Many of us can still remember those old black car bras from the eighties and early nineties. It’s funny to remember that those things were all the rage back then, and people were extremely proud of maintaining them shiny and glossy. But people quickly learned that those bras were notorious for holding dirt behind them and usually caused more harm then good. And let’s face it, they weren’t the best attribute on a car. So they quickly went the way of the rear window louvers when the clear bra made it’s appearance. PPF was developed by 3M for use on military helicopters during the Vietnam War and was then later adapted for automotive use.
There was little doubt that protection film was a better alternative. But it also had a lot of drawbacks such as excessive texture or “orange peel”, and add to that the difficulty of the installation. Then clarity and yellowing soon became an issue after a short time of being on the vehicle. To make matters worse, these early films were difficult to remove and sometimes caused damage to the paint it was intended to protect in the first place. Understandably, there were a lot of mixed emotions about this type of protection. For many of us in the detailing world, we were not huge fans either.
Fast forward a decade and the PPF industry’s evolution brought about XPEL. XPEL was a company that first developed PPF technologies for companies such as 3M, but in the early 2000’s devoted themselves to now compete in the PPF market. The company went forward to specialize in PPF and developed much improved adhesives, clarity and technologies such as self-healing film.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGsPQePiwKk&w=1280&h=720]
It was apparent to everyone that this newly developed film was far more advanced than anything that had come before it. After all, it’s a little know fact that all PPF film urethane base technology is created at the same company. From there, each company adds their own adhesives, layers and so forth. So it’s really up to those PPF companies to build their own product from that base product. XPEL takes it’s film to another level by adding polyurethanes that maximize flexibility and coupled with their reengineered adhesives that resist distortion, can be easily removed without damage when being removed, and with a clarity not previously achieved by it’s competitors. Then topped off with XPEL’s layer of elastomeric polymers to create a clear coat that resists discoloration and can repair itself from swirls and light scratches! This gives Ultimate the ability to fearlessly go through automated car washes without that damaging effects that would otherwise be noticeable on other films. XPEL Ultimate is 2 mills thicker by comparison of the 6 mills commonly found on other film.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRY0aPgM-74?list=UUyaVzLaUrECBRbb1tTn4dIA&w=1280&h=720]
With nothing more than heat from the sun, heat from the engine bay or even warm water, it can heal the swirls in mere seconds! XPEL even offers a 10 year warranty on their film when installed by an authorized installer. When SweetCars visited XPEL’s Headquarters, we quickly recognized XPEL’s passion, confidence and pride in their product. It’s no doubt the best of the best in my opinion. Being convinced of PPF was not easy for me personally, as I was never a fan of PPF from the detailer standpoint. XPEL’s Ultimate product changed all of that for me. For about a year I researched, monitored and consulted numerous detailing colleagues of mine that had started installing XPEL. At the same time, the demand for XPEL was growing within our area and so we decided that we were ready to move forward.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2hWaJlwk4&w=1280&h=720]
We were excited to learn that our glass coating services can also be installed on top of XPEL Ultimate for UV protection and added benefits of glass coating. XPEL’s Design Access Program (DAP for short) gives us the ability to manufacture our own precision-cut kits in house. We can manipulate the design to delete sections or even stretch the size for higher quality installations. Our DAP allows us to custom cut on the spot without having to wait for pre-cut kits to arrive, pay shipping and then hoping that the correct kit was ordered and sent. One more big advantage is that every installer at some point will have a piece that may need to be redone, we simply go into the software and cut that piece on our plotter and move on. Instead of having to order a piece, wait for shipping and so on.
Installing PPF is no easy task. It requires extreme patience and extensive knowledge of the mechanics of manipulating a 2 dimensional product on a 3 dimensional component. Needless to say, XPEL gave us the training skills necessary to tackle on even the most challenging of installations. As factory authorized installers of XPEL, we are committed to ensure that all of our installations are of the highest quality. We take pride in our studio’s highly regarded reputation. So if XPEL sounds like the solution to your paint protection problems, stop in and see us and say goodbye to rock chips!
SweetCars XPEL Packages & Pricing
*All kits are cut in-house using XPEL’s Design Access Program for superior installation and fitment.
Headlight Protection Package: $100.00 USD
Includes: Headlights in Ultimate XPEL Protection Film.
Wear & Tear Protection Package: $200.00 USD
Wear & Tear Protection Package includes: Door Edges, Door Sills, Door Cups and Luggage Area in Ultimate XPEL Protection Film.
Standard Protection Package: $600.00 USD
Standard Protection Package includes: Partial Hood, Partial Fenders and Mirrors in Ultimate XPEL Protection Film.
Extended Protection Package (Partial Front Clip): $1,000.00 USD
Extended Protection Package includes: Partial Hood, Partial Fenders, Front Bumper, Mirrors and Door Cups in Ultimate XPEL Protection Film.
Full Protection Package (Full Front Clip): $2,000.00 USD
Full Protection Package includes: Full Hood, Full Fenders, Mirrors, Front Bumper, Headlights and Door Cups in Ultimate XPEL Protection Film.
*Please allow 1 to 2 business days for installation. Pricing for PPF does not include detailing services such as paint correction or glass coating applications. Prices are applicable to most vehicles but may change depending on what components are covered in PPF, vehicle size or specialty type.
To schedule an appointment, contact SweetCars at: 260-207-2277 or email Mike Cardenas at mike@sweetcars.com
