PPF/XPEL on a Dark Horse - hood decal issues??

[CT22]

Who can share photos of their Dark Horse hood with PPF installed?

I am considering an XPEL PPF but the decals on the DH hood poise a problem. Do you do one solid piece of XPEL gloss for a more seamless look and risk the matte finish of the decals look glossy? Or have the shop try and piecemeal their gloss and satin options on the hood.

would love to see a picture of someone that did gloss over the top of the decal and your opinion of the look.

Thanks!

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[bfets]

Who can share photos of their Dark Horse hood with PPF installed?

I am considering an XPEL PPF but the decals on the DH hood poise a problem. Do you do one solid piece of XPEL gloss for a more seamless look and risk the matte finish of the decals look glossy? Or have the shop try and piecemeal their gloss and satin options on the hood.

would love to see a picture of someone that did gloss over the top of the decal and your opinion of the look.

Thanks!

Have a look at this video where Schmee discussed what he did.

 

[Tony Alonso]

My installer put on a clear finish then cut out the area with the decals, coating those with a matte finish of Revivify. I was very pleased with his work.

 

[S550VIN54]

As long as the seam sits tight against the decal it should be ok. Worse case it will trap dirt and that could lead to problems. I wasn't opposed to doing a solid piece on my mach1 across the decal.
It was a piece of mind considering how easy it is for superficial scratches. Good luck with your decision!

 

[N1T3MRE]

Probably a little too late - but 14 months down the track, and no issues with a single piece Xpel over the decals

 

[135Hoser]

Work with your installer. Don't remove your decals like I did.

 

[Billycar11]

heres mine with 10 mill xpell over whole hood 1 piece so it makes it gloss

does have a slight bubble around the back vinyl underneath on the edges where it goes back down to paint

 

[GooberDH]

My installer said he could do separate pieces for the decal since Xpel had templates for it and use Xpel's Stealth PPF which has a satin/matte finish over the decals. That's what he used on the gray bits on the front bumper and mirror caps and it looks great. I just had my decal removed because I like the cleaner look.

 

[N1T3MRE]

My installer said he could do separate pieces for the decal since Xpel had templates for it and use Xpel's Stealth PPF which has a satin/matte finish over the decals. That's what he used on the gray bits on the front bumper and mirror caps and it looks great. I just had my decal removed because I like the cleaner look.

Wish when I got the PPF done 12 months ago that I went with the stealth on the grey sections...maybe down the track........best decision ever to put PPF over the whole beast

 

[GooberDH]

Wish when I got the PPF done 12 months ago that I went with the stealth on the grey sections...maybe down the track........best decision ever to put PPF over the whole beast

Stealth pairs nice with the gray bits, indistinguishable from stock to me.

 

[w.gil2024]

Mine came with PPF all over the car including the decals. (second owner). I've spend the last couple of days slowly peeling it off because whoever did it, did it in a rush job. It was orange-peeled and bubbling. The ppf over the hood decals has been the most nightmare-inducing experience I've had. It comes off in chips, slowly and annoyingly. I went to a wrap shop, they pulled out a steamer and showed me how to heat it up properly and it started to peel much easier, so I ordered a steamer.

Point is, if you put it on the decals, then later have to remove it, it's going to suck- a lot.

To answer ur question though, the ppf makes the dark accents on the hood darker, closer to a gloss looking color and on cars that are darker in color it'll help it "pop" more.

 

[Dark Sprite]

heres mine with 10 mill xpell over whole hood 1 piece so it makes it gloss

does have a slight bubble around the back vinyl underneath on the edges where it goes back down to paint

The gloss over the whole hood does look great in that blue (is it Atlas or a custom blue?). I'm deciding whether to put matte PPF on the decals or leave them as is but ceramic coat them on mine.

 

[rattler843]

I also opted for a single piece of glossy ppf over the entire hood including the decals. Yes there is very slight gap where the decal transitions to the paint but it doesn't bother me at all. If anything I think it actually outlines the decals nicely. I was intending on keeping the OEM matte decal look at first, but I really like how the glossy hood looks

 

[nospleen]

I also opted for a single piece of glossy ppf over the entire hood including the decals. Yes there is very slight gap where the decal transitions to the paint but it doesn't bother me at all. If anything I think it actually outlines the decals nicely. I was intending on keeping the OEM matte decal look at first, but I really like how the glossy hood looks

Would you mind sharing a pic?

 

[Dark Sprite]

My installer has the pre-cut templates from XPEL, so they are going to do cut-outs for the gloss but with stealth/satin on the decals.

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