If you don't want PPF then fine but this has descended into nonsense
Two panels of Sapphire Blue metallic side by side. One with PPF for 4.5 years, one with out. Which is which?

Guards red. Two panels side by side. One with PPF for 3.5 years, one without. Which is which?

Yes, I've seen some awful PPF installations too but they absolutely don't have to be awful.

 

You nailed it again.

 

not yet, but eventually yes

yes

yes

Nobody's car is going to get to that level just because they don't have PPF, but I think people honestly believe that's what will happen. You'd have to sit the car out in years worth of sand storms. Plus the only thing wrong with his car was the headlight was out

My friend has a really expensive PPF job on his GT2RS and I can still see edges. I'd rather see rock chips than the film. I don't know how else to explain it

 

The things people argue about.

It's protection film, not a religion. Get it or don't get it. Nobody GAF.

I had PPF in high impact areas on a 991.2 GTS , put on when new, for 4 years, 40K miles. Lots of those miles were at pretty high speeds, many along rivers where lots of bugs tend to be. Only way I could tell there was PPF was with up-close examination at the rear fenders, where there was a very fine line between the PPF covering the lower half of the fender, and no PPF on the upper half. And that line became more visible over time. Otherwise, couldn't see any difference between the front end of the car, which was fully covered, and all the other uncovered body panels. Take 3 steps back from the car and it was impossible to tell part of the car had PPF and part didn't. On a GT Silver car.

The PPF, by the time I traded it in, was pretty damaged by all the road debris and bugs and so forth. Had the PPF not been there, the paint job would've been pretty badly damaged, especially the nose and the rear hips. Which I would have hated, and would've dropped my trade-in value. As it was, the car was perfect at trade-in, despite the 40K miles.

One difference between PPF and no-PPF I appreciated was how much easier the PPF sections were to wash and dry. If you never wash your own car, won't matter. But I enjoy washing my cars.

For me, it's easily worth the slight cost and when my GT3 arrives, I'll do the entire car. I might also do my entire incoming Cayenne S using a stealth PPF, otherwise I'll do the high impact areas.

If it's not worth it to you, don't get it. I don't understand why anybody would argue about it. Very silly argument.

 

I always PPF and ceramic coat my 911's. But I'm also a guy that would never run my car through a machine car wash, I always wash it by hand and use a service that is familiar with washing high end cars. It's ok that some here choose not to do either of those things. A good PPF and ceramic coat keeps the car looking brand new IMO. I also believe that anybody that puts the effort in to doing this probably takes better care of their cars than the average person does. The only way you can tell that my car is "COVERED IN PLASTIC" as some say here is that it doesn't have any chips and looks like it's freshly waxed and shined. I don't care if you choose not to do PPF or a ceramic coat....to each his own, but it does prevent a lot of damge to the painted surfaces even if you get some some rock chips with PPF I can guarantee it's fewer than you would without.

 

Everyone has different tastes. When car bras were a thing, I felt the same way. We all have different tolerances.

 

Yup exactly. And to the OP, the main question was "how much do you care?"

I think this thread has done a good job explaining how much everyone cares or doesn't care, with the added important discussion of PPF cost and quality

 

There are people who put plastic on their couches and carpeted stair treads. And there are people who don't.

There, does that break the issue down succinctly enough?

 

There are people who make good analogies and people who don’t.

Maybe I should get my guy to PPF my seats and stick shift too.

 

Now there’s an idea. A gap in the market for sure.