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I think it depends on your use and on the car. The 992RS is a stone chip nightmare as the front wheels are wider than the bodywork and stones
bang constantly against the paint. I had the experience running a new car at the Nürburgring with no PPF. After a week the paint was ruined. With the 992 ( which ic going to Germany this year) I had PPF/Ceramicn on the whole car with extra layers of PPF behind the from wheels so they can be removed periodically. Will need to be done on return from Germany for sure..........
I wouldn't run a "special" car without PPF after having it on my T since purchase. I did similar to your picture Mark; entire front clip, rockers, mirrors, the tiny lip in the fender around the wheels, and the rear wing (when extended up, the outer edges are exposed). I'm considering getting the rest of the car done as well. Regular cleaning of the car is easier as well. Biggest point is to research your intended installer and ensure their methods of installation. Wrap fully around the edges rather than taking product to the edge. Removal of certain pieces (hood badge for example) is important to get the job done right.
This will be a low km summer only car for at least the next 4 or 5 years. I’m leaning towards doing this coverage (in blue) and ceramic coating or sealing it myself just to make clean up easier. I bought a pressure washer yesterday and I am going to practice the whole foam cannon routine on my Macan . Who knew car cleaning would become a cult-like activity!
This is absolutely the right coverage if you're not doing full body PPF. Did the same on my 991.1 GTS and the rocker areas and behind the front + rear wheels took a beating after only a couple of years. Good call.
On ceramic, I'd definitely also add ceramic over the PPF... I've mostly recently used the Xpel Fusion ceramic over PPF on my RS and Macan and I'm very pleased. Feel like it works better than the products my dealers used in the past.
I have PPF on my nice/keeper cars. I don't bother with daily drivers as I'm not keeping them. Xpel on most of them, older 3M Pro Series from 2012 on another (due for replacement). Ceramic coating on all PPF cars. PPF for sure makes a difference in protecting the paint. For your own piece of mind and protection, may also be a benefit to the next owner (but you don't see real dollars for it).
That coverage rendering makes sense. I've also added the roof on a car where I didn't do full coverage.
Ceramic coating is great too. If you don't do that, there are ceramic light products on the market. You can also use CarPro Reload (a ceramic maintainer) on it's own to get you part way there. I use this and works well. I never got wheels coated until recently, it's worthwhile to keep brake dust easy to clean and works. Lots of brands on the market here. The home apply products are not as concentrated/same formulation as detailer ones (ensure they are not using home product). If you can get your hands on one of the detailer skus, go with that. But it's also quite toxic to use the detailer versions, when precautions not taken. I haven't looked at home versions for usage safety.
Check the installer well. Quality installs makes a difference. Wrapped edges where possible. Clean cuts. Ideally you would see the work they do on another car. At least get commitment from them on how they will install and what it will look like after.
Nope, I leave that stuff to the professionals. I got my PPF + tint guy to do it as one package on my Macan GTS... they also tinted the front driver/passenger windows and added some additional PPF pieces at the top of the rear bumper and on the interior + nav screen.
The car was brand new (well almost new, it was re-delievered here after a Euro delivery pickup in Stuttgart) so did not require much in the way of paint correction. The application of ceramic coating is not difficult but prepping the surface via paint correction is more important so not something I'd do myself.
I just washed it yesterday after a long weekend at the cottage (it was filthy with bugs, bird ****, sap, dirt, etc) and it was a piece of cake to clean with the ceramic coating. Every few months or so just top it up with Reload as part of the wash process.
This will be a low km summer only car for at least the next 4 or 5 years. I’m leaning towards doing this coverage (in blue) and ceramic coating or sealing it myself just to make clean up easier. I bought a pressure washer yesterday and I am going to practice the whole foam cannon routine on my Macan . Who knew car cleaning would become a cult-like activity!
hey Mark - naturally, I'm a believer in PPF. There's no other product that can prevent stone chip damage like it, and even minor fender-bender damage. While I'm not sure you will get a full return on your investment at resale, when buyers are "buying the seller" - they definitely appreciate a car with no stone chips and a careful owner above one with any stone chips and related paint damage. If 2 of the same car were for sale, I would 100% choose to buy one with PPF vs one without.
Some people will say "I'll just repaint the bumper (or whatever panel) if it's looking too tired or sandblasted". I would never prioritize a repaint over preserved OEM paint. Repaints are never perfect - in fact I'll say it differently - they are ALWAYS IMPERFECT due to color variation, inconsistent surface texture, dust inclusions, and there's always a question of paint bond strength (which is when you could run into issues if applying PPF over a poorly repainted panel).
The PPF configuration above is a pretty comprehensive plan. However 911's are fairly prone to chips ABOVE the area covered on the rear hips - so that might be a consideration as well. We just did a new 911 GTS with full front end + full rear quarters (A Pillars to rear lights and back underneath the door) with a secondary OEM "shark fin" piece in front of the rear flare. The full rear fender is a huge piece of film, so it's fairly expensive vs going half way up as you've shown.
In terms of ceramic coatings, there's no question they are the lowest maintenance, longest lasting paint sealant available vs traditional waxes and synthetic "sealants". Also the fact that you don't need to constantly reapply reduces the creation of "love marks" (swirls, scratches etc from hand buffing). Some brands are easier to work with than others, and if you've got time and skill you could definitely DIY it. Gyeon, C-Quartz and Kamikaze are all pretty easy to work with, but they won't have the same longevity as some "professionally applied" formulations. But for a hobby-driven car, you're not as worried about max performance and longevity. Something like Gyeon MOHS Evo will take you 2-3x longer to apply than a traditional wax - but it will last 6-8x longer without reapplication.
Happy to chat with you more about this if interested. If so, give me a shout anytime
I usually PPF the complete front and door edges. With my 997, I did a complete PPF and ceramic coated. I have seen how PPF can protect the paint and can easily be replaced if it gets scuffed. The ceramic is more to make washing/drying the car easier.
So, after watching 3 million youtube videos and talking to a bunch of people, I've come to the conclusion that PPF is for those who cringe when they get a stone chip While it won't eliminate them, it appears to offer good protection in most cases. I guess I am one of those people. As for coverage, full front end plus the rockers and full rear quarters seems to be the way to go on a 992. That said, the difference in cost between this and full coverage appears to be less than $1,800. If I do the front and rear, then I might as well do the doors too as that should cover most of the "typical" stone chip/scuff areas. I'm guessing that would be another $500 - $800. If I do that, then I might as well do the whole car for another $1,000.
As for Ceramic Coating - I think it is useful, but at $1,000, I'm going to just use Carpro Reload 2.0 twice per year.
So, after watching 3 million youtube videos and talking to a bunch of people, I've come to the conclusion that PPF is for those who cringe when they get a stone chip While it won't eliminate them, it appears to offer good protection in most cases. I guess I am one of those people. As for coverage, full front end plus the rockers and full rear quarters seems to be the way to go on a 992. That said, the difference in cost between this and full coverage appears to be less than $1,800. If I do the front and rear, then I might as well do the doors too as that should cover most of the "typical" stone chip/scuff areas. I'm guessing that would be another $500 - $800. If I do that, then I might as well do the whole car for another $1,000.
As for Ceramic Coating - I think it is useful, but at $1,000, I'm going to just use Carpro Reload 2.0 twice per year.
At Gerard's recommendation, I used the Gyeon MOHS Evo ceramic coating on my car DIY. It was beyond simple to apply & remove, and there are many reviews showing it still shedding water like day 1 years after application. IMO you should buy the Gyeon MOHS ceramic kit from Gerard and DIY, you don't need any special skills or training, just follow the instructions. You will be happy you did it a month from now, a year from now, 3+ years from now. It's the cost of 2 bottles of CarPro Reload, and you won't have it touch it again for many years.
05-19-2024, 12:15 PM
. Who knew car cleaning would become a cult-like activity!
