ttcbj

I have a new Boxster GTS 4.0 arriving in a few weeks. I am really struggling with whether to do PPF or not, but leaning against. There have been many threads asking this question in the abstract, but I am hoping for responses from owners with cars that are now 6+ years old:

1. Are there any 981 owners who regret not doing PPF, because the car has significant paint damage now?
2. Are there any 981 owners who did PPF and regretted it (bad application, problems later)?
3. Is there anyone who did not get PPF, but then did a paint correction for chips later? If so, was your experience positive or negative? What was the cost? (One option I am considering is skipping the PPF, enjoy the car, and then get a paint correction done if chips start to bother me).

Thanks for your help!

9eight7

If you want to keep your car in pristine condition, then I would ppf it. That being said, my previous cayman didn’t have ppf and my current one does. It’s missing ppf on a few panels and I will eventually have it done.

When people say paint correction, it’s usually referred to leveling the clear coat on your car to have clear reflection. Think clean mirror vs dirty mirror. The clear coat is usually between 35 and 50 microns (or 1.5-2 mils) which is thinner than your hair. You can’t paint correct if there’s no clear coat. Think of paint correction as leveling sand in a sand box. If you level to the bottom then you’ll have to add more sand or else you’ll have a hole in the sand box.

Rock chips or scratches down to the metal is repaired with paint and clear coat. No amount of paint correction (clear coat removal) will put color onto metal.

Ppf is like adding a screen protector or case onto your phone. It is a physical layer that protects it from “light” damage. Some people use phone cases and others don’t. Hopefully this helps a little.

rdboxster

We have PPF on the cayenne, 981 Boxster GTS and an older BMW328. Wouldn’t have a car without it and no regrets. The BMW is white and the film has yellowed a bit but it’s 9 years old. Newer film is much better. The film is in very good shape otherwise. Installation is key, need someone who is really good. The Boxster had chips on both air intakes when I bought it with 4500 miles. I had the panel around the air intakes wrapped along with the rocker panels. It has held up well.

Kancamagus

My car is a weekender and spends 90% of the time on deserted back roads. I got it anyway because the cost was incidental to the value of the car. But if you drive on the highway regularly I would strongly recommend it.

Tommy L Garage

No PPf and no regrets.
saved $3k by not doing it.

Rocking a few chips here and there. I fully embrace them! Adds to the character of the car.

During resale having ppf won’t gain me $3k.

Fuzzy Dunlop

I don't have protection on my car or my phone. For different reasons though.

For the car, I think it only matters to you and potentially the person you sell it to. I have had the car since new. I have rock chips. I am pretty sure I am the only person that notices them. nothing major. Just a consequence of driving around in a hostile world. and the autobahn. and new jersey.

I'm old school with semi-regular clay, polish and sealant. hand wash only. I like doing that stuff. And I get compliments on how good the car looks.

I think most of the people who have ppf are active on internet forums. And if you google, "should I get PPF," the results are all from PPF installers. Not saying that it is wrong to have done... just ask yourself more than the internet... if imperfections keep you up at night, then it is probably worthwhile. Or if you are trying to avoid some level of car detailing.

My thought is that it is a car. And I don't park it in a show room.

Now, the selling/ potential buyer piece is interesting. I've always wondered what the premium is for a car with PPF and is that premium more than the cost of the PPF install. I can never find an answer on that.

CaymanCarver

We are #3 exactly.

The hood of the car was chipped up pretty bad. Fixed it with Dr. ColorChip which did a GREAT job. LINK
Performed a very cautious color correction over the entire car with an eye on preserving the clear coat.
Since then have gotten a few new chips in the front bumper and one big one on the hood. Dr. ColorChip to the rescue again.

Wash routine has been "touchless (for the most part) foam cannon power wash & rinse, with liberal application of P&S Beadmaker (sealer ..allowed to cure overnight).
The gloss is amazing and this keeps the car looking fantastic ..comments from many is "that's a 2015? ..looks freakin' brand new".

IMHO you need that extra protection up front.

I think its best to PPF the front of the car (which is what I have on the Viper [color correction/CQuartz/Xpel]).
OR maybe do one of those super hard ceramic coatings.

ttcbj

Thanks for all the responses. Are you saying, here, that you wish you did the PPF at the beginning of ownership (up front), despite successfully fixing the chips? Or, are you just acknowledging that without PPF in the front of the car (up front), you need to accept that you will be fixing chips periodically, but that the Dr. ColorChip solution works well?

Thanks!

Diablo Dude

I bought my car used with 1200 miles on it from a Porsche dealer and it came with Prestige Clear Guard Nano PPF already installed on it from the previous owner, by Premier Automotive in Fremont.

It cost $5,000
It was a top notch install and Im very happy with it.

CaymanCarver

For me its been kind of a grand experiment, not really any regrets. PPF could still happen.

Yeah, without some kind of extra protection up front, paint chips are inevitable.

Right now, glad to know that Dr. ColorChip is there if/when I need it.. but I consider it part of the color correction process.
My hope was that applying multiple layers of P&S Beadmaker would've provided better protection, but it hasn't.
P&S Beadmaker is a fantastic paint sealer, provides incredible shine and UV protection.

I'm also considering one of the super hard ceramic/carbon coatings too. I'd like to see how well one of those perform before taking the leap to PPF.

Options are good.

maximusbibicus

For me its not just about the stone chips. If you do a lot of highway driving you develop pitting, or rash on the front bumper. The rest of the car could be super shiny and polished but you can never get the front to look and feel the same way. PPF eliminates that for me as well as giving decent stone chip protection. On my CX5 i have two massive stone chips that ripped through the PPF, little dents too. It didn't help at all. I have a warranty so going to check in with the guy and see if he will redo my hood.

BudgetPlan1

I think it really all depends on how you plan to use the car and what your particular 'asthetic tolerance level' is.

Bought a CPO 981 w 12k miles back in 9/2019 and drove it pretty much daily for 7 months outta the year, no PPF. About 17 months, 12k miles later my personal 'asthetic tolerance level' was exceeded and things woulda kept going downhill so had a few panels resprayed (hood, fender, bumper) and PPF'd the entire thing in 04/2021.

Just for me, no intention of selling car, so cost was worth it for my personal wants and needs going forward. It'll still take some 'road grief' as PPF is not gonna save me from everything but overall it fit my particular situation.

More info here on why, pics of a few things that exceeded my tolerance level: https://budgetplan1.wordpress.com/20...pray-ppf-more/

Consider your options, act accordingly, no universal right or wrong answer.

iammacey

Are rock chips going to bother you? Do you plan to keep the vehicle forever and want the patina? Or do you want high impact areas protected and you potentially replace the PPF years down the road?

I'm glad to have PPF on the GT4. I didn't have PPF on the 981 GTS, the 718 base, not did we install it on the Cayman T. Chips will happen without it. They will happen worse on-track, tailgating, etc...

Paint correction will remove scratches. It won't do anything for chips. Those you have to touch-up first and they won't be as noticeable, be will still be noticeable.

All about what you want long term with the car.

Rogon55

My 981 came with PPF and Im happy it did, I can see in one or two places were rocks have hit and there are very slight marks on the film, really hard to see them to anyone but me so Im ok with it and the paint is protected, is a white car and there is no yellowing yet and the film is about 6 yrs old, so is staying. My friend got a 981 that had the PPF like mine full front clip, he had it removed cause he didn't like it, had the paint corrected and the car looks fantastic, one week after removing it he got hit by a rock and it went all the way to the metal, had to get it fixed cause it really looked bad. So Im not removing mine specially with all the highway construction going on in my area.

TMc993

Also note that products like Dr. Color Chip work very well with some colors and not so well with others. Primary colors are the simplest to match and repair. "High metallic" finishes are the most difficult because the metal flake in the repair kit may be a slightly different size or may not lay on in the same direction as the factory paint, thus reflecting light differently than the factory paint. I have a Rhodium Silver Cayman and have one very obvious chip that simply will not take the paint correctly. It's maddening.