mobiledynamics

Madtech -

I just scrolled back to the OP. I don't see the details. What brand/model is the film ?

Chilled -

Are you still deciding what is the plan for your headlights ?

If this was my project, I would buy new lense covers and replace them.

Yes, that itself is a project in itself but it's fairly straightforward...

Remove lense, clean out channel, new butyl, new lens - Lotsa clamps all around the cover/headlight housing for a consistent clamp-seal

Then just get it wrapped to protect the *plastic lense* with PPF.

1 hour ago, code_66 said:

 

It really depends on how much you value the appearance of your vehicle. Let's use XPEL Ultimate Plus for example, from factory, it already has a hydrophobic top coat to add some beading effect when water hits it.

If you know basic detailing skills, or have a "can do" attitude, I would recommend you buying a high end retail ceramic coating, and then applying it yourself. I would personally recommend Gyeon, as their products are very user friendly, and forgiving in case of any mistakes (high spots for example). 

What I've done on my personal vehicle is the following:

- installed PPF on the entire front end and rockers right after possession (XPEL Ultimate Plus)

- did a light single stage correction 

- applied a one year coating (in this case, Gyeon Pure)

- every time I hand wash my vehicle, I spray a product called "Gyeon WetCoat", this is basically watered down ceramic coating, and you apply it to a clean, BUT, wet surface, then you rinse off and dry

- then once a month, or whenever I'm bored, I'll manually wipe down my vehicle with Gyeon Cure, which is like WetCoat, but a bit more concentrated, and takes a bit more time as you are applying by hand with a clean MF towel

 

Following this method, it has given me the results of a five year coating but at a fraction of the cost. As long as you maintain your coating with any product that contains SI02 (the main ingredient in ceramic coatings), you'll never need to re-apply your coating. 

 

YMMV, but this method and combination has worked well for my personal and families vehicles. 

Your many toppers outline herein lies the problem that I was stating...

The average consumer cannot even wash their car....

When someone installs a $2500 front end PPF wrap or a $7500 full wrap

They expect it to be some magical forcefield

The same when someone spends $2500+ for a High Solids Coating. 

The High Solids Coating won't prevent Paint Chips...However, it does last on paint with minimal maintenance. The coating itself can get clogged but the product itself does stay on the -base layer-. Most people who have paid for their 1st coating - their 1st inquiry is I got a paint chip - wasn't this $$$ coating supposed to prevent that with it's ~9H~ hardness.....

With PPF

However, nothing IMO sticks for long on PPF. Whether it be high solids , mid solids or just spray sealant SI02 in a bottle.

Look at the maintenance schedule you have outlined for *your PPF*.

The reality is, every PPF owners needs to adhere to this to some degree as PPF is porous. If you don't maintain your LSP,  a stain can set in and may require the film to removed off panel/new film to fix it..

PPF does help with paint chips, scratches, marring, etc. 

It's not a one all product though because IMO nothing really sticks on it for long.

Let's take Xpel's coating for the Ultimate Plus. It's been ages since I've looked at it, but isn't the callout is that one must go back to the Xpel Installer facility to get it re-coated every year in order for the warranty to be valid.

With that said, when I stated if a professional detailing shop upsells a coating to a customer ontop of their already expensive PPF install, are they doing a dis-service to the customer....

But hey, I get it. Green is green. ALOT of PPF guys on the market these days cashing in...

I'm not a installer or in the same trades....

Not the best party to comment . And I believe you are on the other end of the map.....

What is offered out here may not be offered over there for discussion sake. 

In the auto detailing world, while alot of USA products to some degree I know are carried overseas, there alot of popular brands out East that are nil/nary out West.

I'd say find a trusted installer, and let him advise you of what works best....and what he will stand behind.

With PPF, material aside, the installer is always key to this...

I personally would not be wrapping it in PPF, until I put back the clear. 

However, that's a personal objective POV...

1 hour ago, code_66 said:

brand of ceramic coating, or else they wouldn't honor my warranties, I knew it was the end of my relationship with them. 

As a consumer, and not a pro detailing shop. do you feel that selling a *coating* on PPF is value added ?

IMO, nothing last long on PPF and for the pro shops selling high solid coating jobs ontop of PPF......I think it's a dis-service since IME nothing really sticks for long...

On the flip side of this statement, PPF is porous and the consumer does need to maintain some sort of LSP on it...as this stuff will soak/absorb/ and stain...

How is the so called -warranty- amongst in network dealers on this stuff. Part of the $$ charge is supposedly the 10 year or whatever warranty with PPF. I never paid much  attention into it but when I was doing readings on this stuff, to some degree they were honoring it (one would need to go back to the original installer), etc. If the original installer was the hack job, then the consumer had to *fight* to get it rectified by an alternative dealer...etc. 

I've never driven with one on it but might as well ask, since we got this topic going. How clear is clear on this stuff. I mean PPF in general does have a tinge of orange peel to itself - depending how well interprets -clarity-

Topcoat = sealant coating. On PPF for paint....it's my general observation, nothing sticks/lasts long on this anyway, so I'm consistently keeping a LSP on it anyhow. 

Interesting remark about Stek. I like their films. It's clearer than Xpel, but I suppose it's also thinner - tradeoffs.

Their *new* color PPF looks great from the videos I've seen. Apparently last time I heard about this a few weeks back, their production run of this is not good, so that's been pulled back

For those familiar , what's your take on Windshield PPF

The last time I was looking into this stuff, all the top brands had issues with curing time...

Anyhow, I have a certain vehicle, that due to the angle of the glass, etc - it's just prone to chips/cracks.

We have windshield on the insurance....you know how it goes. They say it doesn't affect your premium as it's a rider...but you end up getting surcharged eventually...

I honestly would not have discovered this had I did not end up leaving  the film on the WS....

The clarity was like yours : driving me nutz

I even drove with the heater defroster blower on a few times if I recall

Too much damage : risk factor on tint removal was really high on the avoid list so I delayed having it removed.

Hence how I was able to realize it just needed time to cure out

FWIW, between Sept-mid November, I have even purposely pulled it out of the garage to let things bake....and cure out.

It literally just needs time, based on my most recent experience

It was summer so anywhere from 80-95F as a wild guess outdoors - however, it being indoors@ the shop, maybe 75-80 ?

I haven't observed even *LAH* after my issue of clarity went away so I can't put a specific timeline of it.

I was ready to rip off the front tint if it was going to be a persistent LAH..

It's the wife's car so I don't have a good baseline of when it was present (dusk, early *high*sun, etc) as I only drive it on the weekends. But it was prevalent. I recall saying, it's been like 3-4 months. Surely it must be dried by now and it had to be LAH. But magically over around Dec-January if I recall, it was gone. There's never been a time since then where even I think LAH is a issue

FWIW, I had a late august-september WS install and the haze/clarity you speak of - Mine went away I wanna say towards December....

I was thinking it was polarized glasses and LAH, and what not....but it turned out it simply just needed time to really dry out.

$60 with shipping is actually a decent price.....I can't think of any of the handful of PPF installers I would use that is still using 3M PPF thou. Maybe 2 decades ago...

Top tier film would run like 2X that (non dealer cost) at straight retail MAP pricing....

Consider it a learning lesson.....

I mentioned liner , cause that is still alot less work than having to pull the front bumper and not break a clip or a wire harness......so removing it to spray or wrap if you have the means is going to net the best results regardless.

Don't have the answer for you in any way but why are you tacking to the hood.

You got some plastic ontop of the headlight ....before you reach the assembly where you can tuck it.

I dunno how much you paid but PPF retail ain't cheap in my neck of the woods ( LOL, I bought some material to do my snowblower).......

So you don't need to drop the front bumper . Just the liner ?

I would have had it out for either 2K or just have it out on table for wrapping if it just needed to open it up from the well to get access...

Are there are PPF/ Vinyl Wrap shops in your vicinity....Should be a fairly reasonable fee just to get the headlights wrapped.

Are we discussing Post #2. I just presume it was air/liquid bubbles in addition to some -defects- in the lense itself. I still see -marring- directly to the right of the sample square

You have plenty of room to wrap the top headlight....lift the hood as there is plenty of surface to wrap.

Not a pro....just have last 5 cars fully wrapped and prior have had the front clip/headlights/sills done so I know PPF...

Scoring it...eh, I'll let the pro's chime is. It's all about muscle memory feel ......and the material is thick. 

IME it takes a skilled craftsman to know when to stretch, when to re-lief, etc as getting those corners to stick is an art in itself. FILM will shift over the course of 30-60 days so things that look like they are sticking may lift sometime during that period was the film moves a little bit...

If I was thinking long term, I'd still do the 2K and then wrap 

Are you using the headlight film (which is thicker) than the film for paint (thinner)....

I mention thicker...as the thicker ones tend to want to unwrap from the tuck if not tacked on tight due to thick film-curve...

Good luck either way. If you pop the hood, looks like you have plenty of space to wrap/tuck the top.

The sides or bottom of the headlight.......eh, maybe grabs some scraps you have and just practice cutting....as to looks ur going to need to score to -da edge-

Unless you are able to correctly strethch/tuck/wrap the film so that none of the lense is exposed....you're fine with PPF. 

Per you original inquiry about asking for a precut - for sure there will be some level of lense exposed....

I don't know ### about 3M film but maybe this is a regional thing......3M was a PPF brand one talked and installed 20 years about but I can't think of a single dealer -in a very wide net circle of cherry picked PPF guys- who use 3M for PPF.

Good luck. The key is covering all facets of the lense.

Whether it be by spray or PPF (without any partial plastic exposed) - aka, you will get partial with pre-cuts.

In the pattern software. guys can mimic and add a mm here or there to allow for tuck...

Getting it to stick on the curve .......over the long run will be key here

And if it's one of those cases  that you need to spend X time to get them out.....while it's out, I'd probably put in new turns and Xenon's to as part of preventative maintenance...

If you're halfway there with the light out to get cleared, then I would consider spraying them and after curing is done to PPF it. 

Spray for UV, PPF to protect the lense as well as suspender/belts approach on UV....But hey, it's a 15 year German car. You may get tired of dealing with maintenance and repairs if the previous owners did not stay ontop of it....comes with the territory ya know..

Off topic or on topic since windshields are being discussed. It is my own belief that even at dealerships, glass work in subbed out for the most part....

However, from what I've told, -some dealerships- do their own glass work in house....(although I suspect it's a limited percentage) vs subbing it out

For those in the Windshield biz know how......would you agree with bullet #1 (all glass is subbed out) or #2, where yes, you guys have seem some dealership do glass work in house.

It wouldn't not make sense to me to have tooling, consumable material, training, etc to do it in house but let me hear it...

Did you do any post mitigation as part of process - like 2K clear. Otherwise it will get oxidized again anyhow...

Film does help. However, it looks best when it's you remove the headlight, pull/stretch so that the corners are wrapped.

For my -eyes- , on the precuts, there will always be an edge....just depends how much you want to don't care to see it

Not planning to DIY removal ....and I do have steamer on deck.

And I can take my time ....versus a pro on the clock.....efficiency/productivity of speed.

Not sure my tint shop would like that though........kinda like bringing you own steak to a restaurant and just having them cook it.

Just looking at the small recess - rake where the dashboard/windshield meets.....I'm not too crazed even with a soak rope, and towels on the dash....and the involvement of what's needed to clean it before re-tint.

Guess I'll just have to wait it out

I totally forgot when I posted this but that has what I have been telling myself as well - just wait as I will need to get it replaced it at some point.....It's not driven that much though, so it take longer for the inevitable rock to catch up to me

I've been hemming and hawing at this so dare I ask

I do want to get my front WS retinted

Just the mere idea of the steps involved on removal and cleaning to get a good base for new tint scares the heckuva out me......

And the windshield is on a slope, unlike a door so I presume it's even harder for the installer to manage the whole cleaning process than standing straight on a door.

So let me hear it. Pro's do this everyday and shiiiiiii happens sometimes.

Or no, steam, peel off and there will be minimal to clean = less potential for damage.

All good. Glad the redo came out fine....

I know someone who had their front door redone 3X like you.

Leather Door Card Utterly damaged due to the presumably too much slip/liquid/etc ....

Decent Shop - just a most likely a new installer at the craft who should have not been working on a luxury vehicle

I guess since the installer get's paid per job....shop owner made the installer do the redo on the second and third pass

Shop ended up buying a new $2200 for a new door card