Full Wrap
- Thread starter Cariboocreek
- Start date
Good thread. If my car ever comes in this year I want the added protection on the new paint. So is the best route to go to fully wrap the entire car? Then ceramic coat on top? I was justifying considering wrapping the front end and ceramic coating the rest of the car. I like to go with what people here think is the best way to go. The guy I intended on using is very popular with the high end work he does. He also doesn't use 3M wrap any more. Says the quality has gone down and uses Expel now. I have had some 3M wrap on some of my other cars and yes it can turn a bit yellow on light colour cars.
I had my entire car wrapped except the rear bumper, with Xpel Ultimate . I had a four stage ceramic applied and the rims removed and totally ceramic'd (new word) inside and out. I know I got a deal and I paid $5,500. For reference, the Chevy dealer offered to wrap (not ceramic) "the front, pillars, lights, mirrors for $4,500.
Just go to a reputable place that others can reference and don't look back.
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I will be keeping this car for a while and want to keep it looking factory new. I think ppf is about the only way on Alberta highways to accomplish that. I may have bought into the hype on ceramic but after spending a boatload on the ppf, the extra on the ceramic seemed too make sense. They do different things. I also live a half mile off the pavement on a gravel road, so coming and going always covers the car in a layer of dust. I am hoping between the ceramic and the ppf that I can keep the swirls and scratches to a minimum. We will see. Oh well its only money and you cant take it with you....
Haha ditto. Here was my logic, ceramic the entire car because I also live on a dirt road long enough to get it dusty and to ppf the car because Alberta.
So adding ceramic on top of ppt is the best way to go? I didn't think you would benefit putting ceramic on top of the wrap. But have never done that so you know better than me. I also intend on holding onto this car for a long time so want the best protection possible.
Its not the same ceramic you put on paint. It is specifically designed for film. Film is not particularly hydrophobic so this will act like a uv protection on the wrap snd shed water.
I hadn't even heard of ceramic when I did my C6 8 years ago and did mine with 3M back then but just the front, the hood and the 1/4 panels. I never saw any yellowing but the car was victory red so might not see it anyway. My C7 I bought new at the end of the season and just did the front bumper right away with 3M. Next season, had the hood, fenders, door sills, door entry coves and the mirrors done with Suntek. There was still not much talk of ceramic back then either. The PPF is the scratch and nick protector. The ceramic on top doesn't protect from road debris flying up but should give it a wet look shine and save on wax I would think, but I am pretty anal about wax and slickmist detailer so my car has a great shine. I put the do it yourself Mequiars ceramic on this winter over top of everything and although didn't notice a lot of difference in shine but hoping the dust rolls off easier as I also live on 2 km of gravel and hate the dust. If you don't do the entire car with PPF, have a real good look at any areas that are susceptible to rocks coming off other vehicles or the tires and make sure they are PPF covered. As far as the self healing properties of ppf, I suppose if it's a tiny nick, it will self heal but I now a couple guys wth full xpel and after a few years, the film on the front bumper almost looks sand blasted with little nicks and chips. But that being said, ppf with nicks and chips is a lot easier and cheaper to replace than paint and clearcoat. JMO
I think Allflash put the ceramic on his film and the shine hurts your eyes. Others have done it the other way, ceramic first, then film on top. The 3M on the front of my car has numerous nicks and water has gotten behind a larger nick and made an air bubble. It still protects the paint to some degree so I don't think you can wrong with whatever you choose.
Mine's fully wrapped in Xpel Ultimate & Xpel Ceramic (Pro Fusion? Not sure of the name anymore.) It's been that way for two years now. I'd do it all over again tomorrow.
Self healing is not alien technology and will not heal the bigger chips where the film actually broke. But it will heal all the small stuff. No big deal, saving the paint is what it's made for.
Self healing is not alien technology and will not heal the bigger chips where the film actually broke. But it will heal all the small stuff. No big deal, saving the paint is what it's made for.
Got the car back today. Looks great. No edges to speak of. So this is her, full wrap (Suntek Ultra), full ceramic including wheels and calipers, 30% side and rear window tint, and ceramic treatment on the roof.
Took a little longer then I wanted as we've been tied up with the C8 Corvette getting a full coverage, ceramic coating and tint done...
To help clear up any misconceptions, virtually all brands do have a cheaper film that's designed to only last a year or two then fade or yellow. We avoid these films as no one wants a horrible looking clear bra paint protection film installation and we don't want people to see the problems of days gone by. This is why we stick to top coated high end films that are designed to last 10 years plus, with a warranty against yellowing, staining, bubbling, cracking.
The main top end brands on the market that are warranted against yellowing or fading that you'll likely run into are Xpel Ultimate Plus, 3M Pro, SunTek Ultra and Stek Dyno. Any of these specific films are going to give you the longevity you'd require. As eluded to elsewhere in the post, the installer and the kits or patterns are some of the most important parts as even using top end films with lack of experience or well designed kits re likely to lead to a negative outcome in which you won't be too happy about.
All brands look virtually the same when installed, very minor differences that one may only notice if 1' away from the vehicle searching high and low looking for a difference which likely would only be the amount of orange peel look. This said, it can also all depend on the roll as I've seen all brands come with more or less of an orange peel surface due to minor variances in the manufacturing process.
Can also add that the glossiness of any of the brands mentioned are going to be top quality be it a black, white or any color vehicle. If you want an extra depth appearance or glossiness one would add wax which is kind of old school, a sealant or a modern nano tech ceramic coating on the surface of the film. This won't add any rock chip or scratch protection per sa to the film but will make it super easy to clean for up to couple years at most likely before needing to re apply depending on how you use and wash your vette. There are also touch up products that help keep the slipperiness of the coating going longer like Xpel Boost for example which is recommended every so often.
If you visit my website Vancouver ClearBra - Xpel 3M Clear Bra Paint Protection Film Vancouver BC Canada you'll find a plethora of valuable information about clear bra and what makes the difference in an installer.
Here we are doing the trunk lid with Xpel Ultimate Plus clear bra paint protection film on a C8 Corvette.
