Ongoing General Automotive Thread 2.0

[DFO]

Originally Posted by agulati

My dad picked up an S580 in Selenite Grey Magno that has finally arrived. Thought this might be a good place to ask with regards to PPFs.

Is it worth getting the full car wrapped in XPEL STEALTH PPF or only the front?

Also any recommended companies that offer great quality in applying PPF?

I'd do the whole thing. It's not that much considering the cost of the vehicle.

[agulati]

Originally Posted by DFO

I'd do the whole thing. It's not that much considering the cost of the vehicle.

Does it impact the color/finish much though? Sorry should have added that to the original post.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by agulati

My dad picked up an S580 in Selenite Grey Magno that has finally arrived. Thought this might be a good place to ask with regards to PPFs.

Is it worth getting the full car wrapped in XPEL STEALTH PPF or only the front?

Also any recommended companies that offer great quality in applying PPF?

http://davincisworkbench.com/

Reagan is a perfectionist, highly recommend.

[speede5]

What does it cost to PPF a whole car? I am struggling to wrap my head around doing that to a new car. I know it's not the same but I have visions of going to grandmas and sitting on the new furniture wrapped in clear plastic. I like the invisible bra idea to stop stone chips though.

[photon]

What I struggle to wrap my head around is putting film all over a car THEN putting a ceramic coating. I guess it offers all the same things.. repels water, protects the film, makes it look glossier, etc. It just feels so weird.

[agulati]

Originally Posted by speede5

What does it cost to PPF a whole car? I am struggling to wrap my head around doing that to a new car. I know it's not the same but I have visions of going to grandmas and sitting on the new furniture wrapped in clear plastic. I like the invisible bra idea to stop stone chips though.

Around 5-6k for our specific vehicle. I know, that’s one of the reasons we are on the fence, but the risk on Calgary roads is definitely there. Plus since it is a matte finish, a specific PPF works, apparently.

Ceramic coating for the rest of the vehicle, only if we do the front.

[speede5]

I don't even like putting my iphone in a case. The thing looks great and then I slap it in a cheap rubber skin and put a extra piece of glass on the screen just to keep it shiny for the next person. haha. But also I'm on my 3rd screen protector so I guess it works.

Paint these days is so good and if you can afford the wrap you are probably parking in a nice garage and keeping up on cleaning and polishing so unless its a car that you want to hand down top your grandkids I think the front is where I would stop. But I've never owned a car worth 100k+ .

JMO. I love cars and whatever an owner wants to do is fine by me. There are no wrong answers.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by speede5

I don't even like putting my iphone in a case. The thing looks great and then I slap it in a cheap rubber skin and put a extra piece of glass on the screen just to keep it shiny for the next person. haha. But also I'm on my 3rd screen protector so I guess it works.

Paint these days is so good and if you can afford the wrap you are probably parking in a nice garage and keeping up on cleaning and polishing so unless its a car that you want to hand down top your grandkids I think the front is where I would stop. But I've never owned a car worth 100k+ .

JMO. I love cars and whatever an owner wants to do is fine by me. There are no wrong answers.

There are, and it involves flat black house paint and a roller.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

There are, and it involves flat black house paint and a roller.

Plasti Dip was a really bad trend.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Plasti dip is great for wheels though.

I think it depends on the car as far as PPF goes. I think you should always at least PPF the hood, mirrors and above the windshield here. If it's a 911 or an R8 or something like that then I'd do the full car.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by agulati

My dad picked up an S580 in Selenite Grey Magno that has finally arrived. Thought this might be a good place to ask with regards to PPFs.

Is it worth getting the full car wrapped in XPEL STEALTH PPF or only the front? Does it impact the color much?

Also any recommended companies that offer great quality in applying PPF?

I usually split the difference and go all the way around the bottom of the car

Is it worth it?

In Calgary, it is absolutely worth it. My new car (ordered a year ago) is finally heading to Canada (please don't sink) so it's time to sell my current vehicle. And even though it is now 5 years old, it is absolutely mint. I will easily get my $5k back when I sell it.

(not that that is why I did it)

[you&me]

It should be mentioned that the magno (matte) paint on agulati's father's S580 is extremely hard to repair.

If there's ever a case for full-car PPF, it would be on an expensive car with matte paint.

[Enoch Root]

Yes, if you chip matte paint, you have to redo the panel. No fixing chips with matte

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Plasti Dip was a really bad trend.

Was?

Automotive PlastiDip use is alive and well, and with some staggering results.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Plasti Dip was a really bad trend.

This wasn't Plasti dip. Just a friend, a 4 runner, and another friend who trolled him into it.

[81MC]

Hotrod mag ran a series on rolling rust oleum years ago. White, dodge coronet or something.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by you&me

It should be mentioned that the magno (matte) paint on agulati's father's S580 is extremely hard to repair.

If there's ever a case for full-car PPF, it would be on an expensive car with matte paint.

Yeah matte paint is likely the only case I would get full wrap. I got my old M2 fully wrapped and I don't think I would do it again as the primary areas to protect are the bumper cover, hood, A pillar, above the windshield, rocker panels (can go up to bottom 1/3 of doors) and rear fender (if the car is flared). Get those areas done and you should be good to go at a cost far lower than a full wrap.

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by FLAMESRULE

Need some help here. We have a 2010 Subie Forester that has run into electrical gremlins and left my wife stranded a few times. We've replace the battery 3x and the alternator once.

Basically the car will run perfectly fine and then she'll turn it off. This could be 3min to do an errand or hours at home. At home I've.got it on a trickle charger. But when she's out, like today in a car wash, shell try and restart and it will be COMPLETELY dead. Like barely clicks. So it's being drawn down in under 10min when it happens.

It's not all the time and I'm pretty sure the alternator works. I've seen a recall on a CANBUS issue that creates a big parasitic draw but that was 2015-2020 models.

Any ideas or thoughts?? She doesn't run heated seats, stereo, etc and is now basically done with it. So I get a new toy (M40i elec?) We've got it at ALL Makes today.

I once had the switch/sensor (probably not the correct term) on my brake pedal go bad. Basically the vehicle thought the brakes were on all the time and the brake light stayed on even when the pedal was not depressed. It would kill the battery after sitting all day/overnight at work. Maybe something like that, although that doesn't seem to be enough of a draw to kill the battery in a few minutes.

[InglewoodFan]

Originally Posted by Lubicon

I once had the switch/sensor (probably not the correct term) on my brake pedal go bad. Basically the vehicle thought the brakes were on all the time and the brake light stayed on even when the pedal was not depressed. It would kill the battery after sitting all day/overnight at work. Maybe something like that, although that doesn't seem to be enough of a draw to kill the battery in a few minutes.

Not at all helpful or related, but this reminded me of one of the best pranks I have ever witnessed. I worked in a warehouse in HS with our own fleet of trucks so we had our own mechanics. The warehouse manager was a grumpy bugger but he was decent to have a beer with. One year for his birthday, the mechanic wired his brake pedal switch to the horn on his VW Beetle. Watching him leave the parking lot with this car honking away every time he hit the brakes had us on the ground laughing. He was simmering at the mechanic, but he also found it pretty damn funny.

[GoinAllTheWay]

I have a few spots on my truck that I need to hit with some of that black tar paint before rust starts getting out of hand. A few areas are curved and the usual frog tape isn't going to help me there. What kind of tape do I need to buy that can be shaped around a curve?