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Clear Paint Protection; Xpel, 3M, Clearshield

12K views 40 replies 19 participants last post by  strykerpsg 
#1 · (Edited)
I posted this in SRT specific forum because one of my issues involves the rally stripes.

Although expensive I was considering going this route. Today I was calling around and one of the shops quoted me $700, basically just the front end and nose area before the hood. The mirrors are too round according to them. This is for Xpel. The kicker is they said they would cut around the stripes and not install it over them.

Another shop quoted me about the same for Solargard Clearshield. Not real familiar with it, but he says he has used it for a long time. He said he would go over the stripes, unless they were matte, since they would appear glossy.

My questions are;

Would you install over the stripes? Seems weird not to IMO.

Would you do it again? Spend the $$ for the clear bra?

I do a lot of driving and down here (FL) and no matter how quick I remove bugs, on bad days - picture the shade from the volley of arrows in the scene in 300, but substitute lovebugs, it destroys my paint. I usually end up respraying my front end every two years or so in the past.

I recently had luck with a regular black, pleather bra on my Lexus, but not sure I want to cover up the front of my beautiful Challenger.
 
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#2 ·
I got a full 3M hood and front quarter panel wrap. More $$ but one big seamless piece so no lines. Wax and scunge DO accumulate along those template piece lines and makes them quite noticeable which annoys me. They did the mirrors too so I dunno what the XPEL guys are talking about.


For sure I would install over the stripes. Bras on an SRT do not look good (IMHO) and eventually rub and scratch the paint.
 
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#3 ·
I had my scat pack done with the 3M complete front 12 inches up on hood mirrors door edge door handle cups fenders even with hood rear bumper strip under trunk lid inside door rockers $1300 all is laser cut by pro shop install you can hardly tell it's there when you wax your car you need to put easy stick painters tape on edge this way you will have no wax build up. Had this done to few other cars in past I personally thinks it's worth every penny.
 
#6 ·
3m has a spray on version .i am gonna do this but not sure which method.its like the same application method as window tinting.the money your spending is for cutting the pieces.you can buy a roll from 3m that u could wrap 100 challengers for about 50 bucks .its like buying stripe kits you are paying for the cut pieces.if you like to do stuff yourself try it.worse thing is that if you mess it up peel it off.they have video of this on youtube
 
#7 ·
The cost is well over 50 bucks for 3m product. And watching u tube certainly does not make you an installer of such product with out risking your paint to the sharp cutting tool. Spray on is very temporary and do not believe it will offer the same protection
 
#8 ·
I just had Xpel put on my scat pack a couple weeks ago and the scat pack and srt8 was not in the system for a template yet, only the r/t and the hellcat. We went with the r/t template and had to slightly stretch it down to the bottom corners of the front end, turned out pretty good except for some film defects so it will have to be re applied in the near future...patience is a virtue lol...but I paid $500 for the front bumper piece and for four panels behind each wheel which I would highly recommend including, even if you plan on putting on mudflaps. I think these clear bras are worth the money, as stated above. Paint work is so expensive nowadays...
 
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#14 ·
I just had Xpel put on my scat pack a couple weeks ago...
Now you've had it installed for a while are you 100% happy with it? I want to get my front bumper film (SunTek) re-done but SunTek doesn't have a 2015 SRT template in the system, only R/T and Scat Pack templates etc. I've contacted them with no luck.

Xpel does have the SRT in the system though so I'm debating going with Xpel now, however comparing the two online from users reviews, the (general) consensus seems to be that SunTek appears to be thicker, better healing, less noticeable to the eye and has a glossier finish. Can you see the Xpel film on your car at all?

Thanks
 
#11 ·
XPEL on the Challenger, Tacoma and CTS-V.

$700 is a fair price as that's close to what I paid for each of the cars.

12" hood and front fenders, all front lights, front posts, mirror backs, behind rear wheels at @ rear quarters and a single strip along the rear deck lid atop the bumper.

Well worth the cost. I hate to see rock chips!!
 
#13 ·
Thought about this myself but didn't want to risk the film being detectable. After trying just about every method available for the last 8 years WRT love bugs, I finally have a routine down that works. Twice a year right before love bug season, I wax the car with Collinite. Then when I get home and there are love bugs on the front, I just spray with Meguiars Ultimate Quik Detailer and wipe them off. They wipe off pretty easily with that stuff and the fringe benefit is that as you wipe them off, you're putting on another film of protectant at the same time. After 3 years of doing this, there has been no damage to the Challenger as long as I don't let them sit overnight. I can go to the mall, shop, let them sit on there (in the sun) while I'm shopping, get home, and wipe them off and no paint damage. I've even let them sit for ~8 hours or so when I go out in the morning and get a few on there and I know I have to go out again later in the day. I'll just wait until I get home in the evening and wipe them off once.

For a couple years, I used Bug and Tar Shield. That sprays on like spray paint and creates a matte covering. With that stuff on, you can go about a week and just let the love bugs pile up, then wash it off at the end of the week, dry, and reapply. The coating is truly like a paint: the love bug guts won't get through to your paint. And it does wash off pretty easily. But I learned the hard way: don't leave that stuff on longer than a week because if it sits in the sun for too long, the coating sticks and is hard to remove. And obviously, if you drive through a rainstorm, you have to wash it off and reapply. I stopped using it because the car looks "ghetto" with all the love bugs piling up on it anyway and you still have to wipe down the windshield: so only a few minutes more to just wipe down the bumper, front edge of the hood, roofline, and mirrors with the Meguiars Ultimate Quik Detailer.

The way I look at it, I still have to get out my towel and detailer to inspect for stray gut streaks on the doors and such from them hitting the mirrors and I still have to do the windshield and roofline, so might as well wipe down the bumper too. And I live in the country so they're worse in my area than most.

Mike
 
#19 ·
Just the nose should be ~$400
 
#21 ·
I just had my whole car wrapped with XPEL Ultimate. It is a SRT Hellcat so custom-cut pieces are available for it. The job is only a few weeks old so I am still evaluating it, but so far so good. One thing I will say is that it was expensive, but if it does what they say it will do, then it's worth every penny. I went an extra step and had the wheels treated, inside and out, with Opti-Coat too.
 
#22 · (Edited)
That's all I did for the front end, it really does get most of it. I would strongly recommend putting a patch behind each wheel on the fenders to protect from road debris and sand, that was another $100.
 
#33 ·
When I got my 2013 SRT I immedietly took it to have xpel ppf installed. These cars have big, flat panels that are very prone to road damage. I got the entire front bumper, rockers, door handle cups, a pillars and the leading edge of the roof covered for 1000 installed. After just a week I could see a few spots where the film protected the paint from rocks. I would absolutely do it again if I got another challenger.

The big front end of the challenger also splatters a lot of bugs, and since I have the film I don't have to worry about it damaging the paint.
 
#34 ·
Nice discussion. I just bought my new Hellcat and had my entire hood, front end, mirrors, roof line above the windshield and rear quarter panels done, covering the carbon fiber stripes, so as to avoid wax build up or taping the stripes. Altogether, about $1200.

What I forgot to ask before shipping the car overseas is whether I can or cannot wax the 3M film, or does it even need it?
 
#35 ·
WAX on WAX OFF

Nice discussion. I just bought my new Hellcat and had my entire hood, front end, mirrors, roof line above the windshield and rear quarter panels done, covering the carbon fiber stripes, so as to avoid wax build up or taping the stripes. Altogether, about $1200.

What I forgot to ask before shipping the car overseas is whether I can or cannot wax the 3M film, or does it even need it?

I have waxed mine with the film on, looks great.
I have also done just the spray detail.
 

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#37 ·
whole front bumper/nose area.
whole hood [not the Shaker].
tops of the front fenders 6/8 inches in and down.
top half of both out side mirrors.
both A pillars.
6/8 inches of the roof from the top of the windshield
4 splash areas [lower areas behind the front tires on the fender] and behind lower rear quarters.


What I really like is at the end of the day, I can just wipe the crap/bugs off the front end or just hit it with glass cleaner and wipe.
 
#38 ·
Thanks for sharing that info. I am absolutely looking forward to keeping mine as shiny as yours and looks like we have most of the same pieces covered as well.

Now, I need to look for ways to keep the rims looking great too, after changing the Brembo pads for something less dusty. (I know there's plenty of topics on that subject alone... )
 
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