Is PPF A Scam? (Paint Protection Film Discussed)

[@jacobl777]

I have a Tesla model 3 which is truly the nicest car I've ever had by a wide margin. Buying such an expensive car for my budget made me feel like I needed PPF because it was the first time I'd ever had a "nice" vehicle. Because I was already stretched at spending almost $60k for my car, I opted to get the full front version of the PPF, not the entire car done. The full-front option was $2k which was still expensive, but much cheaper than $5k-$6k for the entire vehicle. I also did ceramic over the entire car (and over the part that had the PPF done). It has been almost 1 year and I think the PPF has protected my car, but I don't think I would do it again. I just think that the price paid is not worth it. Having said that, I would probably have ceramic done because I think it makes cleaning so much easier. But I would skip the PPF and just get a good body shop that can do paintless dent removal or touch up if and when the inevitable dings come. I think the $2k that I spent on PPF would have been better spent going towards a good detail shop that could do full details. Now that the car is 1 year old I still love it, but it's lost the novelty appeal a bit and I wish I had the $2k back in my pocket. We all live and learn and hopefully some people can learn from my experience. If you have unlimited funds, maybe the way to go is just PPF the entire vehicle and do ceramic on it. But if you are stretching a bit, I think the thing to do is ceramic, and even that is not necessary if you are regular on waxes/sealants.

[@minyoungan9515]

I have a Model S with full PPF and totally agree with you. I am not doing it again.

[@anthonycaligiuri7664]

Tesla has the softest paint in the market. I would not own that expensive of a car and not protect it.

[@thewholeeventhorizon]

@@minyoungan9515 just think tho, in five years you can remove the film and have paint that looks like it did the day you bought the car. That's where the real value comes in. Then again in five years you'll probably be buying a new car anyway so I see your point.

[@tjnadah]

Mate this is the sort of review I have scoured the internet over I’m so so grateful you shared this view. I’ve just got an i3s and have the same exact thoughts. Because of the carbon bits I am a bit nervous about repairs etc but not sure 2500 pounds is worth it. Definitely will ceramics as I don’t wash the car often enough but I think but I’m starting to realise maybe PPF isn’t snake oil Thanks again. You saved me 2g!!

[@shaunhockley]

Great video James, good to see a KZbinr bucking the current PPF trend and actually questioning the worth. Keep up the great content

[@stevegrimes5105]

Thanks for the discussion. I think that the assumption we make in applying PPF is that we will not have large impact stones or debris damage. Most of the damage we're trying to mitigate is the small stone damage that leaves less than 2mm "ding". I had 3M film applied to the front bumper and first half of my 2005 A4 and that area was perfect when I removed the coating this year.

[@AtkinsAtelier]

I've installed ppf film for twelve years and Ive never seen an oem sprayed car have paint failure upon removal. There are so many factors involved with ppf: installer skill, film quality, prep job, customer care quality, how old is the film, was it driven on dirt and environmental conditions. Any one of those issues can cause myriad of problems upon removal, so there's not just one problem area and in a perfect world a quality film on quality paint installed competently will come off perfectly clean every time. In my experience this is often the case. I stress to my customers that ppf isn't a beautification product and it may look not pristine, especially if it's not cared for properly. It's a protective product and it best protects small chips but works best for the general sandblasting of the front of cars and trucks. Now I live in a mountainous area where it's basically dirt road for nine months, and many customers live on dirt roads, so it's not the same conditions as say Miami. I routinely get brand new cars trashed in a few months under these conditions, so any protection is better than none. For my customers, they understand this is the best case of a bad situation. I don't care what's said, today's paint is super soft not to mention overall price of new cars and trucks has skyrocketed. In my area you will be respraying that brand new painted bumper or flairs with out protection, and respray work in my experience seems to be even softer. My customers do rarely get damaged hood film, but what I offer is a basic/cheap reinstallation and paint chip repair if applicable on newly installed film. I also prorate that over time and my customers seem to really enjoy a brake after taking a hit. I understand that spending this kind of cash only to get hit a day later is frustrating. Sure it's not perfect, sure it's expensive, but I have hundreds of repeat customers that swear by its use over twelve years in business and around here it works well. Just have to stress the reality of the film up front, like anything in life. Interesting video.

[@andrewmcglashan5041]

Great post👍

[@neilschneider7367]

I have my 911 Turbo S completely covered in paint protection film. I feel it is a worthy investment to protect the finish not only from chips but from swirl marks ( from careless washing)and even light scratches. That said it is not a force field. There are still some little marks from rocks that Have hit the car. My feeling is, that most of the damage has been absorbed by the paint protection film. At some point I may choose to recover that section. One thing that you did not talk about is if you have a car repainted often that will reduce the value of the car especially if it’s a high-end car.

[@Justbelievein]

Polish and compound the whole car. For 5000 euros 10 times for 10000 20 times. showroom ready. The ppf is clear wrap and overhyped..

[@smellyhoney]

@@Justbelievein what about door dings and chips? Those can’t be compound and polished .

[@Sams911]

my new 992 C4S its also fully wrapped in the latest Suntek and has a graphine coating on top to boot!

[@weshowarth1520]

@@smellyhoney film won't protect you from door dings

[@andrewmcglashan5041]

@@Justbelievein how much topcoat do you think cars come with?

[@petrol_burner]

Had it done to my Elise from new, front end only, after 10K miles it’s was very tatty looking. It was removed and it took all the stone chipped paint with it, leaving the front the same as it would have, it it wasn’t covered. The reason it came off was to repair a crack from some one reversing into me, and then drove off. I got it repaired and painted at a Lotus dealer, cheaper than the PPF cost. So I would never recommend it, or have it again.

[@LordLoMR2]

I was on the fence too. Bought a new car, got 6 rocks chips in the first week. :( Took car in for a ppf quote, $600 for just partial front. Full front was $1000. I ended up buying a precut kit off eBay and doing it myself for $250. Some protection in my opinion is better than nothing. Plus it still looks good from 2 ft away. I also drive freeways 95% of the time and rack on around 30k miles a year. So in my case, it’s worth getting a cheap ppf to reduce some of the damage.

[@minimcewen]

Just did mine and I'd agree...it's the 2 foot rule. Up close I'd rather have bare paint with coating. It just doesn't look good or as good as just leaving the paint alone. Having second thoughts now but I'll leave it 'til the end of the year and decide.

[@1183newman]

When i bought my evora, the bumper was badly stonechipped. Managed to get it resprayed for £200.00, at the time i considered ppf but at 1000.00 it was very expensive, i could get that bumper resprayed plenty of times for less money. The bumper looks fantastic and the paint has held up great. I have a black pack style wrap on the evora, looks much better with the black pack however it is a vinyl wrap and is now stained and tatty. Considering getting it wrapped again but at around 1000.00 it seems expensive when i was quoted 600.00 to have those areas sprayed black. PPF is great if you have an expensive Flip Flop metalic paint that is difficult to blend and expensive to buy. But if your car is a typical easy to match colour then you are throwing money away. Paint shops can do a fantastic job that is as good as new for reasonable money.

[@mpplsknight5494]

The issue with PPF is the cost to 'prevent' any damage from happening is actually more than the cost to fix the damage should it occur

[@ajalbani]

With a slight difference. With ppf most of the damage heals while u wait to repaint on the other hand

[@Amor1990]

@@ajalbani any rock chip will put a blemish in your ppf film

[@dlj1285]

Talk about an oversimplification…lol

[@_arthouse]

I see PPF a bit like wrapping a new sofa with plastic covers, or putting a bulky case on a new phone .. basically not enjoying the feel of something well made/finished, and preserving it for the next person to enjoy. I like the look and feel of paint, it's part of the appeal of enjoying owning a nice car. Enjoy it, and if it ain't broke .... (or if it chips, fix it). That said, some of the aero on Shmee's Senna and Ford GT on the lower areas looked very vulnerable, especially being carbon fibre and costing a bomb to replace. It has its place i guess.

[@OldDirtyRobot]

I disagree. PPF is virtually invisible and does not in any way affect the look of the vehicle. Sofa covers, phone cover affect the tactile experience of the object. I am not holding or sitting on the front of my car.

[@sonar0085]

I agree PPF your new car for sure, u might want to look at your 1 year old car highway driven n trust me while washing it will turn u off, purchased yes / leased no

[@isaacmittlesteadt3599]

Lots of interesting perspective here. There's a lot of info that I'd like to try and bring to the table, however, I do own a high end shop, so I believe strongly in these protection products. PPF is NOT a scam. It does protect, it is a preventative, and quite frankly, it also arguably adds value to the car. Anyone telling you anything is going to make your vehicle invincible or close to, you should be walking away from. That's not what PPF, or ceramic coatings, (saw a comment below), are for. It's expensive because the cost to get into PPF as a shop is expensive, the install is difficult to do cleanly and properly, and the material cost is high. If you have the idea of "I'll just respray the front of the car", you have absolutely no idea how any of this works to be direct. Respraying a car adds an entire new dimension of it's own issues. Color matching, texture matching, overspray, masking issues, the list goes on. Here's why PPF is worth it: 1. No matter what, your car will never as free of major defects as it is at this very second. Every mile you put on the car adds more issues. Many of these can be corrected to be much better or gone by a proper shop, but at this very second, your car will never look "better" (chips, deep scratches, etc.) than it is now. 2. You install PPF on the front of your car. It costs $2k. You had a good shop do it, you can hardly tell it's on the vehicle. 5 years later, (most are warrantied for much longer than this), after 60k miles on daily driving, the front of the PPF is "road rashed". (light pitting, rough texture.) You decide the car is getting a little old and it's time for a new one. You remove the PPF to find a nearly perfect finish underneath. You have now added value to the resale of your car from there not being the damage of a typical 60k mile car, added aesthetic value during your ownership, and at the expense of only $400 a year. The value of the car now is arguably better because it is a "cleaner" example than others for sale who did not have PPF. If you enjoy the car, redo it, or don't. Your car is already in way better shape than it otherwise would've been. 3. You track the car, and know just what kind of damage that does. This requires no explanation. Tracking your car is one of the quickest ways to destroy a front end. Simple as that. PPF helps protect against those track days that are absolutely brutal. Here's why brand new car detailing is a thing: 1. From the factory, no matter what car you buy, (actually some of the highest end are the worst), the car comes with defects. Nibs can be missed, sanding marks, polisher holograms, etc. 2. Dealership detailers are poorly trained. Most use poor wash techniques that lead to wash marring, swirl marks, and even some deep scratches. We've had new cars come in that should questionably be completely wet sanded due to just a few washes at their local dealer. 3. PROTECTION: Again, protecting your new purchase is second to none. PPF helps this, but so does proper detailing and ceramic coatings. Ah, this magical word that has found it's way into the automotive community is also not a scam after all. Coatings protect your surfaces that are brand new and help them stay "brand new" for longer. 4. Maintenance: Surprise! The aesthetics of your car also need to be maintained. For some people, this is taking it through the local automatic car wash. But, a brand new car detail and coating, helps keep your maintenance down. Most coatings are hydrophobic, meaning water beads off the surface. In maintenance, this translates to the dirt on your car rolling off with water. So, when we do a large project detail, we're coating stuff from not only the paint, but also the glass, wheels, brake calipers, engine bay components, fender liners, exhaust tips, etc. These are all pieces of your car that are now going to look better for longer, clean easier, and allow less time for you to take out of your car day to maintain the look of a freshly detailed car. The same hydrophobic properties can be found in interior coatings for materials such as carpet, leather, cloth, etc. Hopefully this helps educate a little bit on some of the reasons people choose to have their car taken care of. Just like you would perform preventative maintenance on a high end car to keep it from breaking, we perform preventative maintenance on your high end car to keep it looking good for literal years down the road. Jay, feel free to get in touch with me via email at [e-mail]. I think a Q&A video could be very useful if you cared to do something of the sort and I'd be happy to provide whatever knowledge I can, and I won't pull your leg with typical marketing BS!

[@zoommonkey]

Personal experience: Purchased a brand new car, ruined the hood in the 1st year from stone chips from daily driving on the HWY. Had to repaint the hood, and installed PPF. Drove the car for 9 more years and even tho some of the PPF still got damaged in that time, the damage was not noticeable from a far, and looked far better than 1 year of not having it in the first place. Got a new car this year, made sure to wrap my hood, bumper, mirrors and fenders before I took it on the HWY. Expansive yes, but well worth it if you drive on the HWY as much as I do, not really needed for city driving.

[@darthnatas953]

Totally agree. The car looks better every day of it's life while the PPF is on there, and it's easier to take care of than paint.

[@baseballgod8065]

I had it installed on my Focus RS but after about a year it stated to bubble and the dealer would not fix it ever though it still had a warranty. I had to remove it myself, I was lucky it didn't damage the paint. To say I was an unsatisfied customer would be an understatement.

[@uncleiroh8665]

damn bro how much did you pay back then? i know its been 3 yrs but im interested in getting ppf in my 23 gr 86

[@ak-iy4yb]

No disrespect but why would you do PPF in such a cheap car? I hope your interior is as clean as you strive with outside. PPF outside will not give you more money when reselling your car but nicely kept interior will.

[@paulghosal6736]

Another great article! I have to say before going further, when it comes to my cars I am OCD. I’ve just succumbed to the PPF and ceramic coating for my Cayman, which I intend to put more mileage on and keep for a good few years. My daily which I’ve had from new has done 35k in 2 years up and down motorways and the front looks shocking. Every time I wash it (average every 2 weeks) I’m having to touch in stone chips. It looks plain ugly. Modern day paint is very soft. I get the argument about respraying the front - but from my experience it’s never the same and I can spot it a mile away. I hope I don’t regret it, but time will tell. Keep up the good work on your channel!

[@mrla6240]

i bought protex ppf for my porsche boxster, got the whole car done here for about 5k canadian in 2016, i love it for the ease of cleaning, can clean it with a dirty rag and not worry about the swirls or minor scratches

[@dekster14LP]

Porsche paint is also notoriously soft, chips just from looking at it.

[@fishtherapy100]

dekster14LP old wives tale.

[@dekster14LP]

@@fishtherapy100 Own experiences (certainly compared to BMW paint) and other peoples tell different. On the contrary, paint finish of a Porsche tends to be nicer than other cars. I think it's a trade-off.

[@LiamE69]

The paint is there to protect the metal. The lacquer is there is protect the paint. The PPF is there to protect the lacquer. I see a gap in the market for a product to protect the PPF.

[@zombanator3000]

Ceramic coating protects the PPF

[@whynot1because2]

@@zombanator3000 So what is protecting the ceramic coating?

[@zombanator3000]

@@whynot1because2 wax

[@bygster]

My gun

[@jyotiguin1007]

@@zombanator3000 Whats protecting the wax?

[@stevenhickenjr]

Have you been mis-sold PPF?

[@bio10155]

🤣🤣

[@tjnadah]

🤣😂

[@SkippyPB.]

Not a good ROI

[@kaiserphoenix01]

🤣🤣🤣

[@DimaGT]

Have PPF for last 8 years on my GTI. Front end looks perfect compare to my previous car that didn't. Car is black so it isn't so noticeable. I would do it again for sure.

[@linemanap]

Only questions that matter. does it add 5k to the resale Price? Do I plan on keeping it for more than 10 years? If no then not worth it.

[@techyd8411]

Good detailing and a ceramic coating for me, ppf has its use - a track car would benefit from it. Mine does have some ppf on it from previous owner, isn’t great - discoloured, not smooth and tricky to clean

[@kriscook3723]

I am someone who installs and sells PPF. The expense concern is easy... it's expensive on both ends. The installer pays lots of money for the film and plotters to cut patterns or custom install. Labor is through the roof on this stuff. That being said...I completely agree that some tend to sell PPF with some fabrication. I am VERY realistic and honest with my customers about ppf. It is not a force field, it can be damaged. In most cases it will prevent damage though. Places at times also sell it as "invisible" and say their installs are flawless...which is just not true. Minor uncontrollable imperfections can happen during installations and these things are more or less visible on particular vehicles and colors. Obviously an experienced installer will have minimal of this going on, if hardly at all. Very tough to perform perfection. To me, it's simple. If you want to avoid the inevitable damage to your OEM paint, there's simply one way to do that....and that's PPF. The biggest thing when shopping for film, is who you're dealing with. If you feel pressured into wrapping your whole car then something is probably up. Find someone who will listen to you and your concerns and make the best choice with you.

[@chirpynsleepy958]

@Clay Burkhardt because it's hard to apply and it's hard to make. The fact it's expendable doesn't have much to do with the cost of production.

[@r1matsta]

If you are a track day addict or do a few track days then it's worth it , I think if the paint is factory painted then removing the ppf will be ok if removed carefully, if the car has been repainted before then there is a danger as you cannot guarantee adhesion of paint , been a paint sprayer for years and I believe ppf is worth it as a real quality paint job is £££s and if you can protect a factory paint job then the car will remain it's value

[@ArosaMike]

Pretty much every concern raised in this is relating to old ppf products. It’s only really in the last 5 years that films have existed that offer the durability and visual stability that mean its invisible. You’re comparing poorly applied old OEM products to new professionally applied products. Literally no modern ppf will take paint or lacquer off if it’s removed correctly with heat and care. Honestly, after 3 years and 25,000 miles the ppf is still invisible on the front of my car. If you literally don’t care about paint, then ppf really isn’t for you. If you care about detailing and paint condition, and enjoy piece of mind, then it’s great. It actually means I enjoy my car more than I would if it wasn’t wrapped

[@darthnatas953]

Totally agree.

[@JoeyVilleneuve]

There are a LOT of things you got wrong in this little rant... It doesn't necessarily take a few thousand miles to get a stone chip...I got my first one 18 miles into my new car. PPF is designed to protect from MINOR stones and sandblasting...not prevent a brick from damaging the car. If the stone breaks through the PPF, that was a pretty big rock. 5-6K, will get you an ACCEPTABLE re-spray...not a decent one, forget about a GOOD one. Factory paints are baked and don't need to wait for curing before PPF can be applied compared to resprayed cars, which even then, if done properly, can be wrapped right away. The cost of PPF might be the same or similar to repainting the damaged parts...but that's only on cost..not on lost vehicle value. Repainted cars lose 30% more value than factory painted ones. Furthermore, the cost of PPF is an insurance policy to help minimize the risk of damage. For the vast majority of people, the PPF will do its job as intended and will prevent stone chips. Lastly, PPF is a sacrificial layers of protection. It's there to be your paints body guard. Once that body guard gets damaged enough, or "dies" then you replace it with another one to ensure the quality and factory finish (and value) of your car.

[@mshell1959]

I agree with all of your points. I think you have helped me decide.

[@dougprw1110]

Do you own a shop selling ppf?

[@heekim3373]

Agree with just driving it and cleaning it regularly and carefully. If you have an investment or appreciating vehicle then maybe consider ceramic coating and/or PPF. Other than that, cars are generally depreciating tools/toys that will only return a fraction of the PPF or ceramic coat investment.

[@MylesHSG]

I think people do it to protect resale values, especially on ultra high end cars.

[@girl0fender]

Really good topic James, it mirrors my feeling exactly after giving this subject much consideration over the last 6 weeks or so. I have recently purchased a 997 Gen' 1 Turbo Cabriolet in Speed Yellow in exceptionally nice condition. The previous owner had spent (I have the invoice) in excess of £5k for a top detailing service and ceramic coating. Initially I thought that it would perhaps be wise to get PPF, certainly on all leading surfaces which would have cost circa £3.4k, for the whole car it would have been £4,6k. You are correct, that is an awful lot of money, and for what exactly? To put this into context, I have now owned 17 Porsche over the last 35 years. I did have the first generation of PPF done on the front of my 930 back in the later 90s. Yes, you are correct, on the way back to the North East of England from London where it was installed, I got hit by a stone and it penetrated the PPF and damaged the paint. Water found its way behind the borders of the damage along with road dirt. All I could see from then on was that ugly scarred area; such a shame! I have now decided, as you did, not to have the PPF installed. It's a great idea, but in reality I do not believe it to be "value for money".

[@sportsdesigner]

Agree with you. For the cost of the PPF you can get a decent respray. Doesn’t make sense and the PPF doesn’t last that long and shows scratches too - it’s not a magic tool.

[@ArthurRondeau-me1sb]

I have a local PPF shop and I investigated their products and pricing. My car wasn’t new any longer so it was a much easier decision than I had thought. I agree 100% with you. Drive it and enjoy your car!

[@craigkent8109]

I know the KZbinrs you're on about. If you're like Shmee, have very expensive cars with custom paint jobs and you intend on using them properly then it makes sense to get PPF. The benefits of it have been shown. PPF has limited damage caused by stones, it prevents against keying, prevents the paint getting swirls & marks when being washed & helps against minor scrapes. I have a wrapped car and that's held up very well. I've only had 1 chip in 2 years due to a massive stone that went through the wrap & down to bare metal. Ultimately I think everything is relative, if you have a new £250k+ car full PPF & full detail is pocket money to the owners. There are numerous videos showing the difference what a proper paint correction from high end PPF installers can make to a brand new car, no car has perfect paint from the factory.

[@royalstevep68]

Not sure what people are on about here. I had ppf put on the front of my rs3 saloon and it definitely has protected it, no stone chips in 18 months. Rest of the car has ceramic coating. You shouldn’t cost the ppf with ceramic coating. Bit pointless. Whereas my wife’s s3 has no ppf or ceramic coating and has quite a few stone chips on the bonnet.

[@arthurgibbs9623]

Makes sense. Raises many valid points. Best not show this to MrJWW who just invested in a massive PPF workshop 😂

[@flatsix666]

Not a fan of PPF myself. I had a full two day detail (996 C2) with an application of a high end Zymol glaze applied by Gurcharn at Elite Detailing and the car kept mint for two years, covered 40k miles & lived outside.

[@MrMkindy]

Had the bonnet of my Merc 190E done. Big flat panel and very prone to small stone chips. £200 well spent and 2 years in still as new (40K miles).

[@alienm2554]

I was in the pro PPF camp for my new Porsche, however, after careful consideration and thought process similar to yours I have decided to enjoy the car and cross the stone chip bridge if it comes up... until then the $$$ will stay in my bank. Partial PPF looks ugly and over time even uglier, poor installation, gaps, edge pealing, dirt accumulation on edges, etc etc etc. No PPF for my new car. Finally at peace.

[@garethlogan7168]

Depends what car you have and what paint is on it. Supercar with a 10k paint job then ppf anything less just drive and enjoy 👍

[@Will_M600]

good point tbh, Mercedes have 12k paint options these days

[@martin05916]

Most paint jobs from factory are the most expensive part of the vehicle anyway. Protect it as a repaint will rarely be as good quality and unless stripped to bare metal or plastic it'll never bond as well as the OEM paint.

[@danielwaddell123]

It reminds me of old people covering a Couch with a plastic sheet.

[@JennyPenny707]

But you don’t sit on PPF? More like framing a photo.

[@danielwaddell123]

@@JennyPenny707 true

[@raylancaster2712]

Ppf a car new, who are you keeping the paint looking like new for? Yourself or a future owner down the line. Trade in values will be the same. A few stone chips isn’t going to make that much difference to a buyer if they like the car. They know the car isn’t brand new and the price isn’t that of a new car.Get a professional chip and scratch guy to make the stone chips invisible as possible, when selling or for your own satisfaction if you can’t live with a couple of stone chips. Cost £100 -£300. The shine isn’t as good on a car with ppf even with a ceramic coating. I’ve had ppf and ceramic coating, prefer the latter now as had stone chip cuts in the ppf. Self healing doesn’t eliminate all marks.

[@Cernunn0s90]

I have never been happy with respray jobs, and the last time I had a car resprayed it took 8 trips in total, to 2 different companies to get a result I was satisfied with, and it still started to peel after a year and a half. I'm willing to pay a lot of money to avoid resprays, because to me that has been a nightmare, and I ended up selling my previous car because of it, because I started associating the car with driving to the paint shop, and I just fell out of love with it due to all that hassle and heartbreak...

[@keithshayle7027]

I had my new car (Genesis Electrified G80) fully covered from new 12 months ago. To me a lot depends on the standards of the company your using. I went to a small firm nr Fleet in Hampshire- Auto Protek who use Xpel self healing film. Being a bit of an OCD sufferer, that i choose a company where the quality of the work is more important than a high volume of cars going through on almost a conveyor belt. The two that run this business Danny and Scott have an almost staggering eye for detail, and are looking to achieve as close to perfection as possible in the work they produce! In this respect it has to be remembered, as i heard in a US KZbin video, is that its 'paint protection not paint perfection' so whilst the odd blemish in the PPF is possible, what its doing is protecting whats underneath. As someone else commented, in this respect it protects against the tiny micro chips that are so common place on modern car paint finishes. Although even quite deep chips that you would think have gone through the PPF also seem to be resisted. Finally the Xpel self healing feature does actually work, and light scratches etc really do disappear under the heat of say a hair dryer! There is no magic answer to completely stopping stone chips, but currently this is the best solution, and it saves me the hoursxspent trying to produce a perfect repair to this unavoidable problem. Anyone in the South of the UK, i wold thoroughly recommend Auto Protek in Minley if PPF is something they are considering, as someone in service at Genesis UK said...this PPF application is the best they have ever seen!

[@peterbratu]

In my case, I think it's a must: my merc has a matte paint, that cannot be polished, buffed out, etc. I was actually told that localised paint fixes cannot be done on my type of paint, so any damage actually requires a full paint job, which is almost £20K.

[@peterbratu]

and I track my car 3-5 times a year.

[@rustynail6363]

If it is likely to damage the paint when it's time to renew it, how is that protecting the paint?

[@martin05916]

Always a risk but there are films on the market designed to be applied on top of coatings which reduces and almost eliminates any risk of lifting paint. If it's a repaint thats when you might need to worry but factory paint will be better bonded.

[@carlfrederick8433]

Jay raises many valid points. It depends upon the car, how used, how long kept, the value of your time in maintaining without ppf, etc. I sometimes get xpel ultimate but usually only have it put on the the front in a minimalist manner since that area gets the most damage. In one case it saved me from getting a repaint on the front fascia to to an unusual small collision/scrape, and in another case a neighbors cats claws dug into the xpel (which self healed perfectly) allowing the cat to climb on the hood (bonnet) where it left a minor scratch that mostly buffed out on the unprotected (non ppf) area of the hood. Had the ppf not been there I do not think the cat would have made it up the slick sloped surface.

[@SWTrailsAndWheels]

Two of my coworkers had PPF front protection added to their new, black Tesla Model 3s. I bought a white Model 3 and have elected to not do PPF for many of the reasons you describe. Additionally, white should show less of the fine scratches that the PPF and its self-healing properties would help protect from. I did buy PPF bits to put over the headlights, foglights and on top of the rear bumper where putting things in and out of the trunk has often resulted in scratches despite of how careful I try to be with loading and unloading.

[@OldDirtyRobot]

I PPF the front of every car I buy. I pay around $300 for a precut kit and do it myself. I wouldn’t pay a shop to do it. Not enough difference to justify the cost. I think the real scam is Ceramic coatings.

[@martin05916]

The pro grade ceramic coatings couldn't be less of a scam. There is one specific coating on the market that protects against ALL, and I mean ALL, chemicals. PH 0-14. Pour acid or bleach on it and it won't damage it at all. Bug guts won't etch, bird crap won't etch no matter how long it's left on the paint. Prevents oxidation and chemical damage permanently. Lasts for the life of the paint if you look after it as only abrasion will remove it. Not a con at all. Repainting your car costs tens of thousands. Getting a pro coating costs a few hundred quid. No brainer. It wont break down with anything other than abrasion which means your car stays as glossy as it was when the coating was applied and stays that way permanently. Roughly 2 microns thick compared to wax or sealant which is 0.02 microns (100 times thinner!). Wax and sealant are not chemical proof and will etch in a matter of hours, pretty much the same goes for consumer coatings. UV will degrade wax or sealant in months and they sit on the paint instead of mixing with the substrate like the pro coating does. Nothing better for surfaces than ceramic coatings. Also makes washing easier as the coating has release properties which help make washing a breeze. And no need for toppers or waxes ever again for the life of it while consumer coatings need topped every year or so as they degrade with exposure. Sorry but your statement couldnt be less true.

[@fostersiceman]

Forget PPF, I rather C-Coat, So if you have a car that is not driven as much then it does not have a shelf life of when it needs to come off, it comes off on its own after multiple washes and the amount of time it is driven. A friend had PPF done to a new car and when it was removed after 5/6 years the PPF left some sort of marring stain on the clear coat so technically it needed a 2/3 stage polish.

[@addammt5380]

I have it on every panel of my V12 Vantage S, fitted from factory. The paint on my particular car is a £10k option so I'm quite glad it has PPF. It's also a satin paint so i'd be very weary about touching it to clean it as to avoid making it shiny, so the PPF (which is satin itself) does help with that and protecting it from bird droppings. I agree it's not bullet proof though. The storage company where I keep the car closed the boot lid on to the trickle charger cable which put a hole in the PPF and damaged the paint, costing £3k to repair since with satin paint, you obviously can't polish it. My view would be that if the cost of your car exceeds £50k, PPF (at least frontal only) is probably worth it. I just bought a cayman GT4 and actively looked for a car with PPF as it shows an owner that cares and so has probably looked after other elements of the car as well - also gives a little additional protection on the track.

[@benjamin66606]

This stuff is not self healing. There is no 10 year warranty. I had this product and it did not protect my car for even 1 year. There is a reason the largest Nissan Dealer in Lincoln, Nebraska does not use Suntek PPF anymore. They have switched to Xpel and so should you. Xpel stands behind their product. Suntek does not. You’ll find out the hard way.

[@ke9938]

I had it applied to the front of a previous car. The edges collected dirt. You’ll notice it. I wouldn’t do it again. Not for the prices. People are being robbed for the prices. If we’re 500 or a grand for the full car, then cool. 5 grand+, nah.

[@tomkjr1]

I think that between the cost and the chance of misapplication or damage to the paint it is supposed to protect, PPF is not a good option. I would much prefer to go ceramic coating, even if it needs to be reapplied more often than PPF.

[@baileym4708]

Ceramic coating is so thin compared to PPF and it doesn't protect against chips. Ceramic coating helps with UV and a hydrophobic layer to keep shiny. It is used for different reasons, not really apples to apples. Plus, you could put PPF on and then ceramic coating so they are not independent.

[@tomkjr1]

@@baileym4708 I have read horror stories about guys who tried to remove old PPF and had paint come off with it.

[@davidhayes4814]

It depends what you pay and what you expect. I generally don’t go for those kind of things. However, this time, rather than £480 for fabric and paint protection, they offered it for £240 for both. Since it’s a nice car and my partner is a bit messy (it is her daily commute), I went for it. I don’t expect that it will do much..... it will make the fabric a bit easier to clean... it will allow the outside to be cleaned with Just shampoo and water. That is all. The thing is VW didn’t make any great promises or claims, so that’s it really. I also got £3K off list price!

[@just.for.the.downshifts]

Really appreciate the no nonsense honest opinion... priceless 🙌

[@kingkobetha8th]

If you want to drive your car and not worry about paint damage and you are anal about the paint and its condition, ppf is a must. Its piece of mind more then anything. Ceramic coat it on top and if its a weekend car it should easily last 10+ years if maintained properly.

[@alanwayte1688]

Good point I just had three stone chips on my 997 repaired £295 I only do 4000 miles a year in this car so I just have it detailed and good quality wax

[@planoman0935]

Depends on your perspective. I have a matte painted car (factory) and I paid $1400 to have the entire front ppf'ed. While not dent protection It gives me piece of mind driving it on the interstate where we have tons of construction in Dallas. Matte paint has limitations for repair so from that perspective it is worth it to me.

[@qdosgolf]

I had it put on the front of my VX220 in 2007. I've done 75k miles in it and (no kidding) over a hundred track days. It has one or two small tears (2mm) which are hardly noticeable and just recently a large rock flicked up (probably from one of the massive potholes round our way) and damaged the ppf, paintwork and the bodywork. So not bad for 16 years use. My Cayman recently had bird crap on the bonnet (looked like it had come from a seagull to me) . It had been on for sometime and was baked on, took 10-15mins of careful soaking and rubbing to get rid of it. When it was removed it had eaten into the ppf! Left it out in the sun for half hour and it self healed and you wouldn't know it was there. So I'm sold on the idea but I can see your point, although the fact that your Evora only had half dozen chips is irrelevant unless you would be able to compare if it hadn't had ppf applied. Keep up the good work James, always enjoy your frank approach.

[@jamesglaubitz3574]

It all depends on how much you care about your car. I work for a ppf company in Australia as an installer. If you can live with stone chips in your paint, don’t get ppf. I had a nice car a few years back and can remember discovering new chips every time I washed it. This was before I knew about ppf. I’ve put it on my wife’s car and it’s great. If you get the right product, it should be easier to clean than the paint. The company I work for is always trying to improve ppf and provide the best product they can for their customers.

[@tpv59]

May I ask Please WHO is your employer? - What State? Thank You. (Melb. Vic.)

[@jamesglaubitz3574]

Tullamarine Victoria

[@tpv59]

@@jamesglaubitz3574 THANK YOU VERY much James. - APPRECIATED. I am in the eastern suburbs. Regards.

[@PADABOUM]

I was annoyed with my 20 year old Elise having lots of little impacts on the front bonnet. For the Evora, I did not like PPF as this shows too much, I got tempted in covering the front in PPS instead. Does not show any edge so it will be interesting to see how it goes.

[@SmalltimR]

If the installers stated beforehand; _'once we put this one, we can't take it off without a paint job',_ I think we all know what would happen to that industry ...

[@JFlywheel]

Interesting, I feel PPF is one of the best things I have done to my car (tesla 3). Heck with amount of bugs and splatter on my front bumper just from yesterday I'm glad the nose is protected. A multicoat respray is easily more than 5k, plus that's not going to be a factory paint job. I paid under 1300 usd to have my entire front end done with xpel ultimate using a custom cut that looks great. I would be getting hit by rocks almost daily and the ppf has absorbed it all. Planning to add a ceramic coated over the top to make cleaning it even easier. It also protects the soft plastic headlight assemblies that on my car are very expensive to replace.

[@dccather]

I had my Vantage AMR ceramic coated (£1k). The dealer asked for £6k for PPF which was rather salty to say the least. I agree with your analysis that you can fix a lot of stone chips for that kind of money. I have had a motorcycle fully PPF' d but the cost was reasonable and has fully protected it having covered 13,000 miles thus far.

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Ooooh a Vantage AMR. Rare beastie there

[@smario2820]

Dear Vantage AMR owner - am jealous - may I suggest that JayEmm could perhaps review it some time for our viewing pleasure? Best Regards!

[@dccather]

@@smario2820 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGenhml-rbCNe68 Nice thought but it's already been done as per TGE TV link here. Mine has the Automated Sequential Manual though rather than just the straight manual. Mine is claimed to be the very last naturally aspirated ever built so an historic car.

[@aljowen]

I have a paint protection layer on most parts of my mountain bike. I have generally found it to be pretty good so far. The paint on the bike that hasn't been covered is less reflective than it used to be, since its forever getting covered in gritty British mud, which when washed off, can be like taking sand paper to the paint. Whereas the protection layer that I have used seems to be holding up so far. The downtube (the tube between the pedals and handlebars) gets stones etc flicked up at it by the front tyre, and it doesn't have any visible markings on it either. Its also prevented the paint being worn off in areas that get rubbed by cables. I didn't even use a branded product, half of it was helitape from ebay. Supposedly its 360micron polyurethane, but I haven't verified that claim. I wouldn't want to be applying it to a car though, because it wasn't stretchy, so must be a different type of plastic. The film is visible at the edges because its quite thick, but it seems to be doing a really great job. I just wish I had put it on the areas that have been chipped :p So my guess is that it really depends on what product you are using and why. If you take your car along muddy and gritty tracks frequently, it might be a good purchase. If there is a bit of the car that you are afraid of scuffing, it might help a lot there too. Perhaps if you are planning on keeping a car for 20 years, and want to keep it 100% original, it might make sense. If it is flexible enough to mold and stretch to really complex geometry, is it really gonna stop a stone travelling at >40mph? I'm not convinced.

[@jaketuckey]

For one, you can't get a Lotus factory quality paint job for $5000. Factory PPF was probably 3M, very common, and 3M ppf is junk. Stains, discolors, and marks up very easily.

[@smario2820]

Just drive it and and enjoy it. There's a beauty to the paintwork on cars, touching and feeling it, the lustre. Yes it will get damaged but you can easily and cheaply fix it as necessary using the exact same paint, there is a whole infrastructure for that - car body shops. Besides, it takes months for new paintwork to cure, this is a fact, so "PPF from new" isn't actually wise. Plus I want a relationship with my car, I want to use it regularly and look after it, keep it well and restore it when it gets worn or broken, this is part of what being a true petrolhead is - understanding the machine and that it can be more than a sum of its parts.

[@zombanator3000]

But perhaps I dont wanna see that I've worked my ass off protecting it, just for lady luck to screw me from behind and throw a rock at me, or drop a tree limb on my labor of love.

[@johnwilliamson9453]

You made some good points re paint curing time. The new waterborne paints are soft anyway, so it just makes more sense to let them cure longer before sealing with a PPF, or even ceramic.

[@dennymcwayne]

I like it for the thousands of sand size rocks it keeps from damaging my paint. I live in Washington State and after they sand in the winter they don’t clean it off the roads for months. You can hear it sandblasting your car on the freeways.

[@ThomasGillot]

Seems like the main benefit of ppf. Will prevent against chips from sandblasting, but not any considerable sized stones.

[@s00p3rman]

Anyone who has witnessed a new vehicle being delivered to a dealership has seen ppf on brand new paint. Cars always have ppf wrapped around them from the factory during shipping which is the pealed off during pdi by the service department. This indicates two things; That ppf works to reduce scratches, and chips, and that it can be applied to new paint without adverse effects. Or at least manufacturers believe in its value.

[@JayEmmOnCars]

I don't think the film they use is the same as the normal PPF out there. It would be way too expensive and take too long to apply.

[@tomgorissen116]

I have a 3M protection film on my 2010 Elise for 8 years now. The dark grey paintwork still looks great after 40.000 miles. There are some small imperfections on the film and the area before the back wheels feels rough. Without the protection it would be a whole lot worse. . I bought the film custom cut online and it was installed by a advertising company. Less than €1000 for almost the entire car. Money well spend. I would do it again, and I can recommend it.

[@RichardFanders]

Sounds like a false economy to me, I've got a car I've had from new with 137,000 miles. Paint is fine. Haven't even waxed it once and still looks good when I clean it. Like once a year :D to be fair i find cleaning cars causes most the paint damage when not done properly.

[@zombanator3000]

Look at it in a dark room with a paint inspection flash light. I bet you its demolished after such levels of care

[@stacyhastey6000]

Just PPF full front on my Stinger. Ceramic coated everything else. Car is only 6 months old but was being tore up with stone chips. The detail that was done prior to treatment took out all swirl marks and made the paint look better than the day I bought it. Time will tell how I feel about the performance of the PPF. So far, I feel like it's worth it. No more waxing necessary. Car seems to "shed" dirt and grime and washes up with very little elbow grease. And the shine is fantastic on both the PPF and Ceramic coat.

[@Doriginal5]

Stacy Hastey Hey Stacy. I want to chat about the PPF on your Stinger. I just got a 2019 and wanted to do the same. How do you feel about your experience with it thus far. I’m trying to decide between full PPF or just Full nose with Ceramic

[@chrisandshazza01]

My mind is made up. Buy car, drive it, enjoy it, polish/protect it regularly (enjoy that), wear the odd stone chop with pride🤘🤘

[@mters12]

I had full ppf on my previous car, In terms of protecting it is the best hardly any damage to the paint but man does the car gets dirty very easily and it looks awful.

[@RayNLA]

@Abdulrahman Almutairi Have the PPF ceramic coated and this will solve your dirt problem

[@darthnatas953]

The last few cars I have bought new, or almost new, I have had PPF put on. One brand new black GTI, I did not, and I regret it every time I wash it. At 50k miles, the hood looks like it has been run through a sand blaster. The cars with PPF are beautiful. Yes, you can get rock chips through PPF if it is a big rock, but you still don't have 75 more tiny white rock chips all over the front of the car. A nice PPF done correctly is hard to tell it is even there, except the PPF is much easier to take care of than paint where you are always having to buff swirl marks and bug etching out of the clear coat. The small pieces on the front of the rear fenders get the most abuse, and these are easily replaced.

[@victortomas2391]

Cars are meant to be driven and enjoyed on the road...expect various kinds of damage no matter what kind of protection you put on it. The reality is the protection you put on it creates another potential issue to deal with..

[@TheCeo_]

I'm four years late to the party, but you my friend, are bang right.

[@benfl9636]

Just watched a video of a youtuber I followed. Had his ppf'ed car hit by debris on the free way, hit the bonnet, went through the ppf and put a dent on the bonnet. Had to do a paintless dent removal and re-apply new ppf in that area. All in all the cost of that was equivalent to a bonnet respray. You be the judge of ppf

[@julianadams2206]

Very interesting topic. I have always thought that due to the high cost of PPF it was the exclusive preserve of Supercars only.

[@King88_8]

I bought a roll and learnt how to don't it myself. Literally cost a 10th of the cost. Not rocket science. Also a full vehicle PPF install is like having your couches wrapped in plastic

[@KuyaArbee]

Facts!

[@markduffy9475]

Had PPF on my Boxster S, never again. You still get stone marks etc and I had a couple of punctures to the front bumper which looked very unsightly. Now have an Elise R and I'm not having it fitted just Gtechniq ceramic coating. Saved me a fortune.

[@cranialnerv]

I love my PPF. Paints are so damn soft these days. It’s the best thing I did for my car. 11 months later it looks like the day I took delivery.

[@Britishshooter]

What is the cure time for a new vehicle or resprayed vehicle before application of PPF?

[@AniketSen]

you have made the most sensible video in this topic....i was confused about PPF-ing my motorcycle that i have just bought....i don't think i wanna do any PPF on it any more...thanks for the clarity...

[@paulcampise3050]

Purchased a CPO Porsche 911 991.1 recently. I was offered PPF and declined. Instead I opted for an additional 1 year of CPO bumper to bumper protection and glass replacement. I'm not convinced PPF is a worthwhile purchase.

[@RobertKarlBerta]

Glad that someone talked about PPF. I think on many cars if not most, the cost benefit ratio makes it a bad choice. That being said, one of my three cars is a 2015 ALFA Romeo 4C bought new. I had PPF on the entire front of the car from the windshield forward,front bumper, and both front fenders. Italian and German paint tends to be softer than American cars and more prone to chips. Also....any car as low as the 4C, and with all that surface area will get lots of sand blasting....even if you don't tail gate cars....and of course if you track your car it will get LOTS of sand blasting. After 4 years the parts covered with the PPF are pristine. The PPF was done soon as I bought it. I used Suntek Ultra and it ran $1200. I know that with my soft paint, if it weren't for the PPF, my car would look like a kid with acne by now. But as well as it worked for the 4C, I saw no financial benefit for my other two cars....a full size Ford Transit van and GMC Acadia Denali other than a couple of pieces I did myself. I put PPF on the door sills of all my cars to protect against shoe scuffs. I also did the sills and inner carbon fiber of the 4C.....flat panels are easy to do yourself but NOT compound curves. As far as Ceramic coatings.....I consider those snake oil.....just do a good occasional wax job. Unlike the name implies....Ceramic is not ultra hard finish and YES it will chip just as easily as non coated surface. Also....if you ever get a chip you have to polish off the Ceramic coating to get the touchup paint to stick correctly. Also NEVER Ceramic coat and than plan on putting PPF over it.....it won't stick correctly. You need to do PPF first and than Ceramic coat over that....which I don't recommend.

[@alanpattison5272]

I’ve been installing 3M venture shield for a few years. Paint condition is paramount...any damaged areas will compromise the paint.. yes, it probably will come away when ppf is removed. Said that, if the paint is perfect, cured & clean then ppf will do it’s job. But, like wraps, material quality is key. I’ve had no issues with 3M, yes it’s expensive but you only do it once. Getting cheaper ‘eBay films’ that are a tenth of the cost will lead to failures in one way or another. As the old adage goes, ‘buy cheap, pay dear’.

[@jonestell1970]

Great vid. My Elise has it on the front clam and it’s a nightmare to clean! Would I do it again? Nope. Ceramic coat and don’t drive too close to the person in front! 😂

[@Fluterra]

It’s because there was no Ceramic on the PPF on your Elise. I had an Elise with the same issue. You need Ceramic on top of the PPF. Ceramic alone will do nothing to protect from stone chips. Your car front end will look like sh!t after a year. I made that mistake on my next car after the Elise, and it was a big mistake.

[@varchitectinblack3307]

I was about to have pdf applied on my 6 year old R8, After inspection the detailer pointed out some stone chip repairs I wasn't aware of. Fair play to him he basically talked me out of it and told me I was better off investing the cash on a paint job if needed. While I'm getting the paint correction and ceramic coating done, a full paint job will cost me less in the long run. Meanwhile I will be using chipex for those annoying chips I pick up that I don't want to see. I've also had a brand new paint job done on my 20 year old 8 series and when I mentioned ppf the bodyshop guy nearly had kittens and convinced me he would happily do a cut price paint touch up each year on the panels if needed.Safe to say I won't be going the ppf route.

[@varchitectinblack3307]

Yes by an approved Audi shop and it’s not that much more than a PPF

[@varchitectinblack3307]

Btw just as a fyi in case it helps I ended up getting my front bumper and bonnet repainted by the Audi approved shop instead of the stone chip filling - again worked out about the same / slightly cheaper than a ppf

[@tarekfarmer8025]

Done the front bumper and mirrors to my 911, you can see the difference between panels that are not covered and over time you get peels and needs a full detail before application or you end up with air pockets and more peel. Didn’t like it tbh but everyone else does it seems. Extremely low cars do need it but then r.o.i seems pointless as you have already explained.

[@TLee-tc9sj]

Great bit.............and glad someone is talking about this and making a debate of it. I recently purchased a new vehicle. I hummed and haaa'd about weather I should have PPF installed on certain parts of my vehicle. In the end I decided not too. For many of the reasons that you mentioned I feel the price delta is not worth it, especially when you think about the life span of the product and cost to have it removed (I think these are things that not everyone thinks about). All those cost would probably help finance the cost of having a new paint job done.

[@Spiritcr1jsher]

Then you have a repainted car....... and have to worry about who is painting and how skillful they will be in matching factory paint.

[@johndavid1861]

Also like to add that I had a Gtechnic Platinum 5 year guaranteed Ceramic coating done by accredited Gtechnic installers and at £900,00 that for me was a total waste of money !! Very poor ...

[@melissaclemons9653]

I just bought a Tesla Model Y. The popular thing is to fully wrap it or at least do PPF on the front. This is going to cost between $2500-$7500. If I will most likely need to remove and reapply the PPF after some time due to rock chips in the film or because the film is past it’s expiration date, why wouldn’t I just get it repainted at that time? Also, if you get a bad PPF install it’s a nightmare and it looks absolutely horrid. Just my 2 cents.

[@cp-chipheo9528]

I thought factory clear coat is engineered to provide a beautiful finish. I wouldn't it to be covered by a manual applicant of the a film. If the PPF is approved and applied by factory, I would pay for it. If the PPF is so good and cheap, why doesn't factory use them at first.

[@jinxtacy]

If it were my money and I were lazy I would do the headlights, turn signal, hood, roof, trunk, mirrors and then the typical quarter panel sections that an OEM would do. Unlike ceramic coating PPF does have UV protection properties and this is where we see a lot of normal people that aren't necessarily neglecting their cars have clearcoat failure. A garage or covering for home and work seems to be optimal for protecting the clear from failure not to mention your rubbers and plastics. I think most people would be happy with that long-term on their 30k car purchase. Maybe just the roof, b-pillar, and mirrors would be fine and leave the front exposed for bodywork in the future, and the trunk is nice plus. Looking at cats of families you see a lot of things set on the flat surfaces of a car and drug across. Maybe a clear rub strip for the rear bumper where items might bump as they're loaded and unloaded like Lexus and some other luxury cars install a film. A lot is dependent upon expectations and the road types as well. I think the only way I would get it over the majority of the car would be if I lived in an area with hard water and had a parking situation that couldn't be resolved with say a leak in a garage or a municipal or sprinkler in windy areas. It's not a scam but it is a well-marketed product with a demographic that probably doesn't apply to most of us.

[@BarryMaskell]

After looking at all the options I I decided it’s better off spending the cost of Ppf or ceramic on investing in a. Quality pressure washer and kit - use good spray on paint protection good for a couple of months - your car paint can take over 60 major serious cut and polishes before you hit the actual paint - that’s more than several lifetimes of polishing - spend the extra money saved on detailing every few years Thanks for sharing

[@lt1fd3s]

I think I'm more inclined to give the "ceramic coating" another try before I go with PPF on a car. My Lotus has factory PPF still on the rockers and they never get fully cleaned as you talk about. Additionally, on a previous car I was getting ceramic coated, the PPF had to come off and it took a bit of the clear coat with it. When discussing my options, the installer said that if I get the panel resprayed, I would want to the paint enough time to fully cure before I did anything to it - PPF or ceramic again - so I wonder about the "just took delivery of my supercar - and right to PPF it goes!" what will happen when it's time to refresh or replace some of the PPF, how did the paint and/or clear coat hold up to the removal.

[@SViip]

I was fed up with all the stone chips I got on my cars. My Megane RS is PPF´d (Body fence) and 2 years on I´m very happy. Front bumper, head lights, mirror caps, wheel arch extensions, sills and the bit of the rear bumper where you get stone chips from the rear tires. The cost was ~ £600 at Sonax Center.

[@matreyia]

My GF has a 2017 CRV with PPF installed for two years now... still pristine condition. So yeah, it works. Super glossy as it was the day it came on. Houston freeways...horrible rocks and pebbles from construction. I am going to get the same PPF installed on my 2009 335i tomorrow - Friday Jun 27th, 2019. Just spent a whole month correcting paint and prepping for 22ple VX Pro 2 glass coating on the body. The PPF will be installed on entire front end and mirrors, full hood. Then VX Pro 2 triple coated on top of PPF and topped off with Finitura and then VS1 Final Coat. Yes...I am insane.

[@matreyia]

I would never have a car without PPF installed. It has literally saved my car multiple times and the paint is flawless. I used to think it was stupid, then I got the car paint corrected and then installed PPF to preserve it...it's been over a year and the car looks brand spanking new. And multiple times I drove on the freeway and road and there were concrete rocks and road debris smashing into the car and left powdery imprints... they literally disappeared with light finger wipe across them. Yes there are some types of rocks that will tear through the film if you drive fast enough. And if you get the cheap PPF, then that's your fault. I don't know what brand your lotus friend installed in his car, but it sounds cheap. Xpel and Nano Fusion would be the only ones I recommend.

[@toshi240]

What about Kavaca?

[@dougwarren2992]

I was thinking about having PPF fitted to my front bumper and possibly the rear bumper on my 1999 Jaguar XJ8. The whole car was totally resprayed two years ago and only done 4000 miles since. I noticed a very small scrap on the front bumper and tried to undertake a diy with a spray can. I masked the bumper area with masking tape. The repair wasn’t that good so after taking off the masking tape, the lacquer also came off. I had to send it to a professional body shop who did it properly for £120. I then thought I would have PPF fitted but looking at local supplier and fitters, they indicated a price starting from £850 just for the front bumper and partial front wings. What I can’t understand is that to get a roll of 3M PPF is around £130 - £150 for 5m roll. Then there seems to be a thickness issue to consider. I don’t see how the companies can charge £700+ to fit it when at the most it will take one hour to fit. In my case, at £120 to have it professionally re-painted, I could have the bumper done 7 times before I reach the cost of the PPF.

[@d.nakamura9579]

Porsche PPF from the dealer is expensive. I’m considering it from a reputable after market detailed who specializes in it. But I daily drive my car and I’ve found that there’s a lot of debris on the road on my commute route. Whether PPF is worth it or not really depends on a person’s individual situation. It is expensive, no doubt.

[@sfst2]

The new 3M pro series is much easier to clean and maintain. It’s self healing so small scratches will heal themself. And also my company offers a 5 year service agreement which says if something punctures the film and damages the paint 3M will pay $3500 to repaint your car