I stopped by Zebart to check into some way to protect my paint for/aft of fenders. They only offer what there printer can cut and only for the hood and front fenders. Anyone using this clear film for protection and did you cut your own?

 

I have used 3M PPF exclusively. I cut my own for the areas behind the front wheels, along the lower door, and in front of the rear wheels, but will have them cut the front bumper once I've got it painted- its got complex curves. I used a paper template to check fit for the pieces i did. I followed the online youtube videos for installation.

Its not rocket science.

good luck

​​​​​​​darcy

 

OK, Kind of what I was thinking. I will do some You-Tube training then. Who did you buy yours from, E-Bay?

 

my buddy from 3M gave me a roll. so, it was the right price.

darcy
​​​​​​​

 

I use only XPEL Ultimate on both vehicles.
S2000 has full front (hood, bumper, fenders, mirrors and front lip)
Lexus has the same.

You get what you pay for especially in this case.

 

I had an unfortunate impact to the lower front bumper from an object on the interstate that appeared in front of me too fast to take any evasive action. The damage was only to the lower part of the front bumper but it was enough that I made the decision to replace the front bumper. Of course, in accordance with Murphy's Law, this occurred less than a week after I had my front bumper re-painted to remove typical chipping to the lower lip area. It was in 100% perfect condition after the respray. I have a great body shop. Ugh.

Anyway, some $ spent, but the new bumper is now installed and re-painted and it looks 100% perfect again. As usual they did a great job blending etc. The next day after I picked the car up from the body shop I put it in storage for the winter. So, come spring, I'll have a fully cured perfect front bumper.

Should I put some sort of clear film on it right off the bat? What do you all recommend, if anything? I have read pros and cons searching around. If I do something, I will have it done in a shop, not DIY. . Part of me says to leave it alone and just figure on doing an occasional re-spray/replace of the front bumper.

I did have the body shop spray a cheap urethane aftermarket front lip while they were at it so I have that sitting in my garage to use down the road. I did not have them install it because I'm not 100% sure about the looks with a lip v. without a lip and its something I could do down the road to cover minor chipping as a temporary fix before the inevitable next respray.

 

If you're looking to put on PPF on your newly painted bumper, wait at least 3 full weeks (in the summer) to let the paint completely cure and park it out in the sun whenever possible. If it's below 50 degrees wait up to two months, yes, I'm serious. The importance of letting the paint cure is critical.

I've done PPF in all of my vehicles and my experience behind it all stands true. Not all PPFs are created equal either, I'm quite partial to XPEL. Hope this helps.