Paint Protection Film vs Ceramic Coating | FerrariChat

Paint Protection Film vs Ceramic Coating

Discussion in 'Detailing & Showroom' started by JotaEle, Jun 26, 2019.

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  1. JotaEle

    JotaEle Karting
    Rossa Subscribed

    Oct 13, 2018
    136
    Full Name:
    Smörg
    ...... and yes, I'm totally aware that this topic may have been discussed ad nauseam, however it may be worth to refresh it unless the gods of the forum deem it otherwise.

    A new Portofino will be delivered to me in some months (sad icon here) and I'm over the idea of any of the two protection methods, unless there's any other I'm unfamiliar with.

    I know Paint Protection film has the advantage of protecting the paint against minor impacts, scratches even and Ceramic Coating is friendlier in terms of implementation.

    Many are very satisfied about the idea of having their cars not only protected but looking as a lighthouse in a moonless night, flashy, a beacon, an icon. What I would be looking after is a protected car, but I'm happy with the sense of it aging gracefully (if not badly) so I would run away from the "showroom effect" some products have. I would rather like to blend in the traffic and not be the only man in an Amazonian village.

    How about discussing the varieties of Ceramic/Paint Protection, brands and all that for newborns?
     
  2. sherloc

    sherloc Rookie

    Sep 24, 2012
    1
    I just bought a black 430 spider .I would like the pros and cons of ceramic coating. the car is clean and I would like to keep it that way thanks for any info. don the newbie.
     
  3. Zeff

    Zeff Formula Junior

    Oct 8, 2018
    678
    Cupertino, Ca
    Full Name:
    Ryan
    Hello Don
    I got my car done a couple of months ago with the ceramic coating. I did two things, protective film over front bumper, fog lenses, entire hood and mirrors then installed the ceramic coating. Other than the cost I see no negatives. It has been a real pleasure to keep clean. I mainly mix up a small amount of rubbing alcohol and water and spray on and wipe off with a micro fiber towel. Never clean paint with a dry towel as this removes the coating at a faster rate. The car stays really clean but when it does get a little dirt it will wipe off with ease. The car maintains a nice new look. That’s about it. The protective film adds another layer of protection. With replacement fog lenses about 1k I wanted to protect them too. Only makes sense. If you plan on driving the car a lot I would not hesitate on this decision. Some of my friends who own real real expensive exotics live by this. I tend to agree with them 100 percent.
     
    TestShoot likes this.
  4. MobileJay

    MobileJay Formula 3
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    Sep 9, 2006
    1,441
    Houston
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    Jason Cavallo
    If you are wanting to go with one instead of both, I will always suggest Paint Protection Film (PPF) over a ceramic. While the ceramic coatings (certain ones) are great and they do have their place in vehicle maintenance, they will NOT protect from rock chips, scratches, people walking by with buttons on their jeans and/or the ones that think its okay to put a foot on the fender or a baby on the hood for that #photoopp. This is where ppf comes in because it is self healing to an extent and you don't have to worry about the paint getting ruined. Washing becomes a little easier and quicker since you don't have to be as cautious as you would be without ppf. For a bit now, Suntek and Stek have been the leaders in clarity for ppf. Xpel has brand recognition but the clarity is lacking. Make sure you do your research on installer because this is critical!

    As for ceramic coatings, like I said, they have their place and work wonderfully. The remove the need to wax the car generally for the life of the coating. As for polishing to remove imperfections, as long as you have the proper wash media and knowledge, you shouldn't induce any marring thus not having anything to polish away. The ceramics do give you a small barrier where they help to prevent the light micro marring that can be induced when using the wrong towels or wash mitt just not as much as ppf and if you do have some very light scratches chances are they are in the coating and did not get into the actual clear coat. The coatings can keep the paint looking fantastic as a freshly detailed car years after application. If you will hardly ever wash the car and just wipe it down with a quick detailer after a drive I would highly suggest staying away from a ceramic since you will be inducing marring to the paint and the money you spent will be a waste. Whether or not you have a coating you should never wipe the car down after driving, always use a proper dry or wash or rinseless wash product if you do not want to go the traditional hose and buckets method. You will get a bunch of different options here but personally I won't use anything other than Cquartz coatings since I have tested the range and have been over the moon with the performance and lifespan of each one.

    For me and my ocd + lack of time I have had my last two vehicles fully wrapped in ppf and coated in Cquartz Finest Reserve. This takes away any stress from driving on our terrible roads, behind trucks and parking in parking lots. Plus washing takes MUCH less time now and I can enjoy my weekends without spending 6 hours washing my cars.
     
  5. luca's308gts

    luca's308gts Karting

    Dec 16, 2016
    81
    Minneapolis
    Full Name:
    Bill
    What are people's experience with PPF in terms of getting cloudy, brittle and adhering to the paint, possibly even taking some paint with it when removed. My car is a '98 550 and had ceramic coating applied prior to installation of PPF. (My local shop who makes their living from installing PPF highly recommended I have my film removed as it its 7 years old and over time my paint could be at risk - and this guy makes his living installing film!)
     
  6. Zeff

    Zeff Formula Junior

    Oct 8, 2018
    678
    Cupertino, Ca
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    Ryan
    Is your car exposed to the sun all the time. Is the car mostly inside a garage?
     
  7. BMW.SauberF1Team

    BMW.SauberF1Team F1 World Champ

    Dec 4, 2004
    14,244
    I've seen a few users on older threads recommend ceramic be applied on top of PPF so that the PPF doesn't dull over time and can maintain a shine. How many people are doing that? How many are doing ceramic on the paint first and then PPF and then ceramic again on the PPF? Seems like a lot to me but I guess if it is the best way to protect...
     
  8. ttforcefed

    ttforcefed F1 World Champ
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    Aug 22, 2002
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    you never put ppf over ceramic. i personally never put ceramic over paint, just over ppf.
     
    PTG1, Graz and ifeelfree0 like this.
  9. ttforcefed

    ttforcefed F1 World Champ
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    Aug 22, 2002
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  10. luca's308gts

    luca's308gts Karting

    Dec 16, 2016
    81
    Minneapolis
    Full Name:
    Bill
    Thanks for the input; as a point of clarification given the invoices that came with the car it seems the film was applied before the ceramic coating.
    Second item; the car is only in the sun when I go for a ride or at the 3-4 cars show each summer, e.g. maybe 20 - 30 hours a year, I also use a sacrificial coating virtually every time I wash (horse hair brush and blow dried). .
    So I'm thinking I'm ok with the film.
     
  11. ttforcefed

    ttforcefed F1 World Champ
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    Aug 22, 2002
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    not sure if you are looking for an answer to a question?
    that makes sense the ppf wen on first. all the ceramic really does it make the car easier to wash. it doesnt protect from scratches etc. the ppf protects from the sun but it too can be scratched.
     
    Caeruleus11 likes this.
  12. BMW.SauberF1Team

    BMW.SauberF1Team F1 World Champ

    Dec 4, 2004
    14,244
    Wow, I just found out about this. It's spray-able PPF basically. I'm curious how it holds up over the longrun.

     
  13. JohnInItaly

    JohnInItaly Karting

    Feb 5, 2019
    113
    California
    Full Name:
    John McCoy
    I just bought a car at a Ferrari dealership and they showed me various cars with different treatments. Film has a lifetime, and eventually needs to be replaced, but it is just peeled off and reapplied. You can also pick and choose where you want it, as the pieces come pre-cut from special CAD machines.The Ferrari factory uses lower quality film in smaller sheets, compared to the 3M product in full size sheets now available in the USA. Side by side comparison at Foreign Cars Italia was very convincing. I was happy to see actual work performed by the same technician who will apply my product. Think of ceramic coating as a protective clear paint coat, that is a permanent addition to the paint.
     
  14. Zeff

    Zeff Formula Junior

    Oct 8, 2018
    678
    Cupertino, Ca
    Full Name:
    Ryan
    The 3M film is very good to protect the paint from paint damage. The ceramic coating is good for minor paint protection but will give the car an incredible shine and will make it super easy to maintain and keep clean. On a high end vehicle it’s a must in my opinion. If you have a Ferrari you want it to have an incredible shine and look perfect all the time in my opinion. Doing both is not cheap but it’s worth it. As far as making the film last longer, I doubt it but time will tell. Most of us don’t store the vehicle outside so it shouldn’t matter much.
     
  15. Graz

    Graz Formula 3

    Oct 15, 2012
    2,289
    New Jersey and Florida
    Full Name:
    Graziano
    3M film is inferior to the newer offerings like Xpel etc.
     
  16. ifeelfree0

    ifeelfree0 Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 26, 2014
    571
    Medina, Ohio
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    Dan
    I purchased a CS last year and had it filmed and ceramic coated. While I didn’t want to spend the extra $$ (already tapped out), I would do all over again. Car looks amazing. Since it’s driven sparingly , the cc should last me well beyond 1-2 yrs. I have a 575 that was paint corrected and a sealant applied- looks great and easy to keep that way with a product like Gyeon or Reload The choice would be dependent on the car and condition. CS is Rosso Scuderia and the 575 is Nero. The 575 has 23k miles and still some minor chips so I didn’t think think it was worth the extra bucks to go top shelf
    I
     
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