[Porsche2018]

Can anyone recommend a protective windshield coating they like? I have read about ExoShield and wondering if anyone has any feedback based upon personal experience with this or with any other system(s).
I realize there is an issue with reported delamination and PPF coverage over the headlights but are people still inclined to cover the headlights with a PPF in-spite of the stated risk?

Clearly we would prefer avoiding the inevitable windshield and headlight chips.

 

[JakiChan]

My PPF guy still offers to do it, says they haven't seen *that* many failures, but I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do. I'm inclined to just take the chips. I'm sure the headlights are crazy expensive to replace, but windshields aren't that bad.

 

[Robh]

I was also informed about possible problems with headlight coverage, but decided to go with Xpel...fingers crossed...no problems as of yet. I plan on covering the windshield soon just have not decided on a product yet.

 

[85Gold]

I would be cautious on putting anything on the headlights. There have been problems when removing the protection from the headlights also removing the coating on the headlight lenses. Big $$$$ if that happens.

Peter

 

[Robh]

Clearplex was applied to my last Cayman windshield ...my new GTS goes in next week.

 

[Porsche2018]

I bounced this question off the people on Rennlist and although that is not the most welcoming group there are quite a few knowledgeable and helpful people; most notably a Rennlister named chaosoul......quite a nice fellow. I think as it stands now, I will probably do the ExoShield for the windshield and even though there is risk I will have a PPF placed on the headlights but prior to placement of the PPF I will have headlights ceramic coated. Apparently, it's easier to restore a delaminated headlight then a chipped one.
The concern about leaving the windshield unprotected is if replacement is required the replaced windshield may not have the same high quality (factory) seal........which may or may not be significant.

 

[Robh]

I agree, I would rather protect my windshield than gamble with replacement cost, fitment and installation issues.

 

[Guaji]

I’ve been following this thread and priced out ExoShield which is $395 to install. I called another place and they install Bray windshield protection for $895!! I didn’t know about Bray, anyone have any insight to which is better? Bray is a two layer application. If the outer layer is damaged or scratched, it can be peeled and replaced. Big price difference though.

 

[Porsche2018]

Clearplex was applied to my last Cayman windshield ...my new GTS goes in next week.

Did you have any negatives with the windshield protection you had on your Cayman. Most people are recommending Exoshield given that it’s a product specifically designed to protect windshields, why did you choose Clearplex?

 

[_Brian_]

Can anyone recommend a protective windshield coating they like? I have read about ExoShield and wondering if anyone has any feedback based upon personal experience with this or with any other system(s).
I realize there is an issue with reported delamination and PPF coverage over the headlights but are people still inclined to cover the headlights with a PPF in-spite of the stated risk?

Clearly we would prefer avoiding the inevitable windshield and headlight chips.

I would like to raise this thread again to see if anyone has used any windshield protection film products (ExoShield, Clearplex, etc) and can share their experiences. I am considering one of these products to reduce pitting from sand and other small particles. I am particularly interest if there are any self healing films for windshields that people are happy with. Lastly, I would be interested in those who use these products have any issues with the clarity of the wind shield with the film applied.

Thanks

 

[Bolder Boxster]

I would like to raise this thread again to see if anyone has used any windshield protection film products (ExoShield, Clearplex, etc) and can share their experiences. I am considering one of these products to reduce pitting from sand and other small particles. I am particularly interest if there are any self healing films for windshields that people are happy with. Lastly, I would be interested in those who use these products have any issues with the clarity of the wind shield with the film applied.

Thanks

I imagine that there are a number of owners and soon-to-be owners who would be interested in answers to Brian's questions by people with experience of windshield protection products. Anyone?

 

[Silverscooby27]

I’m about to pull the trigger on Exoshield…anyone have any other experiences or advice? Thank you

 

[slilley]

I just had a Clearplex windshield film installed by the manufacturer at the Porsche Parade in the Poconos last month. It's too early to tell you what I think about it, as I've only driven it ~900 miles since then. But before getting it installed, I got a couple visible chips in the windshield - so I figured I'd give it a try when I saw it was being offered at Parade. The manufacturer was there doing it for $350 installed.

The film is surprisingly thin - much, much thinner than PPF in fact. It's supposed to be good for 3-4 years on the windshield, but with a pampered garaged car they said it could last much longer. You have to use window cleaner without ammonia, and they recommend waxing the windshield once a month to keep it slick and hydrophobic (I'm normally a RainX guy, but I might stick with wax and see how it goes). The worst thing for the windshield film it is a dry wiper blade pass, or dirty/gritty wiper blades, as those can leave micro scratches on the film which eventually will be visible and look bad.

I was driving home from the Poconos a couple days after getting the protection applied, and I passed a farm truck on the highway with a load of loose dirt and gravel in it's bed. As I approached and passed, my car was peppered with debris in the 5-10 seconds it took to get past him, but the windshield was damage-free after cleaning it. My car gets tracked about 3-4 times per year, so it's feels better having a little protection for when people run off-track and bring the gravel and small stones back on the track with them.

 

[nova996]

I just had a Clearplex windshield film installed by the manufacturer at the Porsche Parade in the Poconos last month. It's too early to tell you what I think about it, as I've only driven it ~900 miles since then. But before getting it installed, I got a couple visible chips in the windshield - so I figured I'd give it a try when I saw it was being offered at Parade. The manufacturer was there doing it for $350 installed.

The film is surprisingly thin - much, much thinner than PPF in fact. It's supposed to be good for 3-4 years on the windshield, but with a pampered garaged car they said it could last much longer. You have to use window cleaner without ammonia, and they recommend waxing the windshield once a month to keep it slick and hydrophobic (I'm normally a RainX guy, but I might stick with wax and see how it goes). The worst thing for the windshield film it is a dry wiper blade pass, or dirty/gritty wiper blades, as those can leave micro scratches on the film which eventually will be visible and look bad.

I was driving home from the Poconos a couple days after getting the protection applied, and I passed a farm truck on the highway with a load of loose dirt and gravel in it's bed. As I approached and passed, my car was peppered with debris in the 5-10 seconds it took to get past him, but the windshield was damage-free after cleaning it. My car gets tracked about 3-4 times per year, so it's feels better having a little protection for when people run off-track and bring the gravel and small stones back on the track with them.

Any concerns with optics/distortion?

 

[slilley]

Any concerns with optics/distortion?

Actually, that was one of my big concerns, as I had read that all the windshield films weren't 100% optically perfect. But I'm happy to report that my Clearplex doesn't have any of those problems. When I wear polarized sunglasses, if I look closely while sitting in the driver's seat there's a bit of a scallop effect at the edges of the windshield - but I can't say if that was new with the Clearplex, or if it had always been that way. It's very very faint, and not noticeable when driving, so I don't even think about it.

From inside or outside the car, it's virtually impossible to tell that the Clearplex film is even there. I just hope that it offers good protection from chips or worse yet, broken windshields! Only time will tell that.

Let me change gears and share my thoughts on PPF for a moment. I'll be honest: sometimes I still question whether PPF is worth it. I'm not driving a collector's piece, I'm driving a car that was meant to be driven! I've had PPF on both my Porsches, but only on the areas that are likely to be impacted. So far, for me all the benefits of the PPF have come at the track and autocross - so if you don't do those things and can live with a few random paint chips, I'd have a hard time justifying PPF. But for my intended use (track, AutoX, and pleasure drives), the windshield protection ranks higher in importance than the PPF. If you are patient and meticulous, you can usually touch-up paint chips. But there's nothing you can do once a windshield is chipped and pitted. I generally keep my cars for a long time, so windshield protection seems like a prudent choice - as long as there aren't any long-term downsides. As I said above, time will tell!