Wrap

[IRDoc]

So awaiting my MX (ordered first week of June) and have been reading posts about wrapping the car. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what wrapping entails/means. Does it just protect the paint? Does it alter the exterior color? I ordered mine in deep blue metallic. Appreciate any information.

BTW i live in Chicagoland area so any referrals would be great as well.

 

[P85_DA]

PPF(paint protection film) protects front from rock chips etc ..as well as any road contaminants that may splatter on the front ..it can alter the color depending on type of film ..most folks opt for clear film which makes your paint look shinier but not as noticeably different than unwrapped portions ..there is a matte type film which will change appearance of paint to a “flat” matte paint type look ...generally if u do a matte film you would do the whole car ..folks typically do the front half ..hood ,fenders, bumper , mirrors as good compromise for cost /protection ...costs for this ~$1200-1800 ..major PPF brands u will hear about are Xpel, Suntek , STEK , Clearguard ....congrats on new car !

 

[xyeahtony]

Basically what was said above. There are different kinds of wrap, but the most popular ones are the clear ones. It basically form a physical protective barrier around your paint to keep it looking brand new for years to come. If you dont' care about that kind of thing then don't waste money on a wrap.

I got a wrap because im lazy and don't like to wax my car, and also because im OCD about rock chips.

 

[dlsspy]

I had mine done matte and it's super nice. In addition to being a look I really like, stuff just falls off of it. I parked under some tree that dropped some sticky junk onto the hood. My wife grabbed a paper towel and some water and just wiped it off. Not much sticks to these things (which is a mild problem with my CA HOV decal).

 

[Anzir]

I like the look of your de-chroming. Looks great!

I had mine done matte and it's super nice. In addition to being a look I really like, stuff just falls off of it. I parked under some tree that dropped some sticky junk onto the hood. My wife grabbed a paper towel and some water and just wiped it off. Not much sticks to these things (which is a mild problem with my CA HOV decal).

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[Bogobec]

I’m doing mine next week. My Xpel installer told me that he cannot wrap the full side mirrors in one piece. Is this accurate or just lack of skills/experience with the install?

 

[ckwong]

My X with full xpel stealth wrap Deep Blue Metallic with Full Xpel Stealth wrap

 

[Butka]

I got quotes from all over Chicagoland.

I went with Outlast Auto Detail in Addison. It was recommended to me by two separate detailing places near me. He did a nice job but apparently I had a good deal and their prices have gone up. Still worth a call.

Chicago Auto Pros is highly regarded but their prices were nuts. It felt like a rip off. If you go to their website it seems like a lot of show and marketing. They seem to seduce people into going there. I'm sure they're quality, but it can't be worth double than many places.

Umbra in Schaumburg has been highly regarded by people I know who have had their wrap done there. Their prices were good. Much more reasonable for the same prepping service.

Understand that the process is prepping the surface as much as it is wrapping it. Wherever you go, make sure they do a good job of it.

I actually ended up getting the full front and all four doors done. Left the back alone. You may be tempted to do just the front but if you look up the spray pattern on the X, the lower part of the doors get hit pretty good. When I wash the car, it usually is the dirtiest part. It's easy to imagine rocks kicking up there. So I'd recommend not just stopping at the front.

 

[teethdood]

I'm getting both of mine wrapped.

New midnight silver needed paint correction due to swirls despite being brand new, Xpel Stealth (Matte).

1.5 year-old white with rock chips and scrape marks from hitting a traffic cone is also getting wrapped, Xpel Ultimate. I have not seen the final results yet, but apparently all the rock chips and scraped areas will look brand new. I'm super excited. It's like getting 2 brand new cars!

It's ideal to get yours wrapped while new, but the detailers can do some magic to get your "old beater" fixed up as well.

 

[ps004ynos]

I’m doing mine next week. My Xpel installer told me that he cannot wrap the full side mirrors in one piece. Is this accurate or just lack of skills/experience with the install?

Lack of skill/experience. Heard the difficulty is with PPF film being thicker and harder to stretch. See this post: <a href="XPel Ultimate Damage - fix or replace?">XPel Ultimate Damage - fix or replace?</a>

Both our X and 3's side mirrors did not have the a one piece wrap. For the X he added a piece to cover the missing section. The 3 was left bare. The missing section is the inside aspect (the side facing the car when the side mirrors are extended). Wish I knew better at the time.

Making it harder is shops use different people so even going with a reputable shop doesn't guarantee you're getting "that person who can do it right."

 

[Bogobec]

Lack of skill/experience. Heard the difficulty is with PPF film being thicker and harder to stretch. See this post: <a href="XPel Ultimate Damage - fix or replace?">XPel Ultimate Damage - fix or replace?</a>

Both our X and 3's side mirrors did not have the a one piece wrap. For the X he added a piece to cover the missing section. The 3 was left bare. The missing section is the inside aspect (the side facing the car when the side mirrors are extended). Wish I knew better at the time.

Making it harder is shops use different people so even going with a reputable shop doesn't guarantee you're getting "that person who can do it right."

Damn. Just made a deposit and dropped my car this morning. I’m having second thoughts now because the OCD me knows that seams are going to bother me

On the other hand I haven’t found any installer here around Montreal that do not rely to some extend on precut kits. They told me that anywhere they can wrap around they will. But they only remove the small side cameras to wrap under them. They do not unmount any light. So everything that is touching plastic parts is going to be flush but most likely with a seam. Same for the parts of the doors and hoods that are closest to the hinges. Etc.

Maybe I should do a trip all the way to California

 

[xyeahtony]

Damn. Just made a deposit and dropped my car this morning. I’m having second thoughts now because the OCD me knows that seams are going to bother me

On the other hand I haven’t found any installer here around Montreal that do not rely to some extend on precut kits. They told me that anywhere they can wrap around they will. But they only remove the small side cameras to wrap under them. They do not unmount any light. So everything that is touching plastic parts is going to be flush but most likely with a seam. Same for the parts of the doors and hoods that are closest to the hinges. Etc.

Maybe I should do a trip all the way to California

im getting my car wrapped in a few weeks in boston. if its good ill let u know, not that far of a drive from montreal

 

[Yinn]

I got mine done in XPEL. It was a clear, no color changes and no texture (ie, matt, metallic, etc.) If you're going to add effects, I could see the desire. After a year with the clear, in hindisght I wouldn't do it again based on the cost of the wrap vs my percieved value.

I have a solid black X with XPEL, and a solid black S w/o XPEL. Around the same mileage on the cars and here are my thoughts.

• If we run them both through an automatic car wash, the X comes out cleaner and looking like it was detailed.
• If we hand wash both of them and really get the crud off, they look the same.
• If you look for swirls, the S shows a lot more; but the X still has them.
• There's no noticeable difference in dirt, dust, mud accumulation. They both can get dirty at about the same rate.

Where there was a signfiicant difference is on the front lower bumper. There, it was a noticeable difference with bug guts. The S has some semi-permanent to permanent splatters now. The X does not. However, more frequent and diligent washings plus a ceramic coating might have helped for a fraction of the cost.

 

[ps004ynos]

Damn. Just made a deposit and dropped my car this morning. I’m having second thoughts now because the OCD me knows that seams are going to bother me

On the other hand I haven’t found any installer here around Montreal that do not rely to some extend on precut kits. They told me that anywhere they can wrap around they will. But they only remove the small side cameras to wrap under them. They do not unmount any light. So everything that is touching plastic parts is going to be flush but most likely with a seam. Same for the parts of the doors and hoods that are closest to the hinges. Etc.

Maybe I should do a trip all the way to California

Recommend you ask them to put Xpel on the headlights and front fog lamps. My headlights look great but we forgot to wrap the fog lamps. These show a lot of pitting now because they sit so low to the ground.

 

[BLKMDL3]

I had mine done matte and it's super nice. In addition to being a look I really like, stuff just falls off of it. I parked under some tree that dropped some sticky junk onto the hood. My wife grabbed a paper towel and some water and just wiped it off. Not much sticks to these things (which is a mild problem with my CA HOV decal).

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Is that Utah? Wanna drive my X on that road!