[EMIRA]

What protection will you choose? I am considering PPF as I intend to take it to the Australian bush for some loose surface action, car will be smothered with red dirt. The other issue is the barstard hot sun of Australia UV destroying the carbon fiber roof.

I have never bothered with paint protection before so looking for advice/opinions

 

[NA6]

For me it'll depend. If I get my hands on a CE I'll be full body PPFing because it'll definitely be a car I keep long term, if not forever. That $2500 or so will mean I won't have to worry about chips, marring paint, scratches when hand washing, etc.

If I get a white performance pack core, I'll probably just PPF the front clip to protect from highway or track day rock chips.

In both cases, I'll try ceramic coating myself or going with a professional if it looks too daunting. These cars are special, I'm going to do it right the first time around. The saying is buy once cry once right?

 

[SpeedRacer77]

Whichever has better UV resistance. I'm hoping for red, which will not last long parking outside at work each day.

 

[KanmuriDavid]

My plan is to do a full frontal PPF and ceramic coating the entire car. From my experience, PPF is definitely worth the cost.

 

[EL1A]

I’ve had the same thought, hoping to get my hands on a heavy metal circuit pack, would love to PPF it all and look after it as it will definitely be my last petrol car I hope to keep for good. I wonder what would be best for UV protection here as the sun here can be unforgiving to car paint

 

[Wynorrific]

I'm going to do full ceramic and then eventually vinyl wrap it possibly

 

[Asicalao]

I'm going to do full ceramic and then eventually vinyl wrap it possibly

I’m not 100% certain but I have been told that you should PPF first and then do the ceramic coat. If you do the ceramic first the PPF won’t bind correctly do the body since the ceramic nano chemical fills in spaces in the paint. That’s what helps bind the PPF to the body. Then do ceramic on the PPF. I thought the same to do ceramic first and then PPF but was told it’s the opposite.

 

[MrBiggs]

PPF the front end and Ceramic Coating the entire car. Well worth the investment.

 

[Wynorrific]

I’m not 100% certain but I have been told that you should PPF first and then do the ceramic coat. If you do the ceramic first the PPF won’t bind correctly do the body since the ceramic nano chemical fills in spaces in the paint. That’s what helps bind the PPF to the body. Then do ceramic on the PPF. I thought the same to do ceramic first and then PPF but was told it’s the opposite.

I'm not doing PPF. Just ceramic and then the vinyl wrap is for over the coat since I might wrap the car in the GR livery

 

[grfour86c]

PPF the front and ceramic coat the entire car.

 

[ccrook06]

Seems like most are on the same page, front PPF and ceramic coat the rest of the car. I'm told by my detail guys that full PPF is rarely required as rock chips and scuffs normally only occur on the front portion of the car, but if I end up with a CE I'd definitely do the whole car. That thing will be worth protecting.

 

[KanmuriDavid]

Seems like most are on the same page, front PPF and ceramic coat the rest of the car. I'm told by my detail guys that full PPF is rarely required as rock chips and scuffs normally only occur on the front portion of the car, but if I end up with a CE I'd definitely do the whole car. That thing will be worth protecting.

That is my experience on other cars. I would do the whole car, but I don't like the idea of someone disassembling parts of the car, and it can be expensive.

 

[over gear]

roughly, how much is it to PPF front + ceramic coat the rest of a car like Corolla? Not much to PPF on the front bumper....

 

[ccrook06]

roughly, how much is it to PPF front + ceramic coat the rest of a car like Corolla? Not much to PPF on the front bumper....

PPF is quite an expense but worth it. "Front" normally includes the bumper, front fenders, the first foot or two of the hood, and sometimes the mirror caps. On my RS (similar size) it was $1200 or so. Ceramic coating is normally a couple hundred unless you do it yourself.

 

[HatchbackEnthusiast]

This is gonna be my first new car but I intend to keep the car long term so I'm here to soak up knowledge. It sounds like PPF front and then ceramic is the best bang for your buck. I'm not trying to keep the car immaculate because I plan to drive it a lot but I will do my best to keep it whole. How long does this combo last before I need to get it redone for those that have experience?

 

[ccrook06]

It's a good route, I picked up a rock chip a week before I was getting PPF on my previous car and almost died. It's painful to not have lol.

PPF varies depending on the company and product, but most cases it'll last 5+ years. Ceramic coating is shorter but also varies depending on what product you use. Normaly 2-3 yrs is the average with some lasting longer.

 

[underscore]

I've never had anything worth protecting before but it'll depend a little on the final cost of the car. If I'm at or over budget just getting it then I won't be spending any extra on lots of PPF. I have kids so the car will be getting scratches and dings and stains no matter what.

I'm leaning towards just having PPF done on the A pillars and roof. My thinking being that I can have the bumper/hood/fenders repainted or replaced if a rock chip leads to rust. But the roof and pillars I can't, and I've had rock chips become rust spots on both of those areas on past vehicles of mine. Maybe that's not a normal thing to do so correct me if that's a bad idea but that's my thinking.

 

[ccrook06]

I've never had anything worth protecting before but it'll depend a little on the final cost of the car. If I'm at or over budget just getting it then I won't be spending any extra on lots of PPF. I have kids so the car will be getting scratches and dings and stains no matter what.

I'm leaning towards just having PPF done on the A pillars and roof. My thinking being that I can have the bumper/hood/fenders repainted or replaced if a rock chip leads to rust. But the roof and pillars I can't, and I've had rock chips become rust spots on both of those areas on past vehicles of mine. Maybe that's not a normal thing to do so correct me if that's a bad idea but that's my thinking.

Not a bad idea! This was the rock chip I got on mine right before PPF, down to the bare metal. I'd still recommend the hood because paint matching is rough, but I can understand letting the bumper get thrashed and replace later.

 

[ccrook06]

I will say a big concern for me with the GRC is how flared the fenders are. My Shelby has PPF on the rear fenders as well, and it is very much required. The flared front wheels launch all kinds of crap directly at the rear fenders. I expect this to be similar with the GRC, but we may just have to wait and see.

 

[underscore]

View attachment 1896

Not a bad idea! This was the rock chip I got on mine right before PPF, down to the bare metal. I'd still recommend the hood because paint matching is rough, but I can understand letting the bumper get thrashed and replace later.

Good point on the paint matching, I'm wanting white so I would assume matching a plain white isn't too bad, but if I end up with that fancy red it probably gets trickier and therefore pricier. Since the bumper is mostly grille I'm curious if just the black plastic bits can be replaced when they get chewed up. If not then I'm curious how people plan to protect the gloss black on the CE.