NoBoost
Dedicated member
What thickness is that PPF? ;-)
All models PPF Paint Protection Film
- Thread starter PVGR
- Start date
I know how you feel. I've realised not having PPF on my car will drive me insane, and I've already done 500 miles at this point. Now I'm avoiding using it until it's covered by the film.
The area that took the most beating so far is the front bumper, right under the headlight on the driver's side, with quite a few small white stone chips, which can be touched up fairly easily (thankfully I managed to get some original Toyota touch up paint before the delivery). The rest of the car so far escaped unscathed, with the exception of my windscreen.
I've gone for full front PPF plus wing mirrors, headlights and side skirts, mainly because it protects the car from 95% of impact damage and costs half as much as full PPF.
The one I'm getting installed is Suntek Reaction, which includes a hydrophobic layer on top and 12 years warranty. I will be doing a single stage polish and ceramic coating on the rest of the car myself when the weather improves.
Last edited:
LukeC22
Totally Hooked
Had full paint correction and PPF done this week. The pearlescent paint is stunning in the sun and the PPF patterns seem to hide most of the edges. I've always used Autocurators in Hook, can't recommend Paul and Matt highly enough and they've done all my cars including off pattern installs that are really difficult to get right. Now time to enjoy it.
Any more updates on PPF?
I’ve had 5 quotes and prices all similar for full front end Inc A pillar, roof section, mirrors, rockers, lights approx £1700+vat
Full new car detail (decon, 2stage correction) and ceramic coating Inc wheels and glass approx - £600+vat
Azuri came in at £2800+vat total and I think included a better level of paint correction and coating.
I’ve had 5 quotes and prices all similar for full front end Inc A pillar, roof section, mirrors, rockers, lights approx £1700+vat
Full new car detail (decon, 2stage correction) and ceramic coating Inc wheels and glass approx - £600+vat
Azuri came in at £2800+vat total and I think included a better level of paint correction and coating.
Last edited:
Yeah, not cheap, quoted above was most expensive from Azuri…they have a very good reputation so will probably look at going with them.
Asked a few mates, who are into cars, most have said I’m mental and it’s not a £300k lambo….I said it’s rarer lol.
Asked a few mates, who are into cars, most have said I’m mental and it’s not a £300k lambo….I said it’s rarer lol.
Last edited:
James-UK
Totally Hooked
I think full PPF is just a waste of money - don't bother. I got the front wrapped in PPF for £350 and that's enough.
Wrap the car or pay for a respray in the future.
The rock chips really aren't that bad, some Chipex and you'll be fine.
Wrap the car or pay for a respray in the future.
The rock chips really aren't that bad, some Chipex and you'll be fine.
LukeC22
Totally Hooked
I got full PPF, partly because the quotes I received weren’t too dissimilar between the contact areas and full coverage and partly because it was easier to get that done than get the “track pack” and then get the rest detailed and ceramic coated.
It was expensive but I was lucky enough to have some spare cash and I’ve never had PPF before so we’ll see how it goes. It should also make life easier with the self healing properties so I can let it sit in the sun during summer and it should still look nice and shiny with minimal effort.
It was expensive but I was lucky enough to have some spare cash and I’ve never had PPF before so we’ll see how it goes. It should also make life easier with the self healing properties so I can let it sit in the sun during summer and it should still look nice and shiny with minimal effort.
Dal3D
Totally Hooked
That is a nice side effect - the cleaning is a doddle.
KobayashiMaru86
Totally Hooked
I only did front, bonnet, skirts and bits of the rear so bumper on patches to save needing mudflaps. Then bits of the boot lid. I'm having one mirror redone as he wasn't happy with it but he can do that when it's in for it's free wash. I'm glad I've done at least that much. But it's no garage queen. Will be used in all weathers and may get a wash once a fortnight/month depending on how busy I am. Had wheels ceramic coated too which I'm glad off as the muck they pull in, especially rears is surprising.
Have you had a car with full PPF before?
James-UK
Totally Hooked
Yeah my Jag is full PPF, and my Aston before it.
Waste of time and money, all that happens is the stone chips come through the film and it looks as bad as if your car hadn't had PPF. The only use for PPF is on high impact areas. And the only one that leaps out is the front 1/4.... perhaps your A-Pillars if youre gonna track it.
But the reality being, that Chipex paint. Fill them in, then if you really want your car long long-term. You wrap it, repaint it.
Paying £2.8 - 3.5k on a car with a value of £31k isn't sensible.
My Jag was just under £100k.... and I cringed when I paid £4k for that to be PPF'd
Get your front bumper (£350) PPF'd, maybe bonnet / fenders. (£1k) .
The rest.... just live with it. (chipex it - then in about 3 years, pay a professional bodyshop to repair the damage, ie wetsand, then in 3-5 years after that.... get the high impact areas resprayed. If you're really not happy. But then the cycle begins again. Just learn to live with it, and chipex it until it becomes like a non matching quilt)
Save the money for a wrap at a later date. The Toyota colours this time around were totally uninspired boring anyway so, tbh looking back now. I wish I'd got black and just wrapped it 3M Gloss Envy Green straight away... live and learn.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #215
This is the first time someone else has summarised my thoughts almost exactly!
Nice to have opinions from someone experienced
NoBoost
Dedicated member
Repainting probably never as good as factory paint tho? That thought tipped me into going full PPF. Other thoughts were: I will use mine on track sometimes + it's SO much easier to wash and clean, + I am using this - my first experience of PPF - as a test for if I do take delivery of my Lotus Emira order and need to make the same decision but with a much higher value car (not to mention my other cars) + knowing I've protected it as much as is possible = just enjoy it guilt-free because if chips do still happen then I can't look back and think "I should have done more to protect it" or "I shouldn't have done that trackday / gone down that road / why did that stone have to get flicked from nearby traffic up and hit MY car".
Each to their own BTW, I'm not trying to convince anyone, there's no right or wrong answer it's all personal preference / situation.
I have to say I concur. James where did you have it done and exactly what did you go for?This is the first time someone else has summarised my thoughts almost exactly!
Nice to have opinions from someone experienced
kacpr
Dedicated member
This. From my own experience the body shops can never match the colour just right, often will ignore “blending” to save time and will always make a ton of stupid excuses NOT to fix, if things don’t go well. And they do it at any price point - I’ve tried cheap local “trustowrthy” chaps and high end “we fix Porsches and Range Rovers” shops.
The excuses will range from:
“that’s a rare colour, hard to match”
“white/black/red are hardest to match (coincidentally most common colours there are)”
“ you had some work done to it before, they didn’t match the colour well”.
Are you going to respray your whole car when it’s the bonnet and front peppered with stone chips?
It depends on how anal you are.
When I had my car ceramic coated and PPF’d I spent half hour with a guy explaining why they no longer paint cars and how the finish will never match factory unless you have an entire car resprayed to a high standard. Truthfully paint finishes will never be a perfect match. Manufacturers do not sell ‘their’ paint, major paint suppliers make their own interpretation of the colour and they differ. I have seen 2 samples of BMWs Interlagos Blue from 2 manufacturers, and they were nowhere near close to each other. Beyond that you have the complexities of how paint is applied, the angle and distance that paint is applied can dramatically affect the finish, especially metallic colours, again I was shown the 2 samples of the same blue, the finish was totally different depending on how the paint was applied. That doesn’t take into account the multi lay complex finishes, take Mazda’s Crystal Soul Red, it is a stunning 5 stage coating, but should never have been sold to the public as its so difficult to replicate it.
On the other hand, my Dad has an immaculate Velocity Red MX5 which got swiped down its entire drivers side and needed repainting. When he had it done, I spent ages looking at the finish trying to establish where they had started and finished but couldn’t figure it out for love nor money.
The skill seems to be in the application and the blending. My preference would always be preserve the original finish, but cars should be cherished and enjoyed. Each to their own.
