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Paint Protection Film Vs Ceramic/Nano coatings

v8fettler

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30 Apr 2016
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125
Has anyone near Leeds had either Paint Protection Film or Ceramic Coating on their car?? I'm an engineer and want to get 'eyes on' them, see which to go for.

Anyone got good/bad things to say about either?

Ceramic seems amazing, but I still can't fathom if it'll do as good a job as a film at protecting. I know it looks like a layer of glass of done correctly, and that's what's making me want that instead of Film, plus it's easy to wash.

Then there's colour wraps. I always wanted a vibrant colour, and I've ended up with Basalt Black. It looks lovely, but it's not 'me'. Again, a lot of wraps I've looked at are poor, bubbles, corners showing etc. Anyone gone the wrap route, and happy to let me come look at it?

Probably go to a few shows, see what I can see before I commit, but I need to get it done before winter, otherwise I'll just forget about it.

Cheers Chaps..
 
I would advise going to see someone like REEP in Leicester, or a reputable detailed that's near you. They have just done my car with PPF on front end and ceramic coating everywhere else. They had 5-6 cars in there workshop having different things done that I could look at and they were very knowledgeable on all options available.

I am really happy with my car now which is 10 years only and looks showroom ready all the time. Just a note the ceramic coating doesn't offer any real protection against chips.
 
RJW1881 said:
Just a note the ceramic coating doesn't offer any real protection against chips.

:yeah:

PPF and ceramic coatings are different types of product and not really comparable against one another.

The coating will give polished paint added gloss and swirl protection plus easier cleaning but it's not going to protect against minor scrapes and stone chips like the film will.

Depending on your budget, there's no reason why you couldn't have both and then you get the individual benefits of both products.
 
RJW1881 said:
I am really happy with my car now which is 10 years only and looks showroom ready all the time.

Thanks for this, really interested in getting this done myself, any idea how long these last before they start looking tatty? I think I heard somewhere you need to get it checked every 3 years assuming you've not have any damage before then?

My car is also 10 years old so the paint is hardly perfect, do they do anything to the paint before applying the PPF?
 
I'm sorry but no coating, whether its Nano, Ceramic, Carnuba or gob is going to protect from stone chips, unless you drive you car around at 10 miles per hour.

Plastic film works, but on certain colours you will notice it slightly, but its worth it.

I would like to wrap my car a fancy colour, and I have been to a few places and one near by is one of the best, but no wrap ever looks like paint, I can spot it a mile off. Most to me just look like a bad paint job. Then the fact you have scalpel blades and the likes next to your paint scares me.
 
apollokre1d said:
My car is also 10 years old so the paint is hardly perfect, do they do anything to the paint before applying the PPF?

It needs to ideally be chip and blemish free as the PPF won't sit correctly and leave bubble type marks where it can't adhere to or fill into. I've had my car fully covered in Paint Shield's Suntek self heal PPF it really is good stuff.

:thumb:
 
NottsRS said:
apollokre1d said:
My car is also 10 years old so the paint is hardly perfect, do they do anything to the paint before applying the PPF?

It needs to ideally be chip and blemish free as the PPF won't sit correctly and leave bubble type marks where it can't adhere to or fill into. I've had my car fully covered in Paint Shield's Suntek self heal PPF it really is good stuff.

:thumb:

Make's sense, i should factor getting the paint sorted out first. Thanks for that :)
 
apollokre1d said:
RJW1881 said:
I am really happy with my car now which is 10 years only and looks showroom ready all the time.

Thanks for this, really interested in getting this done myself, any idea how long these last before they start looking tatty? I think I heard somewhere you need to get it checked every 3 years assuming you've not have any damage before then?

My car is also 10 years old so the paint is hardly perfect, do they do anything to the paint before applying the PPF?

I was told it lasts 10 years?

I had a front end respray, then they did a total machine polish before it was applied.
 
I've been a "polisher" all my life but bought a boxster which already had PPF on. I had never really entertained it before but the fact that when I viewed the car in the showroom myself nor the OPC realised it even had PPF film on says it all. The newer stuff really is amazing.

After having the car for a few months now and many washes later I'm still really impressed. nb mine is a white car.

Personally if I was you and wanted a complete job, depending on existing paint condition I would :

- get a full polish to get the paintwork in best condition you can, get PPF applied to front / vulnerable areas and then ceramic coating to none PPF areas :dont know:

If you front end has plenty of stone chips that won't polish out I'd get a front end respray before having the PPF applied.

Your looking at c£2k for a proper job so you really need to want it doing. It may add a little to the value of the car / make it easier to sell but you won't get that back on the value of the car.
 
RJW1881 said:
I was told it lasts 10 years?

I had a front end respray, then they did a total machine polish before it was applied.

You are probably right and I must have miss heard that. If it lasts 5-7 years it will be money well spent.
 
apollokre1d said:
RJW1881 said:
I was told it lasts 10 years?

I had a front end respray, then they did a total machine polish before it was applied.

You are probably right and I must have miss heard that. If it lasts 5-7 years it will be money well spent.

It depends on the brand. Different brands have different guarantee periods.

I'm no expert on these but I think the achilles heel of PPF used to be the deterioration of the adhesive rather than the film itself. They seemed to have improved this issue greatly over recent years.
 
jonttt said:
Your looking at c£2k for a proper job so you really need to want it doing. It may add a little to the value of the car / make it easier to sell but you won't get that back on the value of the car.

Any idea if the good reputable PPF companies also do the front end respray? Or do you need to sort that out on your own first?
 
apollokre1d said:
jonttt said:
Your looking at c£2k for a proper job so you really need to want it doing. It may add a little to the value of the car / make it easier to sell but you won't get that back on the value of the car.

Any idea if the good reputable PPF companies also do the front end respray? Or do you need to sort that out on your own first?

Wombat are Porsche approved, that's who did mine through Porsche centre Tonbridge
 
As has been alluded to already, prep is key - there's no point in "locking in" swirl marks and holograms etc, so a full paint correction first is a must!
SunTek's Self Heal PPF is the dog's danglies - I had the full front end done then Gtechniq Crystal Serum to the rest of the car and ExoV3 all over. Mirror finish! As with many things, to a point it's only as good as the guys applying it.
Boba's comment about no coating protecting against stone chips probably needs qualifying - indeed larger stones at speed will break through even the toughest of coatings, but every little helps as they say and even the ceramic coatings can reduce / prevent road rash from smaller road debris. Sadly the newer waterbased factory finishes simply don't offer the protection of the older solvent based ones. The paintwork on my 996 feels bullet proof in comparison to the finish on the 997 and as soon as I collected it I started looking into PPF.
 

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Hello all,

As other's have mentioned here on the thread, there are many differences between Ceramic Coating and Paint Protection Film. Both have their benefits and are not interchangeable.

With PPF, half of the battle comes down to the installer so be sure to find a couple near you and get quotes. Another recommendation is to go to their shop and ask to see examples of their work first hand. This will give you the best idea of their quality.

In regards to how long will it last, not all PPF's are created equal. Some are warrantied for 10 years, self-healing, and even very easy to maintain.

Hope this info helps. Let us know if we can help with any other PPF related questions.
 

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