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Protective Film or No Protective Film

Do you have protective film?


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Houston Kid

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I understand some people want to protect their cars as much as possible while driving them as much as possible and tracking them often. What are your thoughts on protective film?
I am of the mind set screw it, it's a $78,000 car (not inexpensive, for me anyway) but I am going to drive it off the lot and drive it with zero protection. I am willing to accept the fact that it's going to get chips and nicks. I plan on tracking the car 2-3 times a year if I am lucky. Reality says I will be lucky to go once a year.
I don't mind if the car shows some wear from usage. After all, it ain't a show car. I know trying to keep it pristine will only end in disappointment. Not that I will go out of my way to get the first blemish, but having the mind set it is going to happen eventually, maybe makes it easier to accept when it does?

Just my take on protective film.
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FreePenguin

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im not a GT500, but I put PPF on all my cars. my oldest car ive had since day 1 is 8 years 170k miles abused miles, like seriously bad roads, winter Alaska they use rocks and gravel, tailgating you name it its done it.

It looks better than the mustangs I see with 5k miles unprotected. After that, I put them on all my cars, mustang I spent 2k, wrapped it all up, it has 27k miles now and zero nicks and chips. Oddly, I had a rock fly straight up off a semi and pelt middle of my roof, but I used touch up pen, no one will ever know.

On my mustang, I chose Xpel ultimate, 10 year warranty against defects etc. I got it full bumper, full fenders ,full hood, door edge, mirror, A pillar, and roof line, (you can do full roof) but I cant afford the couple hundred extra. Impact protection before and after the rear quarter panels, also loading area strip. I also put PPF on my rear deck lid, the gloss black part. Since its self healing, theres no scratches.

27k miles on my car. nothing.

Theres like one or two pelts on the other car, and thats because it hit like boulder sized rocks flying up. it pelted through the film and dented paint a little. but didnt chip off or anything, simply dented it a little I guess. but it would of happened way worst without the protection film. its a tension area, protecting the areas around it, not just the impact. - surface tension I think its referred as.


edit. Since you are big $$$, I would only let a truly professional/super highly reputable and licensed PPF professional touch it. like, the best of the best shop in your area. I havnt had a bad install but ive read online of people who have. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

75A289C0-97C7-4197-AB96-3D8B7C7D6E18.jpeg
 
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AngelDeath

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I was thinking of PPF and ceramic coating on top of it, and I did A LOT of research, and two things turned me off to it:

1) the edges will collect dirt,
2) it will yellow and need to be replaced
3) will have to re-apply ceramic coating when its replaced (whatever section)
3) a full car covered is almost $9K.

I will have it at the shop to ceramic coat it by the end of the month but I will forgo the PPF, it will never be driven in the winter or rain, and more than likely not tracked, so I will consider myself fairly safe. But everyone will have valid reasons for their opinions.
 

FreePenguin

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Oh, I had all my edges tucked around the edges.

ie fenders, hood, etc. allwrap around the edges. Can’t do that everywhere but that made the front my car seamless.
Can’t do that for entire front bumper but the top portion of it is tucked around the top.

only PPF people with plotters can enlarge the design to compensate for it. No dirt collects around those edges.

On my other areas of car there is those edge lines but they blend into body panels. X pels cut outs follow car lines.
But in all seriousness, a micro cloth,
Removed it all in a single wipe off the edge


—- edit

don’t fall for yellowing on current PPF line, my other car is 8 years old and the PPF is not yellow. The newer stuff is way better! Xpel warranty is 10 years and covers yellowing too (I believe) look into it. Mine was a 5 year warranty film and I’m on year 8 and looks same as day one.

im simply leaving it on the car forever though. No reason to ever remove it unless wrecked or need painted.

the newer stuff is even better than 8 years ago, and the stuff from 20 years ago was the yellowing stuff.

it’s come a long way
 

Jimmy5.0

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PPF is well worth the investment, I went with Xpel ultimate and you can hardly tell it’s on the car. It comes down to finding a good installer, as long as you regularly wash and wax your vehicle it shouldn’t yellow. Also the Xpel ultimate comes with a 10 year warranty for piece of mind.
 

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Tomster

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9k? Your shop is ripping you off.

I use it. Ford paint is too thin and damages too easily.
 

XeninWorX

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9k? Your shop is ripping you off.

I use it. Ford paint is too thin and damages too easily.
that’s pretty high. My guy would charge 6-7k and I’m in Canada so that’s Canadian dollars.
 

FreePenguin

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I paid 2k, I didn’t get 100% coverage but I am darn close. I bet 2k more would of easily done the rest
 

kilobravo

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This is one of those cases where we'd have to see the final product before assessing the possible cost. The shop could have spent double the normal amount of time correcting the paint and then double the time again for a meticulous film job. I could see an outfit charging that much for that level of attention to detail.

But generally speaking, depending directly on the size of the vehicle, a film job should be in the $4-6k range. Trucks and large sedans, a bit more. Ceramic on top, another k.
 

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308 Cal. Bullitt

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Dont own a gt500. Bought '19 Bullitt in May of '20 .. @ ~21% back of msrp. Did PPF on Entire front/A posts/mirrors/rocker bottoms/rear whl openings/& Cer. everywhere else. Only 6 months but more that satisfied on a car tgat cost less than half a gt500 before dealership markups.

Looked at gt500s recently in our area as they trickled in. 20k-25k over msrp.
Found 1 dealership @ $10k above MSRP. Not optioned to my liking.

Im not sure judging the msrp of a car to determine paint protection worthiness is the best point of view. Perhaps looking at your own circumstances of use, your wallet in both directions (ur rich or poor..) can still justify PPF & Cer. Coating.

Im just to cheap to pay $95k,
for a BASE car thats $75/82k MSRP.

I Love both my "Loaded 'Litt" & love what the base gt500 offers you for under $80k sticker.
I think its a fantastic value at FoMoCo pricing.
So now that the fanboy chit is out of the way.
Paint protection threads are clearly a matter of opinion. So its your own opinion that needs consideration.
My ppf guy does a ton of shelbys & Ford Gts from major cities within 4 hrs. Our Bullitt got more attention in his shop ( he said) than cars 2x-5x more.
Prolly cuz there just aren't that many Litt's in our area. Way more gt350s here in town than DHG cars.

I planned to keep it upon purchase...even at 21% back of sticker .. till I saw thise gt500s on showrooms in the area. I say showrooms vs sold cuz those deskers are in truck country and being greedy cuz big city dealerships can get the $25k upcharge.

So we protected our car and so far really happy w/its easy of keeping clean.

Id likely bought a new gt500 & traded a 4 month old bullitt loosing the nearly $4k in psint protection as dealers dont give you that cuz of Manheim & Blackbook not giving you anything for it. Yes, the next owner will appreciate it I can Assure you. & any good salesman will squeeze u for the top end of value. So really only the used lot financially benefits from a car with it thats been traded in.

I dont see judging a cars worthiness of protection based on its msrp.

Id want protection on any of my pleasure vehicles. My vehicles that are just a 'tool,' to us regardless of cost doesn't warrant paint protection in our eyes.

We only have about 8 titled and insured veh at this time. & my shop is now @ my 10 acres where my hm is. So i drive to wrk in any if the 8 vehicles daily.

If the overzealous glamour among dealerships wears off ( on 500s) as it has so far on every other new car of every brand.

We may sell a car or 2 of our lil hoard & buy the gt500. Its outstanding from everything I can see. I personally think our Bullitt is outstanding as a driver as well.

We cannot drive any of these cars to potential on local-county-state-federal hwys without going to jail or hurting something or someone.

So is 760hp vs 480hp stk really that big a deal when ur old enuff you obey the laws 80% of the time?

I dont see the base 500 as a track car as some dealerships seem to think they are.

A F250 loaded is close to $90k w/Tremor pkg & its a total daily. Yet these dealerships put Recaro's in a base car and fail to order electronic pkg. & they put the $1k carbon interior pkg in them thats again nonsense on base car u would daily drive.
Wellwe would daily drive a 70/80k car in decent weather and not when riads are being repaved in area.

So is ppf & ceramic coating worth it?
Is 20-25k pver sticker worth it?
I think the ridiculousness between the 2 is not easy to see.

If u can afford it. Get good ppf on your car you love & drive for enjoyment.

Ur F350 for wrk. That cost more msrp than your gt500. No.. leave the protection off that 1.
Why so many do not see it as we do makes little sense to us. But thats why we all see things differently.

If i buy a base 500 to daily on nicer days. Im gonna protect it. My Dodge dually will never get it.
Its opinion. People can argue why they do what the do on any topic.

Just do what YOU WANT. NOT WHAT OTHERS SAY U WANT....ohh. & protect it.
Its just shiny'r !@!

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Caballus

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Worth it for the peace of mind, not just for tracking, but for every day. Did it twice (two different cars) to the entire car. Found I am much more comfortable with the car after it is covered. As for appearance, both cars were black. Washing is much easier and almost completely eliminates water spotting, which is normally such a problem with black cars.
 

308 Cal. Bullitt

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After re-reading OPs 'cherry-picked' statement of;

""I don't mind if the car shows some wear from usage. After all, it ain't a show car. I know trying to keep it pristine will only end in disappointment.""

I can only add this about our own experiences. If we try to kerp are car nice it..
it still gets a little damage at BESTover time.

When we do NOT TRY at all to deter damages & do not show it respect in terms of protecting it by the chemicals we use on it and the wash methods we employ on it...

It turns to chit pretty qwik after a few yrs.

My car isnt a show car either. In 35 yrs of being in the performance car manufacturing business.. We've never entered ANYTHING WE OWN IN A CAR SHOW.
can count on 1 hand all the 'real' car shows we been too
We build cars to race. Not show. Those cars are"Tools". JUST LIKE A RACHET OR A TIE DOWN STRAP.

We use race cars as a tool on a track. Not as show cars.
Again. Its your car. Chip it up. U paid for it.
We paid for ours too. & want minimal chips.

Again. This is just an argument topic.

No real help to the guy who truely wants guidance other than reading opposed views 1 after another.

I do hate bug guts on my 'Litt grill. I loved living in AZ cuz bugs were much less a problem than the midwest. Rocks in AZ on windshields was a beotch thou.

Can film really hurt anything if applied right?
It comes off & doesn't damage paint. So other than cost is there really a downside for 'average fun car to drive' owners?

Im sure there is. & im sure i will hear what they are.. so lets get busy with why its bad..
 

Ablaze

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I put PPF (Xpel) and ceramic coating on my 2014 Shelby. Five years later and 20k miles it still looked like it did on day 1. I took the car everywhere, it was not a cars and coffee only ride. I experienced no yellowing, washing was quick and easy, nothing stuck to the car, and everyone commented on how rich the paint looked and great it felt. I did return the car to the detail shop annually, before winter, for a touchup and did have one of the rocker panels peel up (where dirt had built up). I was charged a small fee for the whole checkup but any film that needed to be replaced or coating reapplied didn't increase the fee.

I traded it for my 2020 and I plan on going the exact same route. I will be going with a different shop and SunTek instead of Xpel. I have nothing bad to say about Xpel quality, I saw plenty of nicks on the film that didn't make it into the paint. It's more about the install. The shop that did my Xpel didn't wrap the edges and years ago I didn't know enough about it that it would be an issue. The shop I'm going to now custom cuts all their film. They've shown me a few cars (including a beautiful C7 ZR1) where they wrapped the edges so seamless you would have thought it came that way from the factory.

I charged more when I sold my 14 because of the PPF and the new owner agreed to pay for the increased value. Sometime in the future I will repaint the bumper on my Boss and get that wrapped as well.

So yeah, to me, it's more than worth it if you're going to keep the car a hot minute and for the resale value retention if that matters to you (it didn't to me but it was nice to have, I don't keep cars for their monetary value).
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