Ceramic vs/on top of PPF sealant

[R1Fast]

Question for you PPF gurus out there.

Just got my 3 wrapped in Xpel Ultimate+ and will be doing CQuartz ceramic coating next week.

Browsing the Xpel website I noticed there Flawless Finish PPF cleaner and sealant.

If doing ceramic, is there any benefit of doing the PPF sealant before doing the ceramic? Or would it even possibly be a detriment to the ceramic if there is a layer of PPF sealant underneath, such as problems with adhesion?

Am I better off just sticking with ceramic?

 

[ftlum]

PPF is to protect against mild damage like rock chips. Ceramic coatings are more like a long lasting wax and can make the car glossier and easier to wash.

It’s possible to put ceramic over PPF, but my detailer surprised me when he recommended against this, even acknowledging that Xpel’s website says you can do it. He recommended a different product that the customer reapplies monthly until Xpel finally comes out with their own ceramic coating (maybe later this year).

 

[Frieda’s Boss]

Question for you PPF gurus out there.

Just got my 3 wrapped in Xpel Ultimate+ and will be doing CQuartz ceramic coating next week.

Browsing the Xpel website I noticed there Flawless Finish PPF cleaner and sealant.

If doing ceramic, is there any benefit of doing the PPF sealant before doing the ceramic? Or would it even possibly be a detriment to the ceramic if there is a layer of PPF sealant underneath, such as problems with adhesion?

Am I better off just sticking with ceramic?

@R1Fast I'm in the same boat where I have Xpel Ultimate and wasn’t sure if “regular” ceramic coatings would bond differently to PPF vs Paint. I ended up buying Feynlab PPF & Vinyl Ceramic Coating that is supposedly designed for that application. I’m planning on applying it next week (shooting for 2 coats), so I’ll try to update this post with the experience & results.

 

[Abstrakt1]

I have ceramic over my PPF with no issue. Gives the whole car that fresh waxed glow. My installer recommended it that way and has his 3 completely wrapped in PPF and coated with ceramic.

 

[Gavyne]

It's standard to do PPF then ceramic coating on top. Haven't heard anybody apply anything in between. It's not surprising XPEL is trying to sell their own sealant, it's called upsell

If you want to be sure, do PPF then lay ceramic coating on top of it. That's how it has been done for quite a long time.

 

[Frieda’s Boss]

I have ceramic over my PPF with no issue. Gives the whole car that fresh waxed glow. My installer recommended it that way and has his 3 completely wrapped in PPF and coated with ceramic.

@Abstrakt1 just curious, but what brand & product of coating did you use? Also did you DIY or did you have your PPF shop apply it?

 

[Abstrakt1]

@Abstrakt1 just curious, but what brand & product of coating did you use? Also did you DIY or did you have your PPF shop apply it?

I had the shop apply it, I have a friend at the shop so I got a good price. I may try the DIY in a year or so when I want to buff out the micro scratches. DIY is so cheap I could do extra coats but I get nervous about messing it up. 3M PPF and ceramic pro are the brands on mine currently.

 

[bluescale]

The only thing to consider about doing PPF *before* doing the ceramic coat is that you don't get paint correction done unless your PPF shop is the same as your coating shop, and you plan it out. My PPF shop is different from my ceramic shop. They both recommended wrapping the car first, and then coating it. I plan to have my detailer first do paint correction, then have the car wrapped, and then take it back to the detailer to get coated.

Of course, I need Tesla to fix the major paint flaws (chips, nubs, etc...) before I can do any of this. <sigh>

 

[03DSG]

My guy used Feynlab on the entire car. Feynlab Heal Lite on the paint corrected bodywork and Feynlab PPF and Vinyl on the PPF.

FEYNLAB PPF & VINYL | Ceramic Coating Waterspot Protection for Films

 

[Mum Sports]

We are installer for both Xpel and Ceramic. Xpel is mostly for road hazard and Ceramic is coating paint protection. The car in picture has Full package Xpel and Ceramic pro Gold package.

 

[R1Fast]

Thanks for the responses everyone! But... I may not have asked my question clearly.

I know I can install ceramic over PPF and am already planning to do that.

My question is about using a PPF sealant (specifically Xpels Flawless Finish PPF Sealant) before applying the ceramic.

Will the PPF sealant cause any issues with the ceramic if the ceramic is applied over it (ike adhesion problems, reduced longevity etc.)? Xpel claims that the sealant locks in the pores of the PPF which seems like it would prevent the ceramic from bonding since it normally fills in the same pores.

Am I over-complicating things or legit concern?

 

[bluescale]

Thanks for the responses everyone! But... I may not have asked my question clearly.

I know I can install ceramic over PPF and am already planning to do that.

My question is about using a PPF sealant (specifically Xpels Flawless Finish PPF Sealant) before applying the ceramic.

Will the PPF sealant cause any issues with the ceramic if the ceramic is applied over it (ike adhesion problems, reduced longevity etc.)? Xpel claims that the sealant locks in the pores of the PPF which seems like it would prevent the ceramic from bonding since it normally fills in the same pores.

Am I over-complicating things or legit concern?

I think you're over complicating it. That looks to me like it's just a polish designed for PPF. Any detailer will polish the car before dropping a ceramic coat anyway. I don't think it'll harm anything, but I don't think it's necessary, either. When you pay for the ceramic coating, you're paying for the prep work. They'll probably remove anything you've put on there during their prep, and polish it to their own specifications. Your safest bet, though, would be to talk to the CQuartz shop you plan to use.

 

[SSCustoms]

We often put Ceramic Pro on top of PPF, especially for full car jobs!