[brinkmann]

Hi all. I'm considering partial (front) PPF for my incoming M4. Ironically the same impulse driving me to pursue PPF — wanting to keep the car flawless — is giving me second thoughts.

I'm concerned—
1) about the install process and any damage that could occur while tricky seams are getting cut, tucked, etc. Is this a legitimate concern?

2) about noticing imperfections in the PPF after the install. This seems inevitable so just curious what other people's experience is and if you have a low tolerance for something like this, are you better off risking the rock chips?

3) about cost: I've been quoted about $2.5k for front Xpel PPF plus another $2.2k for full ceramic coating. I'm inclined to pay a "higher end" shop to do the work if I decide to proceed but the costs adds up quickly.

I tend to be pretty obsessive over the condition of my vehicles and I'm weighing the above concerns against the potential peace of mind that comes with PPF. I appreciate any feedback!

[josec70]

My only advice is to do your research regarding the shop that is doing the work.

If you're obsessive about the condition of your cars you will love the extra protection of PPF -Ceramic as well as the ease of maintenance.

I have a 22'M5 with full PPF and Ceramic (interior and wheels as well).

It is not cheap but well worth it.

[masd79]

Originally Posted by josec70

My only advice is to do your research regarding the shop that is doing the work.

If you're obsessive about the condition of your cars you will love the extra protection of PPF -Ceramic as well as the ease of maintenance.

I have a 22'M5 with full PPF and Ceramic (interior and wheels as well).

It is not cheap but well worth it.

So when does one take the pff off to enjoy the condition of the car? Just before selling it?

[Habber]

Originally Posted by masd79

So when does one take the pff off to enjoy the condition of the car? Just before selling it?

PPF is basically protecting the car for the guy you're going to sell it to.

[masd79]

Originally Posted by Habber

PPF is basically protecting the car for the guy you're going to sell it to.

Exactly, especially in this hyper buying and selling era, it sounds like a complete waste of time and money, not to mention the thought of some dude taking off parts, spraying and squeegeeing my car for hours just kills me. But then to each their own…

[Gfit]

To each their own but for me PPF, for protection not stealth or changing color, reminds me of my Grandma. She covered all her couches and recliners in plastic wrap. After a few years the fabric still looked brand new but the couch was old and saggy and time for an upgrade. I get a new car on average every 2 max 3 years for my wife and me and rough estimate I've had 3 pencil point rock chips that were hardly noticeable in total. Never affected my resale so I figure I've saved $50,000 over the years.

PPF is not an investment. It's a money losing insurance policy.

[josec70]

Originally Posted by masd79

So when does one take the pff off to enjoy the condition of the car? Just before selling it?

If you're "obsessive" about your car, you enjoy it everyday because it always looks great and is extremely easy to maintain.

If rock chips, scratches, dings etc. are things that don't bother you than PPF is certainly not for you.

In my case, the paint was corrected prior to the PPF and then ceramic was applied so it always looks great and requires next to no maintenance. There is value in this to certain people while others may not care.. no swirls, watermarks, blemishes etc.

I mod my cars substantially, and do so knowing I will never recover the full cost but, cars are a sickness to me that I thoroughly enjoy, and so, the joy far exceeds the fact that it is not a good investment.

At 52, I'm blessed to be in a position that allows me this privilege but everyone is different.

OP, you know you, so go with your gut!

[MassComp]

I don't like paint chips on the front bumper/lower portion of the hood from all the sand they put down on the roads here in Massachusetts, so on my past 5 vehicles I've had a "nose" PPF installed, and it always did a great job keeping the front end of the car chip free. This time around though I think I'm going with a full nose so I don't see the PPF edge on the hood or fenders since my M3 will be Skyscraper grey.

My wife had ceramic coat done on her past Jaguar, and I couldn't believe how good her car's dark blue finish looked for the first two years she had the car. Always looked shiny even when slightly dirty, and when washing by hand (by me of course) the microfiber mitt would glide effortlessly on the clearcoat making for a very easy wash.

So this time around on my pending M3, I may do both PPF and ceramic coating. As for prices, I've been quoted $1,900 for full front PPF (Xpel), and $1,300 for ceramic (Gtech) for the exterior & interior if the shop does both the PPF and ceramic.

[PHXATC]

A good shop won't harm your existing paint. If they do, they'll fix it or pay for it to be fixed. Shop wisely, go see their work, talk to the installer/owner, and have him/her show you their stuff and explain why they do what they do.

If there are imperfections, again, your installer should repair/replace to fix those. As life goes by and you get a rock ding or whatever, you will be happier knowing that the PPF got dinged and your paint is just fine.

That seems a bit high to me, however, I don't know how intricate the pattern would be for your front end. The ceramic coating probably includes 2 stage paint correction at that price. If not, yah, that's a bit high to me.

Lots of variable here to ponder.

[Saywhat4118]

If you're going to keep this car for a VERY long time, yeah PPF it. If not, not worth it. You're just keeping it nice for the next guy/gal.
Ceramic Coating is a must tho.

[M4Tejas]

PPF. Love hate relationship. Rocks damage it. Self healing? Bullshit. Many cowboys in the PPF/Tint arena. My take, don't tailgate. Don't follow semis. Texas is rock gravel haulers. I am to the point I keep a 360 view and drive during low traffic conditions. Leave house at 9am get back from gym at 11 to 12. Low traffic. I don't have a job, quit working. My M4 is wrapped on front bumper and side rockers and rear lower side spats. It helps. The military used it on chopper blades in high dust/sand conditions. aka Iraq.

These fuckers are driving 5 deep tailgating. They think they are NASCAR.

[JDUNITNOW]

PPF the front foe sure if you are not leasing and plan on keeping car for a while. I did full front and rockers and skipped the ceramic coating. There are enty of products on the market that will give you good protection if you have the time to maintain your own car. Rock chips drive me crazy and the roads are worse now than ever with debris.

[MassComp]

Originally Posted by Saywhat4118

If you're going to keep this car for a VERY long time, yeah PPF it. If not, not worth it. You're just keeping it nice for the next guy/gal.

If you're thinking about having PPF applied to the whole vehicle, I'd agree to this statement, but I don't agree for just a nose or full/partial front PPF application. In my experience, very worthwhile if you hate stone chips like I do.

I've had past vehicles get stone chips just driving home from the dealership after taking delivery.

[Saywhat4118]

Originally Posted by MassComp

If you're thinking about having PPF applied to the whole vehicle, I'd agree to this statement, but I don't agree for just a nose or full/partial front PPF application. In my experience, very worthwhile if you hate stone chips like I do.

I've had past vehicles get stone chips just driving home from the dealership after taking delivery.

It's true. I already have 2 very small mini chips. Like really tiny ones. But eff it. Just a car.

[Saywhat4118]

To add, no matter how much you try, you'll get some kinda of knicks and cuts on your car. So might as well save 6 to 7k.

[Aeromotive]

Originally Posted by masd79

So when does one take the pff off to enjoy the condition of the car? Just before selling it?

Originally Posted by Habber

PPF is basically protecting the car for the guy you're going to sell it to.

Originally Posted by Gfit

Never affected my resale so I figure I've saved $50,000 over the years.

PPF is not an investment. It's a money losing insurance policy.

All of the above. Rock chips won't affect the value of the car to the point where you will be recouping a significant part of that $.

Originally Posted by Saywhat4118

If you're going to keep this car for a VERY long time, yeah PPF it. If not, not worth it. You're just keeping it nice for the next guy/gal.
Ceramic Coating is a must tho.

I thought about this : keeping the car for many years, but when do you ultimately take the PPF off and admire the paint? And what happens next when you drive it?

[masd79]

Originally Posted by Aeromotive

All of the above. Rock chips won't affect the value of the car to the point where you will be recouping a significant part of that $.

I thought about this : keeping the car for many years, but when do you ultimately take the PPF off and admire the paint? And what happens next when you drive it?

I also wonder if a film takes away from from true depth and glimmer of paint..

[Saywhat4118]

Originally Posted by masd79

I also wonder if a film takes away from from true depth and glimmer of paint..

Yes depending on the paint. My G83 was Tanzanite Blue. It's a beautiful dynamic paint. And the PPF I had on it def took some of that Metallic shine away. But on my BSM M4 Coupe, I don't think I would miss it as much. If I'm ever going to PPF a black car, it'll be stealth anyway.

[chicagofan00]

Originally Posted by masd79

I also wonder if a film takes away from from true depth and glimmer of paint..

No difference in depth/dynamic range of my paint between the areas with PPF versus the areas without.

[JDUNITNOW]

Originally Posted by Saywhat4118

Yes depending on the paint. My G83 was Tanzanite Blue. It's a beautiful dynamic paint. And the PPF I had on it def took some of that Metallic shine away. But on my BSM M4 Coupe, I don't think I would miss it as much. If I'm ever going to PPF a black car, it'll be stealth anyway.

I have Dravit Grey and you really have to look at it to see ppf. The metallic still pops. This is taken in garage.

[Limegrntaln]

Originally Posted by brinkmann

Hi all. I'm considering partial (front) PPF for my incoming M4. Ironically the same impulse driving me to pursue PPF — wanting to keep the car flawless — is giving me second thoughts.

I'm concerned—
1) about the install process and any damage that could occur while tricky seams are getting cut, tucked, etc. Is this a legitimate concern?


[COLOR="Red"]The only true way to know, is to visit the shop a few times, and take a look at some of the vehicles they have completed. Someone just posted a nightmare PPF install the other day. It was so bad, I don't even know how the shop that did the install, could even tell the customer to come pick the car up, looking like that. [/COLOR]

2) about noticing imperfections in the PPF after the install. This seems inevitable so just curious what other people's experience is and if you have a low tolerance for something like this, are you better off risking the rock chips?

[COLOR="red"]Again, this goes back to the quality of the install. The install is literally everything. My car is full body PPF, with STek
(S-Tech) DynoShield, and although its not 100% flawless, its 99% flawless. 99% meaning, nothing you can see from the outside, just by looking at the car. Even my gloss black window trim is PPFd.[/COLOR]

3) about cost: I've been quoted about $2.5k for front Xpel PPF plus another $2.2k for full ceramic coating. I'm inclined to pay a "higher end" shop to do the work if I decide to proceed but the costs adds up quickly.

I tend to be pretty obsessive over the condition of my vehicles and I'm weighing the above concerns against the potential peace of mind that comes with PPF. I appreciate any feedback!

[COLOR="red"]This last paragraph pretty much says it all. "I tend to be pretty obsessive over the condition of my vehicles".[/COLOR]

I replied, inline to the questions, in red. These replies are comedy, and are definitely posted to poke fun at people that will spend $7-$10k on ceramic and PPF.

Originally Posted by masd79

So when does one take the pff off to enjoy the condition of the car? Just before selling it?

No, the whole idea is to never remove it. Many high end PPF products are made to last 10-12 years of you just leaving your car in the driveway. I park the car in the garage. The PPF may very well last the life of the car, or at least as long as I will own it.

Originally Posted by Habber

PPF is basically protecting the car for the guy you're going to sell it to.

This seems to be the default reply to people asking it they should get PPF. With mostly a whole thread of people saying its worthless, or its for the next guy. Why the hell would I buy something for the next guy? I dont give a shit who drives my car after I sell/ trade it. I want it flawless while I own it. Full Body PPF, "with self healing properties." Laugh all day, but my car has zero swirls in the paint. Does the PPF swirl? On occasion. What do you do about it? Nothing I let it sit out in the sun, and they disappear. Until you've watched it happen, on your own car, it doesn't make sense. If you want your car "flawless" by your own standards, there is no better product than PPF.

Originally Posted by masd79

Exactly, especially in this hyper buying and selling era, it sounds like a complete waste of time and money, not to mention the thought of some dude taking off parts, spraying and squeegeeing my car for hours just kills me. But then to each their own…

It depends on what you want your car to look like like "while" you own it. If every time you get a scratch on your car, you go into the garage and get some quick detailer, and a rag, come back out to the car, and try to remove the scratch, hoping that it's not as bad as it looks, PPF is for you. If you look at the car, and go, "oh, there's a new scratch, next" PPF is a waste of money. For me. I don't even want to see a single swirl or scratch on my car.

Originally Posted by Gfit

To each their own but for me PPF, for protection not stealth or changing color, reminds me of my Grandma. She covered all her couches and recliners in plastic wrap. After a few years the fabric still looked brand new but the couch was old and saggy and time for an upgrade. I get a new car on average every 2 max 3 years for my wife and me and rough estimate I've had 3 pencil point rock chips that were hardly noticeable in total. Never affected my resale so I figure I've saved $50,000 over the years.

PPF is not an investment. It's a money losing insurance policy.

It's a money losing insurance policy to someone who doesn't care about or to someone thats not planning on keeping their car. Some people never know how long they're going to keep something, until they still have it, 10 years later.

That scratch that you still see 10 years later, that you have now been stuck looking at, for the past 9 years, could have been prevented. And 3 pencil point rock chips on 2015 paint. Not 2021, 2022 water based manufacturers paint. The paint, today, is absolute trash, and thinner than paper. In fact, it's about half as think as the cellophane wrapper from a pack of cigarettes.

Originally Posted by Aeromotive

All of the above. Rock chips won't affect the value of the car to the point where you will be recouping a significant part of that $.

I thought about this : keeping the car for many years, but when do you ultimately take the PPF off and admire the paint? And what happens next when you drive it?

The PPF isn't designed to be removed. It will last decades it taken care of. It has a 10-12 year warranty against yellowing, and thats when people leave the car in the driveway, its entire life. I garage my car. The PPF, will last a long, long time.

Originally Posted by masd79

I also wonder if a film takes away from from true depth and glimmer of paint..

Absolutely nothing, especially STek DynoShield. If anything, it enhances some of the depth. My first introduction to STek was a model 3 that had a full PPF job in progress. The car was raised up on a 4 foot scissor lift. The owner: "Where has the film been applied on this car?" I walked around the whole car, twice, up on the lift, the only part of the car that hadn't been PFFd was the drivers side rear door. Even after he told me what had no PPF, I took the shop light, and couldn't distinguish between the drivers front door with PPF, and the rear door, without.

Lastly. Let me help sell you on the idea of getting PPF, with some pictures. Pics are with PPF installed, damaged, and then PPF removed. Not because some smart ass was saving the paint for the next guy. Saving the paint from himself. Some color may be no big deal to repaint. Try repainting a Dravit Gray front bumper, and having it match the hood, and fenders. It's not going to happen.

In May of 2021, I sold my 2019 Civic Type R to a local dealership, that, in "Car salesman Terms" gave me, "all the money" for the car. I paid $34k for the car, fresh off the truck, the car had increased in value, and I sold it to the local dealer for $41k. An independent lot, and not a larger dealership. We agreed to terms, over the phone and if everything checked out with the car, he was going to pay the agreed value. As soon as I pulled up, and I hadn't even gotten out of the car, yet. The owner had a digital paint depth gauge on the car, checking to see if any panels had been repainted.

Id polished and ceramic coated the car, so I knew the paint was good, but that would have been a deal breaker. It's impossible for a human, holding a spray gun to paint a car as thin as the factory paints the cars, with a robot. Dead give away if the car had been repainted, anywhere.

In closing. [COLOR="Red"]None of my comments are replies to the OP of the comment. They are answers to the OP of the thread starter. [/COLOR]

PPF is not an investment. It's a money losing insurance policy: The M2 avoided being repainted, and merely needed the PPF replaced by the insurance company. Avoided needing to be paint matched, and avoided a CarFax hit on the carfax report.

[KevinGS]

PPF is a no-brainer for me. But I purchased my car, plan on keeping it for a long while, and I'm anal.

If it's a lease and you don't mind rock chips and such, then nope, I wouldn't get it.

My shop has already replaced my front bumper PPF for only $200 because there were some gouges in the PPF from rocks and I didn't like the way it looked. Told you I was anal.

My PPF locations:
Front bumper
front fenders
Hood
Windshield
Lower rocker panels and side skirts
Rear lower quarter panel in front of the rear tires
Rear trunk lid opening

Wish they could have done the grille, but they said it was too intricate and the PPF wouldn't last long in that location (hard to get it to stick to plastic with the weather changes and such). My grille already has some small gouges in it from rocks, but the good news is that a new grille isn't that expensive, if/when that time comes.