Black Stig

Need some help from the hive.
I have a 992 C4S coming to the dealer tomorrow.
I chose to get the front PPF when I ordered from the factory.
The dealer from Chicago is now offering to complete the PPF themselves and also put ceramic coating which I learned is something called Cilajet ceramic.
Their PPF brand is "roadblock".
I would like full PPF and ceramic coating but I am concerned about these particular brands and also having a dealer apply them.
Thoughts?

Thanks!

steve9

It's difficult to find independent reviews of Cilajet ceramic as their products appear to be distributed and applied via main car dealers, but at least one Mercedes customer was very negative about the product - see below although one never knows if its a problem with the product, the application or the expectations of the customer. Their move into ceramics must be fairly recent - Cilajet have been around for a while and their previous non-ceramic sealant type products, like the competing (here in the UK) Autoglym Lifeshine and Supagard and widely regarded as being a waste of money and an easy win for the dealer. There is much better value in going to a reputable independent detailer and I would better trust them to prepare the car - decontaminate, paint correction etc before the PPF & ceramic application.

I cannot comment on the detailing / PPF abilities of your dealer but here in the UK I would not let any dealer, regardless of brand, do any form of detailing on my car. When I leave it in for servicing I even leave firm instructions not to wash it.

If you have time you may receive a more useful / detailed response if you post on a detailing forum. I mean you are making a big investment in the car, so you really want the best possible job within reasonable cost of course. Let us know how you get on!

Penn4S

All I can say is if you have other options do not have the dealer apply your PPF and Ceramic. Go to a specialist/installer that does this everyday and uses proven brands Like Xpel with proven track record of performance. The dealer will either sub contract it out or have someone do it that does not have the level of experience needed to provide great finished work. These cars are not Ming vases, you can drive them for a while and choose a proper installer based on recommendations and reviews. Let a pro do your $100k+ car not the dealer.
Same with Ceramic, go with the proven brands, CQuartz, Ceramic Pro, Modesta and several others not some brand no one has heard of. Don’t be a guinea pig

Sorcerer 11

I would not let the dealer apply PPF to my car. Its all about the preparation beforehand to get a good finish, otherwise you are just putting a clear film over swirls and scratches or blemishes.
False economy in my opinion and I always have a specialist apply ceramic coating to my cars, although I have also had PPF applied to the side skirts on my TTS

Mozella55

As far as I'm concerned, PPF reminds me of my crazy aunt who had clear plastic covering her sofa and lamp shades, but suit yourself.

If you are able/willing to wash your own car, you can and probably should apply a ceramic coating yourself. Any mouth-breather who can read is capable of doing this simple job. I did my Panamera last summer and yesterday I started on my new Cayman. I'll finish it today. Here's a rough outline of how simple it is:
I bought a kit on Amazon consisting of a tiny 60ml bottle of Adams Graphene along with some prep spray, several micro fiber towels, gloves, a "topper" spray to refresh the coating after a year, a couple of applicator pads, and a nifty UV light. The light is used to check the unifomity of the coating since the Adams product has a tracer which glows under UV light. This factor alone sold me on Adams. Plus it has great reviews and after experiencing how easy it is to use and how well it helps keep my Panamera clean, I'm using it again on my Cayman. By the way, the cost was something like $120 more or less and it only took half a bottle for my Panamera, so I'm going to do two cars for that price.
Wash the car using the two bucket method with a special "stripper" detergent. Normal car wash products are designed to minimize harm to your wax or other coating. The stripper detergent is designed to remove everything.
Then spray the car with something like Iron-X to take care of any embedded iron contamination.
Wash and rinse and then either clay bar while still wet and soapy or use a clay bar lubricant.
Then wash and rinse again. By this time you will be tired of washing.
Dry carefully. By now I'm tired, so I let the car sit overnight.
Next day decide on how much paint correction you need or want to do. Whatever swirls and scratches are in your clear coat will remain unless you fix them now, but with a new car you may not need any paint correction at all unless you plan to enter car shows. This is especially true if you prohibit the dealer from touching the paint. When I took delivery two days ago, I inspected my car with a special paint examining light and showed the salesman what it looked like. Then I told him to examine the brand new Boxter in the showroom which he just sold that day. He came back astounded and only then understood why I didn't want his shop crew to damage my perfect new paint job. Anyhow, suit yourself on paint correction.
Then give the car a thorough wipe-down with IPA or the stuff labeled as "Prep Spray" that came in your kit.
Now wipe the juice on in small areas, like one door at a time for example. Let it haze over for a few minutes and then wipe it off. Go on to the next area and check your work using the UV light to be sure you haven't missed any areas. When you're done, do the wheels too. Keep it dry for 48 hours and don't wash it for a few days and you'll be a happy camper. Every step of this process is covered in great detail on You'Tube.

Dirt tends not to stick and what does stick is really easy to remove. I haven't touched my Panamera with a wash mitt for over 6 months. I rinse it, hit it with a snow foam cannon, let it sit for a minute, rinse it off, and blow dry the car. This is relatively quick, it's very easy, and it not only results in a clean car but it avoids any scratches. I only wipe bugs from the front bumper of the car using a quick detailer, but otherwise I don't touch the paint.

The job is tedious, no doubt about that. But it is simple and for sixty bucks per car and two half-days work, you can have a coating job which some people charge over a thousand bucks for.

jdwoodbury

Based on the prep of my new car I would not trust them to apply PPF at all.

CodyBigdog

What everyone else said. Ditto. I would have the applications done at an independent company that does this full time. I did note have the factory do is because, if there are quality issues, etc, there’s not much that my dealer can do (at least that’s what my dealer said).

My dealer (in fact, I don’t know any dealer in my area that does this themselves) has the work done by and independent company, although I understand the dealer does let them use their facilities (maybe cleaner, etc?).

ipse dixit

I think your first mistake was ordering PPF from the factory.

I would only do this for ED, never if I was taking delivery stateside.

Black Stig

Thanks for the great responses.
Now, I’m a bit worried on how the factory PPF will look/last.
But you guys are right.
I can’t find any reliable good review.
Too risky.

I sent my dealer a message to cancel the PPF and ceramic coating application.
I’ll look around first. No hurry.
Someone already quoted me a much better price for an Xpel PPF.

Thanks again!
Car should be with me in a few days....

RD16RR

Really says it all right there 100%

Carl Over

Definitely don’t let the dealer install PPF nor ceramic. It will likely be sub par. Speak with local PCA Chapter members and they will point you in the right direction. You will be much happier.

gohawks23

Just another quick shout out in regards to props for Ivan at Lustr Detail in Chicagoland...extremely responsive and professional PPF/wheel ceramic job...highly recommended!

Penn4S

Why, why, why would you have a dealer, who will most likely sub contract the work out, do your PPF and apply a No-name Ceramic coating.

The key to a great PPF install and Ceramic application is the excellence of the installer and the prep of the paint. Even on a new car. This is not what dealers do in a regular basis and they are high mark up items for them.

Find a qualified and highly recommended installer, paint correct your car and have one of the better coatings applied. Don’t make life more difficult for your self.

malibu515

There is no way a Dealer can apply a wrap as good as a High End Installer. First, the car must be in an isolated area, not exposed to other cars having mechanical work. Next, there are so many details that define a proper wrap,
that you can expect problems down the road with a Dealer Installation. You can consult Esoteric or Clear Bra Ohio as two references. Talk to your salesman and see if you can decline the install and get your money back.

RD16RR

I don't think any dealers actually apply the product - i'd bet most send the car out to the shop they work with