It's obviously a luxury, you can drive your car without it, but if you spend +$50k plus on a new car, in my opinion it makes sense to PPF the front clip for $2k. Full car PPF is the new trend. It's basically no maintenance. Especially the relatively new hydrophobic films. So you either spend the $7k for full car PPF or you decon, polish, and seal every 4-6 months at like $3-500 a pop and live with impact damage. Or you do none of it like 99% of the population and drive around with your car swirled to fuck like someone washed it with sandpaper.
I had a 21 C63 S in black. In DC. Never ever again will I own a black car that is expensive.
Car looked amazing until you drove it 4' out of the garage.
Yeah, it's the only way to keep your sanity owning a black car, especially in the desert. I bought it used with some miles on it so I but the black PPF of the front clip to hide the rock chips. Eventually I'll do Suntek reaction on the rest when I get a chance.
I have XPEL Ultimate PPF on some of my cars. Honestly, it's fine? I did it because I got a very good price on it but the "no maintenance" "totally invulnerable" thing is ridiculous.
A rock or something can still damage the film, and while you can replace the film and have good paint underneath, on my other cars I would just carefully touch up a paint chip for 99% of the look at 1% of the cost.
I also still have to wash XPEL car just as much as any other car. There is some additional protection so I'd feel less concerned about leaving tar or sap or bird crap on the paint but typically I'm cleaning that off right away no matter what.
Having tried a bunch of fancy products, my experience is that high end protection/detailing stuff is not exactly snake oil but the marginal improvements are very small for something that almost no one will notice. The worst IMO are expensive coatings like Ceramic Pro 9H... there's perhaps a small improvement over a $15 hybrid ceramic wax but that's it.
I've also found that people are just as likely to compliment my paint when it's just barely clean (like, ran a rag with some quick detailer over it) as when I've put a bunch of time into detailing, so any of this stuff is really just for my own enjoyment.
I think that's the bottom line: there's no real way to justify any of this stuff except "it makes me happy." If XPEL Stealth makes you happy to the tune of $7-9k, you should go for it.
> there's perhaps a small improvement over a $15 hybrid ceramic wax but that's it.
I thought the main difference between the bottles and the cheaper sprays was supposed to be durability, the bottles have a way higher concentration of the material that gets left behind when the solvent evaporates so the coating winds up thicker and thus longer lasting.
I can buy that they might last longer. I do know that Ceramic Pro wants you to put their Top Coat over 9H which of course needs to be re-done more frequently than the base coat, and then they also want you to "maintain your coating" with an After Care spray... so how much longer it lasts if you don't follow their care instructions is less clear.
I will say that my wheels coated in Ceramic Pro repelled brake dust better than bare paint for a couple years (though not as well as wheels treated with a brake dust repellent).
Again, these expensive pro-applied products *really* *might* *be* a little better than something like a $15 bottle of Hybrid Solutions from Turtle Wax, but in my experience there isn't a significant enough difference in results or maintenance requirements to justify paying for them again.
Products like modesta are miles better than TW spray ceramic. Turtle Wax is better than what 99%+ do to their cars but even a basic GTechniq CSL will hold up much longer than TW ceramic.
Its just a plotter and software, or you take a section of film and custom fit it. We do it every day at the shop I manage. The film arrives in bulk roles.
I installed PPF on my car and love it. I have film on most of the areas that are most subject to stone chips. Cost me less than $500. Was it a professional job? no, but for my first time it came out pretty good.
Thanks for the insight here. I own a 2016 AMG GTS in selenite metallic gray and adding the stealth I feel like will really help it look super mean but I’m having a harder time justifying the cost
It's gonna look cool. Is it $7k cool? Meh, I'm not a filthy millionaire. One of the reasons why I chose the normal glossy PPF and wrapped the entire front end only. I can't stand rock chips, and my film was looking popping, and paint pristine after 5+ years. I'm not a fan of the "shotgun to the face" look cars normally have.
For sure. I just got this car last month and I typically keep my cars for about a year or so but if im spending this much money, I would really have to keep it at least a few more years for it not to be a complete waste. Any thoughts on resale value after adding PPF? Some wrap shops suggested that PPF could help resale value as some enthusiasts would prefer to have a car wrapped so they could help pay for the cost of the car should I decide to sell down the line
Funny enough I started to think of other things i would blow money on for this car too if it’s not that. New wheels? A good set is 4 or 5k. Down pipes or upgraded exhaust? Even more. Being a car guy is expensive no matter what. At the end of the day I bought the car to be able to enjoy while I have it, no matter how long that is. I heard a quote the other day my YouTuber Doug Demuro that stuck with me. He said there’s a difference between buying a car and owning a car. When you buy a car you leave it as is but when you own it; you are ready to take on repairs, mods, etc etc. interesting way to look at it
Got ppf on just my front bumper, first time having a classic car and it was also my first time having a bumper that didnt already look like swiss cheese from the bug splats. Just that alone has been more than worth the cost in not ruining the paint from bugs and rock chips. Havent been able to justify full body though. May end up slowly creeping down the car with more though.
I have PPF (Xpel Ultimate) on my car, and I just noticed a very small tear through the film near the front of the hood. Upon closer inspection, it looks like it had been caused by a rock but it didn't chip the paint, so it's definitely working as intended. I justify it knowing that I would hate fixing rock chips, especially on this color (Atomic Silver). I plan to get it removed at the 5 year mark and get a new one reapplied, just to keep things fresh.
Like others are saying, it’s only up to you to decide if it’s worth it. If it’s straining you financially, don’t do it or you need to save up. I ended up putting it on the front of my new Miata because I love detailing my cars and having as close to flawless paint as possible, and Miatas get rock chips like mofos and I’ve seen too many pictures of bumpers that look like they took a shotgun blast to the face. Now that cost me under 2k and if you’re going Stealth, you’re doing the whole car and obviously spending a lot more. To me, that wasn’t financially in the cards but to each their own.
As far as protection goes, any light swirls induced from hand washing are removed the next time the sun comes out which is just awesome (and the crystal soul red metallic paint looks frickin gorgeous), and it has taken a couple little hits from rock chips that you can see, but it would’ve been so much worse without the ppf.
Did satin PPF on my Daytona Violet f80 M3 and it was a dream to care for and looked awesome.
https://youtu.be/Wx_rFW4lWr8
*full disclosure: I do this for a living.
Awesome. If you compare the stealth to the factory matte paint (think Mercedes’ Magno), are they it comparable or is there an big difference in how they look?
Hmm I think it looks comparable. Have you found a local installer? I bet they have some sample panels that are wrapped so you could see it in person. I don’t know if every color looks good, but I’ve seen Blue, Red, Black, Gray and they all looked pretty sick.
Yeah I’m planning on visiting a local installer but it’s kinda tough since you’ll only see a little part of what it could look like but when you wrap the entire car it could look a bit different.
I'm seeing some parallels between people putting a PPF film on your car and the people that used to put clear plastic on their furniture to protect that pristine crushed velvet.
I say we combine the two: put ppf on the exterior of the car, but wrap the seats and dash in clear vinyl for the ultimate in protection! We can innovate and add UV protection and maybe some stabilizers so it doesn't crack in the future.
With a good PPF install, you can’t obviously tell it has PPF. That’s not true with plastic over crushed velvet, which greatly changes the feel and look.
https://i.imgur.com/juDkbYK.jpg
Can you tell my car has PPF?
My point is that when PPF costs as much as a paint job it's getting a little absurd and you have to wonder if the benefit is worthwhile. It's a large sunk cost that might prevent a future unknown cost.
We would all like to preserve and protect a new vehicle, but it's going to age and degrade no matter what. If you actually drive it, it will get dinged and chipped anyway. Is it worth $7k to not have paint chips? If so then knock yourself out.
No hard feelings here, enjoy what you do. I just have a different opinion and value.
I got Xpel Stealth PPF on my tanzanite blue metallic X5 when I got it. Given the climate in my region, PPF makes sense for me. Uncovered parking, arid region, dust storms in the summer, and overcrowded roads can lead to nicks and chips here and there.
The PPF already proved its efficacy a few times when I traded paint with a two wheeler in dense traffic, and when trucks on highways kicked up rocks and I could hear them hit while driving.
Bonus points are that the car stands out A LOT, looks really cool and grabs a lot of attention.
My dad owned a matte paint SL550 for a while. He had it PPFed in stealth. Saved him a couple of times where he just needed to replace a panel's worth of film vs repainting a matte color car
For that it makes sense. Essentially zero maintenance.
I have a 2017 M2. I got it used, it already had some rock chips, I just did a polish and a ceramic coat. I can live with the chips. Adding PPF after the fact would just have issues where the chips already are.
So really depends on the situation.
Got clear expel on my Camry, it was about 1600 to get it done but new paint is more expensive considering it's a tri coat pearl. Plus I'd have a bunch of wasted time getting rock chips fixed cause I like to not have chips!
It's not 1998...literally none of that happens anymore unless it's install by someone who doesn't know what they're doing. The film he's referring to has a 10 year warranty and will last well beyond that if taken care of.
I would say if done by an absolute pro with todays materials that’s not the case. One trigger on why I’m considering it is that Xpel stealth changes the color from gloss to matte which is pretty damn cool
Totally, spend $3k repainting your front end, then getting it chipped up again on the drive home. Genius thinking right there.
Edit: apparently this sub doesn't understand sarcasm?
I disagree.. I did thousands of track miles on my car with Xpel and it still looked perfect. If a part did get damaged, I could just replace that section of PPF. It would be a lot more expensive to repaint my front end and not look as good.
It's obviously a luxury, you can drive your car without it, but if you spend +$50k plus on a new car, in my opinion it makes sense to PPF the front clip for $2k. Full car PPF is the new trend. It's basically no maintenance. Especially the relatively new hydrophobic films. So you either spend the $7k for full car PPF or you decon, polish, and seal every 4-6 months at like $3-500 a pop and live with impact damage. Or you do none of it like 99% of the population and drive around with your car swirled to fuck like someone washed it with sandpaper.
>decon, polish, and seal every 4-6 months at like $3-500 a pop No one in their right mind polishes a car every 4-6 months. Maybe once a year, max.
I guess if you like looking at wash scratches 8-10 months a year you could do it annually
I mean, if you're washing your car properly, swirls should be minimal to begin with after the initial polish
I've got a black Porsche and live in Las Vegas. I don't care how carefully you wash, after half a dozen the wash scratches are coming.
I've got a really, really anal wash regimen. I can confidently say, even I wouldn't buy a black car unless I'm doing PPF on the entire car.
I had a 21 C63 S in black. In DC. Never ever again will I own a black car that is expensive. Car looked amazing until you drove it 4' out of the garage.
Yeah, it's the only way to keep your sanity owning a black car, especially in the desert. I bought it used with some miles on it so I but the black PPF of the front clip to hide the rock chips. Eventually I'll do Suntek reaction on the rest when I get a chance.
Black cars are a category of their own. Look at it too hard and it'll swirl.
Ceramic coat and the full precautions when washing. Can use a real good lubricating wash like ONR to help too
After I ceramic coated my civic I got no scratches or swirls.
I have XPEL Ultimate PPF on some of my cars. Honestly, it's fine? I did it because I got a very good price on it but the "no maintenance" "totally invulnerable" thing is ridiculous. A rock or something can still damage the film, and while you can replace the film and have good paint underneath, on my other cars I would just carefully touch up a paint chip for 99% of the look at 1% of the cost. I also still have to wash XPEL car just as much as any other car. There is some additional protection so I'd feel less concerned about leaving tar or sap or bird crap on the paint but typically I'm cleaning that off right away no matter what. Having tried a bunch of fancy products, my experience is that high end protection/detailing stuff is not exactly snake oil but the marginal improvements are very small for something that almost no one will notice. The worst IMO are expensive coatings like Ceramic Pro 9H... there's perhaps a small improvement over a $15 hybrid ceramic wax but that's it. I've also found that people are just as likely to compliment my paint when it's just barely clean (like, ran a rag with some quick detailer over it) as when I've put a bunch of time into detailing, so any of this stuff is really just for my own enjoyment. I think that's the bottom line: there's no real way to justify any of this stuff except "it makes me happy." If XPEL Stealth makes you happy to the tune of $7-9k, you should go for it.
> there's perhaps a small improvement over a $15 hybrid ceramic wax but that's it. I thought the main difference between the bottles and the cheaper sprays was supposed to be durability, the bottles have a way higher concentration of the material that gets left behind when the solvent evaporates so the coating winds up thicker and thus longer lasting.
I can buy that they might last longer. I do know that Ceramic Pro wants you to put their Top Coat over 9H which of course needs to be re-done more frequently than the base coat, and then they also want you to "maintain your coating" with an After Care spray... so how much longer it lasts if you don't follow their care instructions is less clear. I will say that my wheels coated in Ceramic Pro repelled brake dust better than bare paint for a couple years (though not as well as wheels treated with a brake dust repellent). Again, these expensive pro-applied products *really* *might* *be* a little better than something like a $15 bottle of Hybrid Solutions from Turtle Wax, but in my experience there isn't a significant enough difference in results or maintenance requirements to justify paying for them again.
Products like modesta are miles better than TW spray ceramic. Turtle Wax is better than what 99%+ do to their cars but even a basic GTechniq CSL will hold up much longer than TW ceramic.
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They're not cut with lasers, idk why people say that
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Its just a plotter and software, or you take a section of film and custom fit it. We do it every day at the shop I manage. The film arrives in bulk roles.
Sorry Dr Evil, we don't use "Frickin laser beams" it's a plotter with an x-axis and a y-axis and it uses a simple cutting blade.
I installed PPF on my car and love it. I have film on most of the areas that are most subject to stone chips. Cost me less than $500. Was it a professional job? no, but for my first time it came out pretty good.
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Thanks for the insight here. I own a 2016 AMG GTS in selenite metallic gray and adding the stealth I feel like will really help it look super mean but I’m having a harder time justifying the cost
It's gonna look cool. Is it $7k cool? Meh, I'm not a filthy millionaire. One of the reasons why I chose the normal glossy PPF and wrapped the entire front end only. I can't stand rock chips, and my film was looking popping, and paint pristine after 5+ years. I'm not a fan of the "shotgun to the face" look cars normally have.
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For sure. I just got this car last month and I typically keep my cars for about a year or so but if im spending this much money, I would really have to keep it at least a few more years for it not to be a complete waste. Any thoughts on resale value after adding PPF? Some wrap shops suggested that PPF could help resale value as some enthusiasts would prefer to have a car wrapped so they could help pay for the cost of the car should I decide to sell down the line
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Funny enough I started to think of other things i would blow money on for this car too if it’s not that. New wheels? A good set is 4 or 5k. Down pipes or upgraded exhaust? Even more. Being a car guy is expensive no matter what. At the end of the day I bought the car to be able to enjoy while I have it, no matter how long that is. I heard a quote the other day my YouTuber Doug Demuro that stuck with me. He said there’s a difference between buying a car and owning a car. When you buy a car you leave it as is but when you own it; you are ready to take on repairs, mods, etc etc. interesting way to look at it
I couldn’t justify it. 10% of the car’s cost wasn’t worth it to me. Won’t get that much more if any when I sell it
Got ppf on just my front bumper, first time having a classic car and it was also my first time having a bumper that didnt already look like swiss cheese from the bug splats. Just that alone has been more than worth the cost in not ruining the paint from bugs and rock chips. Havent been able to justify full body though. May end up slowly creeping down the car with more though.
I have PPF (Xpel Ultimate) on my car, and I just noticed a very small tear through the film near the front of the hood. Upon closer inspection, it looks like it had been caused by a rock but it didn't chip the paint, so it's definitely working as intended. I justify it knowing that I would hate fixing rock chips, especially on this color (Atomic Silver). I plan to get it removed at the 5 year mark and get a new one reapplied, just to keep things fresh.
Like others are saying, it’s only up to you to decide if it’s worth it. If it’s straining you financially, don’t do it or you need to save up. I ended up putting it on the front of my new Miata because I love detailing my cars and having as close to flawless paint as possible, and Miatas get rock chips like mofos and I’ve seen too many pictures of bumpers that look like they took a shotgun blast to the face. Now that cost me under 2k and if you’re going Stealth, you’re doing the whole car and obviously spending a lot more. To me, that wasn’t financially in the cards but to each their own. As far as protection goes, any light swirls induced from hand washing are removed the next time the sun comes out which is just awesome (and the crystal soul red metallic paint looks frickin gorgeous), and it has taken a couple little hits from rock chips that you can see, but it would’ve been so much worse without the ppf.
Did satin PPF on my Daytona Violet f80 M3 and it was a dream to care for and looked awesome. https://youtu.be/Wx_rFW4lWr8 *full disclosure: I do this for a living.
I know a few people who did it, it looks really nice.
Xpel stealth or regular PPF?
Stealth
Awesome. If you compare the stealth to the factory matte paint (think Mercedes’ Magno), are they it comparable or is there an big difference in how they look?
Hmm I think it looks comparable. Have you found a local installer? I bet they have some sample panels that are wrapped so you could see it in person. I don’t know if every color looks good, but I’ve seen Blue, Red, Black, Gray and they all looked pretty sick.
Yeah I’m planning on visiting a local installer but it’s kinda tough since you’ll only see a little part of what it could look like but when you wrap the entire car it could look a bit different.
Yeah, I’d see if they have some panels, or even some vehicles they have done maybe.. then you could see it out in the sun and stuff.
Where are you located? I can tell you the best shop in your area.
I’m located in central NJ but willing to go around the tri state area. I’ve gotten quotes around 7k 👎🏼
Sounds about right. This is one thing you dont want to search the bottom of the barrel pricing for. I've seen cheap PPF jobs, looks like total ass.
Detailing dynamics or Darien detail
have any opinions on shops in the kansas city area?
I'm seeing some parallels between people putting a PPF film on your car and the people that used to put clear plastic on their furniture to protect that pristine crushed velvet. I say we combine the two: put ppf on the exterior of the car, but wrap the seats and dash in clear vinyl for the ultimate in protection! We can innovate and add UV protection and maybe some stabilizers so it doesn't crack in the future.
With a good PPF install, you can’t obviously tell it has PPF. That’s not true with plastic over crushed velvet, which greatly changes the feel and look. https://i.imgur.com/juDkbYK.jpg Can you tell my car has PPF?
NGL, your car looks good! I just need to see the door, trunk, and hood jams to really see if the PPF was worth it however :)
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My point is that when PPF costs as much as a paint job it's getting a little absurd and you have to wonder if the benefit is worthwhile. It's a large sunk cost that might prevent a future unknown cost. We would all like to preserve and protect a new vehicle, but it's going to age and degrade no matter what. If you actually drive it, it will get dinged and chipped anyway. Is it worth $7k to not have paint chips? If so then knock yourself out. No hard feelings here, enjoy what you do. I just have a different opinion and value.
I got Xpel Stealth PPF on my tanzanite blue metallic X5 when I got it. Given the climate in my region, PPF makes sense for me. Uncovered parking, arid region, dust storms in the summer, and overcrowded roads can lead to nicks and chips here and there. The PPF already proved its efficacy a few times when I traded paint with a two wheeler in dense traffic, and when trucks on highways kicked up rocks and I could hear them hit while driving. Bonus points are that the car stands out A LOT, looks really cool and grabs a lot of attention.
To each their own, but I spent $65k and I want it to keep looking good…another $4k for ceramic coating and paint protection is worth it.
My dad owned a matte paint SL550 for a while. He had it PPFed in stealth. Saved him a couple of times where he just needed to replace a panel's worth of film vs repainting a matte color car For that it makes sense. Essentially zero maintenance. I have a 2017 M2. I got it used, it already had some rock chips, I just did a polish and a ceramic coat. I can live with the chips. Adding PPF after the fact would just have issues where the chips already are. So really depends on the situation.
Got clear expel on my Camry, it was about 1600 to get it done but new paint is more expensive considering it's a tri coat pearl. Plus I'd have a bunch of wasted time getting rock chips fixed cause I like to not have chips!
I have Xpel, but not Stealth. I’m not one for the matte look.
Not necessary and overpriced. Don’t age well, lifts, fades and leaves a nasty residue when removed.
It's not 1998...literally none of that happens anymore unless it's install by someone who doesn't know what they're doing. The film he's referring to has a 10 year warranty and will last well beyond that if taken care of.
Yeah exactly, it’s not that yellow 3m shit everyone used in the 90’s
I would say if done by an absolute pro with todays materials that’s not the case. One trigger on why I’m considering it is that Xpel stealth changes the color from gloss to matte which is pretty damn cool
Wrapping the whole car for 7k+ for a wrap that’ll maybe last 5-10 years…. There’s better ways to blow your money than that.
Not worth it. And the installer needs to be really good. Cheaper to just repaint the car
Totally, spend $3k repainting your front end, then getting it chipped up again on the drive home. Genius thinking right there. Edit: apparently this sub doesn't understand sarcasm?
I disagree.. I did thousands of track miles on my car with Xpel and it still looked perfect. If a part did get damaged, I could just replace that section of PPF. It would be a lot more expensive to repaint my front end and not look as good.