Paint Protection Film (PPF) such as XPEL for Mach-E

TheSteelRider

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2019
Threads
56
Messages
1,135
Reaction score
2,007
Location
United States
Vehicles
'21 Premium RWD
Country flag
Does anyone in here have experience with old clear bras?
Do they yellow/flake/peel?
have you tried to remove them and been successful?
I have XPEL Ultimate on a 215 Summit White Camaro (SS, RS + 1LE) -- full hood, full front bumper, headlights, both full front fenders, over both sets of gills in front of the rear tires, and on the bumper behind each rear tire. All of the XPEL is clear finish, except for the hood which is matte (the hood XPEL is on top of the black wrap that comes with the 1LE package).

Setup the wrap before I bought the car, so I took delivery and drove it to get wrapped immediately. So, the wrap has been on since purchase and will be 6 years in June.

Note:
XPEL Ultimate comes with a 10 year warranty against yellowing or peeling.

With that background, here are some observations:

* I have had a few incidents of dings and scratches on the XPEL. It works as good or better than advertised. Simply park the car in the sun for a couple of hours and it self-heals. Honestly, it is like magic. You absolutely have to see this stuff in action to believe it.

* Only 1 of the incidents left a permanent mark (small scratches) that the self-healing wasn't able to completely heal. That said, you can't really notice the spot unless you are angled correctly against the sun. On the plus side, the XPEL still absorbed the scratches, they did not make it all the way through the film.

* The film itself has not yellowed or otherwise changed colors, at least not to my eye. One word of caution here ... the stuff does seem to collect dirt better than painted metal, and darkens with grime. But, a good solid wash restores the lustre.

* I have what is probably a minor nitpick / complaint. Due to the massive coverage on my car, there are some seams. The installer used every trick to hide them, and did a FANTASTIC job, but inevitably with all the curves there are still some exposed seams. If the car is perfectly clean, the seams are invisible unless you are literally 2 feet away staring directly at them. But, the seams attract dirt like you can't imagine! I try to compensate by making sure to keep a couple coats of wax and that helps, but still grime collects in the crannies.

* This car is a garage queen and is always garaged at home or work. XPEL does gurantee their product against UV damage and I don't have any UV damage, but then again it's almost never in the direct sun so I can't say that I've honestly tested the limits of the product with regards to UV protection.

* I have not tried to remove the PPF. Honestly if I were to want / need to remove it, I would bring it back to my XPEL installer and pay to have them do it. That said, I have seen some YouTubers remove their PPF by leaving it in the sun for a few hours, then using a hair dryer to warm it up a tad more. They make it look very simple. One example is Stradman .. all his cars are wrapped with PPF and he's removed it twice that I've seen here and there.

Last -- would I recommend PPF in general, and XPEL Ultimate in particular?
I am going to say YES and NO. :) (you didn't think it would be that easy?)

My 'Maro cost me $$$, and at the time I purchased it, I went all in and factory-ordered what I wanted, and paid through the nose for it. This was my dream car, still is, and I did and do plan on keeping it for basically ever. For my wrap described above, which covers just about maybe 60 - 70% of the car, I paid right at $2,500 installed. Would I install XPEL again on this car if I had to do it over? Yes, and not only Yes, but I would probably go full 100% coverage as well.

Besides that car, I have two Hondas that I do not plan on keeping forever. I would never think of putting PPF on those cars.

I haven't decided yet on the Mach E. Unlike the 'Maro, I'm not convinced I'm going to keep this vehicle for a significant amount of time. It is likely I will consider the front bumper and hood only, especially due to the shape of the bumper in the front.

I hope this covers all the bases, let me know if there are specific questions I can answer more.
Sponsored

 

JoelOclock

Well-Known Member
First Name
Joel
Joined
Mar 7, 2020
Threads
15
Messages
197
Reaction score
183
Location
Seattle
Vehicles
Mustang Mach E Premium ER AWD
Country flag
I have XPEL Ultimate on a 215 Summit White Camaro (SS, RS + 1LE) -- full hood, full front bumper, headlights, both full front fenders, over both sets of gills in front of the rear tires, and on the bumper behind each rear tire. All of the XPEL is clear finish, except for the hood which is matte (the hood XPEL is on top of the black wrap that comes with the 1LE package).

Setup the wrap before I bought the car, so I took delivery and drove it to get wrapped immediately. So, the wrap has been on since purchase and will be 6 years in June.

Note:
XPEL Ultimate comes with a 10 year warranty against yellowing or peeling.

With that background, here are some observations:

* I have had a few incidents of dings and scratches on the XPEL. It works as good or better than advertised. Simply park the car in the sun for a couple of hours and it self-heals. Honestly, it is like magic. You absolutely have to see this stuff in action to believe it.

* Only 1 of the incidents left a permanent mark (small scratches) that the self-healing wasn't able to completely heal. That said, you can't really notice the spot unless you are angled correctly against the sun. On the plus side, the XPEL still absorbed the scratches, they did not make it all the way through the film.

* The film itself has not yellowed or otherwise changed colors, at least not to my eye. One word of caution here ... the stuff does seem to collect dirt better than painted metal, and darkens with grime. But, a good solid wash restores the lustre.

* I have what is probably a minor nitpick / complaint. Due to the massive coverage on my car, there are some seams. The installer used every trick to hide them, and did a FANTASTIC job, but inevitably with all the curves there are still some exposed seams. If the car is perfectly clean, the seams are invisible unless you are literally 2 feet away staring directly at them. But, the seams attract dirt like you can't imagine! I try to compensate by making sure to keep a couple coats of wax and that helps, but still grime collects in the crannies.

* This car is a garage queen and is always garaged at home or work. XPEL does gurantee their product against UV damage and I don't have any UV damage, but then again it's almost never in the direct sun so I can't say that I've honestly tested the limits of the product with regards to UV protection.

* I have not tried to remove the PPF. Honestly if I were to want / need to remove it, I would bring it back to my XPEL installer and pay to have them do it. That said, I have seen some YouTubers remove their PPF by leaving it in the sun for a few hours, then using a hair dryer to warm it up a tad more. They make it look very simple. One example is Stradman .. all his cars are wrapped with PPF and he's removed it twice that I've seen here and there.

Last -- would I recommend PPF in general, and XPEL Ultimate in particular?
I am going to say YES and NO. :) (you didn't think it would be that easy?)

My 'Maro cost me $$$, and at the time I purchased it, I went all in and factory-ordered what I wanted, and paid through the nose for it. This was my dream car, still is, and I did and do plan on keeping it for basically ever. For my wrap described above, which covers just about maybe 60 - 70% of the car, I paid right at $2,500 installed. Would I install XPEL again on this car if I had to do it over? Yes, and not only Yes, but I would probably go full 100% coverage as well.

Besides that car, I have two Hondas that I do not plan on keeping forever. I would never think of putting PPF on those cars.

I haven't decided yet on the Mach E. Unlike the 'Maro, I'm not convinced I'm going to keep this vehicle for a significant amount of time. It is likely I will consider the front bumper and hood only, especially due to the shape of the bumper in the front.

I hope this covers all the bases, let me know if there are specific questions I can answer more.
Really helpful, thank you!
 

zhackwyatt

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2019
Threads
14
Messages
1,603
Reaction score
2,616
Location
Arizona
Vehicles
'21 InfBlu Prem MMEx Past: '13 C-Max '98 Explorer
Country flag
I have XPEL Ultimate on a 215 Summit White Camaro (SS, RS + 1LE) -- full hood, full front bumper, headlights, both full front fenders, over both sets of gills in front of the rear tires, and on the bumper behind each rear tire. All of the XPEL is clear finish, except for the hood which is matte (the hood XPEL is on top of the black wrap that comes with the 1LE package).

Setup the wrap before I bought the car, so I took delivery and drove it to get wrapped immediately. So, the wrap has been on since purchase and will be 6 years in June.
So the XPEL is over a wrap? You don't have any exposed paint? Or just the hood is wrapped?

My understanding is UV is supposed to pass through XPEL in order for the paint to fade at the same rate as non-XPEL covered areas. Have you noticed this to be true?

When you say you wax are you talking about the XPEL too? Or do you just wash it and that's it?
 
Last edited:

zhackwyatt

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2019
Threads
14
Messages
1,603
Reaction score
2,616
Location
Arizona
Vehicles
'21 InfBlu Prem MMEx Past: '13 C-Max '98 Explorer
Country flag
So the XPEL is over a wrap? You don't have any exposed paint? Or just the hood is wrapped?

My understanding is UV is supposed to pass through XPEL in order for the paint to fade at the same rate as non-XPEL covered areas. Have you noticed this to be true?

When you say you wax are you talking about the XPEL too? Or do you just wash it and that's it?
My goal is for the MME to not turn into my C-MAX.
Before:
8586123469_1564649154.jpg

After:
Ford Mustang Mach-E Paint Protection Film (PPF) such as XPEL for Mach-E IMG_20200403_144040


Arizona rocks...yay!
?
 
OP
OP
TheSteelRider

TheSteelRider

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2019
Threads
56
Messages
1,135
Reaction score
2,007
Location
United States
Vehicles
'21 Premium RWD
Country flag
To answer this question,

So the XPEL is over a wrap? You don't have any exposed paint? Or just the hood is wrapped?

My understanding is UV is supposed to pass through XPEL in order for the paint to fade at the same rate as non-XPEL covered areas. Have you noticed this to be true?

When you say you wax are you talking about the XPEL too? Or do you just wash it and that's it?
I have the 1LE package which in part adds a black vinyl wrap to the hood only. So, I have XPEL matte finish over the black vinyl on the hood only. The rest of the XPEL is XPEL Ultimate clear directly over the paint on the other body panels I mention in the original post.

I'm not completely sure on the UV rejection vs. pass-through of the product. I knew the car was going to be a garage queen, so that part of the product I didn't research or care about at the time.

I use normal wax on the exposed areas of the car not covered in PPF, and I use XPEL's sealer product on the PPF. The sealer over the PPF seems to perform better and last longer than the other areas of the car with normal wax, for what it is worth.
 


OP
OP
TheSteelRider

TheSteelRider

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2019
Threads
56
Messages
1,135
Reaction score
2,007
Location
United States
Vehicles
'21 Premium RWD
Country flag
Here are what I'm talking about with the seams. Right now my car is DIRTY with a capital "D", as I failed to wash it before this whole pandemic, and it's been garaged since. This is what I mean when I say the seams attract dirt.

This first is the lower portion of the driver side front bumper. You can clearly see the seams.
Ford Mustang Mach-E Paint Protection Film (PPF) such as XPEL for Mach-E IMG_20200413_124122


And here is the upper portion of the driver side front fender where it meets the front bumper and hood. Again, note the seams.
Ford Mustang Mach-E Paint Protection Film (PPF) such as XPEL for Mach-E IMG_20200413_124135
 
  • Like
Reactions: UW2

zhackwyatt

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2019
Threads
14
Messages
1,603
Reaction score
2,616
Location
Arizona
Vehicles
'21 InfBlu Prem MMEx Past: '13 C-Max '98 Explorer
Country flag
Here are what I'm talking about with the seams. Right now my car is DIRTY with a capital "D", as I failed to wash it before this whole pandemic, and it's been garaged since. This is what I mean when I say the seams attract dirt.

This first is the lower portion of the driver side front bumper. You can clearly see the seams.
Ford Mustang Mach-E Paint Protection Film (PPF) such as XPEL for Mach-E IMG_20171019_180835426_HDR


And here is the upper portion of the driver side front fender where it meets the front bumper and hood. Again, note the seams.
Ford Mustang Mach-E Paint Protection Film (PPF) such as XPEL for Mach-E IMG_20171019_180835426_HDR
I guess it isn't possible to role the film over the curve of the body?

Any problems with it peeling up, especially when washing it back and forth across the seam?
 
OP
OP
TheSteelRider

TheSteelRider

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2019
Threads
56
Messages
1,135
Reaction score
2,007
Location
United States
Vehicles
'21 Premium RWD
Country flag
Yes, it is possible to roll the film to a certain degree. I had talked at length with my installer before the job. As I understand it, there are two general ways to apply the film .. with pre-cut pieces, or with hand-cut pieces.

With pre-cut pieces, a giant cutting machine (maybe laser?) is used to precisely cut the pieces for each part of the car. Then, the installer simply carefully places the pieces.

With hand-cut pieces, the installer cuts a giant square / rectangle sheet and places the entire sheet over the area. He then uses a razor blade to hand cut the piece while it is on the car.

My installer recommended the pre-cut pieces as there is less of a chance to damage the car during install. Secondly, as I understand it, when you fold a piece over a curved surface, you need at least a certain amount of millimeters of film on either side of the curve for proper adhesion. My installer recommended not installing into these "cracks" as they are prone to peel. It made sense to me at the time, and I agreed with the installer.

I have never had any issues with peeling, and XPEL Ultimate (which is the more expensive line of film XPEL sells) is covered for 10 years for peeling when installed by one of their official installers. With that said, I only hand-wash and I use microfiber cloths, so it isn't likely I'm rubbing very hard either.
 

ChasingCoral

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mark
Joined
Feb 3, 2020
Threads
375
Messages
12,402
Reaction score
24,516
Location
Maryland
Vehicles
GB E4X FE, Leaf, Tacoma, F-150 Lightning ordered
Occupation
Retired oceanographer
Country flag
I'll definitely be reaching out to our local XPEL dealer to get some front-end protection when I pick up my Mach E.
 

stmache

Well-Known Member
First Name
Scott
Joined
Oct 24, 2019
Threads
33
Messages
934
Reaction score
1,185
Location
Syracuse, NY
Vehicles
2023 Ford Mustang Mach-e GTP, 2017 Ford Mustang EB
Occupation
IT Manager, Photographer
Country flag
This is the one thing I should have done as soon as I took delivery of my 2017 Ford Mustang. The front got chipped right away. IMO, I would plan on having this done for any Mach e buyer. Today's paint is put on as thin as possible to save money.
 

Stickboy46

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
209
Reaction score
229
Location
Kansas
Vehicles
2020 Tesla Model 3 AWD LR
Country flag
I don't have any long term comments on this, but I will throw out there that they actually have 2 different types of XPEL. The regular which you can do on singular portions of the car, then there is the XPEL Stealth, which makes it a matte finish. So obviously you have to wrap the whole car, but gives it a really different look. Still gives it all of the same protections at the other XPEL films.

Here are some pictures of it on my Model 3 I just got. First picture is without it, the next 3 are with it.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Paint Protection Film (PPF) such as XPEL for Mach-E FB_IMG_1586897979023
Ford Mustang Mach-E Paint Protection Film (PPF) such as XPEL for Mach-E 20200320_165434
Ford Mustang Mach-E Paint Protection Film (PPF) such as XPEL for Mach-E 20200320_165425
Ford Mustang Mach-E Paint Protection Film (PPF) such as XPEL for Mach-E 20200320_165413
 

timbop

Well-Known Member
First Name
Tim
Joined
Jan 3, 2020
Threads
63
Messages
6,729
Reaction score
13,758
Location
New Jersey
Vehicles
Solar powered 2021 MME ER RWD & 2022 Corsair PHEV
Occupation
Software Engineer
Country flag
That matte finish is really nice. Does it show blemishes and dirt more or less than glossy paint? I love a black car (on my second black 'stang), when clean and polished they are gorgeous. But, it is just too much of a PITA to keep it clean.
 

Stickboy46

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
209
Reaction score
229
Location
Kansas
Vehicles
2020 Tesla Model 3 AWD LR
Country flag
That matte finish is really nice. Does it show blemishes and dirt more or less than glossy paint? I love a black car (on my second black 'stang), when clean and polished they are gorgeous. But, it is just too much of a PITA to keep it clean.
Haven't had it long enough to really say for sure. But the couple times stuff has gotten on it, a quick wipe down with a damp cloth and it was gone. It's SUPPOSED to be easier to clean. You can also have ceramic coating put right on top of the film if you just want to have a super easy clean.
Sponsored

 
 




Top