Road trip
 

1500 miles road trip. Car is nicer for this distance than I thought, the seats are good.

How did the paint on the front end hold up (chips wise) on the trip? Curious, I'm on the fence as to whether to do PPF or not when I pick mine up.

Too short to see if holds up well. Did not see any damage, even though I heard 2 or 3 rock chips hitting during a bad road section.

My gen1 did not hold well, so I expect gen2 to be the same.

I would say, if you have resources, ppf this car.

It will chip and flake just as bad as last gen. Mine already has.

I decided not to PPF; as the last time I did it pealed the paint off the car when the film needed to be removed.

Your mileage may vary!

Wow, what type of film and how long was it on? This was on your first gen?

Suntek brand. It was not on a BRZ/FRS. After a few years (always parked outside) it started to yellow. So when we went through the process to remove it, the paint came with it.

Not OP, but I had PPF done on my front bumper 250 miles after picking up my car. Ended up having 1 tiny rock chip :brokenheart:.

How did they handle the front license plate mount. Where they able to keep it all one piece across the front there?

Nope - that was the one part where they had to do a second piece.

Yah, I've heard that from a few people now. How did it end up looking?

In contradiction with the “what did you do to your 2nd Gen BRZ today?” for me it’s “what DIDN’T you do to your 2nd Gen BRZ today?”.

I ordered the pair of the JDM Clear Side markers with Amber LED from Import Image Racing for $170ish and I got them delivered today. Got all excited to pop them on since the install appeared to be super easy.

Nope, they sent me two of the same side (right hand side).

Now begins the major annoyance of trying to get in touch with them to send me the left side marker since there is no phone number or customer support team for them.

As an update: they require you to return the part before they will send the replacement - I’d recommend avoiding Import Image Racing - hard to get ahold of their support and they’re not very helpful.

I was happy with the results. Had my Gen 1 PPF'd in Stek. This time, I went with Xpel and the place did a really clean job.

If you notice the front license plate bulge, the edges aren't smooth enough for the ppf to stay in one piece. My installer actually covered the pre-drilled (JDM) holes. I'll have to puncture them with a knife and install a JDM->USDM plate bracket if I plan to install a front plate in the future.

If you're on the fence about PPF, I'd strongly suggest going for it. If you're OCD about your car in any way, just do it! I waited 6 months on my gen 1 and it had already been peppered to hell with tiny chips during that time - the PPF ended up protecting it, but also make those chips stand out even more to me. The install prices can hurt, but on the bright side, as long as your dealership doesn't ruin your paint it shouldn't require a serious paint correction, if any (might be able to negotiate a cheaper price as most places include a paint correction in their quotes). I was able to get mine for ~$600 for the bumper and headlights in SoCal.

Today I heard the sound generator for the first time. As soon as we get a warmer day, I'll be taking apart the dash to disconnect it. Not a fan.

Man thanks for getting back with me in such detail. I've been quoted $2450 for xpel ultimate on the bumper, full hood, full fenders. I'm considering just doing the front bumper which they quoted at $950. Did you have just the bumper done on your gen 1? If so, how did the hood and fenders end up holding up without?