and the other kits that are available, I'm at $3,000.
I really would like the rest of the car done so I could just go through automatic soft cloth car washes without worrying about any of the paint.
I have been dreading driving my new car on the roads so finding out about Xpel is very exciting. I was aware of the 3m clear bra years ago but I think the products have been vastly improved over the years! I mean if people who own Cobras, Ferraris and Maserati are wrapping their car, that says allot to me.
I plan to keep this car for a while so I decided to go all out on the protection of the exterior.
I did full hood, full fenders, front bumper, head lights, side mirrors, B-pillars, C-pillars and portion of the rear bumper meets the trunk.
In hindsight I would have also done the side skirts as I find passengers always kick the side skirts getting in and out of the vehicle.
I also had them apply Cquartz Finest on the whole car.
My advice is to definitely protect the B and C pillars. They are prone to spider webbing and people always use them to close the doors. You don't want your shiny new car to have ugly door pillars.
Try to also find an installer that will tuck the wrap behind the panels. Some of the pics uploaded here shows that it was simply cut along the lines. Tucking the wrap will ensure proper coverage.
I have a few questions:
How much was your install?
Did they use plotter cut pieces?
Was the Quartz applied to only the parts that were not wrapped with Xpel?
Thanks for the info on the B/C pillars. I will be having the rockers and sill plates done for too.
As someone else said, the pictures where it was cut along the lines was on the parts that would have required disassembly, however they were precut to the specs of the vehicle. The hood and mirrors are full wrapped around and tucked under. Overall I'm happy with the job they did for the price. Going to get the rest clayed and sealed tomorrow.
I've read this thread with great interest. I also would like to protect my beautiful car. I'm going to start checking around for 3M and Xpel installers in central Ohio. Hope it doesn't make too much difference to have it applied to a car with 5000 miles on it already. Then again, there is the major test it much pass first. If the wife approves of the process at all. LOL.
I've read this thread with great interest. I also would like to protect my beautiful car. I'm going to start checking around for 3M and Xpel installers in central Ohio. Hope it doesn't make too much difference to have it applied to a car with 5000 miles on it already. Then again, there is the major test it much pass first. If the wife approves of the process at all. LOL.
If you don't find an installer your confident in, try talking with these guys. They said they have people come in from Ohio to get work done. Protection film for cars is all they specialize in.
Id does not matter that you have 5000 miles on it, hopefully you have not suffered any pain chips. The sooner you protect it the better.
Was the Quartz applied to only the parts that were not wrapped with Xpel?
Thanks for the info on the B/C pillars. I will be having the rockers and sill plates done for too.
Keep in mind I'm located in Canada so pricing will obviously vary.
My install was $1800. I ended up going with 3M, Xpel would have cost an extra 10%. Cquartz was $750.
They did use plotter cut pieces, as mentioned before by another member, they tuck the wrap where they can. I advised to find an installer that will tuck because most cars that get wrapped directly at the dealer do not tuck.
Cquartz was applied to the whole car, even the panels with PPF, rims, windows, etc.
After 4 months of ownership, my B/C pillars look brand new. Best thing I could have done.
I had my car Opti-Coated and had the full front clip Xpel wrapped (full hood, fenders, bumper, side mirrors and headlights) Definitely well worth it!
Depending where you go will vary in price. Also whether they hand cut or if they are able to do pre-cuts.
Opti-Coat was $800 (new car, so really no paint correction needed) For the Xpel I had to shop around most places were quoting me $1600-$1800. I ended up paying a few hundred less since the installer knew my detailer and hooked me up.
I had my car Opti-Coated and had the full front clip Xpel wrapped (full hood, fenders, bumper, side mirrors and headlights) Definitely well worth it!
Depending where you go will vary in price. Also whether they hand cut or if they are able to do pre-cuts.
Opti-Coat was $800 (new car, so really no paint correction needed) For the Xpel I had to shop around most places were quoting me $1600-$1800. I ended up paying a few hundred less since the installer knew my detailer and hooked me up.
Your car looks great! Are these pictures with the Xpel on the car? Did your installer use precut piece?
Can you take some pictures up close of you fenders and any seams that were not wrapped? I'm trying to get an idea of what I kind of job can be done by an excellent installer.
01-26-2015, 01:46 PM
