Yes I did search but I have additional questions.

Just took posession of brand new S2k and I don't want the paint to go to hell like on my other car (lots of freeway driving killed the bumper/hood of my M3). The $tealer offered me the 3M protective film as an add-on but I didn't take it. Said I would shop around. Now i'm re-considering. Shops in my area will charge me $400-$480 installed for the bumper, 25% hood, fenders, and mirrors. I think the dealer is around the same price.

Now, what are your experiences? What brand did you use, 3M, or Llumar (sp)? How long has it been on your car? Thanks guys

 

I am an Xpel installer and use the Xpel 3M stuff exclusively. While some of the other films have their pluses in some parts, overall, I've been quite happy using the 3M product.

What do I think about it? Great product. However, there was some bad reps started ages ago with Stongard (yes, it is spelled that way) and the headlights on the S2000 (and only the S2000). From my experience, they don't act up any more. I'm unsure of the film that Stongard uses, but what it did was prematurely age the headlight housings to the point there were strips of air pockets.

As for pricing, that is a helluva deal that you are getting, but it also depends on what all is covered, and how much of it is covered up the hood. It all depends on the material and how far up (~11.8" to ~23.8") up the hoood you go. But mainly, it is the installer that is worth the dollars. I've seen plenty of hack jobs that the customer lives with. So make sure your dollars aren't cheaping out on this.

 

thanks for the reply; I tried to instand message you but you have them disabled? Anyhow, Tint Masters here in town tinted my windows on my M3 with the best film possible, and gave me a lifetime warranty. I paid around $400 I believe. So I thought of them for the protective film on the S2000 also. The lady I spoke with directed me to the Xpel.com website. She said that because they are authorized distributors of the product, the prices I found on the xpel.com website are the only ones I would pay, unless the installation difficulty shown on the site was 4 stars or better. That cost extra. So her total quote was $480. I can also add the door edge protection, for $10 per side, do you think that is worth it?

Another shop in town custom cuts all their pieces and do not use any kits. They're asking $400 but I have yet to see their work. They say they use the 3M film also. In your experience, do the kits look the best, or would custom-cut look better (cut by an experienced installer of course)?

 

The price that you are getting, that is just the price of the kit, right? Or is that the price of the kit plus installation? Seems to me, a professional shop like that, will end up being around 850 installed, if not slightly more. That is typically the price ballpark.

Regarding the kits being cut or not, well... with Xpel, I use their templates to cut the kits on the plotter. They are very **** and have guys go out every day that look at each model of each make of car out there to make sure all will fit just the same, even if there are no notable year to year changes. For me, that is a plus. Having a pre-cut kit, again, it is up to the installer. Personally, I don't think I'd want a person to cut the kit on the car. It isn't so much cutting on the car, it is about the streaches and pulls that certain kits fit. They are made to fit a certain way. Hand-cut kits seem to be a short cut way of knowing how to install a kit by taking the long road to do it.

That's just my take. So... hope it helps.

 

total price, installed (maybe this hasn't caught on in Albuquerqe yet, little demand=low prices)

 

that stuff isn't easy to install and it's worth the $$$ for a professional installation. Having some sort of guarantee on their work might help you make a decision.

 

from what i have seen, you get what you pay for in terms of work. the materials are about the same give or take a couple dollars. the workmanship is what you pay for. some places guarantee for yrs while others are like 90 days. becareful who does the work. try asking for pictures or find someone who has had it done. see what they think of it