Bill D
Hooked For Life
Yep. He shamed the “detailing” department and hovered over them while they completed the job.
Life with PPF so far.
- Thread starter BudgetPlan1
- Start date
BudgetPlan1
Active member
I miss the days of cheaper cars. Way back when, bought a new 1994 Ford Escort, no air conditioning, no radio, hand-crank windows. 36mpg all thru it`s life, 250k miles with little to no problems. They just pile so much stuff on cars these days (some government mandated) that it`s getting absurd, hence the financing terms of 72 & 84 months which used to be unheard of.
RaskyR1
Rasky's Auto Detailing
Nice Write up BudgetPlan! A full PPF wrap definitely seems to reduce the amount of stress in keeping the car pristine and I`d less worried about where the wife parks now.
I`m actually in the process of doing a full wrap on the wife`s new car. I have everything but the quarters and rear bumper wrapped now.
It`s also nice to hear your installer mention that paint correction isn`t really needed. Prior to getting trained in on PPF I always thought it was a must for it to be done correctly. Now that I see how much the film actually hides, I realize it`s more reckless of an installer to insist in a paint correction and IMO, more of a way to increase the final ticket price than anything. Why remove clear coat unnecessarily when the film make it look perfect? For my prep I simply do a light polish to ensure a clean surface and only do a full paint correction when the owner insists on it, or if the paint is so bad the film won`t conceal it.
I also feel the whole "custom" install is starting to get a bit ridiculous and seems to be more about Instagram bragging rights than anything IMO. You can modify the plots to get virtually the same coverage and not have to cut on the car near as much. You can also nest other items in with the plot to make better use of the film. That being said, there are definitely times where its a lot easy to bulk a panel. For most daily driver cars I feel its overkill, but at the end of the day it should be the owners decision.
I definitely don`t understand the disassembly of a brand new car just to get a more seamless install. I have no issues removing badges, vents, and other items that pop out easy, but removing bumpers and door panels just seems silly to me. It opens the door for squeaks, rattles, fitment/alignment issues, missing or broken fasteners, and potential damage to the vehicle. Having a father that`s been doing body work for over 50 years I`ve seen how often clips get broken and I know they aren`t designed to be removed and reused. Unless installers are replacing them all, it just doesn`t make sense to me. To each their own though I guess.
The appearance or ability to notice PPF next to the OEM paint IMO depends on the paint texture itself and which film is applied. While STEK is very glossy, I find the texture "orange peel" of it to "tighter" and that seems to cause more distortion to the reflection than some other films. Think of it as smaller waves in the water but spaced closer together. Some other films have an orange peel where the valleys are deeper and further apart, which IMO creates less distortion of the reflection. Think taller waves in the water but spaced further apart. The paint on my Ram has a terrible texture and the Xpel film I applied makes it look noticeably better. On my wife`s Benz the Xpel film very closely matches the texture of the OEM paint and it very hard to detect. I`ve also had cars with pretty smooth paint and the Xpel film looked noticeably worse.
All modified kits except for the hood
I`m actually in the process of doing a full wrap on the wife`s new car. I have everything but the quarters and rear bumper wrapped now.
It`s also nice to hear your installer mention that paint correction isn`t really needed. Prior to getting trained in on PPF I always thought it was a must for it to be done correctly. Now that I see how much the film actually hides, I realize it`s more reckless of an installer to insist in a paint correction and IMO, more of a way to increase the final ticket price than anything. Why remove clear coat unnecessarily when the film make it look perfect? For my prep I simply do a light polish to ensure a clean surface and only do a full paint correction when the owner insists on it, or if the paint is so bad the film won`t conceal it.
I also feel the whole "custom" install is starting to get a bit ridiculous and seems to be more about Instagram bragging rights than anything IMO. You can modify the plots to get virtually the same coverage and not have to cut on the car near as much. You can also nest other items in with the plot to make better use of the film. That being said, there are definitely times where its a lot easy to bulk a panel. For most daily driver cars I feel its overkill, but at the end of the day it should be the owners decision.
I definitely don`t understand the disassembly of a brand new car just to get a more seamless install. I have no issues removing badges, vents, and other items that pop out easy, but removing bumpers and door panels just seems silly to me. It opens the door for squeaks, rattles, fitment/alignment issues, missing or broken fasteners, and potential damage to the vehicle. Having a father that`s been doing body work for over 50 years I`ve seen how often clips get broken and I know they aren`t designed to be removed and reused. Unless installers are replacing them all, it just doesn`t make sense to me. To each their own though I guess.
The appearance or ability to notice PPF next to the OEM paint IMO depends on the paint texture itself and which film is applied. While STEK is very glossy, I find the texture "orange peel" of it to "tighter" and that seems to cause more distortion to the reflection than some other films. Think of it as smaller waves in the water but spaced closer together. Some other films have an orange peel where the valleys are deeper and further apart, which IMO creates less distortion of the reflection. Think taller waves in the water but spaced further apart. The paint on my Ram has a terrible texture and the Xpel film I applied makes it look noticeably better. On my wife`s Benz the Xpel film very closely matches the texture of the OEM paint and it very hard to detect. I`ve also had cars with pretty smooth paint and the Xpel film looked noticeably worse.
All modified kits except for the hood
BudgetPlan1
Active member
That was one of the big surprises for me, especially given the generally poor paint condition that some Corvettes (especially black ones) come outta the factory with. They did bring a new paint shop on line a year or two ago, maybe things are a bit better now...who knows. At first I kept kinda pushing the `paint correction before PPF` thing cuz, well, I dunno, kinda figured at that cost, didn`t wanna leave anything to chance. Installer kept coming back with "It depends, let`s see how it comes in.." and finally I had to let my own (un-informed) preconceived notions go and just plain trust them. And they were 100% correct. They woulda done it if I insisted but given the results, even with black, it was unnecessary. After that, I just began nodding my head in acquiescence regarding any suggestions of what to do (and more importantly, what *not* to do) while planning the entire affair. Professionals are professionals for a reason, find one you trust implicitly and let them do the heavy lifting.
As you say, owners decision for sure, with possible downsides laid out as well. If you get a bad installer, or one who `thinks` they can do it...well, I`m guessing dissatisfaction awaits. Found an interesting blog entry regarding `custom` installs, some interesting points: PPF Custom Install - Unspoken Details
A dork like me can tell the difference, definitely there if looking (again, especially on black) but so indistinguishable in our case (fortunately) that it`s a very worthwhile trade-off vs the protection advantages. Given that a black car is only clean for about 10 minutes after you wash it, the dust that settles on the surface probably hides most of this anyway
I really can`t imagine the patience and skill it takes to do this well. I know my limitations and something like this would exceed them by a tremendously wide margin. Sometimes ya gotta be honest with yourself and realize that the best solution to what you seek mainly involves using your checkbook as opposed to any delusions you may have regarding your own skillset. And having a trusted pro do one of my cars was kinda on my bucket list anyway. I worked in a picture frame shop in high school and remember the torture of trying to get a picture sealed behind the glass with no visible dust; a PITA on a 16"x20" picture, can`t comprehend doing a 4` x 6` black hood panel with the same requirements!
I was really surprised how tough (and flexible) the film is...trimming that whacked corner bit of torn film was a bit more of a challenge than I thought it would be. I did bang a door into a light post next to our driveway, no harm, no foul...that was kinda nice!
Definitely a worthwhile experience, much fun was had along the way and I learned a lot about something I had some ill-informed notions about. Great deal overall.
Accumulator
Well-known member
There are reasons having nothing to do with $ why my wife and I are driving older vehicles
Accumulatorette had a Mazda GLC like that when we first met. >100K, zero issues since new (oe clutch/sychros/etc. too), only replaced it because it was rusting away. Same story with what she had before that; she simply expected cars to last forever with just scheduled maintenance because that`s what she was used to.
My Aunt Irene (whom I`ve mentioned before) ordered her cars like that too, only she always spec`ed the biggest engine and trailer-tow package/etc. to get as much performance as possible. Used to [gripe] when she had to take an AM radio, considered it a frivolous distraction. She kept hers until they rusted away too, only owned three cars her entire life and loved `em all, in large part because they never left her stranded and were easy for her to understand when they did need service ("listen, just tell me exactly what needs done and why..don`t worry about being too technical, just tell me").
RaskyR1
Rasky's Auto Detailing
Yeah, that article ruffled the feathers of some but IMO it has a lot of solid points.
BudgetPlan1
Active member
I would run into the same thing when trying to find a totally stripped new car. "No, we can`t find any with no options; who wants a car w no radio?" Uh, me? For me, cars were either toys or the automotive equivalent of a screwdriver. Had no problem driving a car with no radio for 10 years, 250k miles...was quite peaceful. Only got rid of the Escort `cuz the drivers door quit opening and wife said if I didnt get rid of it, she would. I guess she had enough when it was raining and I`d have to crawl out drivers window, run around and crawl in thru back hatch to roll up drivers window then crawl out back hatch again (passenger side door mechanism was kinda sporadic too).
I think I had a lot more free time before I started buying cars that I actually cared about.
BudgetPlan1
Active member
"A Little Rebellion Now and Then is a Good Thing"
It certainly did bring up some interesting points to ponder regardless of what side of the question one takes. Would be quite alarming to discover later some of the things mentioned.
Accumulator
Well-known member
I would run into the same thing when trying to find a totally stripped new car. "No, we can`t find any with no options; who wants a car w no radio?" Uh, me?
Growing up, I thought ya just ordered every vehicle equipped the way you wanted it...nobody in my family ever bought anything off the lot/showroom except for my dad`s `78(?) Midnight Charger and that was a one-time special edition they ordered figuring he`d take it (anybody remember those? Cordoba with an early version of the "Cord grille" that they then used on the Magnums, got totaled by a neighborhood kid driving a delivery van).
These days my "toys" are just "tools" to me...not that I treat `em any differently.
Heh heh, you and my Aunt Irene
Though come to think of it, neither of my parents ever turned on a radio that I can recall..different times, they grew up with cars that didn`t have such things.I had to get rid of a car I cared about so I could buckle down and graduate from college...having a Disposable really did change my life. Did the same thing a few times after that too, needed to focus on more important things. But that was back before "Vehicles We Like" went out of production...
Wouldn`t have put up with that Escort door though...safety issue
First Rule of Operating a Vehicle: Live to Tell.
BudgetPlan1
Active member
Wouldn`t have put up with that Escort door though...safety issue
Never even thought of that actually, probably clouded by thoughts of "Its paid for and still functions!"
Sometimes my `Budgetplan` philosophy gets in the way of practical concerns. Doh!
Moonracer364
New member
The dealer put a PPF bra on the F-Pace in 2017 when we bought it:
I didn`t get any real instructions on how to care for it, so I clayed it, waxed it, SI02 sprayed it, and even polished it. So far its held up great except where I punched a hole in it with the power washer. The transition on the fender looks as good as it did when it was new - Almost unnoticeable.
I`m on my 5th Black Chevy Truck; I decided to wrap the whole thing based on my experience knowing if I look wrong at the paint its going to scratch. It makes it especially bad when I`m out in the fields picking up rocks and loading up tree branches. This is about the nicest truck you can get so I figure I`ll keep this one for awhile.
As far as the future of coatings, my PPF guy says his company is actively working with smaller car manufactures to do wraps instead of traditional paints. According to him, the EPA regulations are going to make painting a thing of the past.
I didn`t get any real instructions on how to care for it, so I clayed it, waxed it, SI02 sprayed it, and even polished it. So far its held up great except where I punched a hole in it with the power washer. The transition on the fender looks as good as it did when it was new - Almost unnoticeable.
I`m on my 5th Black Chevy Truck; I decided to wrap the whole thing based on my experience knowing if I look wrong at the paint its going to scratch. It makes it especially bad when I`m out in the fields picking up rocks and loading up tree branches. This is about the nicest truck you can get so I figure I`ll keep this one for awhile.
As far as the future of coatings, my PPF guy says his company is actively working with smaller car manufactures to do wraps instead of traditional paints. According to him, the EPA regulations are going to make painting a thing of the past.