Had 3M in my 997 - didn't have the car long enough but heard some poor reviews afterwards. Now thinking of using Xpel on a white 991C2S but just read that it also isn't that great. True? Does anyone have advice on which brand is best to cover the car from stone chips etc? thx.

 

The technology has come a long way with all of these products, and I chose to use Xpel.
The reviews, price, warranty and lack of orange peel effect, made it an easy choice. One thing that I hadn't heard were complaints of Xpel "yellowing".

I can only tell you that whomever you choose to install it will play a huge part in the quality of the end product.

 

You could post in the 'detailing' forum - or ask Moe from Glistening Perfections (board sponsor). Probably the most respected detail shop in California.

 

Xpel Ultimate has a 10 year warranty against yellowing and cracking. Bet it will last even longer if you take care of it:


This product carries a 10 year warranty against, yellowing, cracking, peeling, staining, and hazing, covering both film and labor. XPEL ULTIMATE is truly the most revolutionary Paint Protection Film ever invented!

 

I went with Premier (ClearGuardX) for my white 991, but they'll probably all yellow over time. Proper film maintenance is one of the best things you can do to prevent/minimize this though. I use PF1 Film Cleaner and PF1 Crystalline every week, which is perhaps excessive/expensive, but worth it to me.

 

They will all yellow over time. How much time the car spends in the sun, how it is maintained, etc, and how it is installed will have an impact on how long it takes. It should be 7 years or more.

 

We have been installing the new Suntek film over Xpel Ultimate as the self healing top coat is better and it is also a smoother film. As far as yellowing goes it depends on how you maintain it. Take care of it as you do your paint and do not use any products that have naptha in them and you will be fine.

 

My installer near Atlanta, who is very well regarded, installs both and recommended the SunTek also. Mentioned that it had less orange peel look and was easier to install because it doesn't have to be stretched as much. The stretch marks can sometimes be seen with polarized sunglasses and appear as if the paint was touched up with a sprayer.

 

They all will turn yellow, Xpel is the worst contender on the list based on what the installers in my area have said. I wrapped my past 3 cars using 3M and venture-shield and I will never wrap a "white" car again. I just took it off of one of my cars and what a difference. It was like my front end was painted a different color. Also it had attracted heavy swirl marks compared to the rest of the car and I hand wash using two bucket system.

Honestly why do you even see the need to put the film on? If you are buying the car new and only using it for a few years, and it's white, all you are doing is preserving it for the next owner. In return you have to constantly wax and give it care. It's more sensitive to swirl marks, and no matter what anyone says, you don't see the same clarity in the paint when you have film on it.

I can see that on dark cars, specially with the front bumper it's useful since say on a black or red the small rock chips on the clear coat can be bad, but you can't see those on a white car.

 

Just think of the clear bra like a consumable, just like brake pads, engine oil, air filters. They're not supposed to last all that long (perhaps 5-7 years), and you're supposed to change them out from time to time.

Just think about all the peace of mind you'll have knowing that the clear bra is so easily (albeit expensively) replaced compared to respraying, and it'll be worth it. Rock chips are the devil.