I've heard it's the best way to protect paint I've also heard it can damage paint when it's replaced, and cause UV damage. What's your experience? How often does it have to be "refreshed"?
I have had PPF installed on all of my sports cars. I have had few times where road debris has hit the car and left a mark but with a bit of heat or direct sunlight, the new Self-Healing PPF's repair themselves. I would not drive without it. My 458 Spider was ceramic coated over the PPF. Looks great and is easy to maintain. From my experience you only "refresh" the PPF if damaged beyond the Self-Healing capabilities. I had one panel recovered with no damage but it is a risk. I have seen some older PPF installs on White vehicles yellow with age but not sure if that is the case with current technology. My vehicles are Rosso Corsa and Torch Red. I had it installed on a previous Rosso Corsa 360 Spider. All with very positive results. IMO the benefit of PPF'ing the entire car will protect against scratch/stone chips as well as eliminating swirl marks in the paint. My cars do not have PPF installed on their roofs, doors, Quarter panels or engine covers. Everything else is protected. I am a firm believer in the product. I have Expel 8mil installed although other brands might be just as good today. I have a 296 GTS on order and it will not leave the dealership with PPF. I have not yet decided to have the entire car covered or as i have the current cars. I do not have swirl marks on either of these cars but I also suspect the ceramic coating on the 458 also protects it's paint.
had entire '04 575 wrapped w xpel ultimate in 2009, including satin blk parts so easy to keep clean 90k miles now Image Unavailable, Please Login
Well I was worried about UV fading over time, or mileage, so that kind of puts that idea to rest. I heard it has to be refreshed every 3-5 years! Seemed way high.
My 458 Spider was PPF’d in January of 2020 when we purchased the car. It looks like new. Absolutely no need to replace unless damaged occurs.
I do not like ppf its ok on a bumper or dog legs etc but .to my eyes it truly dulls the color over time.I prefer a good polish and a coat or two of ceramic coating ..If i buy a car with full ppf I eventually have my detailer remove the wrap and give it a good polishing and coating … its just an opinion and that is mine.
It's rock chips I'm worried about. The front of my last car looked like absolute garbage after just a couple of trips up Angeles Crest. The gravel just obliterated the paint. I think the main question is whole car PPF or just the front / wheel wells?
A bolt recently hit my F8 at 85mph. It cut through the PPF and put two small dents in the hood. But the paint was untouched. My detailer replaced that section of PPF and his paintless dent repair guy removed the two dents. Now you wouldn't know anything happened. Without the PPF, I'm confident the bolt would have cut right through the paint to bare metal. So PPF gives your paint extra protection from UV exposure, rock chips, love marks from cleaning the paint...and apparently even bolts. It will go on any car I buy. Regarding the downsides I'm aware of: It's expensive. But it sure beats repainting your baby! It does need to be replaced periodically, though apparently the good ones today will last far longer than the older films. My detailer said if the car is garaged and cared for, expect 7-10yrs. Some people don't like the look of it. Personally, I'll trade off a small compromise in the appeance today to prevent the appearance of thousands of miles worth of rock chips down the road. A bad installer can damage the paint when installing it (careless cuts near the paint, for example). So choose your installer carefully. It can also apparently damage the paint when removing it, though my understanding is that (a) this was more of an issue with older PPF (they've improved the adhesives) and (b) it was likely often a case of an inexperienced installer not taking appropriate steps to soften the adhesive before pulling the film.
PPF is a great invention, not going to deny that, but yet I think it differs per car and per person, i've had it on my 1st M3, and hated having ppf, since then never had it again. I hated being able to see the edge lines of the PPF on the car.... To prevent rock chips I just tend to take a bit more distance in the Ferrari to the car i'm following than id do in other cars.
Yeah I think the key there is to get entire body panels done. Back in the early days they used to go halfway up the hood for some dumb reason, and there was a visible line that was OCD-triggering. So, when they started pulling old PPF off to reapply new stuff, they ended up pulling some paint off the car. Luckily it was the mirror, which had quite a few rock chips under the PPF anyways, and is an area easy to send off to paint, but it was still enlightening as to the possible issues with PPF. I decided to do lower rocker panels, the whole front inc mirrors and window surround, and the rear bumper. There's no use putting it on panels not likely to see rock chips when there's a risk of the film damaging paint.
I believe it's a worthwhile investment. Did a full wrap on my F8 and plan to do likewise on my incoming 296. The newer technology is much better than the old stuff that yellowed and showed seams. The skill of the installer is key for a successful outcome . Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Even with the modernday version of PPF, i still see it on every car its on from a distance, the finish of the paint just isnt as crisp as it is without PPF. Ill take the risk, and if the paint gets bad ill just get the car (partly) resprayed.
I have chosen to install full PPF on all my cars. Naturally, I like the protection it affords (road debris, people brushing up against the car in parking lots, etc) and the self-healing properties. However, the big win is that I don’t have to commit full length detail sessions to keeping the cars clean. About the only time they get a full wash is when they go to the dealer for their annual service. Other than that, I just hit them with a quick detailer in between driving sessions. With the PPF, you don’t have to worry about swirls and I can take a pretty dirty car and make it look freshly wash by just spraying it with quick detailer. In my 20’s and 30’s, I found detailing cars therapeutic, but in my 40’s and 50’s I found detailing cars to be a hassle.
I did full Xpel on my GTB and the sections are pre-cut on a plotter machine using data from Xpel. No cutting on the car, and they didn’t remove the badges like a wrap requires. Downside is there is about 2mm gap/seam around the FERRARI badge, the nose Cavallino badge, and some of the vents, but overall it’s excellent on the hood, fenders, roof and rear trim, as it rolls over the edges. Especially the hexagonal cut grilles on the rear, fitment is perfect. Those would have been a real pain in the butt to cut by hand on the car.
for a blue chip investment type car, i personally wouldn't buy one that has had/has ppf or ceramic. On a not too special car you want to drive the crap out of or an suv that sits in the sun a lot, sure go for it.
I agree I wouldn't apply it on the single-stage, lacquer paint of the TR (or an F40 if I had one), or anything vintage... unless for some reason it was a fresh repaint in water-based paints. Tougher call would be on something new $1m+ like a Monza, SP3 Daytona, Chiron, T.33, etc... I probably would.
nothing lasts forever as they say. if you watch a detailer trying to remove it from your car not sure if the heart attack comes first or passing out. its dreadful to watch.....and you're just waiting for the pain to pull....newer technologies are great, but nothing lasts forever...
I've already had film pulled off the hood of my F8 after getting hit by an errant bolt at 85mph. The PPF saved the paint in my case. And no drama removing the damaged film. (Just a lot of tedium for my detailer.) With the new adhesives, it shouldn't be traumatic if the detailer is careful and knows what he's doing. Hot water and towels to soften the adhesive and a bit of patience and it should come off cleanly, at least with modern clear coats.
