[mlj1975lsu]

waiting on car order to arrive. mulling over the roughly $2,500-$3,000 for 'paint correction, wrap on front half, and ceramic coat.

anyone's opinion if this is worthwhile? fwiw ill be driving this car a good bit on both highway and city

[Infamy]

Definitely worth it. [IMG][/IMG][IMG][/IMG]

[CCM11285]

It's worth it as long as you plan to maintain it properly

[mlj1975lsu]

what i've become accustomed to with my current car is washing 2-3 times a month with 2 bucket grit guard system. that's quite an undertaking where i live - where it gets to be just stupid hot this time of year. hopefully it will not require more than that? maybe occasional clay bar?

[CCM11285]

Originally Posted by mlj1975lsu

what i've become accustomed to with my current car is washing 2-3 times a month with 2 bucket grit guard system. that's quite an undertaking where i live - where it gets to be just stupid hot this time of year. hopefully it will not require more than that? maybe occasional clay bar?

That'll do it, plus get a topper to maintain the coating. I live in a similar climate as well, I try to start washing before the sun comes up.

[jgibson146@aol.com]

What is the best PPF film to get or a good priced good PPF? Thanks

[jg4c]

Originally Posted by jgibson146@aol.com

What is the best PPF film to get or a good priced good PPF? Thanks

I personally like and have installed on my 22 M340i XPEL Plus.
It will self heal from minor scratches.
Pricing varies depending on how much you
do on the car and where you live.
Most of the dough goes to the installer.
Find someone qualified and has done many
installs. Don’t let an amateur do it.

[mlj1975lsu]

i see you are in NOLA. im right down the street in BR. i have a ceramic coat on my current car and pretty much sold on that. it's the wrap i know very little about. the fact that people put wraps on exotic cars pretty much assures me it is legit, but what i know little about is how they age after 5 years post-installation? does it need to come off? if so is that a big expense? over time does the front (where i intend to wrap) look different than the back? (assuming no swirls, rock hits, etc in back).

sorry one more question, what is an example of a 'topper'?

thanks for your input.

[jg4c]

A topper is another product that goes over the ceramic coated paint and ceramic coated PPF. Many companies make them.
Often referred to as a booster. Helps boost the ceramic coating, maintaining its properties longer.
You can also use detail spray for quick clean ups or after a wash. Helps maintain the ceramic coating.
There are also 4-6 month products that can be layered over
the ceramic coating like Sonax Polymer Net Shield.
On your other questions, search online the world of PPF and coatings. Tons of info out there.

[P_Leotardo]

Yes to paint correction and PPF. As far as ceramic coating is concerned, im not convinced its not a waste of money. I had it done on my car (a 3 year treatment) when new, and it just didnt blow me away like the internet led me to believe it would.

[rico25]

Just do paint correction and PPF, no need to ceramic coat if you are PPF. Your giving away your money that way. Save ceramic money!

[jg4c]

If you pass on the ceramic coating just apply a product every 6 months or so like Sonax Polymer Net Shield.
It’s easier to use than wax, and offers better protection.
Very easy to use. Ya still want to seal the paint after the paint correction and the PPF, and that product will do just fine in place of a ceramic coating.

[SuperMarioAz]

A ceramic/graphene/glass coating is still very valuable for the rest of the car you are not going to PPF since you're only planning to do the front half. I personally ceramic coated my own car with Dr Beasley Nano Resin Pro and also did my own paint correction. I had full front Xpel completed as well on my G26 and then I ceramic coated the ppf for better protection but not necessary.

[Emily172013]

My sad experience with PPF is that on my 2mo old M340i a smaller rock hit the hood and went right through the PPF and scratched the paint. Had to remove the film and touchup the scratch. It wasn't bad enough to repaint and blend in the entire hood on a new car. So, for me, the PPF was wasted money. BTW, my 2005 330ci only has a few very small touched up chips on it's naked hood after 18yrs.
As far as dealer applied ceramic, save your money and just use a good wax a few times a year. You can depend on dealerships to come up with these new, high profit ideas every 10 years or so.

[KyK]

Originally Posted by mlj1975lsu

waiting on car order to arrive. mulling over the roughly $2,500-$3,000 for 'paint correction, wrap on front half, and ceramic coat.

anyone's opinion if this is worthwhile? fwiw ill be driving this car a good bit on both highway and city

It depends on what your end goal on the car is. If you're planning on keeping it for a long time, it could be worth it. I would also like to point out that once ppf is torn or gets dirt underneath the edges it will look ugly. It's also a pain to remove and generally requires steam to safely remove.

This video has some good info: