[Z06] Considering XPEL Ultimate...
04-04-2017, 02:00 PM
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Considering XPEL Ultimate...
I’m considering doing Xpel Ultimate on my C6Z because we get a lot of stones/debris/sand flying around on our highways here on Long Island. Particularly the L.I.E. A lot of times it’s from these darned trucks. Sometimes you literally get a stone shower, it’s infuriating. The good thing is I’ll only be driving the car 1-2 times a week, only in good weather, and its garaged all winter.
Anyhow, the price of this film, applied by a pro can get pretty steep. I’m debating between partial and full coverage. Here are the prices I was quoted:
Front bumper $500
Headlights $125
Partial hood (approx 24in coverage) $300
Partial front fenders $80
Partial rear fenders $80
Add in another few hundred for prep/paint correction.
For full coverage it’s $650 for the hood and a total of $600 for the fenders.
So around $1300 for partial and around $2000 for full coverage.
Not sure if it's worth it vs just using touch up paint until it might eventually need a respray on front/hood and rear fenders.
Does it REALLY work to stop the stone chips?
Have any of you had bad experiences with it?
Anyhow, the price of this film, applied by a pro can get pretty steep. I’m debating between partial and full coverage. Here are the prices I was quoted:
Front bumper $500
Headlights $125
Partial hood (approx 24in coverage) $300
Partial front fenders $80
Partial rear fenders $80
Add in another few hundred for prep/paint correction.
For full coverage it’s $650 for the hood and a total of $600 for the fenders.
So around $1300 for partial and around $2000 for full coverage.
Not sure if it's worth it vs just using touch up paint until it might eventually need a respray on front/hood and rear fenders.
Does it REALLY work to stop the stone chips?
Have any of you had bad experiences with it?
04-04-2017, 02:24 PM
#2
i covered my whole front end, side skirts and 6'' on the bottom of the doors. also did the notorious spot on the rear quarters. cost me $2000. i think its well worth it, just dont let bird poop sit on it for long. etches the vinyl. i had it done through jtm, who uses a shop in oceanside i believe....can't remember the name. i also live on long island.
04-04-2017, 03:57 PM
#3
Safety Car
Thread Starter
i covered my whole front end, side skirts and 6'' on the bottom of the doors. also did the notorious spot on the rear quarters. cost me $2000. i think its well worth it, just dont let bird poop sit on it for long. etches the vinyl. i had it done through jtm, who uses a shop in oceanside i believe....can't remember the name. i also live on long island.
Thanks for the info on the shop you used. The Shop that quoted me, and that I've used in the past is Mr. Sparkle. He's very reputable, is the sole shop owner and does all the work himself. His prices are pretty reasonable and he does excellent work. He's very particular and doesn't cut corners. He's also on all the detailing forums and often posts pics of his work. He's in West Babylon.
04-04-2017, 11:31 PM
#4
Race Director
My Z06 was mostly covered in X-Pel Ultimate several years ago. Just removed it for some work being done and a light orange peel reduction. Came off ok. Definitely protected the car from damage. Your prices seem low for a shop that has a set of patterns and a computer driven pattern cutter. DO NOT GO FOR A SHOP THAT DOESN'T HAVE A COMPUTER DRIVE CUTTER ON FULL PANEL WORK! The guy I used assured me he was a pro and could make the cuts......Yep, well, it was removed and a fully qual'd X-Pel shop with a computer driven pattern cutter is going to redo the panels that are critical(full front: bumper cover, hood, front fenders and the sills and partial rear quarters to just above the brake duct ahead of rear wheel). You will regret anyone who self cuts the film..........
Make sure you do the research on that installer. Those prices are low.
Make sure you do the research on that installer. Those prices are low.
04-04-2017, 11:37 PM
#5
Burning Brakes
Those prices seem quite fair. I'm happy to have a shop that uses full rolls of clear bra wrapped around edges rather than precut kits. But I'm in Colorado, no familiarity with your area.
04-04-2017, 11:57 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
Well worth the investment, the only thing i would have done different is to have the full hood done. There is a small line that no one notices unless it's pointed out or up close. I just had a BMW done, full front, full hood, and mirrors and it was around $1600.
04-04-2017, 11:59 PM
#7
Instructor
I gad a shop wrap the partial front fenders and partial hood along with the full front bumper and side rockers. I did the partial rear fenders myself, relatively simple, and they turned out pretty good. My only regret is not having the full hood and fenders done. The crossing lines can be pretty noticeable in certain lighting. You might want to consider doing the rockers as well, lots of stones get kicked up on them also. My cost was similar to your quote but that was a few years ago. It's held up well and saved me lots of dings.
04-05-2017, 09:02 AM
#8
Safety Car
Thread Starter
My Z06 was mostly covered in X-Pel Ultimate several years ago. Just removed it for some work being done and a light orange peel reduction. Came off ok. Definitely protected the car from damage. Your prices seem low for a shop that has a set of patterns and a computer driven pattern cutter. DO NOT GO FOR A SHOP THAT DOESN'T HAVE A COMPUTER DRIVE CUTTER ON FULL PANEL WORK! The guy I used assured me he was a pro and could make the cuts......Yep, well, it was removed and a fully qual'd X-Pel shop with a computer driven pattern cutter is going to redo the panels that are critical(full front: bumper cover, hood, front fenders and the sills and partial rear quarters to just above the brake duct ahead of rear wheel). You will regret anyone who self cuts the film..........
Make sure you do the research on that installer. Those prices are low.
Make sure you do the research on that installer. Those prices are low.
He is well known on all the detailing forums and posts detailed pictures of his work. He's very detail oriented, really knows his stuff, and is always up on all the latest products & techniques. He is the sole shop owner and the only one who touches the cars, and his reputation is pretty much impeccable.
He's also very good at communication. You can email him anytime and expect a well written, thorough response by the end of the day (sometimes within hours)
http://mrsparkledetailing.com/
But thanks for the advice. I did email him confirming he has a computer driven cutter and will report back. It does say this on his website, under the Xpel info:
All kits are cut in-house along with a professional grade plotter. In many instances, edges can be wrapped for a more seamless look. All installs are done inside the shop which allows for a controlled environment out of the elements. This reduces the chance of contamination beneath the film (dust, pollen, etc).
04-05-2017, 09:16 AM
#9
Safety Car
Thread Starter
To demonstrate, here's his first email response to my initial inquiry:
Thanks for the inquiry along with some info on the car.
First off, we have to do paint correction prior to film in this case for 2 reasons. First off any car that isn't brand new I insist on doing at least a 1 step machine polish to ensure I have a clean surface. That goes hand in hand with the second reason, clean surface includes removing any existing wax, sealant or in this case, a coating. We would need to compound and polish any areas getting film installed to remove the coating and allow the film to stick to bare paint.
Also, I see the vinyl stripe. Is that from the factory? Is it clear coated or just applied on top of the paint? We can apply film over the vinyl but does create some issues. Basically the paint protection film leaves a very small gap where the vinyl ends and the bare paint begins. That steep drop, the PPF wont stick in that groove and there may be a thin white line along the edge. This is less pronounced is the vinyl has been clear coated.
Pricing options for your 2008 Z06 with Xpel Ultimate paint protection film (10yr warranty and self healing top coat)
Front bumper $500
Headlights $125
Partial hood (approx 24in coverage) $300
Partial front fenders $80
Partial rear fenders $80
I install a number of partial hood / fenders (one in the shop right now actually). However, full coverage is the more popular choice so not to see the line through the center of the hood. It's not terribly unsightly but it is there and some people want nothing to do with it. Full coverage on the hood is $650 (with all edges wrapped), $600 for the full fenders ($300 per side).
Pricing above does not include the paint correction work I mentioned earlier. That cost will be determined on whether we're doing the whole car, or just the areas getting film (and obviously how much film you're doing will dictate how much correction work will go along with that).
Let me know if you've got any questions.
First off, we have to do paint correction prior to film in this case for 2 reasons. First off any car that isn't brand new I insist on doing at least a 1 step machine polish to ensure I have a clean surface. That goes hand in hand with the second reason, clean surface includes removing any existing wax, sealant or in this case, a coating. We would need to compound and polish any areas getting film installed to remove the coating and allow the film to stick to bare paint.
Also, I see the vinyl stripe. Is that from the factory? Is it clear coated or just applied on top of the paint? We can apply film over the vinyl but does create some issues. Basically the paint protection film leaves a very small gap where the vinyl ends and the bare paint begins. That steep drop, the PPF wont stick in that groove and there may be a thin white line along the edge. This is less pronounced is the vinyl has been clear coated.
Pricing options for your 2008 Z06 with Xpel Ultimate paint protection film (10yr warranty and self healing top coat)
Front bumper $500
Headlights $125
Partial hood (approx 24in coverage) $300
Partial front fenders $80
Partial rear fenders $80
I install a number of partial hood / fenders (one in the shop right now actually). However, full coverage is the more popular choice so not to see the line through the center of the hood. It's not terribly unsightly but it is there and some people want nothing to do with it. Full coverage on the hood is $650 (with all edges wrapped), $600 for the full fenders ($300 per side).
Pricing above does not include the paint correction work I mentioned earlier. That cost will be determined on whether we're doing the whole car, or just the areas getting film (and obviously how much film you're doing will dictate how much correction work will go along with that).
Let me know if you've got any questions.
04-05-2017, 02:23 PM
#10
Team Owner
I had my detail guy do a full detail, and then his guys applied the clear bra...I did front bumper, headlights, and side view mirrors. Was about $500, and well worth it. Holding up nicely 5 years later. I sometimes wish I had done more, but I have no obvious scratches or choips...so I'm fine I suppose. For me, I'm not a fan of partial panels when it comes to the hood and front fenders...the seam is too obvious to me.
Last edited by MTPZ06; 04-05-2017 at 02:24 PM.
04-05-2017, 03:44 PM
#11
Safety Car
Thread Starter
I had my detail guy do a full detail, and then his guys applied the clear bra...I did front bumper, headlights, and side view mirrors. Was about $500, and well worth it. Holding up nicely 5 years later. I sometimes wish I had done more, but I have no obvious scratches or choips...so I'm fine I suppose. For me, I'm not a fan of partial panels when it comes to the hood and front fenders...the seam is too obvious to me.
04-05-2017, 03:58 PM
#13
Advanced
I had my whole car done, first was a paint correction, expel then ceramic coated.
They also tinted the windows, did the interior, wheels, tires, engine bay, everything you could think of to make it look better then new. It ran about 9500, but I got a cool video out of it.
They also tinted the windows, did the interior, wheels, tires, engine bay, everything you could think of to make it look better then new. It ran about 9500, but I got a cool video out of it.
04-05-2017, 04:03 PM
#14
Team Owner
04-06-2017, 09:00 AM
#15
Race Director
http://mrsparkledetailing.com/
But thanks for the advice. I did email him confirming he has a computer driven cutter and will report back. It does say this on his website, under the Xpel info:
04-06-2017, 09:28 AM
#16
Safety Car
Thread Starter
I had my whole car done, first was a paint correction, expel then ceramic coated.
They also tinted the windows, did the interior, wheels, tires, engine bay, everything you could think of to make it look better then new. It ran about 9500, but I got a cool video out of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52_Q0Obr5R0
They also tinted the windows, did the interior, wheels, tires, engine bay, everything you could think of to make it look better then new. It ran about 9500, but I got a cool video out of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52_Q0Obr5R0
But you don't get any more thorough then that! 
04-06-2017, 04:17 PM
#18
Burning Brakes
My car has the whole front end, the mirrors, half way up the doors and rear quarters and the entire deck lid. It was already done when i bought the car. Cost $1600.00 back in '14. The white line on in my case, not white but light line definitely shows around the Heritage Stripes. Doesn't bother me as it's pretty uniform. After all is said and done I wish they would have done the whole car. Everything looks great but why stop half way up the doors and quarters.
04-06-2017, 04:44 PM
#19
Safety Car
Thread Starter
It would be nice to do the whole car, but it can get really expensive, plus I don't think it's all that necessary. I mean from my experiences, the main area that gets chips is the front bumper and hood. Everything else its very minor, and if need be can be quickly touched up. With the Z06, you also need to get the back fenders since they stick out and catch stones. Anyhow, I think this is what I am going to go with:
Front bumper $500
Headlights $125
Full hood $650
Full fenders, front and back: $600
Still waiting to see how much the prep/paint correction will cost.
Front bumper $500
Headlights $125
Full hood $650
Full fenders, front and back: $600
Still waiting to see how much the prep/paint correction will cost.
04-07-2017, 03:25 AM
#20
I had the full bumper, headlights, front and rear fenders, mirrors, and lower rockers done using suntek film for $1800. Well worth the investment. These cars are road debris magnets.