Daily Driver M3 - Worth installing Clear Bra (XPEL)?

[georgere]

I m the op and I did it - I got my front XPELed completely. also, part of the roof, a-pillar, b-pillar, and rocker panels. No regrats.

btw, it makes the car look cleaner. I think it will keep the sale value of the car a bit steadier (when i sell it in 7-10 years) and will help me keep it cleaner at approx. $500/year within 7 years of ownership.

[ciaranob]

Absolute must for me - last two Bimmers were completely pebble dashed on front ends on Houston roads - choice can be very area/climate specific but I'd say if a DD like mine it is a no brainer in respect value against car cost. Others will argue a repaint or whatever will be as good and possibly cheaper but not by much if at all and assuming you get a color match etc.

Originally Posted by georgere

In your opinion is it worth installing Clear Bra (XPEL) on the black/dark color M3/4 that is used as daily driver?

I got a deal for full front + rocker panels at $1400

in my opinion:

pros:
-$1400 will go a long way - resale value will be better vs. car w/o the wrap
-DD is bad for any car and the wrap will prevent a lot of damage

cons:
-wasting 1400 on something that will eventually deteriorate
-I read you must remove clear bra after 5 years no matter the condition
-some damage cannot be prevented despite the wrap (parking lot bumps, large rocks flying, etc.)
-areas not covered will still get dings thus reducing the car value and so why wrap anything at all
-in the past clear bra was not available and cars survived and were sold ok, so why now it is so important to wrap to preserve looks and value?
-wraps looks like plastic on furniture
-???

[RocketBoots]

Originally Posted by Alvinized52

Worth it if you plan on keeping the car for a while.

Originally, I just wanted to do the basic front protection with Ultimate... But decided to I wanted to make a statement since Im spending some money anyway. Since I always wanted to get the Frozen Silverstone but couldnt wait for ED... I figured I will Xpel Stealth the car to achieve the "frozen" look with the added protection.

By the way, finding a good installer is the key! I just got my car back from the installer who almost took 3weeks fully wrapping my car with Xpel Stealth. He took his sweet time...but It is a flawless installation. He's the best in my area IMO. He also customized the patterns so you do not see the seams. Stealth on anything SS...and Ultimate on anything black and CF (including the CF roof, splitters, and all black window trims).

Looks way better in person... The metallic paint shows through the Stealth so its better than Vinyl wraps. Expensive! But its worth it for my piece of mind and the "rubber necks" and compliments i get every day!
Pix from my iphone...

Wow, that looks really good on SSII! I used to LOVE SS, but on the F8X, I think SS looks a little better on the M3 vs M4, or if you're in more overcast environments.

Are those CRT front splitters, or is that part of the way they did the wrap?

[hyper_m3]

IMO its a must, that was the 1st thing i did when i got my M3, my older cars never had a clear bra and the little rock chips were very obvious + the paint fades away. I accidentally scratched the front of the M3 with a ladder and it came right off cause of the clear bra.

[aboulfad]

I originally was against the idea, but one long trip made me rethink otherwise. I think the paint on these cars is way thinner or more fragile compared to what it used to be 10-15years ago. I did full front and rocker panels.

[Alvinized52]

Originally Posted by RocketBoots

Wow, that looks really good on SSII! I used to LOVE SS, but on the F8X, I think SS looks a little better on the M3 vs M4, or if you're in more overcast environments.

Are those CRT front splitters, or is that part of the way they did the wrap?

Just got 1x1 CF OEM style splitters from Mod Bargain. I spray-painted the edges then wrapped it with Xpel Ultimate.

[AYTifosi]

Shop around. The Xpel works great. I paid $800 for my wife's C00 for a partial package (full nose, half fender, half hood, mirrors, door edges, door handles, trunk deck). The quoted me the same for the M4. I paid $1,350 from the dealer (I didn't shop around!) - but to be fair they included windshield insurance, so it works out.

I haven't posted it, but have video from my dash cam when I was following a dump truck - he went over a bump and dropped a bunch of rocks. Yes, it cracked my windshield. In the video you can hear the rocks bouncing off my car - ZERO damage. Some small marks in the Xpel, but only if you look hard under good light. If you hate rock chips and love your car, do it. I won't own a nice car without it. I just wish I would have paid a little more for the full hood.

[Shanh81]

Originally Posted by AYTifosi

Shop around. The Xpel works great. I paid $800 for my wife's C00 for a partial package (full nose, half fender, half hood, mirrors, door edges, door handles, trunk deck). The quoted me the same for the M4. I paid $1,350 from the dealer (I didn't shop around!) - but to be fair they included windshield insurance, so it works out.

I haven't posted it, but have video from my dash cam when I was following a dump truck - he went over a bump and dropped a bunch of rocks. Yes, it cracked my windshield. In the video you can hear the rocks bouncing off my car - ZERO damage. Some small marks in the Xpel, but only if you look hard under good light. If you hate rock chips and love your car, do it. I won't own a nice car without it. I just wish I would have paid a little more for the full hood.

My car is arriving in January. Taking it to ACCUTINT in Seattle for XPEL Ultimate. Quoted $1700 for it but hoping they will come down a little with getting window tint as well

[Detailers Domain]

Originally Posted by Wanween

If it is your daily it is worth it, the paint is very thin and I'm sure you will probably take it to velocities that Even a beetle hitting the front could chip the paint. I daily mine mostly toll roads in Texas and have had my fair amount of random shit shot up to the front of the car, if you have a dark color where paint dmg is very noticeable I would do it. It's an expensive car you invested in, and a clear bra and some nano coating on the rest of the paint is worth it to keep the car looking good.

I would agree newer paints are not that great these days, if it's a daily, more the reason to wrap it.

[Detailers Domain]

Originally Posted by clutchdj

contact phil at detailersdomian he has a special for october going on; he might still honor it. I just got my car back from him. i've also done xpel on past vehicles. on this car i had the whole front wrapped including partial hood and fenders (f&r), A-pillar, rear bumper strip, skirts, mirrors; etc yeah sort of went crazy. but i think it looks outstanding.

one would think damn, plastic is costly but when its applied correctly its invisible. it has advanced since the 90's and really is invisible. i'm 30 minutes from stamford so we share the same snow and rock pelting semi's on i95

on a new car over 30k I would at least apply xpel to the headlights and maybe partial front. on an ///M full front for sure. you don't really need it anywhere else on the body but it doesn't hurt. anyway, it's close to the cost of a front end respray which is not even original paint. do it

thank you for trusting me with your yas!

[Alvinized52]

Originally Posted by verruckt

Add me to the group of "Nope" - With some caveats.

If you have a non-MW, or non-frozen color.

For $1400 I could get the bumper resprayed when the time comes...

That said, I am going to do the CF roof.

I said the same thing at first... but factory BMW paint is very hard to match. I don't care how good your body shop claims the paint is. I'm going through that right now trying to paint match the front lip i just got. It's a pain in the ass.

I decided I'm going to stealth wrap it just so its to hopefully help mask the unevenness...

[F80 M Freak]

whos a legit installer for Xpel in LA area? anyone know?

[schrdngrsct]

Hello everyone!

I'm convinced about getting xpel for the full front, hood, and side skirts....

But anyone also do full sides (doors and everything), and was it worth it? I'm planning on getting wheel spacers but they won't be sticking the full tire out of the wheel hub.

Just to put it into perspective, front bumper is around $400 for just the xpel film w/o installation, and each side (sold left and right) go for $1100.

Thanks!

Jon

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by ZPinhead

The other thing to remember is that the material that the bumper cover is made of is black, so if you have a lighter colored paint (mine is SS), rock chips on the nose will be black dings and stand out like a sore thumb.

There is always a layer of primer under exterior paint (and a layer of clear coat on top).
Depending on your car's color, the primer is either white (for lighter colors) or black (for darker ones). My SO's primer is white.

If you are seeing black spots under your bumper's paint, you likely cut through all three layers of paint down to the plastic.

a

[afadeev]

Originally Posted by Alvinized52

Actually, it would cost you ~1/5 that to get the bumper resprayed if you remove it yourself, ~1/2 if you have others do it.

Originally Posted by Alvinized52

I said the same thing at first... but factory BMW paint is very hard to match.

Not true at all, for 95% of the paints.
BTDT with Avus Blau, Cirrus Blau, and Arctic silver. All metallic, all came out perfect.

Standard colors are straight forward.
Individual colors take more talent.
Frozen colors are impossible to match.
Period.
You have to respray the entire side of the car, or the entire car.

Originally Posted by georgere

btw, it makes the car look cleaner. I think it will keep the sale value of the car a bit steadier (when i sell it in 7-10 years) and will help me keep it cleaner at approx. $500/year within 7 years of ownership.

I don't know about resale value (I would not pay more for wrapped car with pot-marked Xpel film, but I have not studied the used car market values), but Xpel bra does require maintenance, and will get damaged if you don't remove bird poop, etc!

So you paid $3.5K for the wrap?

Originally Posted by Alvinized52

Originally, I just wanted to do the basic front protection with Ultimate... But decided to I wanted to make a statement since Im spending some money anyway. Since I always wanted to get the Frozen Silverstone but couldnt wait for ED... I figured I will Xpel Stealth the car to achieve the "frozen" look with the added protection.

Now that is a cool idea!


The car looks great!

Originally Posted by Alvinized52

By the way, finding a good installer is the key! I just got my car back from the installer who almost took 3weeks fully wrapping my car with Xpel Stealth. He took his sweet time...but It is a flawless installation. He's the best in my area IMO.

How much did it run you?

a

[Alvinized52]

Originally Posted by afadeev

Actually, it would cost you ~1/5 that to get the bumper resprayed if you remove it yourself, ~1/2 if you have others do it.




Not true at all, for 95% of the paints.
BTDT with Avus Blau, Cirrus Blau, and Arctic silver. All metallic, all came out perfect.

Standard colors are straight forward.
Individual colors take more talent.
Frozen colors are impossible to match.
Period.
You have to respray the entire side of the car, or the entire car.



I don't know about resale value (I would not pay more for wrapped car with pot-marked Xpel film, but I have not studied the used car market values), but Xpel bra does require maintenance, and will get damaged if you don't remove bird poop, etc!

So you paid $3.5K for the wrap?



Now that is a cool idea!


The car looks great!



How much did it run you?

a

Regarding paint matching... I was referring to matching OEM paint quality, it is more superior. Also, Frozen paint being harder to match cuz of the finish.

Yes, Im not going to argue that it would probably would cost less to repaint each time. But i prefer to protect my original paint... Plus I hate the hassle of having to remove and respray each time just so I can save money upfront. Honestly, I just don't have time for that shit. LOL! My time is far too valuable these days so Im fine with my decision

For those who've been PMing me... Typically, you can get wraps anywhere from $3500 to $6000 depending where you go and who wraps it. Same cost I would have spent of Frozen OEM ( i know but Frozen OEM paint is hard to maintain.. plus Im going to want to protect OEM Frozen any way so Im killing 2 birds here). The key is the installer. I found the best guy in my area based on his reputation. I paid close to $6k on mine but because STEALTH is a more expensive material. Also, I had a lot of additional custom work done. I also did not rush him so he did a lot of custom cuts to make sure seams are well hidden. Xpel Ultimate (glossy) will save you some money... not a huge chunk but its a less expensive material compared to STEALTH. Stealth is also slightly thicker according to my installer (so I feel like Im getting more protection).

In my opinion, Stealth is worth it (if you can swing it ) because it accomplishes the Frozen look I wanted with the added paint protection. I just recently drove it to Las Vegas going about 120-140 mph in some areas during the Eurofest caravan. While some of my buddies got rock chips, i had none!!! so its worth my piece of mind.... Plus the amount of heads i turn and amount of compliments from folks in awe about how great it looks in person, that part is priceless!!!

[Golfster]

I'd go for PPF on a daily or on a leisure driver either way.

[ptbarnacle]

I received my Mineral White Metalic M3 a couple weeks ago. I'm waiting for my appointment to xpel wrap all impact areas plus tint. I haven't been driving it much to preserve paint before wrap this Coming week. Appearance Solutions in Sacramento will have it for a week.
For me, as a daily driver in Mineral White, paint will take a beating and will be very hard to match. This was a big consideration when I chose MW. I love the color but knew it needed protection.

[schrdngrsct]

Originally Posted by ptbarnacle

I received my Mineral White Metalic M3 a couple weeks ago. I'm waiting for my appointment to xpel wrap all impact areas plus tint. I haven't been driving it much to preserve paint before wrap this Coming week. Appearance Solutions in Sacramento will have it for a week.
For me, as a daily driver in Mineral White, paint will take a beating and will be very hard to match. This was a big consideration when I chose MW. I love the color but knew it needed protection.

I assume youre doing the whole front and hood, but does high impact areas mean youre also doing rockers + A-pillars + fenders?

Also, anyone know if you can still switch out the front bumper reflectors even after xpel has been installed? I see what looks like a cutout on the film blueprint - can anyone confirm this?

[ptbarnacle]

Originally Posted by schrdngrsct

I assume youre doing the whole front and hood, but does high impact areas mean youre also doing rockers + A-pillars + fenders?

Also, anyone know if you can still switch out the front bumper reflectors even after xpel has been installed? I see what looks like a cutout on the film blueprint - can anyone confirm this?

Yep, I'm doing whole hood and front, rockers, as well as all impact areas, etc.

I got the painted reflectors in before wrap per instructions from Appearance Solutions. He said they needed to install before wrap.

[Golfster]

Mine is in now having PPF installed. I'm going with full hood, full fenders, front bumper, lights, mirrors, side rockers, rear bumper arches and rear rockers. I'm having the factory installed PPF piece removed and going with film coverage for the full rear quarter panel as well.

[bmw0perat0r]

I had Xpel Ultimate applied to the entire front, mirrors, and roof - followed by Ceramic Pro 9H Gold package to the entire car+wheels. I'm extremely happy with the job Brett Miller at All American Paint Protection in Rockville, MD did. I've put several thousand miles on the M4 and not a single rock chip or scratch. Every new car will now have this applied.

Mind you it cost quite a lot - but Brett is a perfectionist and did a beautifully invisible application of the products. You cannot tell they are there at all. It was worth the price, and that's not to say it was unreasonable - for the quality of work I'd say the cost was entirely reasonable.

If you need someone in Rockville, this man will do it right the first time. His list of vehicles completed is impressive, including several million+ dollar cars.

I absolutely LOVE Xpel and Ceramic Pro... nuf said