Consensus on PPF and Ceramic

[Ablaze]

My friend has a corvette he ceramic for big money, and I spent my money towards PPF xpel ultimate. We actually took before photos and taking after photos next year after 1 year of abuse on highway and everyday driving to see how they compare.

he was against PPF, saying it’snot asreliable, and I have never used ceramic so will be a great comparison.

Definitely interested to see your results.

Sponsored

 

[kilobravo]

You really can't compare film and ceramic fairly because they are two different products. For sure film is goiing to save the paint while ceramic will do nothing for impacts.

 

[S550VertCS]

What is the consensus on PPF and/or ceramic. Ill be honest, new to this and trying to make an informed decision.

Full PPF is quite expensive.
Are people doing partial PPF and then ceramic the rest?

Just curious how everyone is managing their ride.

Can only tell you what I got. Not whats best. I have a black GT Vert that is my daily and no garage in a 4 season state. So I got the hood, front fenders, front bumper and door handle wells wrapped for 1900, and then got the whole car graphene coated for $900. PPF can be coated.

 

[S550VertCS]

I did PPF on the front (bumper, hood, fenders, headlights, fog lights, mirrors) and ceramic on the whole car/wheels and am happy with the results. My detailer wrapped the edges of the PPF where he could, and trimmed a few edges that picked up some dirt after the initial install.

This is the first time I’ve had ceramic coating on my car and I’m amazed how much easier it is to wash and dry the car now, even compared to a wax or paint sealant. I’d recommend the ceramic for sure and the PPF if you plan to keep the car long term. If you get rid of the car within 3 years or so then PPF probably isn’t worth it.

Love love love drying my cars with my leaf blower now that they are coated. Water just flies right off. Touch less drying.

 

[Rev Happy]

Anyone done full Xpel on black 2020 GT 500?

I couldn't imagine trying to maintain a black car without PPF on there. On black paint you see everything, especially light scratches. If your car already has those, PPF will pretty much hide it, and protect from future scratches. I did mine pretty much in the first month of ownership and I didn't even wash the car until after it had PPF on it. I let the shop do the first wash before they did everything. I went with full Xpel Ultimate and Xpel Fusion which is their ceramic coating. I've heard people say some films have better clarity because Xpel is one of the thicker films, but I honestly couldn't tell a difference between Xpel and STEK. I also use a product called P&S Bead Maker as a drying aid and the car is pretty easy to maintain and looks trouble free. I'd say the wheels are harder to keep clean with all the brake dust. If I never drove the car, or I only planned to keep it for a few years, I probably wouldn't have gone this route.

 

[RDM0912]

I appreciate the info!

I own 4 Fords that are lifetime purchases (SHO ‘13, Raptor ‘19, 350 ‘17, 500 ‘20). My wife leases new Fords and Lincoln’s every year.

I find Fords paint qualify to be excellent.

We drive our Fords a lot!

I hand wash and spray wax our vehicles frequently yearround in MI (the mustangs rest in the garage late fall to early spring)

I except the fact that small scratches and chips will happen just as humans develop scars over a lifetime.

Touch up paint as needed, continued frequent wash/spray wax is the course I’m continuing on.

side note: the above method of car care has been used on my father in-laws 2011 Black GT 500 and it still looks amazing!

 

[Colleton]

In my experience, a good ceramic coating will help prevent scratches and swirls in the paint but will do nothing for rock impacts. you're still going to get chips.

I had Ceramic Pro on my GT350 and liked it quite a bit.

 

[S550VertCS]

In my experience, a good ceramic coating will help prevent scratches and swirls in the paint but will do nothing for rock impacts. you're still going to get chips.

I had Ceramic Pro on my GT350 and liked it quite a bit.

Ceramic coatings dont advertise to protect against nicks and rocks. Thats PPF wrap. Ceramic and graphene coatings are for making water and dirt harder to stick to your car and making it more water spot resistant and easier to wash. Anyone that gets a ceramic coating to protect against chips didnt read the information right.

 

[Tomster]

Reference the Trakk Tape being removed after a track weekend...... This is what your paint and stripes will look like with no protection.

 

[09cs]

Reference the Trakk Tape being removed after a track weekend...... This is what your paint and stripes will look like with no protection.

Do you use the track tape on top of ppf too?

 

[kilobravo]

I think it's a certainty Tom will. At those speeds, Xpel would take a beating just like track film.

 

[09cs]

I think it's a certainty Tom will. At those speeds, Xpel would take a beating just like track film.

I’ve only had one track day, and had some get through the xpel on the quarters. Was actually surprised. Wasn’t expecting that

 

[kilobravo]

Unfortunately, as good as Xpel and others are, they're not Star Wars force fields. :-)

 

[Tomster]

Do you use the track tape on top of ppf too?

Yes. It goes on easy and comes off without too much effort.

 

[Tomster]

Unfortunately, as good as Xpel and others are, they're not Star Wars force fields. :-)

They are pretty damn close. Xpel has saved my bacon many times over.

Sponsored