[Midtown2020]

Does anyone have a shop in Munich to recommend for PPF installation right after picking up M2C at the Welt, before heading out on our road trip. Would love to have the peace of mind of the protection before starting to put miles on it!

[Thescout13]

Be aware, it will have to be removed before your drop off. BMW may deny shipment, and if it gets through, US customs will hold up your car for months and can even deny entry with it on. Search on the F80 forums and Bimmerfest for similar issues. It's in the contract you sign for ED that you will not add any aftermarket parts/accessories. The only person that has gotten anything through was Ibiza and he got a flash tune through which is harder to detect.

Not trying to deflate your idea, but this is something I was warned of, did a ton of research on before our last ED, and was disappoint to pass on it.

[Ibiza]

Correct, Thescout13, was a flash bench tune and castles down pipes prior to OBDII being available 16 months latter.

OP US customs will instruct the VPC to remove the PPF, as not worth wasting the instal money as you will be charged labor by BMW NA for the VPC to remove and will delay your car for customs release.

[Midtown2020]

Originally Posted by Thescout13

Be aware, it will have to be removed before your drop off. BMW may deny shipment, and if it gets through, US customs will hold up your car for months and can even deny entry with it on. Search on the F80 forums and Bimmerfest for similar issues. It's in the contract you sign for ED that you will not add any aftermarket parts/accessories. The only person that has gotten anything through was Ibiza and he got a flash tune through which is harder to detect.

Not trying to deflate your idea, but this is something I was warned of, did a ton of research on before our last ED, and was disappoint to pass on it.

Wow, that never even occurred to me. Thanks for letting me know! Here I thought I had a great idea! ha. I've not yet received and signed the contract, just got my scheduled appointment date on last Friday for July 18. Trying to develop my trip plan and hoped to start off with some protection...

[Midtown2020]

Originally Posted by Ibiza

Correct, Thescout13, was a flash bench tune and castles down pipes prior to OBDII being available 16 months latter.

OP US customs will instruct the VPC to remove the PPF, as not worth wasting the instal money as you will be charged labor by BMW NA for the VPC to remove and will delay your car for customs release.

Thanks, I'll hold onto my money!

[chmura]

Just enjoy the car and your ED. I’m OCD about my car but I was not about to go into extreme mode and worship the car during my vacation. I drove 1,000 miles and I found 2 small rock chips before I dropped off. I consider those as ED souvenirs and will gladly take two small chips for a phenomenal experience since my trip went smoothly. After the car arrived stateside I got full front PPF done as well as redoing quarter panel, got side skirts wrapped also and below rear tires.

Everything will be okay. Enjoy the car in Europe.

[FD777]

If you're intent on protecting the paint, you can self install Trakk Tape or Xpel TRACWRAP. Install is painful and people will stare mockingly as you drive through Europe.

[Midtown2020]

Originally Posted by chmura

Just enjoy the car and your ED. I’m OCD about my car but I was not about to go into extreme mode and worship the car during my vacation. I drove 1,000 miles and I found 2 small rock chips before I dropped off. I consider those as ED souvenirs and will gladly take two small chips for a phenomenal experience since my trip went smoothly. After the car arrived stateside I got full front PPF done as well as redoing quarter panel, got side skirts wrapped also and below rear tires.

Everything will be okay. Enjoy the car in Europe.

Agreed, will focus on enjoying the experience!

[Midtown2020]

Originally Posted by FD777

If you're intent on protecting the paint, you can self install Trakk Tape or Xpel TRACWRAP. Install is painful and people will stare mockingly as you drive through Europe.

I like this idea. It seams like it would be easy to apply, but a pain if you were trying to really make it look good. Is that true? I'd just want to get it on to protect and hopefully have it not look ridiculous, but would be fine if it looks a little goofy.

[chmura]

Originally Posted by FD777

If you're intent on protecting the paint, you can self install Trakk Tape or Xpel TRACWRAP. Install is painful and people will stare mockingly as you drive through Europe.

Yes you can do this but why? All your pictures of the car will be ugly because no way you can do a great job on and hide the install.

Again just enjoy the car as is!

[FD777]

It's totally hideous, no doubt about that. You won't be able to hide it in the photos even with a clean install. Just offering an option for the ultra OCD.

[Zugspitze]

Originally Posted by Midtown2020

I like this idea. It seams like it would be easy to apply, but a pain if you were trying to really make it look good. Is that true? I'd just want to get it on to protect and hopefully have it not look ridiculous, but would be fine if it looks a little goofy.

I installed TRACWRAP outside of the Welt immediately after delivery with the help of two friends, which drew a lot of interest from folks passing by. A few even thought we were BMW employees because of our attire. I have no regrets and plenty of great photos including some of the TRACWRAP install. Removed it outside of the Hilton right before checking in. Loginout is just across the street. Installed TRACWRAP again after redelivery at the Performance Center in SC before the drive home.

[chmura]

Originally Posted by FD777

It's totally hideous, no doubt about that. You won't be able to hide it in the photos even with a clean install. Just offering an option for the ultra OCD.

ED is not for ultra OCD folks. Those folks should purchase at their nearest bmw dealer.

[Supernaut]

Originally Posted by Midtown2020

I like this idea. It seams like it would be easy to apply, but a pain if you were trying to really make it look good. Is that true? I'd just want to get it on to protect and hopefully have it not look ridiculous, but would be fine if it looks a little goofy.

All the contours on the front make it impossible not to look a lot goofy, but I did it anyway. I drove through the Blue Ridge from Georgia to Virginia over 3 days and got some funny looks. A couple people outright laughed when they saw the nose. Still, the bumper was pristine for PPF a few days later.
It was so bad, my camera wouldn't even focus on it, but you get the idea.

[onesixeight]

I've done tracwrap and I'll be doing it again when I pickup my M2C at the Welt.

The easiest and most efficient ways to do the install is cut pieces with a scissors and bring a small bottle with J&J baby shampoo/water mixture. You might not get 100 percent coverage but the install will look clean enough that you won't be able to see when photographing the car. If you try and lay big pieces of tracwrap and you're not experienced laying down PPF, you'll get huge bubbles and it looks like you wrapped with clear shipping tape.

[NEfan508]

I bought this for my delivery

Put in on sensitive areas, make it look decent then take off before drop-off

[KevinM]

If you are staying in Germany/Austria, don't worry about it. The roads are pristine. I brought along Trackktape, but in the end I thought the hell with it, I'm just going to enjoy the car. After 700 miles in Germany and Austria, not one stone chip.

Of course, PPF went on in the states...

[Supernaut]

Originally Posted by onesixeight

If you try and lay big pieces of tracwrap and you're not experienced laying down PPF, you'll get huge bubbles and it looks like you wrapped with clear shipping tape.

LOL. That was me to a T. I've never done any sort of PPF application before. A quick job in a restaurant parking lot as we were tight on time. It did the job at the expense of some public humiliation.

[nosbocaj]

At the end of my 1,500 mile ED, I did a thorough inspection of the front of my car and didn't find a single chip or imperfection. As a previous poster said, the roads really are pristine, especially in the summer months.

If you don't want to risk it though, the 3M scotchguard stuff is the real deal.

[Midtown2020]

Thank you all for the feedback. I’ll be putting about 2k miles on during ED, going through Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco and France, then back to Munich.