With a car like the MKIV Supra which is quickly becoming a rare collectors item with a cult enthusiast following I want to do everything I can to protect my investment! The interior of the car took a beating from 25 years of sun and heat exposure that caused warping and discoloration in some areas. I decided to replace the entire dashboard and airbag cover with OEM parts which are getting equally as rare/expensive, and they aint making any more.
Now that I have the parts to make my interior look brand new again I want to prevent a repeat of the damage that forced me to replace it to begin with…the Sun! For this reason I chose not to go with just any tint film, I specifically needed tint with strong UV and IR blocking technology. ‘XPEL Prime XR Plus’ rejects up to 98% heat transmission as well as 99% of UVA and UVB rays through multilayer nano-ceramic particle technology. It’s like having a pop out sunshade on your windows at all times! I was also looking for clear film for the windshield; luckily XPEL makes film from completely opaque all the way to limo darkness.
I had figured out the product I wanted; now I had to find a dealer/installer so I started asking around friends and forums. I received a unanimous recommendation to call Brett at All American Paint Protection in Rockville MD, just a short drive from home on the south side of DC.
AAPP is a really cool shop! I had made an appointment to wait as they applied the tint so I had some time to take some pictures (below). They have a very nicely designed/decorated lobby and waiting area complete with Keurig, Biscotti cookies, and Big screen TV with a selection of great movies! Luckily, I got to tour the shop area as well which revealed that I wasn’t the only person bringing my collectors car to them! They had a GT3 RS, C7 Z06, and Tesla Model X getting full XPEL PPF, A7 getting hail damage repaired, RS3 getting front-clip PPF, a multitude of cars getting various polishes/detailing, and a brand new M2C getting a ‘track package’ PPF application. I was interested in what the track package entailed and Bret said it was one of their best sellers because its much more affordable than a full body PPF that instead focuses on all areas of the car that are most vulnerable to paint damage from hard driving. The track package covers the front bumper, leading edge of hood, fenders, and lower portions of the rear quarters.
Lots of cool stuff going on at AAPP, just tint for me that day but I’ll definitely be back for some PPF in the future. I decided on 35% all around and clear for the windshield. With a black car, properly tinted windows are a must in my opinion! She turned out great and it only took a little over an hour…I kind of wanted to stick around so I could finish my movie and have some more coffee! Now that the car has the tint on it looks measurably better! We are entering the gloomy winter months here in D.C. so I wont feel the primary benefits for a few months. From what I’m told by friends who have the same tint package, in the summer the heat reduction in the interior is drastic! The unseen blocking of UV rays is what I was really going for because I can rest assured my new OE dashboard will be protected for the next 25 years!
Overall it was a high-end shop and experience for a high end product and it’s worth every penny! If you are in the D.C. or Baltimore area I would highly recommend checking out AAPP for any detailing, paint repair/protection, or tint/PPF needs. If you are interested in XPEL tint or PPF, check out their website for a dealer/installer near you.
