[MissVito]

Hi, we just brought home our new X5 M50i and considering PPF. The color is Tanzanite Blue. Has anyone just had a partial job done? If I just have the full front done (full hood, front, fenders, mirrors) am I going to notice a difference in color and/or shine between the front and the sides that aren't covered? I'm pretty OCD with things like that. I'll also get the ceramic coating. I'm mainly interested in protecting the paint from chips as well as the annoying love bug pestilence we get here in FL. Thanks!

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by MissVito

Hi, we just brought home our new X5 M50i and considering PPF. The color is Tanzanite Blue. Has anyone just had a partial job done? If I just have the full front done (full hood, front, fenders, mirrors) am I going to notice a difference in color and/or shine between the front and the sides that aren't covered? I'm pretty OCD with things like that. I'll also get the ceramic coating. I'm mainly interested in protecting the paint from chips as well as the annoying love bug pestilence we get here in FL. Thanks!

Tanzanite is a pretty tough color to maintain IMO - when freshly detailed it's awesomely magic in light, but it gets dirty fast and when even a little dirty the magic disappears fast. IMO whatever you do, it has to be done to the whole car.

If you did full PPF and full ceramic on top that would optimize tanzanite's magic and put it on display just about always ... anything less and you'll lose some or all of the magic. If you just did part PPF I'd say even a casual observer would for sure notice, as the PPF part would stay a bit nicer and non-PPF would be duller.

Clean it does this weird stuff in different lighting where even sometimes it looks turquoise or purple, other times black, other times dark blue:







Tanz is a stunning color, but only when it's clean

[AlexM]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

If you did full PPF and full ceramic on top that would optimize tanzanite's magic and put it on display just about always ... anything less and you'll lose some or all of the magic.

Do you think ceramic would be still good enough? I'm getting my X6 Tanz soon and i already arranged for ceramic coating. Didn't find many shops doing PPF in my country. Few that are, are super expensive and non-verifiable

[Frankj9000]

Just me 2 cents, for what its worth. Have an X5 in Sapphire Black Metallic. Had complete OptiCoat Pro Ceramic Coating done. Looks awesome almost always. They were doing a partial PPF over complete ceramic black X5 while I was there, and it was IMMEDIATELY obvious where the PPF was and was not. I know its not blue but, FYI. Hope it helps.

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by AlexM

Do you think ceramic would be still good enough? I'm getting my X6 Tanz soon and i already arranged for ceramic coating. Didn't find many shops doing PPF in my country. Few that are, are super expensive and non-verifiable

Definitely, full ceramic will be stunning! Makes it WAAAAayyyy easier to wash / detail, just gotta "refresh" it once a year or it loses some of its ability to stream water (depending on your conditions of course).

But yeah, full ceramic, spray it off once a week and it'll really pop!

Originally Posted by Frankj9000

it was IMMEDIATELY obvious where the PPF was and was not.

Same experience - any dark color reveals the PPF, you can get away with it on white or silver, but anything dark and it's completely obvious

[zhangyi17]

I have carbon black. My car is in a shop to get PPF and ceramic coating done this week. Should be back by next Wednesday. I will post some picture when I get it back.

Also, I went pretty much full body PPF including full frontal, all quarter panels, all doors, tail gate and real bumper.

[MissVito]

Originally Posted by Frankj9000

Just me 2 cents, for what its worth. Have an X5 in Sapphire Black Metallic. Had complete OptiCoat Pro Ceramic Coating done. Looks awesome almost always. They were doing a partial PPF over complete ceramic black X5 while I was there, and it was IMMEDIATELY obvious where the PPF was and was not. I know its not blue but, FYI. Hope it helps.

this is making me nervous now! The shop owner says it won't be noticeable. We'll see. I'm getting PPF for the full front, A pillars and front of moonroof, rocker panels and I think behind wheel wells + ceramic coating. They'll have my baby 4-5 days I may chicken-out on the PPF. Maybe I can see one in person... I really don't want to spend 10K on all this stuff...

[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by MissVito

this is making me nervous now! The shop owner says it won't be noticeable. We'll see. I'm getting PPF for the full front, A pillars and front of moonroof, rocker panels and I think behind wheel wells + ceramic coating. They'll have my baby 4-5 days I may chicken-out on the PPF. Maybe I can see one in person... I really don't want to spend 10K on all this stuff...

Purely my preference in your case, assuming you don't do a lot of dirt road driving, I'd do full ceramic and skip the PPF - and this because I used to be a detail nut (RO polisher, menzerna, glaze, etc) and I'd do weekly 2 bucket washes and quarterly clay, polish, wax), but now I don't have the time or space to do all that.

The PPF is nice because it skips having to see all the pits and scratches when you're close up claying and detailing, and saves the occasional highway scars. The ceramic is nice because it makes spray off washing possible, bugs easier to remove, etc.

So if you're looking to have a fairly easy to maintain car that usually looks pretty great, then ceramic will give you that - you just need to be prepared for a trip to the detailer if you get any damage that requires paintwork and it does need to be refreshed once a year depending.

Anyway, that's why I'd go ceramic: bang for the buck and lower hassle without the risk of mismatched panels.

Here's my tanz from today, 3 years old, 15k miles - some european, no PPF or ceramic. Close up it has some swirls, pits, and spider webbing, but overall still not bad if I wanted to go PPF or ceramic I still easily could, so you can always wait.

[MissVito]

Originally Posted by GrussGott

Purely my preference in your case, assuming you don't do a lot of dirt road driving, I'd do full ceramic and skip the PPF - and this because I used to be a detail nut (RO polisher, menzerna, glaze, etc) and I'd do weekly 2 bucket washes and quarterly clay, polish, wax), but now I don't have the time or space to do all that.

The PPF is nice because it skips having to see all the pits and scratches when you're close up claying and detailing, and saves the occasional highway scars. The ceramic is nice because it makes spray off washing possible, bugs easier to remove, etc.

So if you're looking to have a fairly easy to maintain car that usually looks pretty great, then ceramic will give you that - you just need to be prepared for a trip to the detailer if you get any damage that requires paintwork and it does need to be refreshed once a year depending.

Anyway, that's why I'd go ceramic: bang for the buck and lower hassle without the risk of mismatched panels.

Here's my tanz from today, 3 years old, 15k miles - some european, no PPF or ceramic. Close up it has some swirls, pits, and spider webbing, but overall still not bad if I wanted to go PPF or ceramic I still easily could, so you can always wait.

Oooooooh nice car!!! Looks fantastic!

[Mo2002]

You shouldn't notice a difference if you just get the front PPF. I had PPF just on my front bumper on my M3 and I didn't notice anything. Only thing I would recommend is not doing a partial PPF such as partial hood or partial fender.
You're going to love driving on FL roads with PPF and not having to be worried about what it's doing to your front end.
Coating is a major plus: so much easier to clean bugs (esp during love bug season), faster to wash your car and not having to worry about waxing or polishing.

[MissVito]

Originally Posted by Mo2002

You shouldn't notice a difference if you just get the front PPF. I had PPF just on my front bumper on my M3 and I didn't notice anything. Only thing I would recommend is not doing a partial PPF such as partial hood or partial fender.
You're going to love driving on FL roads with PPF and not having to be worried about what it's doing to your front end.
Coating is a major plus: so much easier to clean bugs (esp during love bug season), faster to wash your car and not having to worry about waxing or polishing.

Thanks so much Mo2002! I feel a lot better about it. I avoid driving due to the love bugs. I'm glad they'll be easier to take off after it's done.

[zhangyi17]

Originally Posted by MissVito

Thanks so much Mo2002! I feel a lot better about it. I avoid driving due to the love bugs. I'm glad they'll be easier to take off after it's done.

@MissVito , check out this YouTube video:

This is my installer doing PPF on my car. You may find it a little disturbing because they did take off the door handle and rear lights. But the end result is excellent and they put everything back properly. Hope your installer also do a good job

I have posted few other pictures in the other thread https://www.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...php?p=26525828

[MissVito]

Originally Posted by zhangyi17

@MissVito , check out this YouTube video:

This is my installer doing PPF on my car. You may find it a little disturbing because they did take off the door handle and rear lights. But the end result is excellent and they put everything back properly. Hope your installer also do a good job

I have posted few other pictures in the other thread https://www.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...php?p=26525828

zhangyi17 Yasss! It looks awesome! I love the color combination. Yours got more PPF done than mine, so I guess it comes out better if certain parts are removed. I've avoided driving it. We've got Love bug season here in FL, nasty things destroy paint quickly. I can't wait to get mine done. I drop it off on Monday.