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Why PPF is a good idea

Burnsey

Chief Engineer
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Location
UK
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2023 G80 M3 Competition X-Drive
My car is my pride and joy.

It was corrected and ceramic coated from new and is 'tended to' professionally ever three weeks without fail. It looks amazing to be fair.

I had the car booked in for a front end PPF and the guy was just a weirdo. Of course it was because of lockdown, blah, blah, blah, but at the end of the day it was just poor service, so it never got done.

Heard a bang on the motorway today and when I stopped, found this series of marks on the bonnet.

Yes, it bothers me, so will probably try a touch up of sorts and then depending on how it looks, will repaint. Not just because of this, as the front bumper although not hammered is showing signs of road rash. The paint will probably cost a similar amount to a front end PPF anyway. Then ironically, I would probably add PPF.

Anyway, just rambling, but if you are a little OCD or just prefer your paintwork to look the part, PPF is a must in my opinion.

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boba fett

Racing Driver
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Kent
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320d
That's a shame that's happened, I am sure a quality colour specific touch up pen and more importantly using the smallest artist brush would make a good job of making that better. I also think whatever did that, might have gone through the PPF as well !

I have done a lot of research and spoke to many people about PPF, and you get mixed reviews. A number of people that have had it removed have found its taken lacquer / paint from the car with it, which has resulted in the car needing to be painted anyway. That for me is a worry as it defeats the object !

I have also had PPF on my bikes (that is where it first originated from, was first called Helicopter tape) and it has also removed paint and laquer from them, and that's being very careful removing with heat.

The body shops I have used, say don't use it, because when they have cars come in that has it on, it is always 50/50 whether its going to come off without issue.

Its horses for courses, and depends what you use your car for and how many miles you do, as I think a good front end repaint, every 2 years or so can work as well.
 

Burnsey

Chief Engineer
Posts
601
Likes
337
Location
UK
Drives
2023 G80 M3 Competition X-Drive
That's a shame that's happened, I am sure a quality colour specific touch up pen and more importantly using the smallest artist brush would make a good job of making that better. I also think whatever did that, might have gone through the PPF as well !

I have done a lot of research and spoke to many people about PPF, and you get mixed reviews. A number of people that have had it removed have found its taken lacquer / paint from the car with it, which has resulted in the car needing to be painted anyway. That for me is a worry as it defeats the object !

I have also had PPF on my bikes (that is where it first originated from, was first called Helicopter tape) and it has also removed paint and laquer from them, and that's being very careful removing with heat.

The body shops I have used, say don't use it, because when they have cars come in that has it on, it is always 50/50 whether its going to come off without issue.

Its horses for courses, and depends what you use your car for and how many miles you do, as I think a good front end repaint, every 2 years or so can work as well.
Agree with that too Boba, especially on older cars, but done right I think it's a fair thing to consider. The market is full of PF installers who can't install PPF - which is why there are horror stories.

No need to do the whole car in my opinion, but the front end does get hammered. I also agree that could have gone through the PPF though.

That said, a respray every few years can also do the job, again, if done well.
 

Techno

Boy Racer
Posts
52
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39
Drives
BMW 435D
I paid 2.5k to PPF everything bar the A & C pillars, roof and boot lid. 10 year warranty on the work / product , it has largely made my machine polisher redundant. Swirls, from even the most careful two bucket wash, disappear in the heat of the Sun as do any marks made by bird lime due to the self healing properties.
I typically keep my cars seven years, so it's worth it to me.
 

boba fett

Racing Driver
Posts
3,796
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Location
Kent
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320d
I paid 2.5k to PPF everything bar the A & C pillars, roof and boot lid. 10 year warranty on the work / product , it has largely made my machine polisher redundant. Swirls, from even the most careful two bucket wash, disappear in the heat of the Sun as do any marks made by bird lime due to the self healing properties.
I typically keep my cars seven years, so it's worth it to me.

Hi Techno, have you had any stone chips go through the PPF or has it held up well ?

I am still thinking of having this done !!
 

Senna11

Racing Driver
Posts
1,088
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324
Had the bonnet, sills, A pillars, front and rear bumpers and leading edge on roof done on my car. Few issues with bubbles and a peeling edge but took it back and the replaced some of the PPF. This is the first car I have had done as I just got fed up of the road rash. So far so good. If you are going to keep your cars some time then it is worth it.
 

moonstone

Tyre Kicker
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Lanarkshire
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Audi R8 V10+ • Taycan GTS
Had the bonnet, sills, A pillars, front and rear bumpers and leading edge on roof done on my car. Few issues with bubbles and a peeling edge but took it back and the replaced some of the PPF. This is the first car I have had done as I just got fed up of the road rash. So far so good. If you are going to keep your cars some time then it is worth it.

Whats sort of cost are we talking for this? My car is covered in swirls again (I probably wash it too much) and I'm thinking of getting it PPFd after I get it corrected.
 

boba fett

Racing Driver
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Kent
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Whats sort of cost are we talking for this? My car is covered in swirls again (I probably wash it too much) and I'm thinking of getting it PPFd after I get it corrected.

I have been doing some digging, as a rule, I found it to be around...

Xpel Ultimate plus
Front bumper £400 - £450ish
Full front bumper,Bonnet, wings and mirrors £1500-£1750 ish
Full car £3500 to £5000

All + the dreaded !
 
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Senna11

Racing Driver
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1,088
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324
I didn’t pay the above but I would suggest phoning to obtain deals. I would say approx for detail polish and ceramic coat £500. I would budget £1,500 -£2k for bonnet, front and rear bumper, sills, A pillars. I also had headlights and leading edge of roof done. Add more for custom pieces such as wheel arches or underneath sills.
Just ensure you use someone whose work is highly recommended.
 

Senna11

Racing Driver
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1,088
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324
I would give Drew a call at Depth of Shine. He has a very good reputation and may be able to point you in the right direction. Have a look at his website. Think I will be going there for my next car.
 

boba fett

Racing Driver
Posts
3,796
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2,116
Location
Kent
Drives
320d
I would give Drew a call at Depth of Shine. He has a very good reputation and may be able to point you in the right direction. Have a look at his website. Think I will be going there for my next car.
Ill take a look. Thanks.

I've heard "Wombat" are really good and they are not that far away from me.
 

Techno

Boy Racer
Posts
52
Likes
39
Drives
BMW 435D
Hi Techno, have you had any stone chips go through the PPF or has it held up well ?

I am still thinking of having this done !!
None at all, every part looks as good as the day it was applied. Even had the gloss black splitter done and it looks mint, not a swirl mark to be seen, let alone a stone chip.
To give you another idea, I had a proper dent (with a crease at its centre) in the lower part of a door which the dent guy tapped out to his (and my) satisfaction. The PPF was marked on the surface by the work (if you looked closely) but the self healing properties took care of that over a week or so. Basically undetectable now, unless you lay on the ground and know where to look, even then I'm not sure you'd know what it was you were looking at.
 
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