Preparing for PPF, ceramics, etc...

[Volund]

PPF -- has anyone with a DE done it yet?

My car's gotta stay parked for a few months, so it may be a good time to get a proper paint protection film done. Has anyone on here done it yet? My question is: do we think that the PPF would affect the drag/ aerodynamics of the car? So much emphasis is put on it with this (and most)...

lucidowners.com

Xpel Stealth? Badass or a bad mistake?

Has anyone been considering Xpel Stealth total cover for their Lucid? I believe @Neurio and @FFT have posted on another thread that they are considering that. If you've considered it, could you let me know the pros and cons behind your thinking beyond the cost factor? (But hey, what's another...

lucidowners.com

Black AGT with wrap, PPF and ceramic coating

I got my black AGT a few weeks ago, but did not post pics as I took it to my shop to get the canopy and side mirror caps wrapped. I also got a PPF (Paint Protection Film) for the front and the whole car ceramic coated. For the wrap, I was debating between glossy black to match the rest of the...

lucidowners.com

Ceramic coating, window tinting, and wraps

So, I scheduled a reliable company to do a ceramic treatment but wanted to check with Lucid. Spoke with Customer Care and they said its not approved and they expressed concern it could interfere with the technology. 14 cameras, LIDAR, etc. Especially tint applied to the inside of glass. They...

lucidowners.com

PPF and More.....

Ok guys well 147 miles on the car and straight to PPF and more These guys are super good 5 min from the Rivera Beach Service Center Full tint PPF and a bunch pf trim enhancements more Pics on Wed when I get it back any one looking for a shop In south Florida They know Lucid...

lucidowners.com

Hey guys, I've been searching and reading the forums about PPF, Ceramics, Stealth, all of that. But I have some questions and I'd like to put them all in 1 spot so I can finalize and schedule some time on my installer's calendar so I can have the car directly delivered to him when it does happen (which my SA/DA told me it would be before year's end)

1) For those of you who got XPEL instead of STEK, or vice versa, what made you decide that? I was told STEK doesn't need ceramic but XPEL does, I don't know if that's true or not but I am getting mixed answers. What's the pros and cons of both?

2) Apart from stealth which is like this thick satin, I'm looking to keep the car as is, so I think that's glossy PPF? correct me if I'm wrong there

3) Ceramic Coating helps with paint deterioration and keeps it new and fresh while stopping UV damage, so does this mean that PPF does not prevent UV damage or keep the paint new? Do they put Ceramic Coating on the paint before applying the PPF?

4) Will the PPF protect you from people keying your car or if someone gets too close to your car with a shopping cart? (I don't know, just making up hypotheticals because I want to understand the point of reference for damage protection)

5) What were your costs like for the PPF and Ceramic coating?

6) Is it worth it to do the Full Car or just the Full Front? Did any of you not wrap their cars, or just did the front? What's your thinking behind it?

7) PPF and Ceramic is temporary from what I've read, how often should you need to apply it? And why do these PPF wrapping companies offer you 8-10 year warranties if it's temporary? Does that mean if it peels within 10 years, they'll replace it free? When people are mentioning temporary, it makes it sound like it'll start coming off in 3 - 4 years. Just want to make sure the limitations

8) I've seen many people here do Scotch Guard to the inside of their cars for protection, but many PPF places are offering me interior ceramic coating, is it worth it?

9) Anyone wrap their wheels (or powder coat)? Does that just prevent rim damage? I'm assuming it also stops rust and helps make cleaning the rims a lot easier.

10) I also saw on the forums that many places aren't offering tints or people didn't get tints because it can mess with the sensors? So is it best to stay away from tints for now? My installer is offering me tints


Last but not least, I called a bunch of local places with good reviews around who have done luxury cars and here are the quotes I was given, I was wondering if you guys can help me choose what sounds like the best 'deal'
Being a software guy myself, I know when someone will try to sugarcoat something to make it sound like a better deal in actuality when they're offering me the same service as someone else, just making it sound fancier, etc...

So I'm pretty ignorant on this topic and I think people can take advantage of me, so if anyone could help me out I'd really appreciate it!

First Business:
full $7500 XPEL Ultimate
$2000 full front clip
Ceramic Coating: +$600 XPEL Fusion+ 4 year warranty
Ceramic Tint: +$440-$650
Full interior coating: +$400
$9100 total (if I did Full Car instead of Front Clip Only)

Second Business:
full XPEL Ultimate $6000 10 year warranty
$1800 front clip and pillars
Ceramic Tint: $600 XPEL XR Plus lifetime warranty
Ceramic Coating: $1250 over PPF
full interior coating: $400 upholstery then rest hard surfaces $400
Wheels and calipers: if done with PPF $600 (lone service $800)
STEK Film dynoshield: TBD
$7200 (full body PPF, tint, wheels)

3rd Business
full body $7000 STEK 8mil Ceramic coating gloss 10 year warranty 1-2 years
full front end $1650 STEK full
STEK Film dynoshield: $550 1 year warranty (windshield wipers scratch it, clean often)
powder coating wheels: $650
Interior Tints: $550 + $250 (for windshield) full vehicle
internal ceramic: $400
$7400 (full PPF and internal ceramic, he said discount if I get everything)



From what I see, the 2nd business has the best deal for full body service, but, then that comes down to STEK vs XPEL between the 2nd and 3rd business.
1st business told me that XPEL Fusion is the newest stuff and therefore more expensive

 

[SaratogaLefty]

I will try to answer some of your questions:
1. I have Xpel Ultimate PPF on my entire car except for the trunk lid. Initially I didn't do the PPF on the four doors and that was a mistake because sure enough a piece of road debris hit the front right door and put a scratch on it. Then my detailer had to remove the ceramic coating from all four doors, apply the PPF and then put the ceramic coating on again. Also, he did a decent job of buffing out the scratch so it is almost invisible. The reason I didn't do the trunk lid is because I was concerned about removing and reapplying the Dream Edition emblem and I really don't think PPF is needed on the trunk lid. Xpel Ultimate vs. Stek is really a function of your choice of detailer. Xpel Ultimate is more common and this is my second car with it. Also, Xpel does have a PPF product with a hydrophobic coating built into it called Xpel Ultimate Fusion. I chose to go with the "regular" Xpel Ultimate and then added FeynLab ceramic coating on top.
2. "Regular" PPF is clear and the amount of gloss will depend upon how your detailer prepped the car's paint. Ceramic coating will add more gloss.
3. Ceramic coating should be applied after the PPF. Ceramic coating adds gloss and makes the car much easier to clean. Should be touched up annually for the best results.
4. PPF won't protect against keying the car. If someone is intent on damaging the car PPF won't do much to stop them. It primarily protects against small road debris and rocks from scratching the paint. I did have a fairly large rock come off an 18 wheeler on my last car and it did tear the PPF but didn't penetrate the paint.
5. Locally here in the Bay Area full PPF and good ceramic coating will run you somewhere between $7K up to $10K depending on the detailer. More expensive doesn't necessarily translate to a better job. Visit the detailer and look at come completed cars, then decide.
6. Answered above.
7. If you take care of the car properly and have your car touched up every year or two by your detailer, PPF and Ceramic should last a very long time. Again, choose your detailer carefully.
8. I did apply Scotch Guard to my carpets and frunk/trunk myself. Very easy to do. Regarding the interior ceramic treatments, my opinion is don't waste your money.
9. I did not wrap my wheels and my opinion is a wrap won't prevent rim damage. My wheels were ceramic coated but again that just makes them easier to clean.
10. I did full tint on all windows/roof with Xpel Ultimate Prime Plus. Very happy with the results.

Of the three businesses you listed, without seeing their results, #2 looks like the best option. However, I strongly suggest you go to each one and look at multiple cars they have done.

 

[Volund]

I will try to answer some of your questions:
1. I have Xpel Ultimate PPF on my entire car except for the trunk lid. Initially I didn't do the PPF on the four doors and that was a mistake because sure enough a piece of road debris hit the front right door and put a scratch on it. Then my detailer had to remove the ceramic coating from all four doors, apply the PPF and then put the ceramic coating on again. Also, he did a decent job of buffing out the scratch so it is almost invisible. The reason I didn't do the trunk lid is because I was concerned about removing and reapplying the Dream Edition emblem and I really don't think PPF is needed on the trunk lid. Xpel Ultimate vs. Stek is really a function of your choice of detailer. Xpel Ultimate is more common and this is my second car with it. Also, Xpel does have a PPF product with a hydrophobic coating built into it called Xpel Ultimate Fusion. I chose to go with the "regular" Xpel Ultimate and then added FeynLab ceramic coating on top.
2. "Regular" PPF is clear and the amount of gloss will depend upon how your detailer prepped the car's paint. Ceramic coating will add more gloss.
3. Ceramic coating should be applied after the PPF. Ceramic coating adds gloss and makes the car much easier to clean. Should be touched up annually for the best results.
4. PPF won't protect against keying the car. If someone is intent on damaging the car PPF won't do much to stop them. It primarily protects against small road debris and rocks from scratching the paint. I did have a fairly large rock come off an 18 wheeler on my last car and it did tear the PPF but didn't penetrate the paint.
5. Locally here in the Bay Area full PPF and good ceramic coating will run you somewhere between $7K up to $10K depending on the detailer. More expensive doesn't necessarily translate to a better job. Visit the detailer and look at come completed cars, then decide.
6. Answered above.
7. If you take care of the car properly and have your car touched up every year or two by your detailer, PPF and Ceramic should last a very long time. Again, choose your detailer carefully.
8. I did apply Scotch Guard to my carpets and frunk/trunk myself. Very easy to do. Regarding the interior ceramic treatments, my opinion is don't waste your money.
9. I did not wrap my wheels and my opinion is a wrap won't prevent rim damage. My wheels were ceramic coated but again that just makes them easier to clean.
10. I did full tint on all windows/roof with Xpel Ultimate Prime Plus. Very happy with the results.

Of the three businesses you listed, without seeing their results, #2 looks like the best option. However, I strongly suggest you go to each one and look at multiple cars they have done.

Thanks so much for the response, that helps a lot.
I'm going to go check out the retailers myself in person rather than taking quotes over the phone.

And if anyone has anything else to add, please give your opinions as well! Can never learn too much about this stuff

 

[borski]

1) For those of you who got XPEL instead of STEK, or vice versa, what made you decide that? I was told STEK doesn't need ceramic but XPEL does, I don't know if that's true or not but I am getting mixed answers. What's the pros and cons of both?

The answer to this question really doesn't matter; the most important thing, by far, is installer and their experience with the material. Both are extremely high end materials. FOrget the marketing hype, and you'll want ceramic coatings on both if you want that slick easy-to-clean ceramic feel. The impregnated PPF does not last as long as true high quality ceramic coatings.

2) Apart from stealth which is like this thick satin, I'm looking to keep the car as is, so I think that's glossy PPF? correct me if I'm wrong there

Yup.

3) Ceramic Coating helps with paint deterioration and keeps it new and fresh while stopping UV damage, so does this mean that PPF does not prevent UV damage or keep the paint new? Do they put Ceramic Coating on the paint before applying the PPF?

Ceramic goes on top of PPF. You'd be fine without ceramic; the only real benefit of ceramic is the fact that it makes the PPF much much easier to clean (you can literally just hose it off and dry it, if you do it often enough).

4) Will the PPF protect you from people keying your car or if someone gets too close to your car with a shopping cart? (I don't know, just making up hypotheticals because I want to understand the point of reference for damage protection)

It will protect against someone just running by with a key; it is likely to only mess up the PPF then. However, if someone decides to really go at it, they can obviously break through the PPF and do damage to the car. The benefit of the PPF is that if it does get scratched, by a key or otherwise, leave it out in the sun for a bit and it should self-heal.

5) What were your costs like for the PPF and Ceramic coating?

Full PPF + Ceramic ranges based on location, anywhere from $5k-$10k. My suggestion? Find someone who does really quality work, and don't skimp solely based on price (though price certainly isn't the only determinant). If you're going to protect the car, do it in a way that you don't have to deal with yellowing, seams, obvious edges, etc.

6) Is it worth it to do the Full Car or just the Full Front? Did any of you not wrap their cars, or just did the front? What's your thinking behind it?

Totally up to you. I wanted to protect my $170k investment, so another $10k was not the end of the world. Lots of people just do front PPF and are fine with that.

7) PPF and Ceramic is temporary from what I've read, how often should you need to apply it? And why do these PPF wrapping companies offer you 8-10 year warranties if it's temporary? Does that mean if it peels within 10 years, they'll replace it free? When people are mentioning temporary, it makes it sound like it'll start coming off in 3 - 4 years. Just want to make sure the limitations

It should last a very long time if applied properly and by a reputable installer. Look at the cars they've done and their reviews. Make your choices based off of that, not film brand.

8) I've seen many people here do Scotch Guard to the inside of their cars for protection, but many PPF places are offering me interior ceramic coating, is it worth it?

I did it, because they threw it in for free. One is not much better than the other.

9) Anyone wrap their wheels (or powder coat)? Does that just prevent rim damage? I'm assuming it also stops rust and helps make cleaning the rims a lot easier.

I haven't, but I did get them ceramic coated to make them easy to hose off.

10) I also saw on the forums that many places aren't offering tints or people didn't get tints because it can mess with the sensors? So is it best to stay away from tints for now? My installer is offering me tints

Tint is fine. I have mine tinted 35% all around with 3M Crystalline and 3M Ceramic IR (long story as to why it's both, but both are great). Some places are afraid to do the windshield because it is difficult, and you should not have those places tint your car.

 

[Jefferoo]

These posts answered a lot of my questions as well. Thanks for the replies and thanks to Volund for asking it. Leaning towards just the front end PPF myself.

 

[AIR.LUCID]

What do you folks think of Opticoat 7 years?

 

[Bocabob]

I did expel all the way around the car frankly in my opinion most ppf mainstream are pretty much the same they're good for a period of time based upon how you garage your car whether it's in the Sun for a long time etc also ceramic coatings are as good as you take care of them all of them take better care of a car than having nothing on it at all plus the enhancement of shine is really quite nice the pricing that you receive seems to be well within line and you should look at the work make sure that the edges are round check cars in the shop and be sure you get the official corporate certificate from the company for the warranty other than that enjoy your car ...
.. the installer makes the job be sure your installer is neat precise and preps the surface the way it should be..

 

[Volund]

My detailer told me that all STEK comes with Ceramic Coating on the PPF out of the box and this is something only XPEL started doing recently. And that is the reason he uses STEK

 

[yiling1990]

My detailer told me that all STEK comes with Ceramic Coating on the PPF out of the box and this is something only XPEL started doing recently. And that is the reason he uses STEK

The places in the Seattle area I reached out to that use STEK said more or less the same thing, that since they use STEK PPF, I don't need Ceramic coating except on the glass and wheels.

 

[borski]

The places in the Seattle area I reached out to that use STEK said more or less the same thing, that since they use STEK PPF, I don't need Ceramic coating except on the glass and wheels.

See this post from a pro: https://lucidowners.com/threads/ceramic-coating-window-tinting-and-wraps.906/post-65087

 

[yiling1990]

See this post from a pro: https://lucidowners.com/threads/ceramic-coating-window-tinting-and-wraps.906/post-65087

Yea I had some doubts on this too, and it doesn't help that the shops using the STEK are quote much higher prices for full body PPF. I'm considering a different shop that's still well reviewed but uses 3M PPF, and then getting ceramic coating on top of that.

 

[ZenTahoe]

My detailer told me that all STEK comes with Ceramic Coating on the PPF out of the box and this is something only XPEL started doing recently. And that is the reason he uses STEK

That exactly why I did full car Suntek, mine installer ( Orlando) already did two Lucid’s before mine.

 

[ZenTahoe]

I also did Feynlab ceramic on top of the PPF, did interior plastics, wheels and Calipers, for glass did GlassParency.

 

[Volund]

I also did Feynlab ceramic on top of the PPF, did interior plastics, wheels and Calipers, for glass did GlassParency.

Damn, you went all out.
What was the total cost?

 

[TotalDetailingPA]

Damn, you went all out.
What was the total cost?

Depending on where you are and the shop you decide to choose, you should expect to pay between $8000-$10000 for full body, coating and tint.

 

[momoskier]

Yea I had some doubts on this too, and it doesn't help that the shops using the STEK are quote much higher prices for full body PPF. I'm considering a different shop that's still well reviewed but uses 3M PPF, and then getting ceramic coating on top of that.

Did you end up getting the 3M PPF? If so are you happy with the results?

 

[Mawashi Geri]

Yea I had some doubts on this too, and it doesn't help that the shops using the STEK are quote much higher prices for full body PPF. I'm considering a different shop that's still well reviewed but uses 3M PPF, and then getting ceramic coating on top of that.

I believe someone else already addressed this in another thread. I talked to a 3M shop and told him I desired a ceramic coating over the 3M wrap. He told me that It already had that and that it was not necessary. Something to fact check.

 

[johnjbarton]

Just a comment based on our experience: we had our front windshield recoated after it was cracked and replaced. The second time the result was slightly cloudy. Same detailer and material. I suggest discussing this possible outcome with the detailer to help motivate the best job.

 

[yiling1990]

Did you end up getting the 3M PPF? If so are you happy with the results?

I have a Touring reservation so I haven't gotten my car yet.

 

[varunr82]

Has anyone done a stealth wrap for the planitinum/silver color on the edges,mirrors and on the front for a Zenith Red car? If so could you please share some images. I am planning to do a Full PPF and also do wrap on the silver/platinum edges and wanted to see some pics and decide what would look better with a ZR. Thank you in advance!