Ceramic Coating a rip-off? How about PPF?
- Thread starter ChillLC
- Start date
Another thread on PPF - Toyota Port Installed PPF
We've had the same guy put PPF on our cars for many years. He comes to our house and does it in our garage in about half a day.
He used to use 3M PPF but has been using Xpel (not sure of the spelling) PPF for over 10 years now. We haven't had any problems with it cracking, yellowing, peeling off or anything else. I just sold my 10 year old Highlander and its PPF looked good as new.
The great thing about having it done by a custom installer is he uses 24-in wide PPF, not the 12-inch stuff the dealer puts on. He also cuts it to fit the car, instead of using pre-cut patterns. That way, he can tuck the PPF into unseen places like under the edge/lip of the hood. This results in far fewer exposed seams to catch dirt and grime. One other benefit is that you can wash your car and make sure it's perfectly clean when he applies the PPF, as opposed to driving it to the shop and having the PPF guy do a quickie wipe down.
Our family has had 6 hybrids and a few other cars get PPF treatment and none has had an issue. IMO, PPF does a much better job of protecting against rock chips and, as it is coated with something akin to clear coat, it takes a wax job just as well as paint.
He used to use 3M PPF but has been using Xpel (not sure of the spelling) PPF for over 10 years now. We haven't had any problems with it cracking, yellowing, peeling off or anything else. I just sold my 10 year old Highlander and its PPF looked good as new.
The great thing about having it done by a custom installer is he uses 24-in wide PPF, not the 12-inch stuff the dealer puts on. He also cuts it to fit the car, instead of using pre-cut patterns. That way, he can tuck the PPF into unseen places like under the edge/lip of the hood. This results in far fewer exposed seams to catch dirt and grime. One other benefit is that you can wash your car and make sure it's perfectly clean when he applies the PPF, as opposed to driving it to the shop and having the PPF guy do a quickie wipe down.
Our family has had 6 hybrids and a few other cars get PPF treatment and none has had an issue. IMO, PPF does a much better job of protecting against rock chips and, as it is coated with something akin to clear coat, it takes a wax job just as well as paint.
Hit up Albert at Cali's Finest Auto Spa in Paramount, CA
I just removed the ppf from Porsche it was 5 years old . It wasn’t to bad removing but my car stays inside heated and cooled shop and not out much . I was amazed at how much better the paint looked without the ppf . I couldn’t tell it until I removed the ppf , but it was not a clear as new. The paint did look good , but not putting ppf back
Appreciate the rec, reached out today and Albert seems like a great guy.
Also supporting a small business is a plus
I did the ceramic at the dealer when new. Very pleased, very good dealer body shop.
Know several people that did the same at the same dealer and were very pleased.
Ceramic is for looks and ease of cleaning only not chips.
I will do the Toyota PPF kit soon as well for the front areas of the vehicle. Cheap enough by a competent shop to make it worth it.
Full body PPF at 5k, preposterous. Who's kidding who here. These are SUVs. Not corvettes and other exotics.
I see a lot of people wasting a lot of money on this forum, thx to some serious pimping.
Know several people that did the same at the same dealer and were very pleased.
Ceramic is for looks and ease of cleaning only not chips.
I will do the Toyota PPF kit soon as well for the front areas of the vehicle. Cheap enough by a competent shop to make it worth it.
Full body PPF at 5k, preposterous. Who's kidding who here. These are SUVs. Not corvettes and other exotics.
I see a lot of people wasting a lot of money on this forum, thx to some serious pimping.
- Moderator
- #28
If I may ask, what was the charge at the dealer for the ceramic treatment? Am definitely doing the PPF on our incoming LC, being the Wind Chill Pearl, which would show chips terribly.
My dealer included the ceramic coating (Toyota Maximum Shield) on my purchase for free. The line item cost would have listed for $1,500. It comes with a warranty but needs to be refreshed. They will sell you a package for the future reapplications and warranty extension on the paint if you want it.
My opinion is you can definitely see the difference and is totally worth it if free. If you see value in it, try to negotiate the price down to whatever it is worth to you and include it in the deal.
My opinion is you can definitely see the difference and is totally worth it if free. If you see value in it, try to negotiate the price down to whatever it is worth to you and include it in the deal.
I did PPF and then did the ceramic coating myself. For about $200 you can get a long lasting reputable coating that will last. Applying ceramic isn't hard, it's the prep work that will take some time. It may see daunting, but if you watch some YouTube videos and take a weekend, it's well worth the over $1000 you'll save (likely much more) doing it yourself.
- Moderator
- #31
Thanks! Retired, I have the time, so my labor is cheap. Will check out reviews of ceramic coatings. Chemical Guys - Carbon Force comes to mind.
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