Pride of ownership takes on a whole new meaning when a Corvette graces your garage. The lengths that we go to ensure our Vette looks its best may seem extravagant at times to the casual observer.
The truth is most Vette owners work hard to protect the beauty of their rolling work of fiberglass art. To that end, a paint protection film (PPF), sometimes called a clear bra, is the most comprehensive form of protection you can apply to your vehicle.
This ultra-thin polyurethane “skin” provides a sacrificial layer of protection for a car’s clear coat. The PPF protects the surface from most rock chips, swirls, minor scratches, bugs, chemical stains, and a bevy of other environmental contaminants.
After doing a deep fact-finding dive into PPF, we concluded it’s hard to beat XPEL’s reputation in the paint protection film industry. Their latest consumer offering, XPEL Ultimate Plus, is strong, long-lasting, non-yellowing, and self-healing.
XPEL is the official protective film partner of Team Penske and the clear PPF choice for our 2013 Grand Sport project car.
There is no discussion for those Vette enthusiasts who take their paint protection seriously and want the proven protection of paint protection film. Essentially the question boils down to who do you trust to apply it to your pride and joy.
As is the case with many things in life, the “devil is in the details.” or, in the case of paint protection film, the all-important installation.
Finding The Right Installer
The paint protection film you choose is only as good as the person installing it: period, end of the story. Make the wrong choice for the installer, and you could see your PPF investment eventually go down the drain.
You could have the best PPF in the world, but if not installed properly, it might eventually blister, bubble, or peel prematurely. If that happens, your only solution is to take it off and pay to do it over again.
Don’t get us wrong, no install is 100% flawless, but a professional installer makes all the difference at this make-or-break juncture.
Our suggestion to find a professional installer is first to let your fingers do the walking online. Look at how long the installer has been in business and read through their Google and Yelp reviews.
The next step is to drop by their shop and spend a few minutes talking to the installers and look around for yourself. What kind of cars are they wrapping? How often do they wrap cars in PPF, and how clean is the workspace?
For many local detail shops, the majority of their work is ceramic coating and tinting windows.
While you’re there, take the time to ask them some additional questions. Where will my car be parked overnight, and when will my Vette be completed?
Even more important is this question. What paint preparation do you do before installation?
Paint Prep Is Foundational
Long before the first piece of the paint protection film is applied, the paint must be prepped properly. It’s important for you to understand the paint correction process if you’re going to ask the right questions of your potential installer.
The top PPF installers know imperfections need to be correctly removed and not just merely covered up or hidden with filler-based products.
A thorough wash and vehicle decontamination is the first step of paint correction. Next, the vehicle is clayed. An automotive clay bar safely removes any bonded surface contaminants such as tar spots and industrial fallout.
Claying the paintwork helps the detailer see the actual condition of the surface during the process
Part of the paint corrective process usually requires a small amount of clear coat being removed from the surface using abrasive polishes and specialized polishing machines. This process levels out the paint surface.
The polishing is usually a multistage process as a range of different polish grades are used. They vary from heavier cutting compounds, which remove the surface material, to more delicate products that generally refine the finish.
PPF installers who skip steps in paint preparation are trying to save time and money. Unfortunately, their shortcuts end up costing you the rich gloss finish you’re seeking.
So, at this point, you’re probably wondering, after all of our research, who in Atlanta did we trusted with our 2013 Crystal Red Grand Sport project car?
AP3 – Our Installer Of Choice
Our month-long search for an installer landed us at AP3 Precision Paint Protection. They checked off every box we had and more.
We chronicled our journey in “Search No More, AP3 Is Your Paint Protection Service.”
What drew us ultimately to AP3 Precision Paint Protection in Alpharetta was their unwavering commitment to doing the job the right way at every step.
No shortcuts, no excuses, only proven high-level results on time and on budget.
Another contributing factor in choosing AP3 was that they had a plotter printing machine. Without this expensive machine, detailers must order their PPF in pre-cut templates from the manufacturer.
In the event there is a defect in the PPF, or they make a mistake, your car is delayed while another order of film comes in.
The machine itself is expensive and there is a reoccurring software charge from the manufacturer. In the XPEL DAP 11 software, there are nearly 90,000 paint protection kits for just about every make & model imaginable.
An onsite plotter printer machine shows the detailer does a significant volume of PPF installations to offset the expense. Of course, it makes sense AP3 would have one of these unique machines.
AP3 in Alpharetta is the #1 installer of XPEL in the United States for the last two years.
AP3 Is The Right Decision
There is so much to consider when you place your beloved Vette in the hands of a detailer. The Corvette Forums are filled with horror stories and photos of ruined paint finishes.
Even with all the research we did, there was trepidation before we found AP3. It becomes a bit of “analysis paralysis” searching for the right detailer after a while if you’re not careful.
Here is what we can tell you now that we’re on the other side of the experience. Choosing the right detailer lifts the weight of the world off your shoulders.
The paint on our 2013 looks better than some of the new cars rolling off the assembly line.
The XPEL Ultimate Plus paint protection film will provide peace of mind for years to come. Everyone at AP3 was professional and easy to work with throughout the process.
Rest assured, AP3 is the right decision for your paint protection installation.
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