Survey: Your plans for exterior paint protection

[hmp10]

Noob question. For people who opted for both PFF and ceramic, was both applied to the whole car or PFF on the front and ceramic everywhere else? I've been assuming it's ceramic coating first followed by PFF on the whole car but as I'm shopping around I see options to apply PFF only on the front area.

If you're going to use both, the PPF has to go on first. Ceramic coating will bond to PPF, but PPF won't bond to a ceramic-coated surface.

 

[hydbob]

Noob question. For people who opted for both PFF and ceramic, was both applied to the whole car or PFF on the front and ceramic everywhere else? I've been assuming it's ceramic coating first followed by PFF on the whole car but as I'm shopping around I see options to apply PFF only on the front area.

You can choose where to get the PPF installed. Ceramic goes on top of the PPF which helps protect the PPF as well!

 

[Bunnylebowski]

He did not say what kind of ceramic coating he used. All ceramic coatings are silicon dioxide . . . except one: Opti-Coat. Opti-Coat is silicon carbide, which is both harder (MOHS scale 8) and more chemically resistant than silicon dioxide. And their newest product -- Pro3 -- is a four-step application process that leaves an 8-micron coat on the car (about four times the depth of most ceramic products, including Opti-Coat's earlier products). The downside is that it requires professional application, is expensive ($3100 for a sedan), and requires annual inspections/detailing by the installer to maintain its lifetime warranty.

I used Pro3 on my Zenith Red Dream. At almost 4,500 miles and numerous hand washings, there are no swirl marks or any other marks on the car. Opti-Coat will not protect from rock chips as well as PPF, but it does not have the risks of peeling, discoloring, or dirt buildup at the edges that film has.

Oh so no PPF for your car, just the opti-coat? I use an 1800psi pressure washer to wash my car normally, do you think that could cause issues with the PPF?

 

[hmp10]

Oh so no PPF for your car, just the opti-coat? I use an 1800psi pressure washer to wash my car normally, do you think that could cause issues with the PPF?

Just Opti-Coat on our car. Sorry, I don't know enough about PPF to know how pressure washing would affect it.

My brother has 3M PPF on his Tesla, and he has had some lifting and dirt accumulation at the edges. However, he didn't have the film wrapped around the panel edges. That might reduce the dirt build up, but I don't know if it would keep the edges from lifting.

 

[TCGT]

Oh so no PPF for your car, just the opti-coat? I use an 1800psi pressure washer to wash my car normally, do you think that could cause issues with the PPF?

Most pressure washers are not recommended with PPF. Gotta be especially careful with the edges.

https://www.exclusivedetail.com/paint-protection-film-ceramic-coating-wash-care/

 

[ZZ69]

Getting xpel ppf on front end, mirrors, lower rockers, lower door panels and behind rear wheels. $3,000. Xpel Fusion Plus ceramic coating on whole car. $2,000. Philadelphia suburbs.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Most pressure washers are not recommended with PPF. Gotta be especially careful with the edges.

https://www.exclusivedetail.com/paint-protection-film-ceramic-coating-wash-care/

Thanks! I keep my pressure washer at least 2-3 feet away from the vehicle, it’s only for rinse so based on their article it shouldn’t peel off the PPF.

 

[histal]

If anyone has thoughts on this or other things to help protect the windshield, please let us know. I remember someone posted the price of a windshield a while back. It was roughly $1500 (which was a lot, but not as bad as I thought it would be). Well, I'm here to tell you that the $1500 is the price of the glass only. The install is a day and half process including calibration and the total cost is going to be $2505 + tax. In AZ, the insurance company should be required to pay for it, but I'm guessing another one any time in the next decade will probably get me blackballed. Really hoping that Lucid gets to a point where they can repair smaller cracks.

Quick question, would you be able to get the crack repaired like normal windshields? I had to do this many times in the past for small chips and cracks and it worked really well, but that was for ICE car windshields. Is the Lucid glass different?

 

[SaratogaLefty]

Getting xpel ppf on front end, mirrors, lower rockers, lower door panels and behind rear wheels. $3,000. Xpel Fusion Plus ceramic coating on whole car. $2,000. Philadelphia suburbs.

It really depends on the quality of your installer. I had my Porsche Panamera treated with Xpel Ultimate PPF and then ceramic coated almost four years ago. All the edges were wrapped and I used my power washer on the car every few weeks for the first three years until I sold it to my friend. I never had any problem with the PPF at all but I was always careful to keep the power washer at least 3-4 feet away from the car except for the wheel areas. My friend doesn't use a power washer and just takes it to a car wash (which I don't recommend) and he also hasn't had any problems over the past year. Can't overstate the need to get a quality installer. If you live in the South Bay Area I strongly recommend Deep Reflections.

 

[BuddhaDada13]

I opted for the PPF only on the front, ceramic coating for the whole car and warp for the roof and side mirrors--Total cost $4500

 

[noobzilla]

Looks like I'm convinced I will at least get ceramic coating. The hydrophobic properties will make car washing a lot easier. Still deciding on PPF. I'm on very tight budget so I'll be picky which areas will get PPF. Money spent elsewhere means less fund for potential Pure to Touring upgrade.

Do they / does it make sense to apply PPF on this section of the car? I'm guessing the PPF will get ruined and peel off rather quickly especially if hit by boots frequently.

If I do get wrap it will likely just be the front bumper and this area on the trunk since it tends to get scratched from moving dead bodies, I mean equipment, in and out of the trunk. Checking my 9yr old car I have the most damage on this area. My front hood is fine, surprisingly.

Also would it be bad to use ceramic coating only on areas not covered by the PPF? Practically half the car is PPF and half ceramic with no overlaps. Might have different shine but I'm getting white so perhaps it wont be noticeable.

 

[Maverick]

Quick question, would you be able to get the crack repaired like normal windshields? I had to do this many times in the past for small chips and cracks and it worked really well, but that was for ICE car windshields. Is the Lucid glass different?

According to Lucid, the answer is no, they won't do it. Now whether an autoglass company would come out and give it a try, I don't know. I've never had one repaired, but it feels like mine could be repaired, but I'm not willing to take that risk until someone else has had it done or a national company starts doing it. If the end result is a non-crack but a noticeable repair, I feel like I'd be in the same boat though maybe with insurance unwilling to pay.

 

[hydbob]

Looks like I'm convinced I will at least get ceramic coating. The hydrophobic properties will make car washing a lot easier. Still deciding on PPF. I'm on very tight budget so I'll be picky which areas will get PPF. Money spent elsewhere means less fund for potential Pure to Touring upgrade.

Do they / does it make sense to apply PPF on this section of the car? I'm guessing the PPF will get ruined and peel off rather quickly especially if hit by boots frequently.

View attachment 1938

If I do get wrap it will likely just be the front bumper and this area on the trunk since it tends to get scratched from moving dead bodies, I mean equipment, in and out of the trunk. Checking my 9yr old car I have the most damage on this area. My front hood is fine, surprisingly.

View attachment 1939

Also would it be bad to use ceramic coating only on areas not covered by the PPF? Practically half the car is PPF and half ceramic with no overlaps. Might have different shine but I'm getting white so perhaps it wont be noticeable.

I put a vinyl "wrap" on that door sill plate, pretty easy to put on and it's much thicker than PPF and will stand up to more abuse. Opted for this because of my 3 rascals not giving a crap about any car haha

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TQSGTRN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[victoryroad]

I will have Opti-Coat Pro Plus applied to my AGT, as I have with my vehicles for about ten years. Aside from a still glossy finish five years in, it does not allow acidic substances to etch into the clear coat, as least so far. I had PPF applied to my other cars but will pass on it for the AGT because even small rocks can penetrate the film and the torn film looks worse to me than a small chip. I have used Aquapel on the windows for years, although will check out others, as there may be more advanced treatments available. Also, after a while, like a year or so, one might wipe the edges of windshield wipers with a bit of rubbing alcohol on a paper towel to remove carbon buildup.

 

[TCGT]

I put a vinyl "wrap" on that door sill plate, pretty easy to put on and it's much thicker than PPF and will stand up to more abuse. Opted for this because of my 3 rascals not giving a crap about any car haha

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TQSGTRN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?

[QUOTE="hydbob, post: 28412, member: 2977"] ie=UTF8&psc=1[/QUOTE]

Wow, who knew…could have used this years ago! Another item for the “things to buy after you get your car” list.

 

[hmp10]

Because of the wider fender flares on the new Model S, Tesla applies a PPF at the factory around the rear wheel wells. I don't know what brand they use, but it is quite noticeable. Not only does a black line of dirt accumulate along the edges, but the film is yellower than the paint. (It is less pronounced in this photo, but you can still get some sense of it.)

They also put a PPF insert behind the door handles. Although there is a shadow of the door handle in this photo, you can see along the top of the recess how much yellower the film is than the car.

 

[EVCar]

If anyone has thoughts on this or other things to help protect the windshield, please let us know. I remember someone posted the price of a windshield a while back. It was roughly $1500 (which was a lot, but not as bad as I thought it would be). Well, I'm here to tell you that the $1500 is the price of the glass only. The install is a day and half process including calibration and the total cost is going to be $2505 + tax. In AZ, the insurance company should be required to pay for it, but I'm guessing another one any time in the next decade will probably get me blackballed. Really hoping that Lucid gets to a point where they can repair smaller cracks.

What a bummer . Did this happen on the 60 or 202? I've had several rock chips along the 60.

 

[noobzilla]

$1800 for full body ceramic Pro+
~$550-700 per section for PPF or $1900 for full front+mirror
One shop in Bay Area quoted me much higher. Neither does Pro3 ceramic.

I think like @victoryroad I will skip on the PPF

 

[SaratogaLefty]

Because of the wider fender flares on the new Model S, Tesla applies a PPF at the factory around the rear wheel wells. I don't know what brand they use, but it is quite noticeable. Not only does a black line of dirt accumulate along the edges, but the film is yellower than the paint. (It is less pronounced in this photo, but you can still get some sense of it.)

View attachment 1940



They also put a PPF insert behind the door handles. Although there is a shadow of the door handle in this photo, you can see along the top of the recess how much yellower the film is than the car.

$1800 for full body ceramic Pro+
~$550-700 per section for PPF or $1900 for full front+mirror
One shop in Bay Area quoted me much higher. Neither does Pro3 ceramic.

I think like @victoryroad I will skip on the PPF

The ceramic coating won't do you any good for rock chips or other flying objects on the highway that hit the car. PPF is a good option but also not fool proof. I had a pretty good size rock hit the hood of my Panamera a few years back while on the freeway. I actually could see it coming off the wheel of an 18 wheeler as I was passing it. It hit the hood and then bounced up and over the car. It put a small round tear in the PPF but didn't penetrate the clear coat underneath. My detailer cut out a small area around the tear and put in a small patch of PPF and it was hardly noticeable unless you really looked closely. If it had been just ceramic coating then there would have been a significant scratch most likely into the clear coat and possibly into the paint below. Ceramic coating is primarily to facilitate easy washing and drying of the car and a nice shiny finish when done.

 

[noobzilla]

The ceramic coating won't do you any good for rock chips or other flying objects on the highway that hit the car. PPF is a good option but also not fool proof. I had a pretty good size rock hit the hood of my Panamera a few years back while on the freeway. I actually could see it coming off the wheel of an 18 wheeler as I was passing it. It hit the hood and then bounced up and over the car. It put a small round tear in the PPF but didn't penetrate the clear coat underneath. My detailer cut out a small area around the tear and put in a small patch of PPF and it was hardly noticeable unless you really looked closely. If it had been just ceramic coating then there would have been a significant scratch most likely into the clear coat and possibly into the paint below. Ceramic coating is primarily to facilitate easy washing and drying of the car and a nice shiny finish when done.

Given budget constraint, would you rather do full body ceramic coating or front half PPF?