2025 RTR Ford Mustang GT

A 2025 Stage 2 RTR Ford Mustang GT arrived at Ixexotics in Cypress, TX for a build that goes far beyond protecting the paint. The owner’s brief covered the whole car — and the whole ownership experience: armor every painted surface with clear paint protection film, replace the existing window tint with premium ceramic film, add the RTR graphics package, coat the film and vinyl so it stays easy to maintain, and treat the wheels and brake calipers so cleaning them stops being a chore.

That’s a full program with six separate workstreams, and the order matters. Old tint comes off before new tint goes on. Graphics go down on clean panels before the film and vinyl coating seals them. Wheels and calipers get coated on their own schedule. And every painted surface ends up covered by film backed by a 10-year XPEL manufacturer warranty.

Full Vehicle Clear XPEL Ultimate Paint Protection Film

The centerpiece was our most complete coverage option: the Full Vehicle Paint Protection Film Package in clear, applied with XPEL Ultimate. On a Mustang GT, this matters — the car has a long hood, wide rear quarters, and low rocker panels that sit directly in the path of everything the front tires kick up. Coverage runs through the entire painted inventory of the vehicle: full front bumper, full hood with wrapped edges, full front fenders, mirror caps, headlights, driver and passenger rocker panels, A-pillars, roof, doors, rear quarter panels, trunk, and rear bumper.

That’s not a front-end wrap with a few add-ons — it’s the entire car, including the roof and rear surfaces that most installations never touch. This one carried an estimated 120 hours of panel work and a five-to-six-day turnaround to match.

Installation included basic trim removal — handles, flares, trim, and emblems — so the film tucks cleanly behind the components rather than being cut around them, with standard extended and wrapped edges applied wherever applicable for a seamless, durable finish. As with any professional PPF installation, small exposed areas can remain on high-tension surfaces where relief cuts or seams are necessary for long-term durability — standard practice, not a compromise. The package also includes a complimentary warranty wash and check two weeks after delivery.

RTR S650 Graphics Package

Before any protective layers went on, the car’s appearance was finished first: the RTR S650 graphics package was installed as vinyl decals on the body. Graphics work belongs early in a build like this for a simple reason — once a panel is wrapped in film, there’s no room to lay decals over it and no clean way to correct one that’s misaligned. Applied first, the graphics sit flush on the paint, and the protective layers then go over the completed design.

Vinyl/PPF Ceramic Package

With the film and graphics in place, the next layer was the Vinyl/PPF Ceramic Package — a ceramic coating formulated specifically for panels wrapped in film or vinyl, designed to add shine, slickness, and easier maintenance.

The process: a decontamination wash to ensure the freshly applied film and graphics were absolutely clean, followed by application of the PPF/vinyl ceramic coating across those surfaces, finished with a full delivery detail. Note what this package deliberately does not include — no polish, no paint correction, no paint enhancement. It’s applied only to vinyl and PPF panels, and its job is protection and maintainability, not correction. The coating gives the protected surfaces a slickness that makes dust and grime far less likely to bond, keeps the graphics and film looking crisp, and makes washing noticeably easier between details.

XPEL XR Plus Ceramic Window Tint

The glass was re-done from scratch. Existing window tint was removed first — no shortcuts, no layering new film over old — and then XPEL XR Plus premium nano-ceramic film was installed on all side and rear glass at 15%, the owner’s shade choice. XR Plus is rated for up to 98% heat rejection while blocking more than 99% of harmful UV rays.

The windshield was tinted separately with XR Plus at a lighter 50% shade, rated up to 96% heat rejection — cutting solar load and glare through the largest piece of glass on the car without compromising forward visibility. On a Mustang’s cabin, with its low roofline and generous glass area, ceramic film is the difference between a car that bakes in a Texas summer and one that stays comfortable the moment you get in. The near-total UV blockage also protects the interior — dash, seats, and trim — from the fading that sun exposure accelerates. At 15% all around, the tint also gives the Mustang a cohesive, dark-glass look that suits the car’s stance.

Wheel & Caliper Ceramic Coating

The finishing touch was functional rather than visual: a ceramic coating on all four wheels and brake calipers. Wheels are the hardest-working surfaces on any car — constant heat from braking, brake dust, road grime, and a steady barrage of contamination. This package is built for exactly that environment, designed to handle high temperatures and heavy soiling.

The process included a decontamination wash, a steam clean of the brake system where applicable, and application of wheel and caliper ceramic coating across all four wheels. The payoff is simple: brake dust and grime release far more easily, so wheel cleaning goes from a scrub session to a rinse and wipe — and the coating is rated for a year or more of protection. A warranty wash and check two weeks after delivery confirms it’s holding as it should.

Final Result

The completed Mustang GT is a car that’s been built properly from the ground up: every painted surface wrapped in clear XPEL Ultimate film, the RTR S650 graphics laid down beneath the protective layers, film and vinyl sealed with ceramic coating, freshly tinted ceramic glass at 15% all around with a 50% windshield, and wheels and calipers coated against the dust they generate. The film reads as invisible over the graphics and paint alike, the ceramic layers keep it all slick and easy to wash, and the surfaces most likely to take abuse are the ones best protected. Five to six days after drop-off, the owner picked up a Mustang that looks the part — and is built to keep looking that way.

Professional Vehicle Protection in Houston

Ixexotics serves vehicle owners throughout Cypress, Katy, Tomball, Fulshear, Houston, Spring, and The Woodlands. Projects like this Mustang GT are what our facility is built around: complete coverage, graphics and tint handled in the right order, and quality materials — XPEL Ultimate, XPEL XR Plus, and Ceramic Coating— applied by people who treat high-value paint the way it deserves to be treated.