My Vanquish coupe build is scheduled to begin 18 April and I am wondering if I should have it wrapped when it arrives. The quality of Aston finishes being such as they are I would hate to cover it up but by the same token I certainly would like to protect it. The car will reside in a rural area of Palm Beach County and will seldom see much city exposure. I would like to hear opinions on wether I should or should not and any recommendations for installers in this area.
Thanks.

 

Definitely do a high quality clear wrap. It will save your paint.

 

+2 on the clear Bra(wrap). If you want to add color or accents most wrap shops will do custom accents. Just depends on what your tastes are!

 

When I picked up my new vantage GT I did a full front clip wrap by the dealer... You have to look very close to tell

 

Agree, wrap it up.

The clear wrap now a days barely dulls the paint, and not only does it saves you from most rock chips, but also allows you to spend more time driving it then worrying about leaving swirl marks when you wash or wipe it down

 

Plus for the wrap!

The paint is very soft on these cars, and even washing it will result in fine swirls and scratches.

I did a custom full wrap after receiving my car to protect the paint from additional damage.
In the month I had my car prior to the wrap it was painful seeing all the scratches and chips that appeared.

I recommend going all out
* Full paint correction (Even factory fresh cars have imperfections)
* Full XPel or SunTek wrap
* Ceramic coating (Modesta or CQuartz)
* Coat the wheels as well

You'll LOVE the ceramic coating. It Ives the car a permanent just waxed look, and makes washing it super easy.

I know a guy in Atlanta that flies all over teaching others his techniques.

PM me if interested and I'll send you his info. I think he's in FL often enough that me could accommodate you.

 

Some helpful hints:

1. Absolutely without a doubt get a proper Paint Correction done to the car Immediately upon arrival. Preferably make the dealer put in writing that NO plastic coverings etc..... be removed before you get it. Flatbed the car to the Specialist. Second---- DO NOT let dealer do any prep and cleanup and pre-conditioning to the car before you get it. You want it RAW. They only will mess things up more. I have NEVER seen a dealer have a person experienced enough to do this properly. Most dealers would not even know what I am writing, and that includes their detailers. Most people think the paint is flawless, even on 200K+ cars, but they are NOT. They will have sanding marks, factory polisher swirls and holograms etc.... Not everywhere but in places. AM does do a good job factory wise, however to the discerning eye they will still be there detracting from what the paint could look like. The paint can look far better than what you will see.

IMHO--- I would personally spend 100hours making things perfect on a brand new car if I got one. That is how much things can be improved. You just spent 200k, why not a bit more for perfection. Proper on that car for PC alone and glass coating would be around 25hrs of time or there about. That is only on the paint making it perfect. Factories just can't spend the time, and the second a dealer touches them (even washes, never allow this) they ruin most work done due to lack of knowledge and experience.


2. XPEL Ultimate at least on the whole FRONT (hood, quarters, bumper), mirrors, and lower side valences on both sides to include the rear behind the tires. This should protect everything for you without worries. Another suggestion is to Top the Clear wrap with a Coating to further enhance the gloss levels and also help protect the wrap (paint under it too). This is the best possible choice, other than doing the same but wrapping the whole vehicle. I would spend the difference of a full wrap and partial, and get the Paint Correction part and coating.

3. Immediately get the wheels coated in a Glass Coating. This will help prevent brake dust buildup and dirt, and make cleaning them so easy. @speedracer800 can attest to all this. He previously did all this to his DB9. DO this part before any type of miles are put on it. You want perfect wheels, and this will keep them this way.


You are welcome to PM me, I will walk you through everything down to care and maintenance. These cars should always be perfect. I can also put you in touch with the best in the Palm Beach area, that will take care of you fairly. A lot will take advantage I promise. Might even be able to get you in touch for the best person in the country, due to the type of car.

Andrew

 

Haha, you beat me to all this by a minute. Good for the OP to hear from two people the same thing. I wrote mine out more so he can possibly understand it a little better. Most people never have heard of a Paint Correction and think a buffer is the one you find at Walmart. LOL.

Coating----- while C-Quartz UK, GTechniq, and others are top of the line I personally probably would use 22PLE Pro (There is a special dealer only version that is best). However MODESTA for all parts would be the top choice and you can't get anything better. These coatings are for every part of the car. The Coating goes ON TOP of the Xpel Ultimate, not under

Parts to Coat------- Wheels, Wheel well liners, all black trim, exhaust tips, any clear coated interior parts, grille, brake calipers and I think that covers it off the top of my head and no Vanquish in front of me.


Honestly if you do all of what we have suggested, there will be likely no other vanquish that will be better off protected and look as perfect as yours would.


Maintenance------- ONLY top grade car wash soap (any product you buy from local places is worthless, so only online buying from several places). ONLY use microfiber towels to wash the car. Use approximately one towel per panel and more on lower panels that have dirt sand etc on them. You will not need any type of cleaning product other than soap to clean the outside. (tires themselves will need something stronger from time to time)

Drying----- Metro Master Blaster or Sidekick only. No towels. This will prevent any scratches from showing up or at least keep them to an extreme minimum. 25% of scratches come from washing, 75% come from drying. Most people do not use proper towels for any of this, and that creates issues.


This is about as in-depth as you can get in writing. Ask anything and we likely can help you figure this out.

 

Thanks to all for your thoughtful and in-depth responses...it's quite a lot to digest. My car will likely be another two months or more in arriving here so I will have some time to research this and scout out local and perhaps distant resources. I will be back with more questions as things emerge.
Thanks again, you have been more than helpful.

 

Third the opinions here.

I did the full clear wrap and modesta from the same guy that Batman used and it is flawless. More importantly, it has stayed that way for the past 2 years.

Sherrif - something I have been wondering about. If you have the full wrap, coatings, etc, how important is to really be careful in the washing phase? Is it still necessary to take all the precautions re: special car wash, multiple towels, special drying clothes, etc?

On top of the proactive prevention, one of the things I love most about my wrap is that I feel like I can clean it more quickly/easily, which means more time driving and less time detailing.

Would love to get some opinions on this.

 

Hi Zinful.. Congrats on the new wheels. I am in West Palm not that far from the dealer... They have always treated me well when I have been in for a few small items but haven't done service there.

From what I understand there is the defacto standard...'best' guy around in Boca Raton for clear wrap.. I can get his info and fwd to you.

My car came from new with a bra... likely the dealer one... It is due to be redone, just now slightly yellowing, but has really saved the car... huge plus. The dealer one was precut, so I'd recommend going with today's best shops that do it on the car instead as you will have even better coverage.

Drop me a line when you get the car... would love to see it!

 

Agree to washing faster, less specific worry but if you follow the following, time is just as fast, wrap or not.


Careful as needed. I would use the special soap and nothing else. Clear vinyl will scratch also, just no where as easy. So washing it definitely you should be a bit gentle. My technique of multiple micro fiber towels, one per panel, should be a snap on a full wrap. Drying as long as its a MF towel, then you should be just fine. Just work from top down and don't do any lower sections till the end. Rear bumper last right before the valances. You should expect nothing additional by doing that process. I tend to use wash soaps from a online florida outlet. I buy them by the gallon. I don't think I can say from whom on here.

 

These are ALL dealer installed holograms and swirls on the paint. This is a brand new 2016 Vantage GT in black. Yes it also likely has been washed several times and water allowed to dry (Tampa water spots bad). So typical dealer no matter how high end still screws up your cars. Never allow them to wash them when servicing. But for the OP---- those holograms are from a High speed buffer being used on its edge with a foam pad that likely is the same foam pad thats been used on many other cars and never washed. Very normal, dealers don't know about residue control on their equipment. Sad this happens, but I see it everywhere. Most people think if its clean and it shines thats good.

 

Makes total sense. thanks for the advice!

 

OP----

Make absolutely sure if you do a wrap that you go with a highly experienced applier, but MAKE sure you do a custom cut version NOT the pre-cut stuff.

Reason why is on the pre-cut you see the edges and build up occurs there. If you do a custom non pre-cut clear, the edges will be wrapped and hidden so it will look like straight paint to you and everyone else. If the Paint Correction is done straight away before ANY dealer prep, the paint will be so perfect and then the wrap will keep it that way.

The cautious part is an experienced applier. They use razor blades to cut the material so they have to be good so they don't put marks in the paint. Happens more than you can imagine. I think a member mentioned to you that he has connections for someone good in the PB area.