Anyone know what the advantages of doing a Ceramic Coating on top of Paint Protection Film (Xpel) and why I would get a quote from a vendor to do this? I was quoted $3085 for the entire PPF, using Xpel, on a Model Y with Ceramic Coating on top included. Name of the firm is 407 Custom in Orlando, FL. They are a certified vendor listed by Expel. Seems like the best price I could find, but they’re the only ones to suggest Ceramic Coating on top of the Expel PPF. Any ideas or comments in the process and price?
Ceramic tends to be a bit more hydrophobic than the PPF (water will bead up and roll off, bird poop and dirt and such will wash off easier, etc) and usually results in a bit more gloss compared to the PPF alone. It's not a must have at all, but if the price is decent than it can be worth while for mainly cosmetic reasons and slightly easier washing.
That said, if you were quoted $3k for FULL PPF (all painted surfaces, not just the full front end) than that is an INSANE price. I would ask if the shop could contact previous customers and give them your number so you could chat with them about their experience etc. The going price is usually more than $5k for full car PPF for a Model 3 or Y and that is considered "good." Mine was over $7,000 for my Y and that was with 3M (usually cheaper than Xpel, but often said to be about as good quality wise). I did get some tint done and ceramic coating as well, but the tint was less than $1,000 and I got a huge discount on the ceramic by getting the full body PPF.
If the shop does good work, for $3k I wouldn't even think twice. (I would make sure they tuck all edges around body panels, that they remove badges instead of just cutting around them, etc. Good quality PPF is essentially invisible. The edges are wrapped in such a way that you have to open a door and look under it or look under the car to see the edge of the film, etc)
Plan on anywhere from 5 to 10 days for a full car PPF and ceramic, maybe a couple days less if you don't get ceramic. One thing to inquire about is paint correction before you get the PPF applied. If quality of look is important to you, you want all swirl marks removed from the paint BEFORE they cover it with PPF. A lot of places will just slap it on. Even on a brand new car at minimum a one stage correction should be done, but if you want show room or supercar looks, ask for a two stage paint correction to be done before the PPF. Life time ceramic is also kind of a lie. Usually you need to swing by every year for a "check up" and refresh. Normally the cost is pretty low, $100 or less, and includes a nice wash. If you just never take it back though, that ceramic isn't going to last 5, 10, etc years. It'll start breaking down probably within a year and fairly noticeable within a few years. So if you're going to someone out of town, make sure to factor that in, or essentially ignore the whole "lifetime" thing and be happy with however long it lasts