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What’s the verdict? Does PPF somewhat dull the look of the paint?
I’m pretty set on getting a front PPF + ceramic on my incoming C4S Coupe but want to make sure my expectations are set appropriately. I recall seeing a thread a few months ago about the possibility of PPF dulling the look of the paint slightly. What’s the consensus?
Yes I understand the benefits of PPF for someone who is OCD about stone chips, and perhaps it’s a worthy trade off in exchange for some level of relative “dullness”, but I’m curious to know in absolute terms what PPF does to the look of the paint. My only previous experience is with ceramic, which I find to make paint look incredible. My installer will be using STek film.
These cars are so small and easy to wax. I can't imagine throwing money at a "ceramic" job that you can very easily do yourself if you are sold on those products that are NOT permanent.
I have xpel ppf on the full front and hood and ceramic pro, to my eye, the ppf isn’t noticeable unless you’re really looking for it. I’m glad I have it, makes washing a breeze and also provides peace of mind.
Ive hsd x2 Jet Black and one Black (non-metallic) P with partial wrap and have no doubt PPF reduces the sparkle of metallic finish and depth of shine of non metallic paint - this can be overcome somewhat with spray on gloss enhancers and they still look great
My GT Silver 992 has front clip, doors, a-pillars and hips PPF’d, and the whole car is ceramic-coated. I’m pretty OCD, and I can’t really tell a difference.
You will lose some depth. On some colors, it’s more noticeable than others. It is one of the sacrifices that you make with it.
PPF does weather over time — something that people don’t talk about when they first get it done. If you actually drive the car, you’ll start to notice the degradation in clarity after a few years. Self healing films aren’t a panacea. My OCD limit with PPF is about 3-4 years — you’ll want to redo it at that time, because It starts looking meh.
I have done PPF on other cars (heck, done wraps as well), but I skipped PPF on my Aventurine Green 992 C4S. When the detailer saw the color for the first time, they agreed with my decision.
PPF saved the day on my Alfa Romeo when I was hit by a hubcap bouncing down the road at speed. The film took the hit and looked ugly, but it saved the front fascia. Worth it for a rare car, even with the cost of redoing the PPF.
I have xpel ppf on the full front and hood and ceramic pro, to my eye, the ppf isn’t noticeable unless you’re really looking for it. I’m glad I have it, makes washing a breeze and also provides peace of mind.
XPEL PPF is engineered to be "virtually unnoticeable" and give exterior paint that just washed look. Ceramic coating is ideal for enhancing the depth of the color.
We can't speak for the other brands, but XPEL has not heard of ULTIMATE PLUS having a dulling affect on exterior paint, so I think you'll be alright. We recently treated this 2021 Targa at the Las Vegas XPEL install center with a PPF full front to give you a visual of how it looks when completed.
But just like paint itself, unless you maintain the PPF, it will dull the paint.
Keep it clean, apply some sort of ceramic coating and resign yourself to changing the PPF approximately every 2 years, depending on your use and how and where you park your car.
Just remember not to let those "lifetime warranty" claims bedazzle, all PPF's yellow over time. Just a matter when, not if.
Last edited by ipse dixit; 07-27-2021 at 02:09 PM.
I think if you put two identical 992's side by side--one with PPF and one without--you could likely tell the difference under the right lighting. But you'd have to look pretty closely. Objectively speaking, the one without PPF is going to look richer and deeper, but the difference is subtle. The giveaway for me is that some/many films (e.g., Expel) have a tiny bit of "orange peel" texture, and if you look closely under the right lighting you can see it.
I did Expel on my 992, and this is the first car I've ever PPF'd. TBH I'm torn on the merits. There are pros and cons to doing it versus not. I have 2500 miles on mine now, which includes a couple short road (freeway) trips, and I have accumulated 2 or 3 small rock/pebble impacts that the PPF absorbed--two on the front bumper and one in the middle of the hood. If I'm being honest, had those chips been absorbed by the paint instead of the film, it would have bothered me, especially for a car that is still quite new and expensive. So I guess in that regard, I'm glad I decided to go with the PPF this time around. But the thing that kinda stinks is that the PPF *shows* these blemishes, and honestly I think it shows them *more* than it would have without the film. In theory, you can get back to a brand new look by simply replacing the film, but that's expensive and impractical IMO.
So to PPF or not is kind of a "pick your poison" kind of situation. There are significant disadvantages to both. But to your original question, unless you are really really particular about paint depth/texture, you're not likely to notice a significant difference, if at all.
Best part about PPF in my opinion is it lets you be lazy once in a while without too much consequence. Pesky bug guts on paint a bit too long? You gotta be careful going about taking care of them or you'll leave marks on the clear. If it's on ppf on the bumper, I don't mind being a little lazy every so often and just use some detail spray and scrub it til its gone. If it's directly on paint then I gotta break out the bug remover, soak the sponge, be careful about pressure and such.
I've heard the Prestige ClearGuard Alpha is pretty clear with a high gloss and it's self healing properties are supposedly different from other films in that it can heal without heat. I've always used XPEL Ultimate on my cars and will probably go with Ultimate Plus this time around since it's a reputable product.
Has anyone actually placed a glossmeter on a car pre and post ppf? Every PPF car I've seen seems to have less gloss or depth, but maybe it's just my eyes and certainly not a quantitative measurement.
07-27-2021, 12:25 PM
What’s the verdict? Does PPF somewhat dull the look of the paint?
