My new ES350
11-09-17, 04:19 PM
#16
Former Sponsor
Sonatine, congrats on your purchase! Let me know if you would like a recommendation for a clear bra installer or window tinter in your area.
The car looks great.
If I had to recommend one thing to spend some extra money on it would be paint protection film for the front end of the car.
The atomic silver is a strikingly gorgeous color, but it is a 4 (maybe 5) stage pearl finish, and it does not do well with touch-ups, even touch-ups of small stone nicks. Thus, I'd recommend getting paint protection film for the full front bumper, full hood, full front fenders, and, possibly, the A pillars and leading edge of the roof. Getting that kind of coverage won't be inexpensive, but it would be the best investment that you can make to keep the car looking showroom new.
Enjoy the car.
If I had to recommend one thing to spend some extra money on it would be paint protection film for the front end of the car.
The atomic silver is a strikingly gorgeous color, but it is a 4 (maybe 5) stage pearl finish, and it does not do well with touch-ups, even touch-ups of small stone nicks. Thus, I'd recommend getting paint protection film for the full front bumper, full hood, full front fenders, and, possibly, the A pillars and leading edge of the roof. Getting that kind of coverage won't be inexpensive, but it would be the best investment that you can make to keep the car looking showroom new.
Enjoy the car.
11-09-17, 05:17 PM
#17
Lead Lap
You can get clear paint protection for hood and fender at Amazon for $60. It is easier to install it with a helper friend.
https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Unive...50+accessories
https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Unive...50+accessories
Further that Amazon product is a "one size fits all" product that you need to trim to the proper size yourself. A professional installer will have a machine that, with the aid of a computer program, will cut the pieces of film to the exact size needed for a particular vehicle.
Finally, a do-it-yourself installation of paint protection film is not as easy as some would lead you to believe. I've watched professional installers apply the film, and there is a good amount of skill and patience required to be able to apply the film without wrinkles, bubbles, dust under the film, etc., and that is especially true when working with large pieces of film, like that needed for full hood coverage, or when working on areas with lots of contours, such as the front bumper on the ES. The guy who does work for me has told me that it took him a good year after he started working with paint protection film before he was confident of being able to do a high quality job.
Last edited by lesz; 11-09-17 at 05:25 PM.
11-09-17, 06:39 PM
#18
Pole Position
We started with the partial film (about 1/3rd of the way up the hood) and didn’t care for the look. We have also found the Atomic Silver shows the nicks really bad. Anyway, we redid the film to cover the entire nose. We did the same when we purchased the NX and I highly recommend it, but especially on the Atomic Silver.
Anyway, congrats on the car. You will enjoy the way the color responds to different light.
Anyway, congrats on the car. You will enjoy the way the color responds to different light.
11-09-17, 09:28 PM
#19
That Amazon listing is for material to cover only the front portion of the hood and the front portions of the fenders. If you don't cover the full hood and the full fenders, not only are you leaving vulnerable areas unprotected, but you will also have the visible/ugly line between the area with the film and the area that does not have film on it. Not only does that product not cover the full hood and full fenders, but it also offers no protection for the bumper, which may be the area most vulnerable to rock chips.
Further that Amazon product is a "one size fits all" product that you need to trim to the proper size yourself. A professional installer will have a machine that, with the aid of a computer program, will cut the pieces of film to the exact size needed for a particular vehicle.
Finally, a do-it-yourself installation of paint protection film is not as easy as some would lead you to believe. I've watched professional installers apply the film, and there is a good amount of skill and patience required to be able to apply the film without wrinkles, bubbles, dust under the film, etc., and that is especially true when working with large pieces of film, like that needed for full hood coverage, or when working on areas with lots of contours, such as the front bumper on the ES. The guy who does work for me has told me that it took him a good year after he started working with paint protection film before he was confident of being able to do a high quality job.
Further that Amazon product is a "one size fits all" product that you need to trim to the proper size yourself. A professional installer will have a machine that, with the aid of a computer program, will cut the pieces of film to the exact size needed for a particular vehicle.
Finally, a do-it-yourself installation of paint protection film is not as easy as some would lead you to believe. I've watched professional installers apply the film, and there is a good amount of skill and patience required to be able to apply the film without wrinkles, bubbles, dust under the film, etc., and that is especially true when working with large pieces of film, like that needed for full hood coverage, or when working on areas with lots of contours, such as the front bumper on the ES. The guy who does work for me has told me that it took him a good year after he started working with paint protection film before he was confident of being able to do a high quality job.
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