Full exterior ppf - what issues to ask about please

[blueline]

The quote was for factory glass, but installed by 3rd party. Calibrations and alignment by the dealer. Thinking I will have done at the next tire replacement. I have a vertical crack exactly in the middle that I am tired of looking at.

Wife was driving and what must have been a good sized chunk hit the lower part of the w'shield on drivers side, just a few inches above wiper blades. How the rock missed hitting and skipping up the hood is a mystery, but glad for it. Within a few days the crack started spreading across and then into a rectangle. It became quite distracting while driving as the second higher up horizontal crack was in the line of sight.

Your description of what they're doing for your Cayenne is exactly how it was handled at my dealer. I'll be there again soon and will get a more exact figure on what the cost would have been had I paid it all myself. (I know they appreciated being able to make full retail for a change on me. )

But yes, to reiterate, that's an excellent estimate that you were given.

Mine is a Cayman GTS 4.0. Smaller windshield may contribute some to the lower cost.

That would make a difference I'm sure. The Cayenne windshield is huge.

In either case however, I'm stunned by how expensive windshields in general have become. Too stuck in the old days I guess. I shouldn't be surprised, considering all of the electronic driving aids and other electronic systems on new cars that have driven all costs to unimagined levels.

[grasmere]

So has anyone had a “windshield ppf” fitted and interesting to understand what protection it would give against rocks

[blueline]

@grasmere

So I talked to a PPF installer who I know very well whose judgement I trust, and he said that any film on a windshield will be excessively distorting. Therefore, I'm out on that scenario. No PPF or equivalent on windshields for me - I need to be able to see!

I think a good glass sealer (which obviously won't protect glass from projectile damage) as mentioned by Slowpoke a couple of weeks ago is all I'll do.

https://www.carpokes.com/viewtopic.php? ... l&start=10

[Fasteddie99]

I had Clear Plex windshield protection put on my brand new '24 Cayman GTS within the first few days of ownership. Absolutely distortion free. No issues whatsoever. Installer said it's good for 2-3 years. A new windshield is a couple of grand. I view ClearPlex as cheap (relatively) insurance.

[Arne2]

Ask if they use a pre-cut kit of wrap it from scratch. Pre-cut kits will have more edges and cut lines, etc. I've never seen a kit I'd want on my Porsche -- that's not to say they don't exist, but none of the kits I've seen compare to a custom wrap (at all!).

One of the favored installers around here uses Xpel and does cut from the Xpel computer templates. But he also scales it to 105%, which allows some wrap room at the panel edges. I asked about how that affects the opening for lights in the fenders, or the side intake vents, as examples, and he said he can cut those holes smaller than normal, again allowing for a really clean looking fit. I did not have the whole car done, but I did use him to replace the 4 year old PPF on the rockers. Really pleased with the work.

[blueline]

I had Clear Plex windshield protection put on my brand new '24 Cayman GTS within the first few days of ownership. Absolutely distortion free. No issues whatsoever. Installer said it's good for 2-3 years. A new windshield is a couple of grand. I view ClearPlex as cheap (relatively) insurance.

Good to know.

I have a clear UV "Air" tint on the inside of interior glass (including the windshield) of two vehicles with no issues regarding clarity and that certainly would support your experience of no distortion using the ClearPlex film even though it's a thicker material.

Please keep us in the loop as time moves forward as to how it performs regarding wear, scratches (if any), glass protection and that sort of thing. The outside elements can be tough but if it's good for 3 or so years then it might be well worth getting done. The days of $200 plain windshields are long gone, to say nothing of today's versions that require expensive calibration of safety features, on-board nannies and the like.

[RDMcG]

Tried it in a new Cayenne and found that it seemed to distort. As an aside I had ordered a heated windshield. Works well but they are fragile and a small stone caused a full crack and replacement. Dealer told me that they are very easy to crack.

[Tom]

I had a windshield protection film on my 991 and was not a fan. It created kind of a grainy distorted look I couldn't un-see. Not sure what brand it was but it was installed by a local 3M ppf zealot, so I always assumed it was a 3M product. I opted against windshield protection on the 992, but next time around I'm going to do more homework and find one that is optically invisible....

[Gotti of the Deep]

My 982 CS recently arrived in June. Before I picked her up, I had PPF installed and Ceramic. You have to find a reputable installer and your Porsche dealer should have an installer. My installer uses Llumar/SunTek, 10 year warranty against any problems, e.g., peeling, bubbling, discoloration, etc.

Ceramic coating. Highly recommend. Additional protection against the environment AND you will notice how much easier it is to wash your car. My car has ceramic coating on the windows, windshield, brakes, and wheels. Easy peezy to clean with the "Ceramic" car care products.

The downside to this was the additional 10k to the price of the car, but then again, what's another 10k after you're well over 100k?

[WillyDaP]

My Cayman GTS now has 3 stars ( getting #3 filled in tomorrow at 8 AM ). I figure I might as well put it off for awhile as I will do a few PCA DEs, yet I got all of them from cars coming in the opposite direction. Absolutely nuts as the only other windshield issue I have had in the last 10 years was with my 2021 Mach 1 --- a rock chip I acquired from a car going in the opposite direction, go figure.

Pricing should not be horrible as there will be no adjustment as I don't have Active Cruise Control, etc.