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What's currently the best clear bras available? Xpel? 3M? Do most people just do the front or the whole car? This would be for a track car so I'm thinking covering as much as possible is the way to go? Approximate cost?

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We have Xpel Ultimate on two cars currently and have had it applied to at least 5 others. It's perfectly clear with no texture. No orange peel. Perfectly smooth. Has some self healing properties if the "ding" isn't too large (they show this on their web site).

 

I've heard Suntek is good too.

 

Find an excellent installer, and find out what they prefer to work with (and why). Installation makes or breaks it every time and you can have the best film but if your installer hacks the job it'll look awful. I don't know if there are huge differences in the top brands of film - but there can be huge differences in quality of installation.

 

Goes without saying that you want edges wrapped whenever possible, and an installer that uses pieces larger than the body panel tends to wrap and hide edges rather than someone who works only with a pre-cut template which may have lots of edges showing.

 

And of course NEVER use an installer that cuts the film on the car. Have heard horror stories of razor cuts in paint because an installer literally put a razor to the film while it's on the car.

 

Installer's shop should be pristine. Had one installation with a couple body hairs under the film on the zeeohsix - had to be redone (it was on top of the front fender - couldn't miss it, and I couldn't live with it). He did it in our garage which we washed and vacuumed top to bottom a couple times, and we don't have pets. We've had a few jobs done in our garage that worked out fine (except as noted above) - and we've also had the installer work at their shop or our dealer.

 

I'd probably search for the best installer first - and then decide on the film

 

One last note - if your car has a manufacturer's "chip guard" by the rear wheels - be sure to understand if your installer will remove it before applying clear film (or specify your preference).

 

We had a Porsche chip guard (clear film) on our RS which the installer removed because it would not allow the clear film to seat properly, and there'd be a line. After 400 miles, the sticky tires throw EVERYTHING at the panel behind the door where the body begins to flare out at the "hips". The clear film is pocked with chips, and some go into the film. Lesson learned - we should have told him to leave the manufacturer film in place (we didn't think about it and I'm not sure we would have done anything differently had we thought about it).

 

We are going to have him install a second layer exactly where Porsche put the original protection so we'll have a double layer. Some damage is already done but this'll save any further wear. It won't look great but it'll look the same as if Porsche's layer was under the Xpel, and now we know it needs extra protection in that spot.

 

Good luck

 

 

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One more note:

 

Our film appeared to have some defects in the adhesion underneath. It was done over the winter in climate controlled shop, and our garage is climate controlled. We found it healed itself after sitting a few days in direct sun.

 

If you see minor bubbles or flaws in the adhesive under the film - be patient because it may cure in the sun. If not - a reputable installer will re-do at no cost.

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i think the industry leader right now is XPEL. good quality film, and the self-healing properties are pretty awesome for minor scuffs and typical hairline type of scratches from misuse of car wash sponges, or microfiber towels.

 

that being said, SUNTEK is coming up. in some ways, the clarity (and the lack of orange peel) seems to be far better than XPEL. on a darker color car, i'd consider SUNTEK to avoid the orange peel texture. but on a bright color car or white, you wouldn't be able to really see it...

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and most people think just wrapping the "FRONT END" is enough: front bumper, hood, mirror caps, sometimes A-pillar. but you'd be surprised how rocks can travel OVER your car and hit in random spots. when you look at those air-flow or drag testing rooms, you'll see air travel OVER the car, and to the back. rocks can follow that air flow and hit your rear spoiler, and even trunk deck!

 

and on heavily tracked cars, even the rear bumper can get pitted with rocks... again, i would have never believed it until i tracked my GT4! luckily i had the whole car protected for peace of mind.

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I have Suntek on half of my cars, quality is top notch, my installer has been doing it for many years, all LaF's that come in to Bay Area are done by him. Mostly full car wrap.

Cost will vary, usually bumper is $600-750, hood $500-700, fenders $400-$600, lights $150, side skirts $500-$700, full car $8-9K

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The dealer I ordered the car from said they could wrap the car for me before I picked it up. However if you see the kit they attached to me it's a pre-cut kit and not full coverage. They want $2,495 to do this. The advantage of having it done at a dealer would be that I could fly up there and drive the car home.

 

The other option would be to have it shipped directly to a local wrap guy here in Atlanta with great reviews. He carries both Xpel Ultimate PPF and SunTek Clear Coated PPF. I'm not sure on cost as I haven't spoken to him yet. I'm really torn as I'd prefer to pick up car in person and drive it home to put some easy break in miles on the car, but no way I'm doing it without having it wrapped first.

Scanned_image_131.pdf

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i think the industry leader right now is XPEL. good quality film, and the self-healing properties are pretty awesome for minor scuffs and typical hairline type of scratches from misuse of car wash sponges, or microfiber towels.

 

that being said, SUNTEK is coming up. in some ways, the clarity (and the lack of orange peel) seems to be far better than XPEL. on a darker color car, i'd consider SUNTEK to avoid the orange peel texture. but on a bright color car or white, you wouldn't be able to really see it...

 

Very useful info. Car is black/silver so sounds like Suntek is the way to go then.

 

3.jpg

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We have Xpel Ultimate on two cars currently and have had it applied to at least 5 others. It's perfectly clear with no texture. No orange peel. Perfectly smooth. Has some self healing properties if the "ding" isn't too large (they show this on their web site).

 

I've heard Suntek is good too.

 

Find an excellent installer, and find out what they prefer to work with (and why). Installation makes or breaks it every time and you can have the best film but if your installer hacks the job it'll look awful. I don't know if there are huge differences in the top brands of film - but there can be huge differences in quality of installation.

 

Goes without saying that you want edges wrapped whenever possible, and an installer that uses pieces larger than the body panel tends to wrap and hide edges rather than someone who works only with a pre-cut template which may have lots of edges showing.

 

And of course NEVER use an installer that cuts the film on the car. Have heard horror stories of razor cuts in paint because an installer literally put a razor to the film while it's on the car.

 

Installer's shop should be pristine. Had one installation with a couple body hairs under the film on the zeeohsix - had to be redone (it was on top of the front fender - couldn't miss it, and I couldn't live with it). He did it in our garage which we washed and vacuumed top to bottom a couple times, and we don't have pets. We've had a few jobs done in our garage that worked out fine (except as noted above) - and we've also had the installer work at their shop or our dealer.

 

I'd probably search for the best installer first - and then decide on the film

 

One last note - if your car has a manufacturer's "chip guard" by the rear wheels - be sure to understand if your installer will remove it before applying clear film (or specify your preference).

 

We had a Porsche chip guard (clear film) on our RS which the installer removed because it would not allow the clear film to seat properly, and there'd be a line. After 400 miles, the sticky tires throw EVERYTHING at the panel behind the door where the body begins to flare out at the "hips". The clear film is pocked with chips, and some go into the film. Lesson learned - we should have told him to leave the manufacturer film in place (we didn't think about it and I'm not sure we would have done anything differently had we thought about it).

 

We are going to have him install a second layer exactly where Porsche put the original protection so we'll have a double layer. Some damage is already done but this'll save any further wear. It won't look great but it'll look the same as if Porsche's layer was under the Xpel, and now we know it needs extra protection in that spot.

 

Good luck

 

Thanks for all the detailed info!

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I'm not sure how anal you are, but if you like see the lines of the clear go for the kit, if you don't want to see a damn thing go through the extra trouble of having the custom job done, I would.

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I don't see texture on the Xpel Ultimate. Hood is smooth as a baby's @ss and looks perfect. I could take photos but I'm not sure it would show anything.

 

The link the dealer provided may not be exactly what they'd install. I wouldn't assume it's the pre-cut kit since that may be the only product link available. Ask questions and find out who their installer is, and check reviews.

 

Had the Lambo done by the dealer (Sarasota) and regretted not doing it locally since some edges lifted and got dirt under them - and my choice was to pay local to have it re-done, or live with it. Unless you have high confidence in their installer I would not use someone I don't know.

 

You can buy temporary film and slap it on for the trip. It'll look like shit but protect the car and at least you can drive it.

 

If the ATL guy is Detail Designs I've read a lot about him and he gets extremely positive reviews and people are saying his work is amazing.

 

Also keep in mind that in order to do wrapped edges - in some cases body panels/trim must be removed. With the RS we had our tech do the bodywork and the Xpel guy wrapped the car in their shop and then our tech re-assembled the car. We were worried about rattles/squeaks so use someone who knows how to remove/replace body panels/trim.

 

We did full paint correction first - it was surprising to see so many paint defects and worth it for full correction before wrapping.

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No useful input on the clear bra..... but Congrats on the purchase!

 

 

That is one bad ass track car you are gonna have! :notworthy: :icon_super: :eek3dance:

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I think it comes down to the person who's wrapping the car. I have more experience with XPEL than Suntek but I've heard on many occasions that if the tech prefers one then he'll likely hate the other as XPEL and Suntek feel totally different in the tech's hand. On the pre-cut kit, if it's from XPEL, the program actually allows the cut to have extended "margins" on each piece so that the film can be wrapped around the edges for a seamless look and feel.

 

Very cool car you have acquired, congrats!

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Very useful info. Car is black/silver so sounds like Suntek is the way to go then.

 

3.jpg

 

 

good lord that thing looks EVIL!!! congrats man!!! these cars have such a menacing presence on the road!!!

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good lord that thing looks EVIL!!! congrats man!!! these cars have such a menacing presence on the road!!!

 

Thanks. I'm super excited. I've been wanting one for a while, not sure why it took so long to pull the trigger. I originally wanted one in competition blue but they were all spoken for, then I saw this one in the same paint scheme as my old Ford GT and I had to have it.

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Thanks. I'm super excited. I've been wanting one for a while, not sure why it took so long to pull the trigger. I originally wanted one in competition blue but they were all spoken for, then I saw this one in the same paint scheme as my old Ford GT and I had to have it.

 

 

please DO share more photos when the car arrives! SPRITE you have a jaw-dropping collection coming together man! Cheers to all your success! I think you'll love SUNTEK. again it's not a huge deal with orange-peel texturing, but side by side you'll see the difference. honestly you can't go wrong with either brand though! and as shared earlier, XPEL templates usually have (certified installers/shops) the ability to customize the template to give more room around the edges to do full wrap arounds and tuck. my GT4 was a template with minor customization.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I did the pre-cut on my ACR-E, turned out horrible. Think it comes down to the installer. If money is not a concern, then I would go with a full custom. The vents and curves on the hood is not for the novice.

Congrats! It's a sexy beast. A lot of car for the money.

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Lambo Dallas put XPEL Ultimate and Stealth on my car and it looks great. As others have stated, it really comes down to the installer and how much experience they have. Make sure they roll the corners as it looks very clean!! GL and enjoy!

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Anyone have experience with the spray on bras ?
a friend tried it on his Murci and GTR track ed. Looked awful. Really difficult and time consuming. Spray too little and it's very thin and hard to remove. Too thick and it runs and settles in "waves" and looks uneven.

 

If the sole purpose is to protect and you don't care about aesthetics then have at it, don't skimp and peel it when done. But to get a beautiful looking job isn't for an amateur. Plus it took a fair amount of prep and masking to protect areas you don't want coated.

 

This was maybe 2-3 years ago. Maybe technology has improved but he vowed "never" again.

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  • 2 weeks later...
I understand Suntek came out with a new film that has ceramic coating on it.

I've always used XPEL Ultimate film with the same installer for the last 5 years whether it's clear or Stealth on all my exotic and super cars mainly because the installer I used recommended it. My two Lamborghini Gallardos, my Lambo Aven Roadster, and my Bentley Supersports all had XPEL Ultimate film and I don't have any complaints.

 

But this time around with my SV, my installer had just gotten into install Suntek Ultra so he recommended that. We decided to use Suntek instead of XPEL for two reasons:

 

1) XPEL Stealth Ultimate film was back ordered (I have a matte paint SV) at the time when we need to wrap my car and I wasn't willing to wait weeks. Other XPEL installers had the Stealth film in stock but they were going to upcharge my installer for the supply.

 

2) my installer felt the Suntek Ultra film is easier to install and cosmetic and protection results are very similar to XPEL

 

I initially wanted XPEL Stealth because that all I knew and I had zero issues with the product. So when my same installer wanted me to try Suntek, I was skeptical and concerned because of all the car I've owned, this job is the most important one so I wanted the best protection on it.

 

I trusted my installer and I went with Suntek Ultra Matte film to get the job done. Overall, I am very pleased. The car looks great and the install was impeccable. My installer did tell me that the new Suntek Ultra film does have a top hydrophobic coating but I wanted more. I had CQuartz Professional ceramic coating applied on top of my Suntek Ultra to protect the film and to further protect the car.

 

Being extremely anal here, Suntek matte film did dull my original matte finish (more satin) a tiny bit and it made my light blue paint color a bit less vibrant. The matte film has this slight yellowish tint to it. If this matte film was applied to a darker paint color like black or dark blue, I don't think it will matter but if the paint color is white or light blue like mine, the matte film will dull the color a bit. Since I wrapped the entire car, the minor color change is not very noticeable. The car looks sick!

 

I am very happy with Suntek Ultra with CQuartz Prodessional

 

I had XPEL Stealth with Ceramic Pro in the past

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