I use Dr. Color Chip to great effect to fix a stray hood/bumper rock chip for a $50 total cost. However, it looks like the rear wheel arches get totally destroyed by rocks on the new Vantages and needs PPF there badly. My 2700 mile car probably has 100+ little chips on the arches, and it looks wayyy better than a 9k mile car I was looking at previously.

I’ve called around and I’m just not interested in paying $3500-$4k for front end and the side kit ppf. One quote was $3800 for just the two sides! Is there not some diy 3x3ft ppf I can buy and wrap under the rear wheel arches and just live with a cut line somewhere above it for a reasonable price? Is there some spray that can harden and protect the paint in this relatively small area? Open to any suggestions!

 

Hi @MikeR397

If you go to the Xpel WS, click on protective films scroll down, they sell PPF by the foot. I think you if contact them, tell them what you're trying to do, I believe they can sell you a piece is film to get your job done. I also don't think a smaller area like that is very difficult to do, just more getting the area you want with a part line that meets your expectations.

Best,

 

I have/had the same rock chips on the rear wheel arches. I used the Dr Colochip also. My local detailer ordered a PPF kit direct from Aston Martin for the rear arches and it was only $200. Check around and see if someone (maybe even an AM dealer) can order the kit for you.

 

I’m planning on using these guys…
https://paintprotectionfilm.ca/

 

Unfortunately, the PPF will only protect the paint. You will still get the unsightly 'white marks' as shown in your picture, only they will be in the PPF.
I am looking for stone guards for my car but have yet to find something that fits.
Thanks,
JH

 

thanks, so my dealer can order this, but it’s just over $700 for both sides which isn’t great.

I found this online: https://lamin-x.com/aston-martin-van...ch-guards.html , and they said it’s about 22” by 21” which should cover the affected area perfect so for $89 less a 10% coupon I’m giving it a shot first!

laminx also sells sheets of ppf I can try to cutout my own desired area…not sure I have the skills for that and the precut ones should fit the area I need perfect. Now, whenever my z06 comes which will be mostly track use and I am sure the ppf bros want $10k to do a whole car ppf, maybe I’ll look at those rolls again…

 

appreciate it, I ordered the $80 precut kit I linked above but will keep this in mind. I truely dont understand the pricing on 8mm glossly plastic stuff. Happy to pay $80 for two 21”x22” pieces, or even $200 at a dealer, but $700 (and a quote for $3800 for the sides of the car!) seems like “o you have an exotic so must like to waste money, here’s your special price for some plastic rolls.”

eta: I suspect the $700 Aston kit of two little plastic pieces is identical to what I’m going to get for $80 from laminx.

I’ll post back how it goes.

 

Nice Find!!!

 

The laminx rear wheel arches ppf pieces look perfect for what I’m looking for. They come with a spray bottle and squeege and instructions and will fit and over the entire rear wheel arch panel from the side sill up to the body line above the top of the arches is where they are cut. I think this will be great coverage for the rock chips and blend in just fine (unless you are the type of person seeing a ppf line is going to ruin the beauty of the car and need it wrapped under panels and seemless — which in this case probably requires a full car ppf wrap for $7k).

I’ll share a pic when I get them installed in a few days after I have time to do a little more dr color chip.

This is by far the most affordable/easiest solution to this problem. I was told $500 to add on the rear wheel arches by a ppf shop only after (as a special price) I paid $3250 for full front bumper and hood and pillar/mirror coverage. These were $80 with a 10% off code!

eta: I cut the one on the left out to roughly what the ppf piece looks like to see how they would fit — this is obviously precut by them and you just peel it off the big backer sheet, spray both sides with dawn/water and apply
.

 

Great find! Completely interested! Any issues getting the OEM film off? Thank you-- KH

 

there is no oem film on there, that’s the problem!

I was going to put them on today but it says wait 24hrs to drive after and I was also installing cat deletes and was too impatient to wait to test those out, so perhaps tomorrow I’ll put them on. Looks very easy. Peel off, spray some soap water on, slide around to the right spot

 

Gotcha, I just made the assumption that the PPF I have was factory, maybe it isn't!
I just followed your lead and went with Dr. ColorChip and Lamin-x

This is bothering me as well and really looking for a better solution, thank you for the tip! KH

 

Took 10 minutes to put the first piece on having never done this before. Process:

1: spray dawn + water (shake first) in the provided bottle on the adhesive side, slide it to place

2. When in place spray outside of ppf (so squeege slides nice) and use provided squeegee to push fluid out from under starting at middle of piece. if something gets messed up just spray it more.

3. When you get to an overhang piece for the edges, use a hair dryer to heat it up and wrap it around until it sticks. Not sure why this part was not mentioned in provided instructions and it does overhand by 1/4” by rear tire to nicely wrap it around.

4. the bottom right was the only part that didn’t instantly stick well. Required a very little hair dryer and to push to the right while also squeegee down.

it looks fantastic, you cannot see the cut line alone the crease above the tire from 3ft away at all. For $80 and 20 minutes this is a no brainer fix. it’s too bad lamin x doesn’t have these cutouts for more cars, but perhaps I’ll diy an expel ppf when my z06 comes (track use lots of rocks from sticky tires) which will be like $1250 in ppf materials vs $4k at a shop (expel does sell the ppf kits online).

 

Wow!! Nice job!

Hope this helps a bit with the stone chips. If nothing else, maybe the PPF will get sacrificed to save the paint.

 

that’s my thought, the ppf is 8mm which I think is standard thickness, but eventually it’s probably gonna get peppered into crusty white look. My only concern is down the road peeling it off might damage the paint some, but it shouldn’t is my hope. I’m not familiar with ppf removal at all, but it’s a game of lesser evils here and I think this is the way to go.

other side pic: they did a perfect job making the height cut along the door crease, as good as it can be without covering the entire side panel through trunk and roof panel. I also don’t have a single chip above where this ppf is cut so that’s good.