I noticed many of you are protecting your Lexus with the clear film called Xpel. To all who had it done, please post your thoughts on it.
#1 Is it effective in preventing chips in the paint?
#2 Is the XPEL film itself succeptable from visible damage from rocks?
#3 Can you wax over it?
#4 Does it cover enough area where most places that are prone to chipping are protected?
#5 Please recommend the dealer you had it installed it, if they did a good job. (especially a dealer in northern california!)
#5 How much did it cost for the labor to install.
#6 Are their alternative products that are better?

Thanks

 

My co-worker put Stone Guard on his 2002 M3 which is basically the same thing as Xpel. I was able to take a look at it today. He has a black car so you can kinda see it on the hood. Everything else looks great. I'm sure if you have a white or silver car, you won't be able to see it. He showed me the areas where a rock has hit it and sure enough, it did protect the paint. I think he paid around 700 to have it installed on his frontend, including the lights. It covers all the areas where you need it. Where do you live? He mentioned a place out in OC, Ca that installed it. He got his done in San Diego. Hope that helps.

 

1) Yes
2) Yes depending on situation. The 3m film is actually pretty thick. So for most situation it will be fine.
3) Yes...waxing is fine....just have to get the wax off the edges.
4) Seems large enough.... (I wonder how much to cover the entire hood)
5) Forgot about cost...but should be around $300.00 for hood and side mirrors. More if you want the bumper...another post said $500 for hood and bumper kit.
6) All the alternatives use the same 3M film. So non that I know of.

I didn't get the bumper installed because I figure it is easier to paint the bumper than the hood....plus the bumper isn't metal. Also, I didn't get the light kit...since I already replaced my headlight and damn they will be replaced again due to condensation....(this I just don't understand...brand new headlight and it is still not completely sealed.)

 

I didn't like mine and had it removed....but if you like not having rock chips...it's the only way to go

 

Posted some pics here:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...?postid=244126

 

to those who installed it themselves, was it relatively easy to do?
If you do choose to remove it for whatever reason, can it be done without damaging the paint?

 

Installation is not for the faint of heart or for those who lack patience, and having an extra set of hands is a must. If you have previous experience installing window tint you should be fine. The biggest difficulty is getting the pieces positioned correctly and dealing with the compound curves. If your car is dark, certain rock nicks in the film show up just like those in the paint, so it's kind of a trade off. The film does swirl more than the paint does, but again, this really only shows on a dark car.