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Finally finished my Ceramic Pro and Xpel Ultimate PPF install!
Ceramic Pro 9H and Ceramic Pro Lite applied, and near full Xpel Ultimate PPF (everything except trunk hatch and rear)! This was completed by Rob @ ProForm in Ellicott City, Md. Rob is a consummate professional who not only has a thorough understanding of various product lines on the market, but also has the ability to think outside the box and create content, not just regurgitate it. Rob’s experience and his techniques have made another believer out of me. I drove from my home to his shop worrying every mile that I’d suffer a rock chip. After picking my 2017 Corvette Grand Sport up from his shop I have been able to do nothing but enjoy driving every day.
I was previously not a PPF believer, but after personal recommendations from other well respected Corvette Forum members like FOOSH, and Rob being the kind of operator who will sit with you and demonstrate benefits and walk you through the process to ensure the customer has a thorough understanding of what is going to happen I was able to make an informed decision to move ahead. I dropped the car for work for 5 days. The prep work was very intense with decontamination wash, clay bar, and paint prep that took care of all the 8 fromfactory paint blemish’s. Prep was followed by whole body, wheels (including tubs), calipers, and exhaust tips coverage of CeramicPro 9H and Ceramic Pro Lite. After curing period the Xpel Ultimate was installed. While working with Rob I also provided a previous thread concerning Suntek and Xpel and a new Suntek Ultra and that like contained photos of all three side by side on my car. Frankly you could not tell the difference.
I'm not here to sell anything, I just wanted to be happy and show the new ride. At least now I am no longer freaked out to drive on I-95 or local rock chip alleys because I feel that I have done as much as possible to "protect" the car. ACS Splash Guards, Side Skirts and Xpel.
It would be wonderful for all of the rest of us if you would come back to this very post once a year and update us on how things are holding up and what your impressions are as time and mileage accumulate
Beautiful, Dave and congrats. I'm glad you're as happy with Rob's work as I have been on our cars.
Mr. Peabody, since you requested an update, he did my C7 Z51 convertible a year ago, and it looks as great today as it did when I left the shop. I commute to DC 3-5 days a week in the car, and have driven it all winter.
Thus far, there has been zero film damage from flying gravel, because they've just bounced off leaving nothing more than perhaps a dirt mark that can be wiped away.
Is that a lot? Yes, and No. For my piece of mind and what I wanted it is the right amount. However that being said I took some very good advice from many folks off the forum. The Cost should be secondary in your consideration. You MUST find someone you trust and who has some serious experience or even if you get it for 1/2 off you're going to be seriously unhappy with the final product.
With help and references I found a good starting point. I then set about doing my due diligence speaking with the proprietor and going over the details, visiting the shop etc, and then working out pricing details. I had a budget and we sat down and decided what I could get done for the price I had allotted. In the end, the price was very competitive and the quality was fabulous. I'd say win-win for both of us.
It's truly a cost-benefit analysis... for someone who lives in Florida, with beautiful roads and such this is probably a non-starter. For someone like me in Northern Virginia/Wash DC. I-95 is a near total media blast site. every new vehicle I have owned has had rock chips in the first week. That trend was NOT going to continue, and I don't plan on having my vette sit in my garage for 35 years. I bought it, and I am going to use it... But I want it to stay pretty as long as I can. If I can get 8 years out of this before I redo the PPF then that will be a $1000 a year insurance I am willing to pay
L1FRDOG
Last edited by Steve Garrett; 03-12-2017 at 09:56 PM.
Reason: No need to re-quote the previous post, especially if you're the next person posting.
Thus far, there has been zero film damage from flying gravel, because they've just bounced off leaving nothing more than perhaps a dirt mark that can be wiped away.
Do you also find that dust sticks to the finish a lot less than before?
Do you also find that dust sticks to the finish a lot less than before?
I don't notice any real difference in that amount of dust adherence, and I should know with a black car.
My car has the nose, full hood, full fenders, rockers and the area behind the rear wheels XPEL Ultimate-wrapped. The doors, trunk and rear end are naked, but ceramic-coated. Dust accumulation is about the same.
I've heard of different ways of doing the mirrors with Xpel. Some try to wrap it all, others cover the face of it. I think either way probably looks fine, I've only seen it in person one way (just the face of it with the template cut). How were yours done? If a full wrap of the mirror, any chance you can get some detail shots and show the seams?
^^^ This is a template wrap. I have seen the full wrap before (only on a GTR, I was not impressed by that wrap). The mirrors are the only section of car that does not have wrapped edges, or edges trimmed right up to seams. However, even with the template I had to hold a flashlight at just the right angle to get it to emphasis the edge of the Xpel. There are 4 pics below. But only with the camera at 2 angles and then for each shot I took two with light shinning from different angles. In direct Sunlight it is definitely something you really don't see until you tell somebody it is wrapped and they start looking.
L1FRDOG
Last edited by Steve Garrett; 03-12-2017 at 10:50 PM.
Reason: No need to re-quote the previous post, especially if you're the next person posting.
I don't notice any real difference in that amount of dust adherence, and I should know with a black car.
My car has the nose, full hood, full fenders, rockers and the area behind the rear wheels XPEL Ultimate-wrapped. The doors, trunk and rear end are naked, but ceramic-coated. Dust accumulation is about the same.
Dust is dust... The coating and PPF does not repel dust. But it sure goes along way in making it so much easier to keep clean
Agree, with the wrap and ceramic on unwrapped parts, washing for me is usually just a simple water hose down and blow dry. I rarely use car wash soap except after a muddy rain storm.
Dust is dust... The coating and PPF does not repel dust. But it sure goes along way in making it so much easier to keep clean
L1FRDOG
Interesting. I live on a tree-lined street and I literally can not go 10 min after washing before a barrage of pollen attacks my car. Will the na no coating make it easier to clean ? Say like a hydrophobic coating that would allow me to spray my car with water befor leaving my home?
03-12-2017, 03:19 PM
Ceramic Pro and Xpel Ultimate finally done!!
Dust is dust... The coating and PPF does not repel dust. But it sure goes along way in making it so much easier to keep clean 
