Does anyone else with full PPF have a seam like this?

[MARTY7]

@MARTY7
I have PPF and ceramic coating.
Where I live, one trip on the freeway and you have rock chips in the paint. Particularly on the nose, side view mirror, anything protruding etc... ceramic helps against this also, more importantly for me it helps make the car more hydrophobic so cleaning/washing the car with what is left after driving in the snow is much easier.

Ahh that makes sense, thanks for the explanation. I guess the roads around me are a bit lame, worst we get is some grit at 25 mph

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[Vim Schrotnock]

@MARTY7
I have PPF and ceramic coating.
Where I live, one trip on the freeway and you have rock chips in the paint. Particularly on the nose, side view mirror, anything protruding etc... ceramic helps against this also, more importantly for me it helps make the car more hydrophobic so cleaning/washing the car with what is left after driving in the snow is much easier.

Ceramic coating is absolutely amazing - I have five coats on my Xpel and with a refresh each year, I will never need to wax the car and it looks better than any wax job I've ever seen. It is hydrophobic, so the dirt and grime from the road, snow, rain etc., just wipe off the car with water or detail spray. It is absolutely fantastic and I would highly recommend it.

However, it DOES NOT prevent rock chips or other types of impact damage to your paint. You'll need PPF for that. Here is a good summary of what ceramic coatings do and do not do.

https://ceramicpro.com/what-does-a-9h-ceramic-coating-not-do/

 

[TIM]

I am scheduled to have mine wrapped by Premier as they are the best around here. They will do a custom wrap instead of the Xpel kits. Currently scheduled for Feb and will post photos once I get her back!

I had also had the full PPF done with the standard XPEL kits, and as it was in Germany I sent a few pictures out of this thread of what I would not accept as PPF... The result was the wrapper completly removed the PPF and I was fully reimbursed without even seeing the vehicle.
After that I went to a wrapper in my area LHDK who is the "official" PPF wrapper for Ferrari and other top end brands (I had the opportunity to see a Lamborghini URUS getting done and the job was very impressive). He explained me that their first question to XPEL when they started was how to customize the pre-cut kits that they'll fit their need and the expectation of their customers. The job will be done for me in the third week of January I'll post some extensive pictures / video of the results.
So maybe the "custom" wrap could be only an adaptation of the pre-cut from XPEL

 

[Vim Schrotnock]

Here's a sample sharp corner cut:

 

[Taycanturbolondon]

Just to complicate matters and not sure if it's been mentioned on thi thread.

Xpel have different quality levels and thickness of ppf

Xpel provide basic templates and then there is a shared database where fitters have altered the template to make them fit better. Even for the Taycan there were tens of templates on the Xpel database to choose from.

Then there is the stretching of the material which again is specialised and down to the fitter. It is difficult and takes skill. Also the ppf has warranty as well as the fitting so it's important to find a reputable fitter even if it does cost more.

You do not want to be in the first 2-3 ppf fits of the Taycan to a fitter.

Taycan is a relatively easy car to do as it has significantly smaller number of pieces compared to a supercar for example

 

[robdds]

Here's a sample sharp corner cut:

Yep, that is what I have on all of my other cars and I just cannot stand it when the car gets dirty. On my GT3, my front nose (not sure what you call it, but it is the panel under the headlights), it is done in many pieces and that drove me nuts when it came to cleaning. I took it to another shop and they showed me the "kit design" on their Xpel software and it was in many pieces. They guided me on how they could manipulate the kit to have more film over edges, but on the nose it is not an option because of the complexities.

I will go take some photos of my GT3 to give a better idea of what I'm referencing as I am not good at describing things.

 

[robdds]

Here is my GT3. This is the nose of my car and I complained to the installler and he said he could not do anything about that. I went to get a 2nd opinion who was referred to me by Xpel as the most experienced in Northern California and he said this was within spec.

 

[Vim Schrotnock]

That is TERRIBLE!! There are exposed seams all over the place. You cannot see a single seam anywhere on my car. The absolute worst I have is the small cut at a sharp edge that I showed in the picture, and that is barely perceptible if you look really closely.

I can't recommend the shop that did my install highly enough. VERY expensive, but they are rated 4.9/5 stars with over 500 reviews! My PPF/Ceramic has a lifetime guarantee with a refresh every year of the ceramic for $120. The installer will replace any panel that ever gets damaged or peels for free, and he wants me to stop by within 6 months so they can check everything. If I don't like anything at all with a panel, they'll replace it. I just checked the invoice, and it was Xpel Ultimate with 4 layers of 9H and one layer of 'light' ceramic pro coating plus two coats on the windows, roof, wheels and calipers. It ran over $10K, but absolutely worth it.

 

[robdds]

That is TERRIBLE!! There are exposed seams all over the place. You cannot see a single seam anywhere on my car. The absolute worst I have is the small cut at a sharp edge that I showed in the picture, and that is barely perceptible if you look really closely.

I can't recommend the shop that did my install highly enough. VERY expensive, but they are rated 4.9/5 stars with over 500 reviews! My PPF/Ceramic has a lifetime guarantee with a refresh every year of the ceramic for $120. The installer will replace any panel that ever gets damaged or peels for free, and he wants me to stop by within 6 months so they can check everything. If I don't like anything at all with a panel, they'll replace it. I just checked the invoice, and it was Xpel Ultimate with 4 layers of 9H and one layer of 'light' ceramic pro coating plus two coats on the windows, roof, wheels and calipers. It ran over $10K, but absolutely worth it.

Different car perhaps that is why. But when I complained to Xpel corporate about the 1st job, they sent me to the 2nd guy who is the one they recommended and the results are above.

I can't wait to get my Taycan done so I can drive freely!!!!

 

[RCorsa]

Any idea about the a pillar on the Taycan if you are not doing the full car

 

[Scandinavian]

That is TERRIBLE!! There are exposed seams all over the place. You cannot see a single seam anywhere on my car. The absolute worst I have is the small cut at a sharp edge that I showed in the picture, and that is barely perceptible if you look really closely.

I can't recommend the shop that did my install highly enough. VERY expensive, but they are rated 4.9/5 stars with over 500 reviews! My PPF/Ceramic has a lifetime guarantee with a refresh every year of the ceramic for $120. The installer will replace any panel that ever gets damaged or peels for free, and he wants me to stop by within 6 months so they can check everything. If I don't like anything at all with a panel, they'll replace it. I just checked the invoice, and it was Xpel Ultimate with 4 layers of 9H and one layer of 'light' ceramic pro coating plus two coats on the windows, roof, wheels and calipers. It ran over $10K, but absolutely worth it.

I completely agree with you! The GT3 PPF seems very bad. Totally unacceptable

I always tell the guy who is going to do the PPF that I want it in stealth PPF. If he flinches or hesitates I move on and find another guy. Then I ask him to show me some of the cars he has done in stealth PPF. And check the end result. Then I might change to glossy PPF but the standards have been established!

With a stealth PPF any seams or uncovered areas show up and it looks absolutely terrible and devalues the car in my mind. It has to be covered to 100 %. That is why I think the new PPS is the way to go! Wish somebody had done that here when I had PPF on my car.

 

[Taycanturbolondon]

I completely agree with you! The GT3 PPF seems very bad. Totally unacceptable

I always tell the guy who is going to do the PPF that I want it in stealth PPF. If he flinches or hesitates I move on and find another guy. Then I ask him to show me some of the cars he has done in stealth PPF. And check the end result. Then I might change to glossy PPF but the standards have been established!

With a stealth PPF any seams or uncovered areas show up and it looks absolutely terrible and devalues the car in my mind. It has to be covered to 100 %. That is why I think the new PPS is the way to go! Wish somebody had done that here when I had PPF on my car.

Just go to a solid company, save yourself the hassle

 

[Scandinavian]

Just go to a solid company, save yourself the hassle

I agree and your car is a prime example of how it should be done. It is beautiful in all the pictures.
Congratulations!

But the story above with a second company stating ” it is within spec” seems a very bad example

 

[RCorsa]

That’s a great idea about the stealth option to set expectations. I started clear PPF my cars 10 years ago when XPEL was first released and have done about 15 cars since. I’ve used all the major installers in a large metropolitan city and now there are only 3 in town that do this work for me for the same reason. It’s all in the installer.

 

[robdds]

I agree and your car is a prime example of how it should be done. It is beautiful in all the pictures.
Congratulations!

But the story above with a second company stating ” it is within spec” seems a very bad example

I reached out to Xpel corporate about this and they said the installer might be able to do a little better, but the GT3 nose is more complex an it cannot be done in 1 piece without lines. That was disappointing, which is why I have not redone it. I have chosen a different company that says they can do my nose without all the lines and pieces. Stay tuned I guess.

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