Post your delivery pics here!

[vexingv]

Yeah keeping cars clean is all part of it... and the color you choose has a lot to do with how much you obsess over keeping it clean. I was unpleasantly surprised at how hard it is to keep up with keeping the satin Xpel Stealth on my wife's Macan clean. It does a pretty good job of hiding dirt at a distance, but man it is obvious as hell up close. Shows pollen in the spring within literal seconds after drying. Even with ceramic coating over it. Wasn't expecting that...

So I have two cars that basically need to be washed every week. My routine takes about 45 minutes to an hour per car unless I'm "deep cleaning" something. And to add insult to injury, my driveway in the summer gives me about 1 hour per day of shade, and I hate washing cars in direct sunlight. It does get tiresome, and it REALLY sucks in the winter. (I'll wash my car if it's above 45 degrees or so, just far less frequently)

I've been on the fence about taking this ITS through a local place that uses an automated washer. I've used it before on some of my other cars to no ill-effects- even a black Macan. No kidding, I put more scratches and swirls on the paint washing by hand than their machines did. So there are places out there that cater to high-end cars that do a really good job of cleaning the car while not wrecking your paint, and if you do a monthly membership the cost is kept well under control too; this place charges ~$45 a month for "unlimited" washes, but for just a single "full service" they'll charge $39 (cost includes vacuum/interior, wheel cleaning, and touch up hand dry). That shit would add up real quick!

The trick for me is you can't take a car that has PPF through an automated wash, point blank period... and both my current cars have PPF. So I have been considering skipping PPF on this ITS so I can be lazy and actually keep it clean easier... at the cost of paint chips (and saving a few grand). But I also keep coming back to the gloss black pieces, no matter what you do they will get annihilated if they're not protected with film. So the struggle continues...

The other thing is, I have yet to find another place like this one anywhere so it's hard for me to recommend to other people to take their cars through automated washers. Everywhere else I've looked has been sketchy, even some of the 100% hand-wash places because they tend to use power washers and if I'm not using the power washer I don't trust them not to lift the PPF. My only guidance is to go off user reviews and look for things like my local place advertises on their website:

https://thegreatamericancarwash.com/

that's why i like PPF; you don't have to worry so much when hand washing about scratches/swirls as you would with just naked paint. i have Xpel ultimate on my BMW, which is glossy, so i'm not quite familiar with maintaining Xpel stealth. is there any risk of the matte look/texture on Xpel stealth getting glossy if not properly washed?

all that said, after 8 years of being on the car, there is some ingress of dirt and lifting at a few exposed edges if i examine those areas carefully. and with a silver colored car, i now do notice some minor yellowing of the film compared to a few areas that remain unfilmed. however, these days, due to family life, i definitely have been leaving longer intervals between car washes (not to mention water restrictions in CA too) so that might be contributing to it too.

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[optronix]

that's why i like PPF; you don't have to worry so much when hand washing about scratches/swirls as you would with just naked paint. i have Xpel ultimate on my BMW, which is glossy, so i'm not quite familiar with maintaining Xpel stealth. is there any risk of the matte look/texture on Xpel stealth getting glossy if not properly washed?

all that said, after 8 years of being on the car, there is some ingress of dirt and lifting at a few exposed edges if i examine those areas carefully. and with a silver colored car, i now do notice some minor yellowing of the film compared to a few areas that remain unfilmed. however, these days, due to family life, i definitely have been leaving longer intervals between car washes (not to mention water restrictions in CA too) so that might be contributing to it too.

The film itself is translucent; whatever happens on the surface doesn't affect the satin/matte look. This picture kind of shows what I'm talking about:

And the same rules apply; at corners/edges it's still film so is prone to dirt getting in there and lifting over time. Installer choice is very important with film, and as a general rule you get what you pay for. If someone says they'll do your whole car in Xpel Stealth/Ultimate for $4k, expect some serious defects and errors. If someone charges $12k they're probably ripping you off, but some installers are in high demand and they go the extra mile by removing doors/bumpers/etc. and might be worth it (not for an ITS IMO- I wouldn't spend for that kind of attention to detail on a sub-$100k car minimum).

 

[Frenzal]

Anyone who took delivery could confirm the socket size to remove the lugs? Heard 22 mm, but would like confirmation!

 

[bpebler]

Those mud/stone guards look good. Are they dealer installed? Cost?

I think they compliment the diffuser well. Dealer installed. My dealers installed cost is $260.

 

[Chingylingy]

Still at the dealership but I’ll post a pic of her.

First LCM I see! can you please post more photos of it?

 

[SierraOne]

Still at the dealership but I’ll post a pic of her.

This photo has convinced me to let my sales rep know I will take any colour lol. I originally put down the deposit for TEP but at this point I'll take anything. LCM, TEP and ABP will be getting PPF, while PWP, MBP will be getting wrapped. I'm on the fence on silver, since it actually looks decent, but if not it'll also get wrapped. I've come to realize that I'm more in love with the actual car than the colour, so I can live with anything.

 

[S2000Forever]

Still at the dealership but I’ll post a pic of her.

Please post some more photos, my LCM will be arriving in 3 weeks, so excited. I passed on a Black & White units, I think I made the right decision for me, thanks!

 

[bpebler]

First LCM I see! can you please post more photos of it?

He walked on this vehicle so we'll likely have to wait for the next person to share.

 

[bpebler]

Please post some more photos, my LCM will be arriving in 3 weeks, so excited. I passed on a Black & White units, I think I made the right decision for me, thanks!

He walked on this vehicle so we'll likely have to wait for the next person to share. In another thread (if I remember right), he posted 2 others though.

 

[CodyWolfal]

Well, ok, if you insist...

I bought my Integra there. What was their markup?

 

[RUNN1N]

I bought my Integra there. What was their markup?

Acura Columbus is still doing MSRP, but they have a waitlist 80+ people deep, allegedly.

 

[CodyWolfal]

Acura Columbus is still doing MSRP, but they have a waitlist 80+ people deep, allegedly.

They charged me MSRP for mine. Was curious if they were doing the same for the Type S. Appreciate the reply!

 

[B-RapidK20]

Acura Columbus is still doing MSRP, but they have a waitlist 80+ people deep, allegedly.

I called this morning it’s up to 90 allegedly

 

[RUNN1N]

I called this morning it’s up to 90 allegedly

I was there on the 19th picking mine up, and they got a handful of calls on ITS' in an hour or so I was there. When I went in on the 22nd for accessory install, I was there for ~4 hours and they had to have gotten 15-20 calls on the ITS. I'd be the first to say that 90 sounds extreme... but they seemed to be getting a LOT of calls.

 

[Integra23]

Columbia has a 20+ waiting list and they will receive less than 10 more ITS this year.

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