Apologies. How rude of me to have not answered the OP's original question.

I had the front end, hood, A pillars, rockers, doors, headlights, mirrors and areas behind the wheels PPF protected. I didn't think about the glass roof or rear spoiler until I read some of these posts...damn...have to go back.

 

Rude would have been to contradict the use of PPF, and throw cold water on the idea.


Top Tip- cover the area of the trunk/hatch lid where one would touch the paint to close the lid.
That piece will cost you $15- which shows how reasonable it is, a child can put it on with soapy water, find a child or detailer.


second tip, do the door edges- even cheaper and easier- its not that you will open your doors wrong, but a valet or passenger will.

It cost ten bucks for 4 doors and as easy as applying a sticker.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-3M-...AAAOSwxH1T70iT

 

Great thread

 

Incorrect. You're arguing for using a PPF, with the wrong 'facts'. It's over $5k in materials alone for full Xpel coverage on an F-Type coupe. And I don't know what "virtually every" means, but there's a huge difference between authorized dealers with the proper training and rando 'detail shops'. A quick few mouse clicks on the Xpel site reveals this info.

Anything is 'DIY' if you have the skills and the tools. Go to car meets and you can spot the good wraps and bad, both vinyl and PPF. If you don't apply and cure it properly, it'll look like ****.

Those decade-plus long fads. K.

Odd swirl? Applied properly, ceramic coatings completely change the way the surface of the car reacts to contaminants and debris.


OP - see some installs/applications in person, get quotes from reputable shops, and decide for yourself. You get what you pay for.

 

Rubbish.
Take it part by part.
Cost $25 to protect a headlight from damage. So its cheap compared to the $1k for the replacement headlight.
Super easy to apply. I have done it!!!

Full car coverage is for suckers- and not the topic of this thread!

 

Lol. Your posts speak for themselves. And the thread is literally titled, 'Where to put paint protection film?" That would include advice to apply "on the full car". As for full car coverage being for suckers, like I said, your posts speak for themselves. Exactly what I'd expect from someone buying door edge guards of eBay for their $100k car.

 

Ebay is actually expensive. But fine for the public.
I get mine through a industrial supplier, as we use it on our products.
It cost $4 per sq ft. See screen shot below of confidential pricing.

 

p.s. A headlight takes 2 sqft or $8
Expensive to a fool

 

FYI for those looking to use PPF
250 sq ft easily does an entire Ftype. Or $1000.
The most commonly covered areas will cost you $500 in material.

Its blatantly incorrect that just the materials cost $5000.

 

They do, the water beads off when it's clean. It's hydrophobic and it'll also make the paintwork look glossier as well.

Having had our first F Nano-ceramic coated, I wasn't impressed. Swirls, scratches and rock chips will still penetrate this ultra thin layer
So, it's a coating that makes cleaning the car easier...that's it!


The product ended up being filed along with snow foam...into the bleeding waste of money drawer!

 

Ahh okay so you had a bad experience with a specific product with a specific installer. Was paint correction done prior to coating? How many layers of ceramic coating was applied? Was a top coat applied? Did your certified installer do all of this in a temperature controlled environment? Did each layer cure properly?

...A little different then just saying "useless expensive fad" without any supporting information.

Maybe post info that will help the OP, instead of spamming his thread with "useless" clutter.

 

I feel even more sorry for the OP then before..............

 

Here is another thread on your other question about rocks on the glass roof:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/f...cement-200327/

 

Another usage for paint protection film that most dont know about- a per use basis.
(same way as the manufacturer does for shipping)
Orafol 270 Stone Guard is $1 per sqft or less.
Which makes it possible to use in a disposable manner.

So, if you need to make a long trip where the vacuum behind a truck will give lift to rocks and your air-carving front-end will intercept it. Or driving it in winter or through winter. You can remove the film when you return.

 

Queen and Country,

Now you are up to calling people RUDE who do not agree with you about this being an "Easy DIY job"?

OP- get film if you want to or leave paint unprotected if you want to. Completely your choice. Advantages and disadvantages for either choice.

Just please do a quick Google search about PPF installation errors before you accept the idea that this is an easy DIY project. I think that you will be quite surprised to read about all of the mishaps from owners as well as professional installers when doing their own installations.

For example- Rule number 1- ideal installation location would be in a climate controlled and dust free environment. My installer who is outstanding will not even think of doing an install at any place other than his shop where he has all of these controls. Where are you going to find a dust free environment and yes dust does make a difference. It really does just like defects that show up when painting a car in a contaminated area. There are MANY other factors to consider before you attempt this as a DIY project. You can listen to the hype on this thread about this being an "Easy DIY" project but I assure you it is not. These are facts and not just my opinion.

 

Dont take this the bad way, If you dont even know how much the material cost of PPF is- you know nothing.

Watch 3M demonstrate how easily it is done. And why they have tons of DIY videos online. And why they sell thousands of precut film.

 

Even easier video.
I understand that some folks cant mow their own yard- but this is classified as DIY as noted by this company.

 

I think smaller pieces as you've shown can be dyi. I think doing the f type hood, front bumpers, areas around intakes will require some training and experience. My first xpel install was seriously screwed up, by someone with training but insufficient experience. My second installer showed me, because I insisted on understanding how a repeat would not happen. It may take some time to know how could the install actually is.

 

Absolutely, its best to pay experienced folks to do anything with complex curves such as mirrors. In fact all of it, since we can afford an exotic.
My point in showing the DIY nature of it was to illustrate that there is no school or student loan that needs to be paid off for this profession and thus cheaper and easier than repainting. The other guy is suggesting that its better to repaint. Which is utter nonsense. Which is why the manufacturer uses PPF out of the factory.

 

As poorly as my xpel was applied on my ftype, it saved some scuffs from having tapped the front bumper that would not have been solved by filling in paint chips. Also, my XF had such pockmarking on the hood and rockers that it made me cringe. I hated to wash and wax it as I would keep discovering more.