@nate704 - how can one be sure that this seller vitofi-91 (www.kitcutz.com) ships the Xpel brand of PPF film? I mean, they could ship 3M or some other no-name brand of film which may not offer as much protection as the Xpel. When you received the product, did the film have the Xpel branding mentioned on the product? Thanks
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Time to DIY PPF!!
- Thread starter nate704
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He is the Xpel delaer and sells on eBay and on their website. I had Xpel film from other vendors as well as 3M and SunTek films when I received the film from vitofi-91 (www.kitcutz.com). You can definitely tell the difference between those three and also definitely tell the characteristics of the film when actually applying them to the car, which was consistent with other Xpel films from other well known vendors.
kitcutz.com - Top Of The Line Paint Protection Film (PPF) Kit Seller
Paint Protection Film (PPF) Kit Seller with Industry leading pattern database, uncompromised film quality and customer-oriented business approach
kitcutz.com
Thanks for posting this. I'm going to redo my hood when it warms up. I got four hairs during the initial installation and I am tired of looking at those every time I see my car.kitcutz.com - Top Of The Line Paint Protection Film (PPF) Kit Seller
Paint Protection Film (PPF) Kit Seller with Industry leading pattern database, uncompromised film quality and customer-oriented business approach
How did your installation go? I am also considering precutppf.store, but want to make sure they are legit.The kitcutz.com domain is no longer activekitcutz.com - Top Of The Line Paint Protection Film (PPF) Kit Seller
Paint Protection Film (PPF) Kit Seller with Industry leading pattern database, uncompromised film quality and customer-oriented business approach
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I just click the link above and it works. I am using my PC desktop with Windows 11.
I did it very slow just to make sure that I didn't hurry. You will be very frustrated very quickly and will be tired, so you have to plan accordingly.
I think I did a panel or two per day. I would do the side mirrors and front bumper last since they are the hardest areas with lots of curves and requires stretches in multiple directions.
zoomer0056
Active Member
It took me six weeks. But like @nate704 i've never done it before and took my time. It's been a year and it still looks great. DIY PPF on 2022 Blue Model S
I was taking my time since it was my first time doing it. Front and rear bumper took half a day each (the longest). The hood took a couple hours. The rocker panels a couple hours for both. The smaller pieces - take much shorter. Regarding the mirrors - if you can get someone to help you with pulling the film, it would go much easier and faster. We did both mirrors in 5 mins total and it was an easy install. Get some help if you can.
I would say you can finish it all over 3-day weekend if you are going with reasonable speed (not including washing the car and cleaning the garage). I had to clean the garage very thoroughly before doing this.
Did mine 2 years ago and see no change or issues at all. Prep work is the key to this process. Watch some videos, get a helper, and when applying the water soap solution More is better! When you apply to car And both sides of PPE add More! It will slide around like butter until you’re ready and even then you can re-wet and do again. Many over think this process. Take your time and try not to over think it.
I thought I could do it myself as well. Bought the Xpel PPF Ultimate kit recommended by Nate704 (shoutout to all you guys who gave advice!). I started small, doing the headlight. It turned out really badly. I spent 2.5 hrs scraping and scraping and scraping and playing whack a mole with curves that kept popping up (forgot the term for them). I ended up using a heat gun, which is a no-no cause, while they do shrink those pop ups, they wrinkle the ppf and now I have permanent creases.
The second headlight I did was much easier. Took only 40 min and seems like a good job for a diyer.
After the rear headlight, I gave up. I saw the mountain I had to climb and decided to find someone on Craigslist to do it for me for $2500. They didn't do an amazing job (still dirt under the ppf here and there) but I'm not a perfectionist so it's good enough for me.
I'm quite handy around the house but never again. Nate and Yelobird and others are far more patient and skilled at this than me.
zoomer0056
Active Member
My guess is you might have some leftover wax or sealant on the surface. I had some issues like that. Wiping the surface clean with an alcohol solution or cleaner and clean microfiber towel helped tremendously.
I took three weekends to do my hood, both fenders, headlights, all four doors and front bumper. And a small strip at the rear trunk lip to protect from scratches due to loading and unloading stuff. I skipped the mirrors. Bumper should be done last when you have the most confidence and not tired. Do not try to rush it. I worked only on the weekends and because I had to use the car, would wash, prep and clay bar the surfaces each time.
I won't claim it was perfect. Some creases at the bumper and a couple of small odd clay specks that showed up the day after. You really need good light in the garage, clean the garage and spray a fine mist of water to keep the dust down.
I did this in mid-late 2021 and nothing has lifted. But the bumper and hood show evidence of sharp things impacting and cutting the PPF but not the paint below. Also someone tried to scratch or key one of my doors. I was able to buff out the scratch on the ppf. It's a worthwhile investment in time and money. I would do this again the next time I buy a new car and hopefully will be better at it.
Thank you for sharing your experience and the detailed reply. I installed four 10K lumen, variable color temperature shop lights in my garage (in addition to all the exiting lights) "just in case" I decide to tackle the job lol. How many miles was on your car when you applied the film? I wonder how much claying a brand new car needs. I'm guessing maybe some, but not as much as a car that has more mileage on it.
Your point about someone trying to scratch or key your door struck a chord. I am less concerned about rock chips than I am of malicious damage. This is where PPF can help a lot. But then again, this requires the whole car to be covered. I've seen enough videos of people walking by a Tesla with key in hand and that repair could get expensive.
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