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Am I getting caught up in the hype of PPF

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I remember a time when dealers were selling clear bras protections for the car, and a few years later they yellowed and collected dust and pebbles around the edges? and when you peel that out you get two color tones?

Also for 7000 dollar can buy you a decent used car.
 
I remember a time when dealers were selling clear bras protections for the car, and a few years later they yellowed and collected dust and pebbles around the edges? and when you peel that out you get two color tones?

Also for 7000 dollar can buy you a decent used car.
The PPF of yester year was pretty bad. PPF has come a long way. As far as $7k for a decent used car why would anyone want a used car if they have a Tesla to drive 🤣😂. We spent $5300 for PPF and would do it again in a heart beat. 13k miles later and not a single rock chip.
 
I'll be on the opposing side here - I've done PPF on 3 vehicles (wife's Lexus LX570, then when she upgraded to Toyota Land Cruiser, and now my Model 3).
I regret every single one of them and just ordered my MYLR on 9/1, will not be doing PPF on that.

a) VALUE = Unless it is an exotic car, PPF will improve the resale value for your vehicle, but not for the price you paid for it (i.e. spending $3k on PPF won't add $3k in your resale value). Tesla's are unique with the front bumper that seems to be a magnet for bugs/rock chips, but buyers & car dealerships who are looking at your car in 3-5 years will expect wear & tear because they expect rock chips & dents for any 3-5 year old car. I paid anywhere from $1400 to $3500 for my 3 vehicles and do not see that as a smart financial decision

b) AESTHETICS = PPF absolutely will keep your vehicle pristine, and I do not advocate DIY PPF (seen way too many jobs go wrong and you waste hours/sweat/money), but unless this vehicle is literally your baby, not worth it. Unless there is a strong emotional attachment to the vehicle that you plan to keep for a long time, your car will look nice but $3k can get you an extra pair of rims, or pay 6 months of car payment, or pay for Acceleration Boost...all of which WILL improve financial value of the vehicle and enjoyment of the vehicle.

c) DURABILITY = my PPF shop in Dallas does lifetime warranty but so many PPF shops do a pretty bad job, so if it yellows/peels in a few years, you're sort of out of luck. If you are purchasing PPF, do your research on the shop, warranty paperwork and brand (i.e. Xpel) that they use.
 
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The PPF of yester year was pretty bad. PPF has come a long way. As far as $7k for a decent used car why would anyone want a used car if they have a Tesla to drive 🤣😂. We spent $5300 for PPF and would do it again in a heart beat. 13k miles later and not a single rock chip.

well i'm happy you're happy with spending 5300. PPF is still a polymer and still prone to UV degrade over time so even coming a long way it will fade.

You know what cars don't have rock chips? Showroom cars that are stored at museums... I take it back... even the Ferrari Dino has paint chips at the Petersen. and i don't see them PPF'ed.

I'm just saying for 7K you can get a lot in return than a transparent polymer applied to the car.
 
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My friend did his own PPF, messed up a LOT learning... but spending $2k on materials and taking 4 tries to get it right (while learning along the way), is basically what it would have cost for him to go to a shop. I had him help me do the front end of my Prius ($300 in material). It is a very complex front and did not come out "shop quality", but I learned a lot and dont regret it. $300 to protect the front of a 30k car is ok to me. I did it because my previous prius's front bumper looked like it was sandblasted after +100k mi. I'm sure it cost me >$300 in value when I sold it.

For my Tesla, I went professional on the front. I didnt want it to look like a hack job. I paid ~$2k for it. I do not think it will make the car worth 2k more in the long run, but it may make it easier to sell +8yrs from now (I keep my cars a minimum of 8yrs) if the front looks decent, plus in the mean time it looks better. I did some of the side PPF to protect from rock chips myself, relatively flat panels are absolutely easy to do yourself. Its the curves that take some learning. I feel totally comfortable with my experience from the Prius and side of Tesla to do the entire door, but I wouldnt mess with a bumper yet. I'm not that skilled. I'd probably give it a go on my Prius first ;)

My friend has done 4 of his own cars and plans on doing whatever car he buys next himself. Its an art, but its not the hardest thing to do given enough time/practice.
 
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I'll be on the opposing side here - I've done PPF on 3 vehicles (wife's Lexus LX570, then when she upgraded to Toyota Land Cruiser, and now my Model 3).
I regret every single one of them and just ordered my MYLR on 9/1, will not be doing PPF on that.

a) VALUE = Unless it is an exotic car, PPF will improve the resale value for your vehicle, but not for the price you paid for it (i.e. spending $3k on PPF won't add $3k in your resale value). Tesla's are unique with the front bumper that seems to be a magnet for bugs/rock chips, but buyers & car dealerships who are looking at your car in 3-5 years will expect wear & tear because they expect rock chips & dents for any 3-5 year old car. I paid anywhere from $1400 to $3500 for my 3 vehicles and do not see that as a smart financial decision

b) AESTHETICS = PPF absolutely will keep your vehicle pristine, and I do not advocate DIY PPF (seen way too many jobs go wrong and you waste hours/sweat/money), but unless this vehicle is literally your baby, not worth it. Unless there is a strong emotional attachment to the vehicle that you plan to keep for a long time, your car will look nice but $3k can get you an extra pair of rims, or pay 6 months of car payment, or pay for Acceleration Boost...all of which WILL improve financial value of the vehicle and enjoyment of the vehicle.

c) DURABILITY = my PPF shop in Dallas does lifetime warranty but so many PPF shops do a pretty bad job, so if it yellows/peels in a few years, you're sort of out of luck. If you are purchasing PPF, do your research on the shop, warranty paperwork and brand (i.e. Xpel) that they use.
well i'm happy you're happy with spending 5300. PPF is still a polymer and still prone to UV degrade over time so even coming a long way it will fade.

You know what cars don't have rock chips? Showroom cars that are stored at museums... I take it back... even the Ferrari Dino has paint chips at the Petersen. and i don't see them PPF'ed.

I'm just saying for 7K you can get a lot in return than a transparent polymer applied to the car.
I’ve said time and time again on these forums I can literally care less about return on investment/ value. Blah blah blah. If I truly cared about return on my investment I wouldn’t have bought a second set of wheels, tires, tint, the list goes on. We keep our vehicles for 10 years and I can’t stand rock chips and a car to look wrecked in a few years. The money it worth it to me to have a pristine vehicle after a long time frame. I invest money plenty elsewhere and this is my one vise. I don’t smoke, drink, do drugs, or waste money elsewhere. If this PPF yellows after 10 years (warranty end) then we will either trade the vehicle or have it recovered.
I believe there are two types of people: people who try to put a value equation into PPF and people who are avid car people who like to detail/clean them every weekend. I am the later. Our vehicles are always squeaky clean. Half the time I wipe it down when I get home so it will be clean the next day.
I’m not trying to convince you to get PPF and your not going to convince me not to get PPF. You do you.
 
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Yea, my older car after a few years with no PPF or other protection looks like it went thru a war zone, so many paint chips and dings. Never again so I PPF our cars since then. Do what you want, prioritize what you need... etc etc.
 
I’ve said time and time again on these forums I can literally care less about return on investment/ value. Blah blah blah. If I truly cared about return on my investment I wouldn’t have bought a second set of wheels, tires, tint, the list goes on. We keep our vehicles for 10 years and I can’t stand rock chips and a car to look wrecked in a few years. The money it worth it to me to have a pristine vehicle after a long time frame. I invest money plenty elsewhere and this is my one vise. I don’t smoke, drink, do drugs, or waste money elsewhere. If this PPF yellows after 10 years (warranty end) then we will either trade the vehicle or have it recovered.
I believe there are two types of people: people who try to put a value equation into PPF and people who are avid car people who like to detail/clean them every weekend. I am the later. Our vehicles are always squeaky clean. Half the time I wipe it down when I get home so it will be clean the next day.
I’m not trying to convince you to get PPF and your not going to convince me not to get PPF. You do you.
I'm almost the same... I don't care about return on investment (though who knows, maybe in 20 years this thing will look fantastic still and based on my current driving, 4,000 miles in a year, still be "low milage", lol) or anything like that. I want the car to look perfect for every day that I have it. I back into spaces because I like the look of the car like that... that also means I often see the front of the car every time I walk up to it, I want it to look nice.

On the other hand... I like the idea of washing my car, but I quickly get sick of it while I'm actually doing it. I want to foam cannon it, use one microfiber and one bucket to quickly go over the whole thing with just four or five splashes back into that bucket, and then power rinse it. PPF gives me A LOT more ability to wash the car like that and not have swirls everywhere or things looking like hell. I try to do the right things but sometimes I just want the wash done fast and without pulling every item I have out. PPF gives me that wonderful result of protection from road hazards and door dings if I valet the car or something and ease of washing...
 
The way I see it is the amount it costs to get front-end PPF'd, I can just get a new paint job on it and it'll look better than the PPF.

If in 5 years I have minimal rock chips, I just saved myself a few thousand. If in 5 years I have a ton of rock chips, I'll repaint the front, I have spent the same amount if not less.
 
I’m very happy with my front PPF. 4 years and 75,000 miles miles later the paint on my car is perfect. No rock chips or blemishes. Looks like new. Our other car looks like the front end has been sand blasted..

Comparing the cost of PPF to a repaint is stupid. PPF preserves the paint finish and appearance of your new car EVERY DAY, allows you to admire a pristine showroom finish EVERY DAY you own the car. Every time you wash the car you can admire and enjoy a like new finish.
A repaint does it once. Every day before a repaint you have a chipped front end and every day after it is subject to deterioration. You just start the process over.

So for a real price comparison, how much would it cost to get a repaint after EVERY rock chip while you own the car ?
And everyone knows a repaint is never the same quality of factory original.
PPF protects your Car from every chip, and you only pay once.

i would never spend several thousand bucks for it. My full front PPF was about $900.
 
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I’m very happy with my front PPF. 4 years and 75,000 miles miles later the paint on my car is perfect. No rock chips or blemishes. Looks like new. Our other car looks like the front end has been sand blasted..

Comparing the cost of PPF to a repaint is stupid. PPF preserves the paint finish and appearance of your new car EVERY DAY, allows you to admire a pristine showroom finish EVERY DAY you own the car. Every time you wash the car you can admire and enjoy a like new finish.
A repaint does it once. Every day before a repaint you have a chipped front end and every day after it is subject to deterioration. You just start the process over.

So for a real price comparison, how much would it cost to get a repaint after EVERY rock chip while you own the car ?
And everyone knows a repaint is never the same quality of factory original.
PPF protects your Car from every chip, and you only pay once.

i would never spend several thousand bucks for it. My full front PPF was about $900.
You got a pretty good deal for it to be only $900, the cost for the product alone from XPEL runs about $800.

I have never ran PPF on any of my previous cars and it won't change on this one either. There are still rock chips or other damage that go through PPF entirely and you end up having to get it repainted and PPF'd again.

To each their own, shops here in SoCal will quote me $2k for just the front bumper alone. Is it worth it to some people? Yes. I can see why they would splurge for it.

If someone offered me PPF for your pricing, I'd definitely consider it! I'd 100% lean towards vinyl wrapping my car for $2k versus PPF though.
 
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Around the Saint Louis area it is about $1700-$1800 to do the front bumper, headlights, fog lights, hood and both front fenders. That is what my parents chose to do on their Grand Cherokee. That is quite a bit of coverage for the month IMO. We chose the Stealth PPF so our Y would look different. I also despise swirl marks and blemishes. I used to do the 2 bucket wash method and pulled out all the bells. I generally don’t anymore and just use a foam cannon. I enjoy the ease of cleaning with PPF and ceramic coat. Most of the time the Y looks clean after a rain.
 
I’ve said time and time again on these forums I can literally care less about return on investment/ value. Blah blah blah. If I truly cared about return on my investment I wouldn’t have bought a second set of wheels, tires, tint, the list goes on. We keep our vehicles for 10 years and I can’t stand rock chips and a car to look wrecked in a few years. The money it worth it to me to have a pristine vehicle after a long time frame. I invest money plenty elsewhere and this is my one vise. I don’t smoke, drink, do drugs, or waste money elsewhere. If this PPF yellows after 10 years (warranty end) then we will either trade the vehicle or have it recovered.
I believe there are two types of people: people who try to put a value equation into PPF and people who are avid car people who like to detail/clean them every weekend. I am the later. Our vehicles are always squeaky clean. Half the time I wipe it down when I get home so it will be clean the next day.
I’m not trying to convince you to get PPF and your not going to convince me not to get PPF. You do you.

like i said i'm happy for you spending your money and doing what you like with it. Perhaps i should invest in xpel installers cause they are making a fortune on our cars.
 
I started this thread, and now have a VIN assigned, and a pickup date of Aug 17.

I HAVE succumbed to the hype. My own choice.
With this value of car, I have decided for full front wrap, including mirrors, plus headlights.

I want it to stay looking nice.

I chose a Toronto/Scarborough firm, that I will give props to, if it looks good. I'm getting it done, the day after pickup.
This firm wants 5 hours, vs 48hrs for other firms.

We'll see what restrictions they give me, cause that's not long for the film to "set"
Probably a good choice. I have had PPF installed on some of our cars since the mid 90s. We have just took delivery of a MY last week and it has has been sitting in our home garage since getting windows tinted and PPF installed (DIY). I have done the window tinting and full front, still have the pillars, doors, and rear to do. You won’t regret doing it. Cheers!