Protective Film - Which one?

[CarreraGTS]

Hi All

As you know, just got my first 911 from OPC Leeds - they did an incredible job prepping the car and its totally unblemished. I was hoping to keep the car that way so was thinking of a Front end Protective Film - I would appreciate your thoughts on this from the perspective of Cost and which one performs the best over time ...?

Many thanks
A

 

[Lancerlot]

As a ratio of cost to protection, my opinion is value is poor. What you spend on the cling film would cover you for a decent paint job when the time comes. It might defend the odd stone chip, but it will be double the cost of scrape repair.
just drive the car and stop worrying! []
Regards,
Clive.

 

[garyw]

As an estimate- I'd say a couple of thousand for the better film, I have my current car done by paintsheild (in Peterborough- although they will travel to you for a moderate fee)
I found that the wrap after a while becomes pitted as much as the paint itself- although it is obviously easier to fix by simply having the wrap replaced and you keep the paint as per new- also it gets done in a day []

I do get a lot of stone chips/miles so mine may be a bit worse than usual....

However I have just come across a scrape across my bonnet, it does look as if the film may have actually saved the paint, so maybe time for me to get it replaced across the front...
But Clive is correct, in that if you scrape the car [] you're looking at the double repair...

 

[CarreraGTS]

Thanks Clive & Gary - Wow £2k, thats expensive ... I think i will save my money and try not to drive too close to the car in front ...

 

[RussellFunnell]

I had the same dilemma as you when I got my latest car and I came to a similar conclusion of trying to keep back a little on drives, although I'm sure that is easier said than done once you get out there as you want to push the car and show the Turbos that you have no problem keeping up :-/

My last car didn't have any protection and it got peppered with stone chips and when I took it in to the OPC to get a price against the new one they didn't bat an eyelid, I presume they expect to paint the front anyway. Talking to a couple of guys at events it did become evident that the cost of painting was far less than the protection, the protection cannot guarantee that nothing will ever get through and damage the paint, so while my heart wanted to protect my paintwork, my head and Mrs. F said drive the car and enjoy it and stop worrying about it.

So I'm with Clive on this one (although my heart still wants to wrap the car in bubble wrap).

 

[ralphmusic]

I pay circa £650 for Ventureshield on front pu, frunk, side sills, mirrors and headlights. My last 4 cars have been done after the previous one had bad pebble rash.

The £2k is for super duper self healing film. My current car got hit after 3 days by an empty coca-cola can on the frunk and it left a tiny blurred mark which is hardly visible.

It just depends if you want to avoid/reduce the possibility of looking at chip marks every time you wash the car.

 

[N.Alam]

I used durable who will either come to you or you can visit them in winnersh in reading they have a base up north too. My car is protected with the film quarter way up the bonnet ,bumpers all front end lights and around the wings by lights wing mirrors and cost around £600 plus fuel cost and car stayed with them over night . once the film is on you can see a very light orange peel effect and a faint line across the bonnet unless you cover the hole bonnet its hardly visible you can notice it if you look for it ,I have had it for almost 2 years its great .

i use the car on motorways and have about 3 pepper blisters from years of driving and occasionl hard acceleration the shield also self heals in the sun and you can hardly see the 3 blisters, I would recomend it and in this same time of owner ship my Cayman S front end was littered with stone chips and needed a paint job. The paint is like new under neath can come of without damage.

 

[garyw]

There is cheaper for sure- I currently have a different film on the lower PU due to said kerb damage []

Paintshield Exel would have been £600 where the other was £120.00.. is it as good?- nope! will it suffice for the short term? Yep!

 

[CarreraGTS]

what is the name of the cheaper film - what are its draw backs ..?? thanks

 

[ralphmusic]

See my post #5 above.

It looks perfectly good to me and I am rather a cleaning nut. It does not self heal and it may have a slight orange peel effect if not applied properly, but I suppose the same is true of all types.

Maintenance, it is best IMO not to apply wax, but to use a sealant.

However I have no experience of maintenance or longevity of the super-duper type of films.

If you don't like stone chips, get it protected.

 

[geoff lane]

I have used Paintshield on my Turbo S and my GT3 each time covered the front, bonnet, wings and mirrors with the self healing film which I don't think totally works. It does protect the paint chips and I find Porsche paint is soft and chips easily my earlier cars were all pebble dashed.
I think I paid just over £1k, I was very pleased with the first job but felt the 2nd fitting was not as good, the first time they touched in several chips before fitting the film however with the GT3 despite taking some touch up paint and pointing out the 2 chips they fitted the film and did not do the chips. The fitting was not so good either which I guess depends on the fitter.

It does however protect the paint and I would do it again as I am a bit fanatical about clean immaculate cars. I do polish the film and have been told by paint shied what I should and should not use. As a business they are very helpful.

Geoff

 

[tscaptain]

I think the best protective film is to leave it in the garage and don't drive it......[]

 

[CarreraGTS]

Thanks Geoff - I guess your car is the Grey GT3RS with the red wheels that they use in their gallery ... Beautiful!

ORIGINAL: geoff lane


I have used Paintshield on my Turbo S and my GT3 each time covered the front, bonnet, wings and mirrors with the self healing film which I don't think totally works. It does protect the paint chips and I find Porsche paint is soft and chips easily my earlier cars were all pebble dashed.
I think I paid just over £1k, I was very pleased with the first job but felt the 2nd fitting was not as good, the first time they touched in several chips before fitting the film however with the GT3 despite taking some touch up paint and pointing out the 2 chips they fitted the film and did not do the chips. The fitting was not so good either which I guess depends on the fitter.

It does however protect the paint and I would do it again as I am a bit fanatical about clean immaculate cars. I do polish the film and have been told by paint shied what I should and should not use. As a business they are very helpful.

Geoff

 

[tscaptain]

ORIGINAL: CarreraGTS

Thanks Geoff - I guess your car is the Grey GT3RS with the red wheels that they use in their gallery ... Beautiful!

Nothing so brash for Geoff! Looks like this one....

 

[CarreraGTS]

Amazing .... what a machine - i would never dare to drive it !

ORIGINAL: tscaptain

ORIGINAL: CarreraGTS

Thanks Geoff - I guess your car is the Grey GT3RS with the red wheels that they use in their gallery ... Beautiful!

Nothing so brash for Geoff! Looks like this one....

 

[CarreraGTS]

By The way Paintshield got in touch and quoted £840 for the "Small Bra" and "Full Bra" £1860 - Waiting for estimate from 3MVentureshield ...

 

[geoff lane]

ORIGINAL: CarreraGTS

Amazing .... what a machine - i would never dare to drive it !

ORIGINAL: tscaptain

ORIGINAL: CarreraGTS

Thanks Geoff - I guess your car is the Grey GT3RS with the red wheels that they use in their gallery ... Beautiful!

Nothing so brash for Geoff! Looks like this one....

It is over 2 months since it last went out and will probably be another month before the roads are suitable.
I do wonder how much value I wipe off the car every time it goes out but it always makes me smile even 10 miles on local backroads puts me in a great mood for the rest of the day. Long may it continue, unfortunately when I retire it will have to go to pay off the mortgage which I would probably do tomorrow if I could afford it. I still have 3 years left unless I get an offer I cannot refuse lets hope that does not happen.

 

[tscaptain]

ORIGINAL: geoff lane

I do wonder how much value I wipe off the car every time it goes out

Really Geoff? That's the underlying problem with these cars that are going up and not down in value. I'm sure the 993 will be similar in the years to come. While it's nice to know you have such a beast I do wonder if it's actually worth owning such a car when it's value becomes the deciding factor on whether you take it for a spin or not. The other side of the coin is that I have driven my depreciating tub every day this week through hell and high water, as the daily is sick, without giving it a second thought.[]

 

[Lancerlot]

I bet you were able to do more than 40mph without all the aero falling off too!
Regards,
Clive.

 

[Dylan1]

Agreed Alan
If my 993 was worth what it is today I would've been worrying about losing money whereas at £15k I didn't give a ......and just used it all the time !!