What is xpel? I read when using vinly film accent stripes to use the 3m promoter and 3m edge sealer which leaves a film over the edge of the vinyl detail accent stripes but can be seen and will mess up the paint long term as theres no way to remove it so you only apply it to maybe the top edge that goes just under the hood and bottom edge that wraps around the fender to keep the decal from getting water under it. This other decal is a partial decal which is the one im looking to use first before doing the black vinyl stripes that go around the bottom edge of fender. Someone told me they put xpel over the front bumper. Has anyone used these specific decals you apply them with soap and water similar to tint. On these i dont think youd use the edge sealer as it can still be seen as over paint. This xpel stuff is clear film protection and can you use it over the accent strip area? Or do you simply use the spray wax and dampen the decal area dry.

I spoke to someone about wraps and partial wraps for hoods they said after 2 years the wrap would bake to the painted area and possibly pull off or ruin good paint was that bad thing when i asked if they could wrap the targa top and sail panel black.

Another thing i seen they have superwrap or car temporary paint and watched a youtube video of the guy doing the roof of an automobile. Does anyone have experience using superwrap the car paint wrap on any panels and not just the superwrap wheel coating.

I also had another thread about windshield replacement from safelite was 1500$ but on facebook marketplace i found someone that'll replace the windshield for 255$ that includes the windshield and labor. Told me the glass was 180$ but the few i spoke to said they didn't have the base model antenna windshields.

My oe wheel replacement from jegs arrive midweek so im hoping to get the front wheels mounted then on to the fender accent srtripes. Does anyone have have photos of them on their car or experience with them and how long did they last regualr monthly carwashes or at home bucket washing and can you turtle wax right over them or spray wax. I suppose any decal experience on paint with washing and waxing would pertain to what im asking. If you ask me im looking for a permanent solution for this look.

I found a place on ebay or amazon that sells them each side is 30$ so you wouldnt have to wait from corvettemods to get it. A few people told me they took a way long time vs the few days it takes to get stuff shipped from amazon or ebay.

Is there anyway to seal in xpel? or protect this type of detail work or are they pretty durable. Looking to get these and some precut window tint and tackle the job at home after fitting the c7 z06 wheels. Now they also have black vinyl stripes or grey carbon fiber that wrap around the top and bottom of the fenders. Yes the main question is what is xpel and it uses i also have a wolf bra i was going to attempt to mount but carbras.com told me the bra should self dry within a few days if not you had to remove it to let dry so im not sure about mounting a bra just yet. Colgan looks the best and lebras mounts a little strange i had spoke with carbras.com about this as i was curious he sells a few different brands and would know exactly issues with them driving in the rain and such. The novistretch bra looks see thru so im not too interested in those but which set of mirror bras are a nice black vinly or good material and mount directly tight fitted over the mirrors without being bunched up i had seen a set on google images when i was searching but dont think i found where they are sold just simply browsing car bra pictures. The reason i was looking into bras was for the black on red look and the accent stripes has the nice c5 logo so do you guys with grandsport accent stripes is it a painted finish from the factory or factory decal thats suppose to last a long time and whatever xpel is a clear film spray protectant couldnt be sprayed over these accent stripes?

I think the c7 z06 wheels up front are going to make it look pretty good now after i was planning doing the carbon fiber accent stripes, window tint, spoilerking 284p "not sure if cerakotes trim restorerer would keep it a nice gloss black sealed and protected or if to rattle can it with good gm spray can black paint with 2x gloss 25$ for the spoiler but ill see when i get that far, If the front wheels look good ill look into getting a rear set when funds allow.

Yes the main question was in regards to xpel some film protecting the front bumper from rock chips if it was a clear layer film that could be layed over the fender accent stripes to protect from flaring up or pressure washing.

 

xpel is a type of PPF (paint protection film)
I have it on my trackhawk, my '00 vette and my '67 vette.
It has a number of advantages -- it will protect you from *minor* dings and rock chips (think, people brushing against your car -- maybe a lightly tossed pebble. I especially like it for the ).
you can get it in multiple thicknesses .. 8, 10, 12 mils (a mil is a thousand of a inch, about .025mm).

It also will hide minor swirl marks when installed properly. They claim it is "self healing," but in all the vehicles I've had it on, I think that's BS. It is *much* easier to buff out swirl marks, if you get them (they're more resistant to swirl marks than clear coat, but they will still get it).

Depending on where you are and how much of your car you cover, it can be costly. for my entire vette it was around 8k (convertible).

Another benefit is that the underlying paint stays pristine, as long as you don't get a chip that hits the paint. It'll last about 5-7 years if you keep the car in the sun, and pretty much forever if you keep it in a garage and don't drive it that often.

 

So you cant apply it yourself? Yes i think another forum member had it applied to his bumper. Can it be applied to spot sections you want protected and does it blend in with the clear coat or is it a whole film that would require say the whole fender covered. It couldn't just be applied over the fender accent stripes in attempt to seal and protect them when washing, waxing etc from peeling off early and giving them a permanent look or extra added protection? Mainly looking to cover the fender accents in spot sections with this xpel or other type of clear film thats blends in with clear coat and doesnt leave edges. 3m edge sealer for vinly decals is to be applied over any of the decal edges to seal the edge from water getting undeerneath but does leave the application layer or simply gloss coat of brushed clear coat type of paint where applied from the videos i watched.

Xpels website has it directly where i would want it advertised over the accent stripes but not sure if that means the fender has to be fully covered or it it can simply be applied in a sqaure section over the stripes and edges blend in seal with the cars paint clearcoat. Not sure looks like hes applying the film how it would work when applying the same way you apply fender accent stripes. No ones messed with fender stripes or other decals and seen how long they last under normal conditions of car washes, weathering and sun.

 

Yes it seems they sell it in 6" wide x 60" sections i wonder how it blends in with regular clear coat along the edges. Would have to be about the size of the accent stripes vivid makes a 8" wide section or paint protection film that seems would squeegie right over the top looks like you do it with water and simply apply it the same as window tint over the area to be protected. Now how about people that had had xpel and its cut to fit around the bumper edges has anyone had problems with car wash pressure washing attempting to pressure up and remove the clear film around the edges so maybe bucket wash soap and normal waxing would work.

 

Lot of questions built into that sentence to I'll try to unpack it.
Yes, you can install it yourself. I do not recommend it... It's a pain in the ***, super easy to get bubbles in it and get dust/debris under it. If you have a dust-free environment, are really good at this kind of work, then go for it. But I do not recommend it.

Many people cover just portions of their car. Most popular is to do the nose, the lower part of the hood near the nose, and the mirrors. if installed properly, it is optically clear, the only way you can tell it's on is by the edges -- and even then, it's tough to tell it's there. Most good shops will put it on so that the edges of the xpel line up with seams in the car, so that even the edges are invisible.

Before you spend the money and time on this, I'd go look at a car that's been done in person, and see if you can live with the edges.
To me, they're barely visible, and only if you're looking at the proper angle. Plus on the C5, there are so many seams in the car that hiding the edges isn't that big a deal.


I don't know how you'd buy sections of xpel, if you can, try it. Like I said, it's a pain in the *** to get on... and even more of a pain in the *** to get off. It is optically neutral if done properly, but you will see the seams. other than the seams, and assuming you prepped properly and have no bubbles, it is invisible.




I would call a body shop that does this stuff before trying it myself. I wouldn't be worried about the stripes weathering under the xpel, I'd be more concerned with applying it improperly and the stripes coming off down the road.

Also, although xpel says its coating is fine for car washes, I don't.

Anyway, here's my c5 and c2, both have xpel over the entire car. There are more edges on the c2, but unless you're standing right there, impossible to tell.

 

You can install Xpel yourself, but after seeing how it is done on four cars, it is not something that I would recommend - let the pros do it. If you mess it up, the cost is on you. If a certified installer puts it on, it is under a warranty.

And please do some research in the Transactions Feedback section on CorvetteMods. Lots of feedback from members on their dealings with that company.

 

What do you think about this xpel ceramic coating he appears to be applying over paint? Seems like it would go over the decals but may damage them vinyl as well. FUSION PLUS Ceramic Coating | XPEL | Surface Protection

Should be pretty close to cerakotes ceramic headlight restoration kit or the trim restorer kit. The description doesnt give too much informatiom about how long the ceramic coating lasts.



Yes i looked at amazon videos of different paint protection films it seems you can see the layer. I also looked into wraps locally they told me would bake into the paint when removed after 2 years take some paint off with it if the car has good paint.
So it appears ill gamble installing the decals with no protection film. Even in the picture you can see part of the decal bubbled up on the edge. I watched one video where they use a heatgun to go around the edges or somewhat shrink the film as its applied around edges. Now for the decal are the grandsport stripes painted into the corvette and not decals similar to what im looking into doing. I looked into wrapping or superwrap layering the targa, sail panel and mirrors black. Not sure but i look the look of the c5 logo accent stripes.

I looked into the vinyl decal 3m edge sealer and adhesion promotors. They look like they leave a mess and you would simply want to install the decals as instructed. Same with the 284 wing. Im wondering if you can cerakote it the trim restorer and have it stay and colored paint black color for over 200 washes. Could also look into duplicolor car black paint wirth the 2k aerosol for the wing. Sometimes i think the black or grey carbon fiber stripes that go around the top and under the fender look better then looking at pictures of these carbon fiber accent stripes. The full stripes recommend 3m edge sealer and adhesion promotor which leaves a mess after around the top and bottom but my fenders are in pretty good condition paint wise so i think just a set of decals i may give a try. Yes i am worried about the standard carwash pressure washer flipping up the decal but it says 25% alcohol with water will help it adhere better. Yeah from the photos on amazon looks as you can see the film ending in you did apply it simply a sqaure layer over the decals and not the whole fender.

There is xpel ceramic coating paint protecton, window protection which is just a bottle that you wiper over the finish. Im wondering if a smaller bottle of xpel ceramic coating can be applied over the decals sealing them in with the paint finish and still blend in with the clearcoat. When looking at the fenders there isnt much area for the decal to cover so must be smaller then i think.

yes i seen corvettemods 2.6 star rating when searching. Also one time i was simply asking some questions during live chat he started to chew me out and told me to read the website description but i found the carbon fiber c5 logo stripes on ebay for 30$ each side elsewhere.

He did offer a 20% discount coupon on the 199$ free shipping painted what looks to be the 284 wing painted to match or whichever color selected i would go with glossblack and assured it be shipped correctly but did say a 6-8 week lead time as painted or made to order. I think ill just try spoiler kings 284 wing if i ever get that far. Those other wings they offer may look okay but are twice the price.

 

Ceramic coating is totally different than xpel. It provides no physical protection. It is hydrophobic (repels water) -- basically a replacement for waxing. NOT a replacement for xpel

 

On the Expel questions. Has anyone here done their front end (frunk on the C8) over the stripes. My installer says it is OK to apply over the stripes, although they will do individual pieces over the stripes, otherwise a single piece over the entire front “hood” and stripes would leave an air-gap over the elevation difference of the stripes and the paint finish - so you would essentially have fine/thin air gaps running along the stripe on either side where the film bridged the elevation difference. wondering if anyone has any advice. Or could just do the film over the paint and leave off the stripes, which would make the elevation of the stripes and film equal.

 

As Joe Friday would say "Just the Facts, Sir"

Bought 2007 maroon Lexus, dealer wanted $750 for the Xpel film, didn't do it, drove to work via highway 25 miles one way, 170,000 miles later, looked like several kids shot BB guns at the front of my car. Resale value was peanuts because you could see the damage.

Bought 2013 white Lexus, paid Xpel dealer $395, still driving to same job. Sold it for cream puff condition back to dealer with 125,000 miles on it. YOU could not tell I drove on the highway to work.

Bought another one 2020, paid $525 for the same front bumper wrap. EACH TIME, I dropped off and picked up at the Xpel dealer, he had C7 & C8 in their with porsches and other highend cars!

Every new car/slightly used car I buy, will get it! Just the facts.

 

$395 to install?
jeeze, going rate in NY is around $6k for the entire car.

 

I have had it on multiple cars, my father has had it on multiple corvettes as well. It is great for those that go on trips with their corvette. I need to get it done to mine as the front end is minty, just haven't pulled the trigger yet. Makes cleaning bugs off much easier as well. I also believe the "Self healing" is BS. We have experienced large stone chips in the PPF and in the end it was cheaper to replace that section of PFF then get that panel painted.

I highly recommend PPF.