XPEL STEALTH PPF is a satin paint protection film. It does the same job as clear PPF, but it takes the shine off. Put it over gloss paint and the car goes satin. Put it over factory matte paint and it protects a finish that can’t be polished.
It’s for owners of factory matte or frozen paint, and for anyone who wants a satin car without repainting it.
We’re an XPEL Certified Installer in New Rochelle. This page explains how STEALTH compares with clear film, how we install it, how to live with a satin finish, and what the warranty covers.
STEALTH vs. clear PPF
Same job, different finish. Here’s what changes.
| STEALTH | Clear PPF (ULTIMATE PLUS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Finish | Satin | Clear gloss |
| Over gloss paint | Turns the car satin | Keeps the car glossy |
| Over factory matte paint | Keeps the matte look | Wrong film. It would add shine |
| Self-healing | Yes, with heat | Yes, with heat |
| XPEL warranty | 10 years | 10 years |
| Wax and polish | Never | Ask us first. Not all products are safe for film |
| Partial coverage | Works on matte paint. On a gloss car the panels won’t match | Works on any car |
Two reasons people choose it
Most STEALTH jobs fall into one of these.
Whole car or part of it?
On a gloss car, partial STEALTH leaves satin next to gloss, so most of these jobs are full vehicle. On factory matte paint, covering just the high-impact panels makes sense because the finish stays consistent.
How we install it
Satin shows everything. A gloss edge or a cut line on a satin car has nowhere to hide.
Check the paint
Film magnifies what’s under it. On a gloss car going satin, swirls get sealed in, so we show you what we find first. If it needs it, paint correction comes first.
Plot the pattern
Patterns are plotted for your car and trimmed off the car. No blade on your paint.
Take off what needs to come off
Badges, mirror caps, headlights, grilles and trim come off as needed, so edges wrap behind the part.
Apply it wet
Film goes on wet in an enclosed bay, away from sanding and body work.
Let it cure
The car sits before it leaves. We walk you through satin care at pickup.
Come back in two weeks
Lifting almost always shows up in the first two weeks. We recommend a check-up. After that it’s rare.
In the shop
Real photos from our shop.
Living with a satin finish
Satin has no gloss to bring back, so anything that adds shine or abrades the surface is out. This is the part that decides how the car looks in a few years.
Ceramic on STEALTH
XPEL says its FUSION PLUS coating is made to work with STEALTH and won’t add shine. Ask us about ceramic coating if you want it easier to wash.
What the warranty covers
There are two warranties: XPEL’s on the film, and ours on the install.
What isn’t covered
Impact damage. Rocks, road debris or anything else striking the film isn’t covered by XPEL or by us. XPEL also excludes scratches, vandalism, water spots, damage from improper care, and non-XPEL coatings over the film.
Why people bring it to us
- XPEL Certified Installer, with more than 4,000 Porsche 911 PPF installs in the last ten years.
- Collision and PPF are both in-house, under one roof. If a panel gets repainted, we schedule the film around when it was sprayed.
- Pickup and delivery is free locally, out to about Greenwich, CT. Farther out it may cost extra.
Want clear film instead? See XPEL paint protection film. Want a different color altogether? See color change PPF. The long version is in our XPEL buyer’s guide.
Tell us about your car
Send the year, make, model and color, and tell us whether the paint is gloss or factory matte. If you’re not sure, we’ll tell you when we see it.
Request an Estimate
Tell us about the car and what you'd like done. We call back the same day. On a busy day, by the next morning at the latest.
Common questions
It’s XPEL’s satin paint protection film. It protects like clear PPF, with a satin finish instead of a gloss one.
Yes. It gives gloss paint an even satin finish on every filmed panel. The gloss paint stays underneath.
Yes. Matte and satin paint can’t be polished, compounded or waxed, so damage to the paint is hard to fix. STEALTH gives it a layer that can take the wear.
XPEL warrants STEALTH for 10 years from the install date against yellowing, cracking, blistering and delaminating. It transfers to a new owner with proof of the original install date, for the rest of the term. Impact damage isn’t covered.
Wait 48 hours, then hand wash with a pH-neutral, matte-safe shampoo and a clean microfiber mitt. No wax, polish, compound or brush car washes.
On factory matte paint, yes. On a gloss car the satin panels won’t match the gloss ones, so most of those jobs are full vehicle.
Yes. On healthy factory paint it comes off with heat. Repainted panels or paint with adhesion problems carry more risk, so we check the paint before we start.
Yes. Fresh paint keeps releasing solvent, and film put on too early can trap it. We do both in-house, so we schedule the film around when the panel was sprayed.
Where we work
Our shop is in New Rochelle. Pickup and delivery is free locally, out to about Greenwich, CT. Farther out it may cost extra. Customers come to us from:
Enthusiast Auto Works
55B Plain Ave, New Rochelle, NY 10801
Open Monday to Friday
(914) 630-1668 · Contact us