Foosh

Anyone who doesn't routinely drive in a major metropolitan area, where cars are routinely packed like sardines on highways, can't possibly understand how often one gets pelted by rocks.

It's not that there's all that much gravel on major highways, but rocks get stuck in tire treads, and with all the vehicles on the road, are launched with great regularity. Dump trucks are the worst, and are always firing debris at following traffic. They're also everywhere with all the road construction struggling keep crumbling roads together.

It is simply impossible to leave an adequate gap between yourself and another vehicle either, because if you try, about 3-4 other vehicles will fill the smallest gap immediately. The front end of my XPEL-covered C7 takes hits 3-5 times a week, on average. My wife recently purchased a new car, and in the 1 week it took us to get to the XPEL installer after delivery, she picked up 3 front end chips.

thill444

I tend to think if you are someone who obsesses about your paint and every rock chip you should 100% get film. It works very well. But, I also think if you do it, you should do it right and not cover just part of the front of the car where a very clear visible line is showing on the front of your hood. I did that with my last car (full bumper and partial hood) and regretted it for nearly 2 years of driving the car.

roadbike56

No Xpel on my Cyber Gray 2014. My friend put it on his silver C6 with mixed results.
I invested $65 in Dr. Colorchip just like I did on my C5. That product worked very well on the C5.

Patman

I guess maybe I'm also a little less picky than some people on here, but my C6 is now 12 years old, with 80,000 miles on it and to the best of my knowledge the original owner never had the front end repainted. It doesn't have that many chips on it at all, in fact a friend I ran into the other day who had never seen my C6 up close commented how good the paint looked, especially on the nose. So for me, and my driving conditions, it probably would not make sense to get it wrapped, especially if it's going to dull the finish slightly. I have no plans on getting it done when I get a C7 next year either.

Hopper12

I totally get your point, and the point of others who mention that the roads in their areas aren't bad so they don't need it. I understand that. The roads in our area aren't bad either - after the winter salt/sand is done. But.........

Many of us use our C7s for long road trips thru many states, and you never know what you'll find. Construction, gravel bed repairs, trucks hauling stuff with no covers, etc. etc.

I've never used xpel before on any of our cars. Our '15 was used for road trips thru several western states and took some rock hits to the front bumper (mainly) and mirrors. Although I touched them up, that car was DSOM and the touch ups were very hard to hide and I used to (and have one to do now) restore and paint cars, and show them. We just got our new GS back from the xpel installer yesterday. Did the bumper, headlights, splitter, skirts, mirrors, and rear brake intakes. $800 was a good investment for us to prevent some of the road rash that will inevitably occur when taking long road trips thru different states.

Patman

I may need to rethink my plan for the future then, as my wife and I do plan on retiring in just 5 years and part of that plan is to spend every winter in Florida. We will be driving our future C7 down there every year, so it will see a lot of interstate travel every year. I guess after the first trip there and back I'll have to assess how the front end looks and if need be I can get some protection then. I will be buying a used 2014 most likely, so it probably won't have perfect paint to begin with but hopefully it will be pretty close.

capecodvette

A competent installer will wrap the PPF around all edges, therefore not issues with dirt, wax, etc.

capecodvette

Poor installation. Mine Premier Ultimate PPF is wrapped around most of the edges, hood, fender, etc.

LDYSTIG

Don't have it, don't want it. I have a white car, I don't drive on highways hardly ever, and after nearly 3 years of owning my car I only have 2-3 chips that are so small I literally only see them when I'm washing my car and my face is within 1ft of paint.

Foosh

Yep, all my edges are wrapped too.

SLOWRYDE

^^^THIS! Its the volume of daily traffic that creates the perfect storm of thrown rocks.. My new truck just caught one the other day and BB shot the windshield

If you rarely ever have to follow another vehicle at a reasonable distance, you probably won't have to worry about this. Here in the Washington DC suburbs... no chance!

Thunder22

Nope, no xpel on any of my cars.

LT1 Z51

You understand you can't wrap all the edges. Of the edges and seams I don't have wrapped there are only 4 which you could realistically attempt to wrap.

1. The very upper area of the hood fender line (pictured, mine wraps under 90% of the way up then stops because it's nearly impossible to wrap it under near the a-pillar)
2. The rocker panel into door sill area (easy to do on the bottom, less so as the sill starts to turn up near the back of the door)
3 & 4. The front of the doors (both on the door and on the fender.

I literally took two picture of the area's that are uncovered. If you think that's a poor install, then 95% of the install would be poor. those pictures were taken at 6 inches away from the surface.

Further, you could wrap the following if you remove the rear quarter panels and the rear bumper (which no one does).

1. Rear Quarter Vents
2. Tail Lamp Surrounds and Vents

On mine, the only thing I didn't get wrapped that a lot of people seem to get are the front and rear logos and the word Corvette. Since the logos are already recessed, there already is a seam, so the film seam blends in. The letters I wouldn't have removed cause getting them back centered is a PITA.

I actually take offense at your comment because I've yet to see a better install.

LT1 Z51

As are mine other than the fronts of the door, rear of the front fender and on the rocker panel into door sill.

I don't know how you can wrap all the seams without taking the car apart.

I'd struggle to see how your installer did the front of the doors (the picture I took). I can't figure out how to do that without removal of the door.

I should have paid more attention to the door sill to rocker line, but really this was the first car I got wrapped and considering I had no input into the process I'm surprised at how good it is. I've yet to see better.

LT1 Z51

I don't get most commonly done comment.

I've never seen a car with the front of the door to front fender done, or the rear quarter panel and rear lights vents.

Granted I have a small sample size, but talking with two different reputable installers I've not been told there is anything wrong with mine.

Until I post pictures and get freaking assaulted here. I'd hate to work on anyone's car here who thinks mine is done bad. I am pretty picky about cars and I've yet to actually meet someone pickier than me. I'm actually quite afraid of it, don't understand how dust doesn't drive you crazy. I'm just baffled, sorry if it sounds like I'm insulting anyone.

Foosh

Ah, I see. You're talking the entire car. I saw no need to do the doors.

Dif

For the sake of FYI and no offense intended
In regards to your pic of the pointy Corner of your hood, and top corner of Fender near the A pillar.
My first thought was the installer used pre-cut shaped material.
Especially looking at the unique shape of the clear material at the end of the pointy part of your hood.
I understand the pic is a Close Up, but the space between the material and top edge of the Fender, is the results of a pre-cut material package.

Again, FYI and No offense, I do Not think you have a bad install.

I had 3/4 of my car done and the installer used oversized sheets of material instead pre-cut shaped material.
Complete Front end, Headlights, Hood, Fenders, and he wrapped where possible, and Trim/Cut the other edges.
But, the places he had to cut, are so close to the edge of the panels, you have to put your face right up to it to see the edge of the material.

tobaccokid

Did 2/3 of my 2016 Torch Red Z06. Average person/car enthusiast + many others do not see it. Glad I did it. Cost is relative to real and perceived benefit - like everything else in life.

Can't answer for someone else as I wouldn't know what their car means to them, especially a special interest car.

LT1 Z51

Thanks!

Yea, it does taper a bit right at the end (which is what you see in the shot). It was a template install, and honestly the drivers side tapers more than the passenger. But it's a minor annoyance, certainly using oversized sheets would work better to cover everything.

The "pre-cut" sheets are actually cut on sight, XPEL gives the installers a "plotter" type device which "prints" the film pattern. Doing it free hand is a lot more work I would think, and therefore more money.

Jbnick

Not for me.