[woodranch]

Just wondering if I do not drive my care more then 5000 miles a year, if PPF is worth it? If I did it, it would only be the front… my hood is perfect and my worry is seeing any defect with the PPF( obviously from a reputable shop) . I wax and detail my car every week, but obviously rock chips happen. Is front PPF basically unnoticeable?. Thanks in advance.

[SwankPeRFection]

Use your past car experience of condition due to debris hits and also your driving style. If you don’t ride people’s asses, you probably may not have an issue with basic stuff. Whatever shop you go to, ask to see their work in person.

[TheMediumLebowski]

Originally Posted by woodranch

Just wondering if I do not drive my care more then 5000 miles a year, if PPF is worth it? If I did it, it would only be the front… my hood is perfect and my worry is seeing any defect with the PPF( obviously from a reputable shop) . I wax and detail my car every week, but obviously rock chips happen. Is front PPF basically unnoticeable?. Thanks in advance.

Do you lease or own?

[Bay0]

Originally Posted by TheMediumLebowski

Do you lease or own?

This. If you own it, it's worth it for the hood and fenders.
Lease then do whatever.

[FC4]

PPF is for those who grew up with plastic covering their couch.

[vbb]

What would you be hoping to accomplish with PPF? If you get a rock chip or any noticeable imperfection in your paint, will it bother you to the point you'll obsess over it? Have you ever, in the past, felt the need to repaint a front hood or bumper due because of rock chips and paint issues? Do you live in an area with a lot of loose gravel on your commute or your driveway? Do you do a lot of highway driving in dense traffic?

I have been a car enthusiast for a long time and was a very early adopter of PPF back when it was called a "clear bra" and prone to discoloration over time and visible edges. The technology has come long, long way since then, but so has the price and the fanaticism by those that get it.

I haven't gotten it on my last several cars. I don't regularly drive on roads where my paint gets damaged. I don't tailgate. I park in the garage. I care about paint quality and proper detailing and am known for always having a clean car. I also have a black car and am partial to them, so it's that much harder. BUT with all of that I'm not obsessed. I do have a rock chip that I can see, but I've "fixed" and it isn't visible unless you're looking for it. I have a few light swirl marks that I can see with my LED spotlight. My paint isn't perfect, but it also isn't bad. Here's a recent pic, totally unedited, with all my garage lights on. I hadn't washed the car in about a week at that point. A professional detailer might not be happy, but I think it looks fine. I don't regret for a minute that I didn't get PPF.

[woodranch]

Thank you vbb,FC4 and SWANK…I own, but I Love to drive fast, but I try never to tailgate . On roadtrips I stay as far away as possible to the next car ,until I can unleash. Also I know it is not PPF, but I either wax or put paint sealant on my car every week.

[yaymitch]

I get PPF because I track my car. Also, I drive in a congested city. There is always road work and plenty of debris on the roads. If I lived in smaller city or suburb and didn’t track my car then I’d consider not getting it.

[Znomorph4theWin]

If you plan to keep the car for a period of time, PPF is a great idea. It preserves the factory paint and gives you piece of mind. If leased, I’d not bother.

I’m OCD, and chose to PPF and ceramic coat the whole car. Sure, it’s a big cost. But knowing the car has the best protection possible make me feel at ease when driving. That insurance was worth it to me.

[cozye]

For the M3, I sprung for it. My last BMW, a 340i had a ton of rock chips in the hood and front fender. I plan on keeping this car for 10 years, so for me it was worth it. I regretted not getting my last car done. The car prior had the front done and it worked well, but I only drove that car for 20k miles before i sold it. For me, a car this nice and as much as I paid for it, the peace of mind is worth it.

[road rage richie]

The stress fracture in my laser light freaked me out a bit which was repaired under warranty. A friend recommended I do the front end with my roughly 7000 mile 18 day road trip coming up + I pulled about a 1/2 gallon (hyperbolic perhaps) of sand and pebbles from the air intakes in front of the wheels - it was really a good handful on each side. I did it - $2200 & time will tell if was worth it. I may add some more later too. Guy did a fantastic job and he detailed the car on the install and today on the check up day as well. STEK.

[TopJimmy]

I highly suggest to PPF the front bumper and headlamps, full hood and fenders. PPF has saved me from several good chips and also self-repaired in all but one big rock hit. Paint underneath was saved too, but the plastic took a small divot. I’m OCD and hate rock chips. If you have OCD then you don’t want “half” PPF on any panels (esp. hood and fenders) so you don’t see the line where PPF stops. Dirt also likes that sticky exposed edge so do full panels. Also make sure all edges wrap or tuck right.

Another HUGE plus of PPF is you can really scrub bugs and crud off without worrying you’re scratching paint underneath. XPEL Ultimate is essentially invisible when installed right. The only way I know the PPF is there is to look really hard at pointy corners for a cut line, or I use my fingernails to feel for the plastic. Coatings go right over top with no difference between paint and PPF underneath.

After 3 F-bodies having it some and more, now my G80 is pretty much a full PPF minus the rear pillars and tail.