PPF vs Ceramic Coating vs Sealants vs Naked

[clemsondds]

I'll have to research that because everything I have read says that you have to sand it down and can be very costly. That's what my paint guy said as well. I'm not super concerned about it but just trying to get all info before I make a decision. Just wanting to find out how good sealant does at repelling dirt and staying clean

 

[zombiekiller]

sealant is more upkeep. ceramic has its challenges too.

On some films, doing ceramic over top detracts from the self healing nature of the ppf.

On some aluminum panel vehicles, ceramic will make the loc voc paint more brittle. If there are ANY adhesion issues, ceramic coating will actually make them WORSE by making the paint more brittle ( because to actually makes the surface a bit harder and thus, thin, hard paint cracks and flakes. )

PPF may also pull any paint areas with adhesion issues off the panel.

nothing is perfect.

 

[clemsondds]

Thanks Zombie! you seem to be pretty knowledgable about this topic. Mind sharing what you recommend? thanks

 

[Kahuna]

Check this: Feynlab

 

[zombiekiller]

Thanks Zombie! you seem to be pretty knowledgable about this topic. Mind sharing what you recommend? thanks

Honestly? The right installer of any of these options is, by far, the absolute most important thing.

Most good installers will know whether there will be adhesion issues as soon as they get the truck clean.

Cheaper is not always better, but be mindful that some shops will raise the price based on their clientele ( i.e. most detail and wrap shops will raise their prices based on who they work with regularly. Pro athletes dont care if they charge 10K instead of 7K, especially if they are the kind of player that doesnt blink at a 50K fine for excessive celebrations.)

I don't know that I'd choose to put ceramic on my truck ( when it was stock) because of some of the adhesion issues that I had. I plan to go full wrap ( color change) and have the high impact areas ( doors, fender bulges/flares, flat spot outboard of the headlights, leading edge of the hood) wrapped in xpel ultimate for good measure.

The installer that I'm using has won multitudes of awards, is a total badass and DOES NOT advertise AT ALL. ( not even a sign on his shop).

Try to find the local installer that wraps and details the road rally community ( gold rush, cannonball, etc). Those are the folks that do nothing but badass work.

Hope this helps!

 

[sean1968]

You can remove ceramic coatings by machine polishing it off. Definitely don’t sand it.


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[SlickMachine]

Got a new raptor this week and looking into how to keep it clean and new looking. I have ppf on my two other vehicles. I also have ceramic pro on my navigator as well. I have been really impressed with how easy it is to clean (black) and how well it stays clean. I was planning to put that on my black raptor, as well as ppf the hood and maybe the front, but I spoke with my paint guy and he begged me not to put the ceramic coatings on there...said it was horrible to try to paint over. This guy does all the work for our local Ferrari dealer...so I know he know's what he is talking about. So should I just ignore him and go with my original plan, or ppf the entire truck, or just go naked and repair chips/scratches as they occur? This truck will not be garaged for now, so that was another reason I was putting the ceramic pro on there...it will be outside all the time and is going to drive me nuts! I'm in the process of building a third garage Thanks!!

I went with CarPro CQuartz (pro} on my truck. I highly recommend it. I've had it on other cars as well, and if you want to take it off, it comes off with a light polishing-simple as that. You will get **** on this forum from all the Try-Hards that seem to hang here if you are caught caring about your paint, just a heads up. Ceramic is cheaper by far than PPF, and it won't really protect your paint like PPF will. It does make the paint infinitely easier to clean and keep clean. It makes a huge difference in the appearance of the truck in terms of gloss as well. 1700$ for a correction and ceramic application is about right.

 

[rkneeshaw]

Sealant, vs ceramic, vs ppf.

The answer depends on what you're going to do with the truck.

if you only keep the truck for 2-3 years and then move on, and you aren't worried about trail rash, then ceramic coat it and call it a day, it'll look great and be easy to maintain and let the next guy worry about it if he ever wants to repaint.

if you're in it for the long haul then I think the question comes down to this: do you want to repaint the truck in a few years to cover the imperfections, or would you wrap it in PPF. If you are going to respray, then just go with a sealant for now and try to maintain it as best as possible knowing you're just going to respray in a few years.

For me, I offroad the truck, but still want it showroom ready, and I dont want to have to respray in a few years, so PPF was the answer. It will protect me from the trail rash, is self healing, and hydrophobic. And 5-8 years from now, I might have to have it redone, but the paint will be flawless underneath.

 

[FerdFteen]

Check this: Feynlab

I had Feynlab Heal Lite 5 year coating on my shadow black F150. It is as awesome as the video claims. I definitely took out some minor scratches with just a few seconds from a heat gun.

Like others have said, $1800 is ballpark for correction + coating, and in my opinion the majority of what you are paying for is the paint prep / correction. That's where high end detailers really add value. Even with a factory truck, it will likely have sat outside, gotten swirls from the make ready department, etc.

I have Feynlab on my M3 currently, and will likely be picking up a 2019 raptor later this year. That is going to have either Suntek or XPEL PPF on the full front, pillars, and rocker panels. Then will have a full Feynlab coating applied.

If you don't get a Feynlab coat, I think CQuartz is probably your next best bet. I spent a lot of time on Tesla forums - those guys are serious about paint protection and detailing - reading about Opti Coat vs CQuarts, etc. As the others have said, it comes down by and large to the skill of your installer, both for paint prep and the actual coating application. Make sure your installer includes glass and wheel coating in the price. A good coating on your wheels is priceless in being able to power wash most brake dust off and keeps the dust from baking on and adhering to your wheels.

 

[Kahuna]

Great feedback on the product. What durability are you getting on the M3? How long has it been on?

I agree with everything you said... except for cost/what you are paying for.

It really grinds my gears when I see these $2k charges for correction and coat. No correction takes one guy more than 2 days. Take into account $100 for materials costs that is ~$1000 a day for what is not rocket science.