She s back from Prefix

[outnumbered]

I am not a fan of protective film on cars but recognize it is a necessary evil. What I do and have always done is just the bare minimum highly susceptible areas of the car and nothing else. I do the complete front bumper and small stripes behind the four wheels. That's is. Depending on how much you drive the car that may be enough. Granted you always run the risk of a chip on the hood but that is just not as likely. I've never had one there in 15 years and seven Vipers. But again, I don't drive them that much and never on lousy road conditions. You really can't see the difference in paint tone between the bumper and the hood probably because of the rounded versus flatter shape. And of course no tell tale line.

Another protective thing I highly recommend is the relatively small "mud flaps" sold by Doug Shelby as "GEN V Front and Rear "Boomerang" Stone Guards". They are pretty unobtrusive and make an amazing difference in the wear and tear and road dirt accumulation under the side sills. My GTS-R side sills look like they just came off the production line there is not a chip or nick. Plus they seem to keep quite a bit of dirt off the sills.

Thanks John, I do already have the small "mud Flaps" on the car. They were actually what prompted me to remove the film on the rockers and behind the rear tires. They do work very well.

I do drive the car as much as I can on the weekends--weather permitting, and not on questionable roads. I suppose the clear film on just the bumper is a good happy medium. However, I am still a little fearful that the color will change slightly. I definitely want to install it on the front splitters. I guess at the end of the day, I can't have my cake and eat it too.

[v10tt]

Leave it as is, drive it and enjoy it. Life is short.

[Bryan Savage]

Thanks John, I do already have the small "mud Flaps" on the car. They were actually what prompted me to remove the film on the rockers and behind the rear tires. They do work very well.

I do drive the car as much as I can on the weekends--weather permitting, and not on questionable roads. I suppose the clear film on just the bumper is a good happy medium. However, I am still a little fearful that the color will change slightly. I definitely want to install it on the front splitters. I guess at the end of the day, I can't have my cake and eat it too.

What about a shorter-term solution? When you're taking it on a drive that worries you, throw some Track Armour on it, then just peel it off when you're through. It might take you half an hour to make it look not crappy, but it's big piece of mind. My brother keeps Track Armour on his Hellcat all the time, and just changes it out every now and then.

I've got many rock chips and a few stains on my hood, but honestly, I think I'm the only one that notices. At least nothing underneath is going to rust.

[outnumbered]

I'm not familiar with Track Armour, but will check it out.

- - - Updated - - -

Leave it as is, drive it and enjoy it. Life is short.

That's what my wife keeps telling me.

[urchin]

Thanks guys. Now, I'm scared to death to drive it. Part of the reason I had it repainted was because of the lines left behind from the clear protective film. I don't want that to happen again, and I don't want to alter the look of this beautiful paint. However, I know that inevitably, I am going to get rock chips if I don't put the film back on. If I reinstall and for some reason I need to replace it, I could always have it laid back down on the same line. But this doesn't change the aesthetic situation for me. The matte film changes the look of the paint much more than the glossy paint/clear film set up.


I am absolutely torn on what to do. Thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Quite literally lost sleep over this same issue.

[ViperGeorge]

Does Prefix have any suggestions as to how best to protect the paint without causing issues later?

[outnumbered]

Does Prefix have any suggestions as to how best to protect the paint without causing issues later?

They convey what the manual says. There is a specific set of instructions that all Carbon owners receive, which I have always followed. However those instructions don't protect against rock chips.

[Anton28]

Wow Wow Wow. Shes beauty! Congrats! Its a crime to cover up that paint in the protective film. It changes the effect of it completely.

[outnumbered]

Wow Wow Wow. Shes beauty! Congrats! Its a crime to cover up that paint in the protective film. It changes the effect of it completely.

But here's the question: when you get another Carbon Edition (and I'm convinced you will), would you put it on just the front bumper?

[Scot@Prefix]

Wow, that is pretty cool. They dismantled your car back to the way it looked on the line. I suppose the best folks for doing that are the ones that best know how it was put together (given that they worked so closely with FCA and painted all the panels to begin with). The vote seems unanimous that Prefix is world class.

Now, what's with all the wires/sensors on the roof panel from what looks like a GTS-R in the background of one of the photos?

BTW, the car is beautiful. I bet you're glad to have it back... hopefully for good.

That is a roof that is used to check bake temperature of the part in the oven. The green wires are temperature wires that lead back to a data recorder box.
This verifies that the part was baked for the right temperature and time for the paint to cure.

[outnumbered]

That is a roof that is used to check bake temperature of the part in the oven. The green wires are temperature wires that lead back to a data recorder box.
This verifies that the part was baked for the right temperature and time for the paint to cure.

Hey Scot, were you involved with my car at all?

[EX1]

Thanks guys. Now, I'm scared to death to drive it. Part of the reason I had it repainted was because of the lines left behind from the clear protective film. I don't want that to happen again, and I don't want to alter the look of this beautiful paint. However, I know that inevitably, I am going to get rock chips if I don't put the film back on. If I reinstall and for some reason I need to replace it, I could always have it laid back down on the same line. But this doesn't change the aesthetic situation for me. The matte film changes the look of the paint much more than the glossy paint/clear film set up.

I am absolutely torn on what to do. Thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Hard lines in your clear coat from clear bra usually means the install was done cheaply. Some installers to save time and cost lay the film over the car and then use razors to cut along the edge and trim-to-fit. This causes scoring and I have experienced it on my Corvette. Companies like Xpel and 3M have pre-cut pieces which eliminate the need for such extensive hand trimming, but they add to the cost of a clear bra install significantly. My Xpel setup for example was over $5,000 for the front bumper, hood, rocker panels, mirrors, and top half of my roof. If the car isn't exposed to bad conditions and is garaged, there is no reason why the bra shouldn't last 7-10 years if cared for. Some dirt and debris will build up around the edges, but that is to be expected without a sealant. I had my car ceramic coated on top of the clear bra and have had great results so far. The coating has kept my car clean for several months, and has kept any buildup from accumulating along the edges of the bra.

When it is time to replace the bra, if there are some faint lines for some reason, light clear coat correction can be done by a professional detail shop. That is easy to do and can be done in a day for a few hundred bucks.

[outnumbered]

Hard lines in your clear coat from clear bra usually means the install was done cheaply. Some installers to save time and cost lay the film over the car and then use razors to cut along the edge and trim-to-fit. This causes scoring and I have experienced it on my Corvette. Companies like Xpel and 3M have pre-cut pieces which eliminate the need for such extensive hand trimming, but they add to the cost of a clear bra install significantly. My Xpel setup for example was over $5,000 for the front bumper, hood, rocker panels, mirrors, and top half of my roof. If the car isn't exposed to bad conditions and is garaged, there is no reason why the bra shouldn't last 7-10 years if cared for. Some dirt and debris will build up around the edges, but that is to be expected without a sealant. I had my car ceramic coated on top of the clear bra and have had great results so far. The coating has kept my car clean for several months, and has kept any buildup from accumulating along the edges of the bra.

When it is time to replace the bra, if there are some faint lines for some reason, light clear coat correction can be done by a professional detail shop. That is easy to do and can be done in a day for a few hundred bucks.

I had pre cut pieces. I watched them come off the cutter. There is NO matte clear correction. Period.

[IHOP]

I'm not sure if you would ever need this, but this is what I use for track days.

http://https://www.amazon.com/Road-Warrior-Plus-Paint-Protection/dp/B072B9KRGS

I think it works better than the track tape/armour.

[outnumbered]

I'm not sure if you would ever need this, but this is what I use for track days.

http://https://www.amazon.com/Road-Warrior-Plus-Paint-Protection/dp/B072B9KRGS

I think it works better than the track tape/armour.

Thanks!

[EX1]

I had pre cut pieces. I watched them come off the cutter. There is NO matte clear correction. Period.

I was hoping it was something simple like that.

Maybe wrap each panel entirely to minimize the amount of edges?

[outnumbered]

I was hoping it was something simple like that.

Maybe wrap each panel entirely to minimize the amount of edges?

I could, but then I'm back to altering the look of the paint. I've been driving without the film. Enjoying the car, just being extremely cautious!

[Scot@Prefix]

Hey Scot, were you involved with my car at all?

Yes i was, over in our area we handled the disassembly/assembly of your car. Mike handled everything on the paint side.

[outnumbered]

Yes i was, over in our area we handled the disassembly/assembly of your car. Mike handled everything on the paint side.

Well thank you very much for the care taken. Part of what I love about the car now is how all the panels line up perfectly, much better than when the car was new. I really can't decide which I like more, driving it or looking at it in the garage.

[Scot@Prefix]

Well thank you very much for the care taken. Part of what I love about the car now is how all the panels line up perfectly, much better than when the car was new. I really can't decide which I like more, driving it or looking at it in the garage.

The guys took alot of time to align the panels, they were really getting frustrated lol

[Anton28]

But here's the question: when you get another Carbon Edition (and I'm convinced you will), would you put it on just the front bumper?

Yes the front bumper is a must!

Def another Carbon coming! Still dealing with my insurance company, can you believe it?!?! I have now been escalade to a second "luxury" department and they hired an appraiser. Bernie @ BJMotors/Viper Exchange has been extremely helpful in establishing value but the insurance company keeps fighting and wanting to value my car as a regular GTS. Unbelievable....