I think it depends on you. If you are meticulous about your car but like to drive it, PPF is a must have. My last 911 had full PPF and it made a huge difference after 5 years of ownership. Especially if you do a good bit of interstate driving traffic will kick up sand and pepper the front. PPF will protect from 90% of the small abrasive damage.

 

I cover my cars in PPF. I run 8mm anywhere I need PPF sacrifice. The PPF will take the hits and usually protect to the paint to a limit. It's worth the money.

 

I usually PPF the front of my cars (at a minimum). Not just for stone chips, but to ease in cleaning the leading edge from bugs, etc. PPF makes it really easy to do. I even do it on my SUV's, as they are the biggest bug catchers. A quick wipe down with a wet rag, without fear of scratching the paint/swirls. Makes clean up pretty easy.

My 992 Targa (in Jet Black Metallic) I decided to PPF the entire car, this was not for fear of stone chips (obviously will help) but keeping a black car clean is not the easiest of tasks, and the PPF makes it much much easier to keep clean and do quick cleans.

 

No to PPF for multiple reasons; 1) installation can result in other problems; some of them pull a bunch of parts off the car, and I trust only very specific people to do that, and PPF installers aren't it. 2) I have stripes on my car; the right way to PPF is to remove them, then reapply over PPF. No thanks. My side stripes are a CXX option and I don't want some random dude hosing that up. 3) I don't wear condoms anymore.

Yes - I did ceramic, to make washing quicker/easier.

 

I did my 718 in PPF. My 981S got so many rock chips and road damage from being so low to the ground over 65k miles that I didn't want my new car to look that bad. PPF will still get damaged, but you can have them redo the bumper pretty quickly/cheaply or any section that takes damage. I coated in PPF afterwards and now its 15 minutes to wash it tops and I enjoy it always being clean.

It's not worth it if you go through cars quickly or don't care about your paint.

As far as removing parts - the 911 bumpers pop off very easily. I wouldn't be too concerned about it.

 

Those with PPF, do you use automatic car washes? I've used touch free and light touch as I hate washing my car. I'm considering getting plain white again as it's so much easier to keep looking clean-ish. Otherwise, Aventurine Green as I've never had a car that wasn't black, white or silver/grey.

I'm leaning with those who are frustrated by PPF showing hits and being penetrated. I have full front and rear quarter done on my M4 and I have a penetration on my hood and headlight within 10,000 miles. I can pay for a respray/repair for about the same as re-application of the PPF. I appreciate the comments in this thread as I wait for my allocation.

 

I use a rinseless wash - Xpel Rinseless wash or Optimum No Rinse most of the time. About 15-20 minutes without rushing.

If I'm short for time, I'll hit it with the pressure washer and a foam cannon and dry it with my ego leaf blower. This method works pretty well except for the wheels. About 10-15 minutes including doing the wheels with the rinseless wash, with a good chunk of the time being pulling the pressure washer out of the corner of my garage and hooking it up to power and a water supply.

 

I think for recommendations to be useful, they should be based on specific requirements.

Do YOU think you need PPF?

You've never PPF'd any of your cars in the past... have you ever thought to yourself "I wish I had applied a protective film to my car so I would have fewer small stone chips in my paint," or even "I wish there were something I could do to prevent these small stone chips in my paint," or "I would have spent thousands of dollars if I could have avoided these chips to my paint"?

If so, I'm guessing you'd be a good PPF candidate.

If not, I'm guessing you don't need PPF.

I've never PPF'd a car. My cars get a small number of small stone chips. While I keep my cars clean (and use ceramic coatings to help with this) I consider small chips "normal wear and tear" and I don't think twice about them. I've never had any chips of any "significant" size, to my eye - certainly nothing that I've ever thought "I'd have paid $8K to have avoided this" (I don't even think I've had any chip that would make me say I'd have paid TWENTY bucks to avoid!). They do not detract from my enjoyment of the car (it's a car!), and I couldn't care less about resale (I don't buy cars with resale in mind (and if I encountered a buyer who would wring his hands over a stone chip, I don't think he'd be the right buyer, anyway)).

If you have not consciously been bothered by the condition of your cars to date, you might fall in the same boat.

If you have, or if you want to take the best care possible of your car's finish (nothing wrong with that!! these are things of beauty!), then maybe not.

Ultimately, people do things for different and equally valid reasons. I don't think anyone could "definitely recommend" anything for you, until you know what your own reasons are for wanting or not wanting a protective coating...

Good luck!!


P.S. User detansinn posted a nice summary of his 911 after 30K miles, identifying the various chip locations he earned in that time. Yeah it's one user (and driving styles, locations, etc. mean your mileage may vary), but perhaps food for thought...

 

after the fact .....I have ppf on the front .....I wish I had done ceramic coat as well ....

 

Ceramic Pro coating, no PPF

 

I generally PPF the front at a minimum and for 911s, I extend it to the rear quarter panels as well. I ceramic coat the entire car -- CQuartz for painted surfaces and CQuartz Skin for the PPF areas.

 

When I picked up my Panamera Turbo S last November I went straight to the Auto Spa. I'm very lucky to have a superb detailer nearby. Anyway, I had the whole car PPF'd and Ceramic Coated inside and out including the rims. Doesn't make sense to me to spend $200K+ on a new car and not protect it every way I can. When I take delivery of my Carrera 4 GTS in a month or two I'll repeat the process. In case it matters to the OP, the Panamera is Night Blue Metallic, and the 911 is Aventurine Green. Is it expensive? Yes, but to me totally worth it; it makes cleaning a breeze, and when it is clean, it sure looks good. Also bear in mind I'm a complete car nut.

 

I don't. Didn't wrap my GT4, not gonna wrap my 992. I'm not saving it for the next guy. It's a forum-fed phenomenon IMO.

 

to me it depends on paint color. With a black car or a color like night blue I think its worth it just to avoid swirls. Yes if you are a meticulous detailer you can keep a black car swirl free. BUT if the car is something you use a lot and you want to have the country club guy wash it while you play golf then PPF is a great choice.

 

Haven't PPFd the car nor ceramic. Plan on doing the ceramic. That thing helps keep car clean and protect against some environmental aspects.

8-10 k for a full PPF, wonder how much they would charge if you had to get the entire repainted! PPF has a limited life from what I have heard from other car enthusiasts. You will have to replace it and pay that again?

As one of the posters mentioned. It is a fun car, enjoy it and when you move past the paint protection, you will enjoy it more.