I keep reading how bad stock GS & Z06's spit up pebbles and debris that pelt the paint and cause damage in no time. Some suggested mud flaps others xpel. Is this truly something I should be concerned about once my Z shows up?

 

I wasn't going to take the chance. I have the full skirts which I think make a big difference and I have Xpel now. So I'm not worried now.

 

Did you do a full xpel wrap? Or just the areas that are in the firing line? Seems so expensive for a full wrap and waxing becomes problematic (at least from what I read).. I also ordered the full carbon racing stripe

 

I own a clear bra shop and we install XPEL on a daily basis. My input:

If you are worried about rock chips and road debris, get the full front end covered (full hood, full fenders, bumper, headlights, mirrors) and also cover the full rocker panels.

If you are wanting to never have to worry about swirl marks, make washing and maintenance easier, then wrap the whole car in it.

 

^^^ I don't know much about the process to install XPEL, are parts removed in order install it? I seen some videos where they disassemble parts of the car to install it. Is this accurate?

Always so much great info on here!

 

My Z06 has the full length CF painted skirts and I didn't bother. I see no damage on my car after 2,400 miles.

 

Not a fan of covering the car in plastic. Added GM splash guards as soon as I got my 2014 Z51. The rear guards worked fine but the heavy GM plastic protection on the rocker panels was still getting marked up. I added full length side skirts-no more marking. After ~6 months was able to remove the marked up discolored GM plastic. When I sold the car a few weeks ago the rocker panels looked new!

My GS was built this past week. I ordered it with the optional full length side skirts and larger splitter. I will add ASC front splash guards and GM rear splash guards as soon as I get it home. Forum members say the slightly wider and deeper ASC splash guards are needed.

 

I have my GS fully wrapped except the roof and rear end. Xpel makes precut kits that your installer will use. These precuts go around the emblems and such so they don't have to be removed. I was a little sticker shocked by the $3500 price at first but it is well worth the piece of mind for me

It is virtually invisible unless you get a few inches from the car and even then you have look for it. When my car was delivered I thought they forgot to install it. I had to really look to finally see a seam. If you haven't seen a GS in person you don't really realize how far the tires stick out past the fenders. It is a lot and the tires are as sticky as glue so they throw a lot of debris.

You really have to decide which of the "evils" you want to live with, "a plastic coating" or the high likelihood of numerous paint chips.

 

^^^ You can accomplish a lot of paint touch up for $3,500.00!

 

Of course you can, but why would you want to? If money is the only concern why buy the car to begin with?

 

The miles that I have put on Corvettes have never required a major touch up. Yes occasionally I have filled in a stone chip, with care the repair was almost invisible. Remember the blemishes go with the car at trade-in time.

 

I have the same wrap, everything but the roof & rear end. The installer my dealer used did a great job and as GR Jay said, you really have to look hard to see the edges. I do have 3 very small bubbles (a bit bigger than a pin head) at a crease on the drivers door. I am told these can occur and now that the weather is finally warming up I will let it sit in the sun, the installer & most people say that will clear them up.

My friend brought up that $3500 can pay for a lot of chip repair. I agree, but I also knew that the first inevitable chip from driving on the crappy roads in the northeast would bug the hell out of me and I would kick myself that I didn't do the wrap.

 

I do not keep my cars forever and really not concerned with a rock chip, that is easily repaired with drcolorchip.
Never understood spending thousands of dollars to wrap the car, than worry about damage and care of the wrap.
On the other hand if it makes people feel better and that is how they wish to spend their money than fine with me.

 

Take a look at the two photos I took of the Shark Gray Z06 we had a while back in the showroom. The car had just over 11,000 miles on it and you can see the sand blasting that can occur:

http://macmulkincorvette.com/2016/12...ible-vehicles/

 

Xpel on the front bumper (at least) is required if you don't want chips and rash, which you WILL get without it, especially if you live any an area where they used anti-skid material on the roads in the winter. (Even if you only drive your car in the summer)

IMO, Side skirts are the only thing that will keep your rockers protected, even with Xpel on the full rockers, it's gonna get beat up badly behind the doors and still look bad if you drive you car much and don't have them. I have both Xpel and skirts on the sides, because I liked the narrower skirts better than the flared out Z06 style. I still believe the skirts are doing 95% of the protecting, but figured the Xpel wouldn't hurt to have too. Also get a set of GM extended splash guards. they'll help a bit, but generally all splash guards do is direct stuff to hit the middle of the rockers instead of directly behind the wheels. Again, if you have skirts this will block these rock hits.

Black is definitely the worst color for showing chips and rash, but basically the darker the color, the easier you'll see it.

 

Some wouldn't drive a nice car without the film, some think it's silly. I've used it on about a dozen of my nice cars.

I'm a big fan, but I put a lot of miles on my C7 as an almost daily, which greatly minimizes virtually all the little chips and blemishes. If you're a weekender, who wouldn't consider taking the car out if you see a cloud in the sky, you might as well do without.

It also depends upon your tolerance for rock chips, and swirls.

 

I did the full hood (don't go cheap and do the half hood, I promise you will only save $100 and it'll remind you every time you look at it), A pillars, mirrors, door edges, headlights, front splitter, carbon hood insert, fenders, etc.. Then I added the ACS extended front mud flaps and have the side skirts. Our roads here in Virginia are in a constant state of repair it seems.. always small stones all over and my last vette (C6Z) was sand blasted on the front end, headlights, fog lights and rear rockers pretty heavily. Don't want to go through that again... and my GS is black so...

The cost isn't bad considering the amount of protection you get. The self healing properties of this new film technology is simply amazing. Short of tearing through the film, apply a little heat or leave it in the sun and the scratches, swirls, dings etc just melt away. The new stuff is much improved over previous generation films.

 

Thanks for the great feedback guys, I had a handful of nice cars in the past and never wrapped them, not even a clear bra and never had much trouble. Sounds like my new Z will be different. Also one more thing a few mentioned the full length side skirts, isn't that stock on a Z06? I ordered a 2LZ without any "ground effects" package or other body options (Z07). Ar you guys getting different ones than come on the base Z06? sorry for the ignorance..

 

My Xpel installer had three "Stages". First is really just the bra, might include mirrors but it does include the headlights as well. Second covered areas along the rockers on the sides and a few other spots. And the third was the whole car.

In my book, stage 2 was the minimum buy in if you're going to go this route. I saw that level on a friends car and unless someone points it out you can't see it.

I decided to go the full wrap, I figured I'd be pissed if something happened where I didn't have it covered. It goes a ton of places, even my rear spoiler, into vents, etc. It's crazy how much they covered. Again, very hard to see.

Where possible they do wrap the edges around body panels. They will remove things to accomplish that, like some vents, fender flares, etc., they will pop them off and go under them.

My installer also removes emblems to put it on under them, then re-applies the emblems. I've included pictures of the front/rear of my car with the emblems removed. The more they can get wrapped, under stuff, the better.

Mine also has a satin stripe so they had to custom cut in a different matte finish film to make sure that did not become a gloss stripe.

Clear films are not for everyone of course, but I feel better with it in place on my car.

I would strongly encourage you to go into the regional forums and ask around the shops that people have used in your area and I would go look at some cars that have had it done and get local experience. I would then visit the shop as well to get a better understanding as to how it is done.

 

See the attached chart. If you did not order any Ground Effects on your Z06 then you get the short rockers. So you have some. On my GS I have the Long rockers which gives a little more protection.