I’d like to see that under high powered lighting. Dark lighting hides imperfections..One of the reasons I didn’t get black on black is that a black interior shows every speck of sand and a black exterior every micro scratch. We are up north almost every weekend and my truck gets pelted with sand and salt in the winter and dirt road dust in the summer.
Either way I cant say enough about Xpel ultimate. After 50,000+ miles the leading edge of my hood is still flawless.
Black...
- Thread starter duneslider
- Start date
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carymccarr
Full Access Members
It’s flawless and smoother than it was when delivered.
In any light you’d see specks of wax/sealant ground into the paint chips. I can pull off the Xpel and underneath it’s factory fresh. There’s not a single swirl mark let alone chips.
Here are a couple pics with harsh CFL lighting overhead and my phones flash on...its metallic paint so hard to see maybe.
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Neil T Casey
Well-Known Member
We had a full wrap of clear 3M PPF put on our QX60 when we bought it new and honestly you couldn't tell it was on there. I think it was about 3k ish but I dont remember exactly. We ended up getting our grill wrapped as well because the fake chrome of plastic kept getting nicked and chipped from stones. So after the third replacement grill under warranty we had it wrapped. We had it for about 5 years with the original wrap on it and it still looked brand new. I am thinking of doing that to my expy but I have to get the hood chips and a couple other areas fixed before I wrap it.
carymccarr
Full Access Members
Yeah you really need to AT LEAST do the leading edge of the hood and lower door panels right at delivery. You can always add more later but those two spots get hammered right away.
I waited to do my lower panels and I wish I hadn’t.
Having a car 'wraped' only keeps it nice for the next owner. Two things: Black absolutely looks best when clean and Black shows every imperfection and swirl. I owned a black Corvette. I recommend using a glaze,like 3M imperial hand glaze or Meguirar's #7 show car. A polish removes paint and a wax leaves a build up. I decided the Corvette would be my last black car. I found myself constantly cleaning it and it drove me nuts.
Gumby
Full Access Members
My hood looks like a gong show...
Jesus here we go again. a polish does not remove paint. A compound removes oxidized clear coat, Polish alone will only remove embedded surface material and grime. If you’re polishing “paint” you’ve got bigger issues to worry about. Seeing as how you own a 19 year old truck, your clear coat is probably non existent so yes YOU would be polishing paint. A well kept finish is achieved through paint decon, clay bar, compound, polish, glaze, wax/ceramic coating. Please don’t tell me you just go out there after a wash and polish your truck and call it clean...
carymccarr
Full Access Members
What about the owner who has it wrapped and never has to deal with chips, swirl-marks and scratches? Isn’t that ‘nice’ for them too?
It’s not like plastic on a couch, you can’t even see it if it’s good wrap done right.
Only downside with wrapping is rock chips will chip the wrap, and the wrap won’t stop door dings, accidents etc. then you’re paying to have a new panel installed and then re wrapped and you have to have regular maintenance washes and special wrap cleaner applied in order to keep it in decent condition
carymccarr
Full Access Members
There’s another MAJOR downside you didn’t consider.
Wraps don’t cure cancer either. :-(
Oh and no, I’ve had mine for 3+ years and have never needed to maintain it any differently then I do the rest of the car...and that leading edge is chip free
