[DarkThrottleM]

Ooh there’s quite a bit of misinformation about Xpel films. Before I go in detail i own a professional detail studio and i myself do the film installations and paint corrections and coatings. I use Xpel and STEK Film and while both have benefits. Xpel film is amazing it is very pliable but it is unforgiving. Many new installers do not like Xpel film because it is unforgiving to mistakes. The adhesive is high tack and therefore once truly locked to the panel it does not like to be lifted. Xpel does in fact offer a Ceramic Top Coated film. It is called Ultimate Fusion. You can compare it to STEKs DynoShield. In my experience Top Coated Films do not truly make a difference and i would still highly suggest Ceramic Coating the film with a professional grade coating regardless of what the film may have installed on it from the factory. They generally will not last longer than 3-8 months depending on your wash habits.

STEK Film is amazing as well as it hands down has the best optical clarity and overall aesthetic quality that is currently unmatched in my opinion by any other film. SunTek Films are a quality film but i personally do not use them due to premature yellowing i have experienced during my trial phases of finding my film suppliers.

If you want a film that has a company that can and will stand behind their film 100% you want to have Xpel film installed hands down. In my experiences they handle warranty claims immediately where as STEK has not been quick to do anything about any possible claims that may come up quickly. And that usually takes months where as Xpel claims can take a couple weeks or less if escalated.

Xpel has been great to deal with on a business end. I don’t see why installers feel the need to bad mouth the rep of Xpel to sell clients on the film they are using. Some of us installers grandfathered in and we have not been “bullied” by Xpel in any fashion.

Anywho, Feel free to ask me whatever you may need. I have a M3 order going in for MY24 and i plan to do full body STEK along with STEK DynoFlex on the windshield. And im going to Coat the entire thing. It’s the best possible option for worry free paint protection and maintenance.

[AFA.S_BMW]

Is it OK to PPF the headlights? My installer strongly recommend to not PPF the headlights.

[DarkThrottleM]

Originally Posted by asepehri

Is it OK to PPF the headlights? My installer strongly recommend to not PPF the headlights.

It’s fine to do headlamps. If your lamps have a special coating which most do it may not stick as I have had issues with film sticking properly to headlamps. Porsches are a 100% no lol but BMWs are fine to film headlamps it’s just at matter of will it lift soon after install or not. I don’t like polishing new lamps to make them stick so we try to install them using all tack solution and hot water so the adhesive grips hard instantly. Sometimes it works perfect others it could lift.

[malvern_man]

Originally Posted by asepehri

Is it OK to PPF the headlights? My installer strongly recommend to not PPF the headlights.

I've got Gyeon Protect+ PPF on my laser lights, my installer recommended I had the headlights PPF'd.

[Forzanerazzurri]

Originally Posted by DarkThrottleM

Ooh there’s quite a bit of misinformation about Xpel films. Before I go in detail i own a professional detail studio and i myself do the film installations and paint corrections and coatings. I use Xpel and STEK Film and while both have benefits. Xpel film is amazing it is very pliable but it is unforgiving. Many new installers do not like Xpel film because it is unforgiving to mistakes. The adhesive is high tack and therefore once truly locked to the panel it does not like to be lifted. Xpel does in fact offer a Ceramic Top Coated film. It is called Ultimate Fusion. You can compare it to STEKs DynoShield. In my experience Top Coated Films do not truly make a difference and i would still highly suggest Ceramic Coating the film with a professional grade coating regardless of what the film may have installed on it from the factory. They generally will not last longer than 3-8 months depending on your wash habits.

STEK Film is amazing as well as it hands down has the best optical clarity and overall aesthetic quality that is currently unmatched in my opinion by any other film. SunTek Films are a quality film but i personally do not use them due to premature yellowing i have experienced during my trial phases of finding my film suppliers.

If you want a film that has a company that can and will stand behind their film 100% you want to have Xpel film installed hands down. In my experiences they handle warranty claims immediately where as STEK has not been quick to do anything about any possible claims that may come up quickly. And that usually takes months where as Xpel claims can take a couple weeks or less if escalated.

Xpel has been great to deal with on a business end. I don’t see why installers feel the need to bad mouth the rep of Xpel to sell clients on the film they are using. Some of us installers grandfathered in and we have not been “bullied” by Xpel in any fashion.

Anywho, Feel free to ask me whatever you may need. I have a M3 order going in for MY24 and i plan to do full body STEK along with STEK DynoFlex on the windshield. And im going to Coat the entire thing. It’s the best possible option for worry free paint protection and maintenance.

XPEL fusion is too thin to recommend. XPEL does not make a comparable film (thickness of ULTIMATE Plus and it's competitors) with Ceramic Infusion. You as a detail shop owner should know that. Further it's not recommended to ceramic coat over competitors ceramic infused films because it does not stick. Have you ever seen comparisons with sharpies? Go take a piece of STEK with ceramic infused and a piece of XPEL Ultimate Plus and draw on it with a sharpie. The sharpie stays on XPEL and it beads up on everything else. You're wasting your money ceramic coating a ceramic infused film until it wears off. I wish you could see my car at the car wash. It performs better than any car I've had with ceramic coating and I have washed the car at least once a week for the last 6 months. The infused ceramic may wear out eventually but traditional ceramic requires annual maintenance as well. You may have not been bullied by XPEL but there are countless records of this happening with other shops and it's literally XPELs business strategy with their DAP program as the anchor (and it's clearly working given the uptake on it's inferior product).

[DarkThrottleM]

Originally Posted by Forzanerazzurri

XPEL fusion is too thin to recommend. XPEL does not make a comparable film (thickness of ULTIMATE Plus and it's competitors) with Ceramic Infusion. You as a detail shop owner should know that. Further it's not recommended to ceramic coat over competitors ceramic infused films because it does not stick. Have you ever seen comparisons with sharpies? Go take a piece of STEK with ceramic infused and a piece of XPEL Ultimate Plus and draw on it with a sharpie. The sharpie stays on XPEL and it beads up on everything else. You're wasting your money ceramic coating a ceramic infused film until it wears off. I wish you could see my car at the car wash. It performs better than any car I've had with ceramic coating and I have washed the car at least once a week for the last 6 months. The infused ceramic may wear out eventually but traditional ceramic requires annual maintenance as well. You may have not been bullied by XPEL but there are countless records of this happening with other shops and it's literally XPELs business strategy with their DAP program as the anchor (and it's clearly working given the uptake on it's inferior product).

I have in fact tested this theory on STEK film. The coatings do stick. My Personal truck has STEK with A pro Coating I installed and IR cured myself and the coating is still going strong till this day. Sure we could say it’s the maintenance but I know for a fact with proper care an aftermarket coating on film is the best option. STEK even has a coating they recommend for the top coated film which is supposed to be a 5 year rated coating.

According to my XPEL rep when I spoke with him he told me Ultimate Fusion is the SAME thickness as regular ultimate plus with an added Layer of ceramic infused into the top layer of TPU. I know of what XPEL has done to other shops but I also know they have not done it to me and well over 200+ other shops I know of. Newer shops fighting for territory or shops that didn’t sell enough film in their claimed territory ended up with the stipulations. 18 years in the detailing industry both side hustle and full time business owner I wouldn’t spew bs about the brand to blindly support. If a product is trash I will say it all day long. But the fact that hundreds of thousands of cars are wearing XPEL worry free without issues should alone speak volumes for the product regardless of how well the marketing made them a household name for ppf. I use more than Dap. I use multiple software options as dap does not do it all.

I write on both films all the time with a sharpie to made reference points. It wipes right off both films the same just less smearing on the STEK film. I agree STEK is the better film but XPEL is no slouch at all in any fashion. Just requires more skill than most installers possess for quality installs.

[dudley@07726]

Originally Posted by DarkThrottleM

I have in fact tested this theory on STEK film. The coatings do stick. My Personal truck has STEK with A pro Coating I installed and IR cured myself and the coating is still going strong till this day. Sure we could say it’s the maintenance but I know for a fact with proper care an aftermarket coating on film is the best option. STEK even has a coating they recommend for the top coated film which is supposed to be a 5 year rated coating.

According to my XPEL rep when I spoke with him he told me Ultimate Fusion is the SAME thickness as regular ultimate plus with an added Layer of ceramic infused into the top layer of TPU. I know of what XPEL has done to other shops but I also know they have not done it to me and well over 200+ other shops I know of. Newer shops fighting for territory or shops that didn’t sell enough film in their claimed territory ended up with the stipulations. 18 years in the detailing industry both side hustle and full time business owner I wouldn’t spew bs about the brand to blindly support. If a product is trash I will say it all day long. But the fact that hundreds of thousands of cars are wearing XPEL worry free without issues should alone speak volumes for the product regardless of how well the marketing made them a household name for ppf. I use more than Dap. I use multiple software options as dap does not do it all.

I write on both films all the time with a sharpie to made reference points. It wipes right off both films the same just less smearing on the STEK film. I agree STEK is the better film but XPEL is no slouch at all in any fashion. Just requires more skill than most installers possess for quality installs.

I went with the best PPF installer in the area and he happens to use Xpel. His work is impecable. That was more important to me than the differences between Stek and Xpel because the differences between the two for my purpose are not that great.

[jri_21]

What I’m really gathering from this post is that basically, the main and biggest difference is the installer.
In my case, both were excellent!
I chose a different one from the one I used for the F83 on the G83, because he also did the mods, something that the first one didn’t do.
It just happened that he uses Vallor and the prior uses XPel.
So far…VERY happy with both products and very happy with the top notch service received from both installers.
I guess the bottom line is…check, double-check and triple-check the installer you’re going to use prior to getting your car in through the door.
Products are not that different…everyone has their preferences, the person who installs it makes ALL the difference in the world!
Good luck to all and drive fast, do it carefully and ALWAYS watch out for Smokey !

[Westside Guy]

I have Xpel Ultimate Plus on my Z4 and it looks fabulous.

Regarding Xpel's business model of wanting exclusive shops, I really don't care about something like this as it is a non issue as long as I have a top quality PPF on my car and the work is done by a really competent shop that knows what they are doing. How an installer decides on which product line to use and what that company's restrictive agreements are is up to the shop.

I recommend that you do research on the installers in your area and read the online reviews. Also go to each one in person, I visited 5 shops in my area before selecting who I wanted to do the work.

By the way, Xpel now offers Ultimate Fusion PPF which gives you a high gloss finish along with a hydrophobic top-coat that gives you the ceramic effect. I selected their Ultimate Plus which is less expensive and then applied a few coats of ceramic on top of it.

In my opinion, Xpel is one of the top brands of PPF and if you have a shop that really knows what they are doing you will be satisfied. Here are some photos of my car after the work was done.

[Z K]

All the shops around me use Suntek. Either Ultra or Reaction.

They all do custom cut clear bras and wrap every edge. It costs more than computer cut but the fit and finish is much better with an experienced installers. Completely seemless with no exposed edges.

I recently had the old Ventureshield PPF replaced on my M3 after 10 years of use. Old film still looked decent but zero self healing and it was getting stained and discolored. Replaced with Reaction - car looks brand new again.

I have Suntek PPF-C on my daily driver and it's been good for the last 5 years. This car is parked outside 24/7. There is noticeable fading in some areas of the clear bra but it is still holding up.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by Z K

All the shops around me use Suntek. Either Ultra or Reaction.

They all do custom cut clear bras and wrap every edge. It costs more than computer cut but the fit and finish is much better with an experienced installers. Completely seemless with no exposed edges.

I recently had the old Ventureshield PPF replaced on my M3 after 10 years of use. Old film still looked decent but zero self healing and it was getting stained and discolored. Replaced with Reaction - car looks brand new again.

It sounds like you got your money's worth from the Ventureshield PPF.

By the way, my hair looked fuller and darker 10 years ago.

[Z K]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

It sounds like you got your money's worth from the Ventureshield PPF.

By the way, my hair looked fuller and darker 10 years ago.

Definitely!

They rate the film for 5 years but the car has been garaged it's whole life as a weekend car. Regular washes and maintenance with ceramic coatings helped maintain it that long. Sun exposure and heat are the bane of clear bras!

I'd recommend everyone to pay for the skill of the installer, not the film. You can have the best film and have it look terrible from a bad installer or vice versa.

[Westside Guy]

Originally Posted by Z K

I'd recommend everyone to pay for the skill of the installer, not the film. You can have the best film and have it look terrible from a bad installer or vice versa.

Exactly, I always remind my friends that they get what they pay for!

You can have two shops use the same brand PPF and one is a butcher and the other one is an artist!

[louielouie]

Originally Posted by Forzanerazzurri

XPEL fusion is too thin to recommend. XPEL does not make a comparable film (thickness of ULTIMATE Plus and it's competitors) with Ceramic Infusion. You as a detail shop owner should know that. Further it's not recommended to ceramic coat over competitors ceramic infused films because it does not stick. Have you ever seen comparisons with sharpies? Go take a piece of STEK with ceramic infused and a piece of XPEL Ultimate Plus and draw on it with a sharpie. The sharpie stays on XPEL and it beads up on everything else. You're wasting your money ceramic coating a ceramic infused film until it wears off. I wish you could see my car at the car wash. It performs better than any car I've had with ceramic coating and I have washed the car at least once a week for the last 6 months. The infused ceramic may wear out eventually but traditional ceramic requires annual maintenance as well. You may have not been bullied by XPEL but there are countless records of this happening with other shops and it's literally XPELs business strategy with their DAP program as the anchor (and it's clearly working given the uptake on it's inferior product).

Recently saw this video from ScottHD which lines up with a lot of the business practices you've been speaking of

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JDeny8-ZSg

[dudley@07726]

Originally Posted by Westside Guy

I have Xpel Ultimate Plus on my Z4 and it looks fabulous.

Regarding Xpel's business model of wanting exclusive shops, I really don't care about something like this as it is a non issue as long as I have a top quality PPF on my car and the work is done by a really competent shop that knows what they are doing. How an installer decides on which product line to use and what that company's restrictive agreements are is up to the shop.

I recommend that you do research on the installers in your area and read the online reviews. Also go to each one in person, I visited 5 shops in my area before selecting who I wanted to do the work.

By the way, Xpel now offers Ultimate Fusion PPF which gives you a high gloss finish along with a hydrophobic top-coat that gives you the ceramic effect. I selected their Ultimate Plus which is less expensive and then applied a few coats of ceramic on top of it.

In my opinion, Xpel is one of the top brands of PPF and if you have a shop that really knows what they are doing you will be satisfied. Here are some photos of my car after the work was done.

Looks great. Recently finished my whole car in Xpel PPF.

[Clark_Kent]

Originally Posted by Forzanerazzurri

XPEL bullies shops into using their film exclusively through leverage on the cutting software and by buying out shops.

XPEL is difficult to install compared to other films. It doesn't stretch as much and means the install isn't always as good (more cut lines more disfiguration of the film, etc). XPEL also has a ton of orange peel compared to something like STEK. XPEL also doesn't infuse ceramic into their ultimate film. It's amusing to see people getting XPEL and then some $1000 ceramic job on top of it and being all happy about it. When you get XPEL you're paying for a subpar product that is backed by serious and sometimes predatory marketing.

I'm not surprised at all to hear your installer has dropped XPEL.

It sounds like you have an axe to grind with XPEL. Did they lean on you? Did they buy out your shop? Lots of misinformation in this thread re XPEL being an inferior product to STEK and other films on the market. Are there pros and cons across the films? Sure there are. Is XPEL perfect? It is not, but it's also not junk. I've had many cars PPF'd over the years by various shops, with both SunTek and XPEL, and I've never heard an installer/shop owner characterize XPEL as "subpar" and they were not exclusive XPEL installers.

DarkThrottleM I appreciate your perspective on this. Would be helpful for the other detailer/ppf installers to chime in. ddas, Detailers Domain, care to comment on this?

[gnx]

Originally Posted by Z K

All the shops around me use Suntek. Either Ultra or Reaction.

They all do custom cut clear bras and wrap every edge. It costs more than computer cut but the fit and finish is much better with an experienced installers. Completely seemless with no exposed edges.

I recently had the old Ventureshield PPF replaced on my M3 after 10 years of use. Old film still looked decent but zero self healing and it was getting stained and discolored. Replaced with Reaction - car looks brand new again.

I have Suntek PPF-C on my daily driver and it's been good for the last 5 years. This car is parked outside 24/7. There is noticeable fading in some areas of the clear bra but it is still holding up.

How was your paint finish after removing Ventureshield? Was it intact?

[viperx100]

Kavaca PPF is another great film. I've had it on my 2018 F type 400 coupe and now on my 2022 M240i. What I like about it is that it self-heals without having to be heated up. Looks great as well with no yellowing.

Comparison review (youtube has a few vids as well):

https://glennsaid.com/kavaca-vs-xpel/

[chhappy7]

Originally Posted by viperx100

Kavaca PPF is another great film. I've had it on my 2018 F type 400 coupe and now on my 2022 M240i. What I like about it is that it self-heals without having to be heated up. Looks great as well with no yellowing.

Comparison review (youtube has a few vids as well):

https://glennsaid.com/kavaca-vs-xpel/

This is what the shop I have scheduled with uses. Pricing was interesting though as full frontal was 2k but whole car was 8k lol.

[Z K]

Originally Posted by gnx

How was your paint finish after removing Ventureshield? Was it intact?

The paint looked like it did when it rolled off the showroom floor! It was like a time capsule.

In some parts, the ppf left a ton of adhesive which was a pain to remove but most of it came off easily.

My car is always garaged and it doesn’t see many street miles. The clear bra still had good stretch and didn’t tear as I peeled it. The old ventureshield is in no way designed to last as long as it did but the conditions made it last longer.

[viperx100]

Originally Posted by chhappy7

This is what the shop I have scheduled with uses. Pricing was interesting though as full frontal was 2k but whole car was 8k lol.

I paid 2K for full front (hood, fenders, bumper, headlights and side mirrors) and they threw in the side skirts into the deal. Felt fair all things considered and they've done 1 car for me already, so I trust them.