Is paint protection film worth getting ??

[MJim]

I've picked up that these new water based paints aren't so durable and prone to chipping. I'm also going for Deep Sea Blue, so chips will show very nicely with a white/grey undercoat! Rightly or wrongly I'm also going for an M Sport so particularly vulnerable round the rear arches as I understand.

Does anyone have any experience of these protective films you can get? I'm currently looking at armourfend, bodyguarduk and paintshield. Does anyone have any views on these or others? Any downsides apart from costing a small fortune!!? Is the chipping problem really so bad?

I'd definanately be going for a professional application as I know if I tried to do it, I would most likely end up turning the air blue as well !! I could see it sticking to fingers, picking up dust and grit, getting stuck to itself and frankly ending up in the bin!

[snipez999]

If you have a tame local bodyshop then you could do worse than try one of these:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... &viewitem=
I have all but the wing mirror , roof edge and windscreen uprights fitted (I have CF mirror covers now and am having CF di-noc installed on the roof next week). It's very good stuff, just like 3m but a fraction of the price.
The front sections run up about 1/4 of the bonnet so good coverage. The kit is precut. I would buy again.

[Jalf]

I've had armourfend and a few the other main ones fitted on some previous cars, its petty good but you get an edge that picks up wax/dirt, but it will stop most of the little nicks that you pick up on the average british road, big things will make it through the plastic and damage the paint anyway and leave a mark in the plastic to draw your eye to it, its a bit 50/50 as to what you have damaged and what is easier to put right/maintain. resprays are cheaper as my Porsche dealer told me when I was going to have paintshield fitted to a car before I picked it up.

I've had my X6 just over a year now without any protective film and I have maybe 10 chips over the whole car, none that you'd be able to detect unless you went around it with a fine tooth comb, I only know about them from the up close waxing it gets to avoid chipping as much as you can, don't drive at silly speeds, keep your distance from vehicles in front and like I do, have a good couple of inches of wax protecting your car at all times

[MJim]

@snipez999 - many thanks for the suggestion - certainly looks like a great lower cost option. Only prob is I don't know a friendly paint shop I could ask to fit it - and I can barely put a protective screen on an iPhone without getting wound up with bubbles, trapped dust etc!! Will probably go for a pro fitted option but maybe only protect the most vulnerable spots ... Awesome car by the way, and I see that many have been admiring your exhaust ends!!

@Jalf - interesting to hear that you've plenty of experience! I was looking at Paintshield today - spoke to Tom - seems very professional if a bit pricey. I would prefer not to have to tbh, but it seems like the X5 M sport is particularly vulnerable around the rear arches, so may be a necessity. I'm assuming the X6 is better in that regard. Would paintshield be the one you'd go for or is armourfend just as good?

Anyone else have any comments on paint protection - is the X5 M sport really as bad as some posts suggest ?? Any feedback really appreciated !!

[MJim]

@snipez999 - many thanks for the suggestion - certainly looks like a great lower cost option. Only prob is I don't know a friendly paint shop I could ask to fit it - and I can barely put a protective screen on an iPhone without getting wound up with bubbles, trapped dust etc!! Will probably go for a pro fitted option but maybe only protect the most vulnerable spots ... Awesome car by the way, and I see that many have been admiring your exhaust ends!!

@Jalf - interesting to hear that you've plenty of experience! I was looking at Paintshield today - spoke to Tom - seems very professional if a bit pricey. I would prefer not to have to tbh, but it seems like the X5 M sport is particularly vulnerable around the rear arches, so may be a necessity. I'm assuming the X6 is better in that regard. Would paintshield be the one you'd go for or is armourfend just as good?

Anyone else have any comments on paint protection - is the X5 M sport really as bad as some posts suggest ?? Any feedback really appreciated !!

[Jalf]

Its much of a muchness one or the other, the rear arched might be a good idea as you don't get the sidesteps to help protect them.

[MJim]

@Jalf - thanks, helpful to hear they're all similar ...

On a US site there really are a number of scare stories of wheel arches looking sand blasted even after low mileage. I'm surprised it hasn't been flagged more here - maybe the roads in the US are more gritted up than here? I'm also wondering if the problem has been reduced with the LCI X5s? Do any members with LCI X5 M sports care to comment? Would be really appreciated!!

[535dboy]

As mentioned before my CB Msport arches are quite bad

You couldn't consider doing just the arches - this is exactly what lotus do as standard from the factory

I had the majority of both lotus done with armour fend or equivalent, can't remember who as done through dealer and each car was done by somebody else

On the red lotus it probably helped

On the orange one the stones have still gone through and chipped paint anyway but this car does a lot of track work which will not help

Of course I also have stone chips on the bits of the car that are not protected!!!!

[MJim]

@535dboy - many thanks for your feedback - I really appreciate it!!
I'm sorry to hear you've been having problems with chipping as well - does seem to be a flaw with the M Sport X5s. I agree re not just treating the sills. I found this photo below on a US site which highlights the problem areas (many thanks to "E53is"), and will probably get Armourfend to cover accordingly - they can travel out and fit to the car before I collect. I probably won't get the bonnet done as don't want a line accross it, and hopefully it's high enough not to get too many chips ...

[Jalf]

Get it done in those colours

[535dboy]

Sorry just read my reply again - stupid iPhone!

You COULD consider just doing arches as per diagram you have shown as that is clearly really bad area

Rest of car really is not that bad

The car that is bad as per my post is the lotus which has picked them up all over

[MJim]

@Jalf - yep I could really go for it - maybe a few flames down the side, and an enormous spoiler on top for pure class??!!

@535dboy - many thanks - very helpful to hear. I'm keen not to have loads of lines over the car where the film ends. There are quite a few regulars on this site with the M Sport set up and I would have thought more would have been made of the issue tbh - so prob not such a big issue bar that one area as you say.

[Chompers]

I would agree with 5353dboy re: just doing the rear arches and depending on cost the sill sections. Armourfend always came out to our garage and did a very good job and I can't remember a single come back only praise from customers. What sort of price have you been quoted to do this work MJim?

[MJim]

@Chompers - many thanks for your feedback on Armourfend - really appreciated !!

I was sent 3 different quotes, offering increasing levels of coverage, but haven't asked for a quote on the specifically targeted basis. E.g. Front bumper, rear wheel arch and top of rear bumper comes to £212 parts, £250 fitting plus VAT (£549), wheras the fuller version covers bonnet, door bottoms, mirrors, front bumper, front wing lowers, headlights, rear arches, top of rear bumper and wing ends costing £486 parts, £360 fitting, plus VAT (£1,003). I need to find out if their installation charges cover their travel, which I hope it does at those levels!

Obviously there's a minimum amount I'm going to have to pay here, and thinking about it wonder if it's worth paying that bit more top cover other main vulnerable areas e.g. I can imagine the rear bumper gets a hammering from kids climbing in and out (7 seat version) and dropped items, and wing mirrors probably get a beating round town? I'm thinking door bottoms, front wing lowers, rear wheel arches, wing ends, front bumper, top of rear bumper, door mirrors which I estimate would be c£340 parts, c£300 fitting, total c£770 incl VAT? I don't think I need the bonnet done as its hopefully high enough to be shielded from most and don't want a line across it, and headlights I presume is overkill? Haven't tried to negotiate yet, just got quotes, and don't know how amenable they are? Do these sound reasonable to you, or are they loaded up?!!

[Chompers]

Pretty much as the the pic^^^ then + rear bumper & mirror backs. You would struggle to get that lot resprayed for circa £770 and by doing the area's you suggest, you will lose most of 'lines' where the protection film finishes along things like the door mouldings. While you may decide not to do the headlights the fog lamps lenses in the bumper should be done IMO and I'm sure the fitter will have some spare excess film onboard to do this. Doing the front bumper will also have the advantage of making it easier to remove dead insects and other rubbish but be sure not to use a pressure washer near any or the covered area's !!!! also get details of what cleaning products sholud be used on the protection film.

One thought I did have is that it may be worth getting a price for the BMW rear bumper cover which is black. This area does suffer from putting things in and out of the boot and the clear film may over time get a bit tatty, where as the black should withstand the beating for longer.