PPF and ceramic coating

[JD37064]

Is there a "best" brand for paint protection film and/or ceramic coating? The local shop here who supposedly does many of the higher end cars in nashville uses Kavaca for PPF and Ceramic Pro for coating. Any thoughts?

 

[grim]

Is there a "best" brand for paint protection film and/or ceramic coating? The local shop here who supposedly does many of the higher end cars in nashville uses Kavaca for PPF and Ceramic Pro for coating. Any thoughts?

I am in the Nashville area and used Auto Armor to install PPF and tint on my 392. They use XPEL Ultimate Plus and they’ve installed it on 2 of my vehicles so far. I had a 3rd vehicle ceramic coated using XPEL Fusion Plus. I have had zero issues and their work is beyond stellar. I chose them initially based on how they interacted with me via email and phone. The owner and his wife are super responsive and the attention to detail is really good. They were a little more pricey but the customer service was well worth it to me. I got video and pic updates throughout the process daily and your vehicle is locked inside their secured building if kept overnight. I am not an expert on PPF or ceramic coating so there may be better brands out there but I am super happy with the end result.

 

[ScrappyCoco]

I've used Xpel and Gtechniq Ultra with Exo and Xpel with CQuartz on last 2 vehicles and Xpel is excellent! Both were 7yr coatings Cquartz had a bit more shine but think Gtechniq was more durable. 392 is getting Xpel and Gtechniq because unlike the Hellcat it will see snow.

 

[21White392]

I am in the Nashville area and used Auto Armor to install PPF and tint on my 392. They use XPEL Ultimate Plus and they’ve installed it on 2 of my vehicles so far. I had a 3rd vehicle ceramic coated using XPEL Fusion Plus. I have had zero issues and their work is beyond stellar. I chose them initially based on how they interacted with me via email and phone. The owner and his wife are super responsive and the attention to detail is really good. They were a little more pricey but the customer service was well worth it to me. I got video and pic updates throughout the process daily and your vehicle is locked inside their secured building if kept overnight. I am not an expert on PPF or ceramic coating so there may be better brands out there but I am super happy with the end result.

I’m also in Nashville…just down the street from Auto Armor. What parts did you have covered in film? If you don’t mind, how much did you pay? Appreciate any help.

 

[grim]

I’m also in Nashville…just down the street from Auto Armor. What parts did you have covered in film? If you don’t mind, how much did you pay? Appreciate any help.

I don’t mind sharing although some may say I could’ve gotten a better deal elsewhere. I chose to pay more for quality and top notch customer service. The owner had pictures sent via text throughout the process showing me what was being done and the 392 was kept in doors under video surveillance the entire time. I went with the XPEL Ultimate Plus that included surface prep (to get rid of factory imperfections on the hood/black paint) and the full front end package (hood, grill, front/rear fender flares, headlights, and front side panels. Cost was $2750 before tax. This was my 5th vehicle sent through them and 3 of which were black paint which is difficult to get right in my opinion.

 

[ScrappyCoco]

I don’t mind sharing although some may say I could’ve gotten a better deal elsewhere. I chose to pay more for quality and top notch customer service. The owner had pictures sent via text throughout the process showing me what was being done and the 392 was kept in doors under video surveillance the entire time. I went with the XPEL Ultimate Plus that included surface prep (to get rid of factory imperfections on the hood/black paint) and the full front end package (hood, grill, front/rear fender flares, headlights, and front side panels. Cost was $2750 before tax. This was my 5th vehicle sent through them and 3 of which were black paint which is difficult to get right in my opinion.

Wow. That's actually a really good deal from my end. Did you do Ceramic Coating as well?

 

[21White392]

I don’t mind sharing although some may say I could’ve gotten a better deal elsewhere. I chose to pay more for quality and top notch customer service. The owner had pictures sent via text throughout the process showing me what was being done and the 392 was kept in doors under video surveillance the entire time. I went with the XPEL Ultimate Plus that included surface prep (to get rid of factory imperfections on the hood/black paint) and the full front end package (hood, grill, front/rear fender flares, headlights, and front side panels. Cost was $2750 before tax. This was my 5th vehicle sent through them and 3 of which were black paint which is difficult to get right in my opinion.

Awesome, thanks. I’ll mention that I was recommended by someone from the Jeep 392 forum. You pay for quality and great service…I don’t mind that. I also want my windows tinted.

 

[grim]

Awesome, thanks. I’ll mention that I was recommended by someone from the Jeep 392 forum. You pay for quality and great service…I don’t mind that. I also want my windows tinted.

Cool. Not to sound like a salesperson but they also install nano ceramic tint. I had the two front doors and windshield done for $400 before tax. Done at the same time is an easy choice as it’s hard to part with your new 392 overnight more than once Now I have to go reflect on how much $$$ I’ve spent on her so far…

 

[GA392]

For previously owned vehicles I have used XPEL for the film and Ceramic Pro for the coating. Both performed well over many years. I am having XPEL installed on the front this Saturday before I get a chip.

 

[GA392]

Cool. Not to sound like a salesperson but they also install nano ceramic tint. I had the two front doors and windshield done for $400 before tax. Done at the same time is an easy choice as it’s hard to part with your new 392 overnight more than once Now I have to go reflect on how much $$$ I’ve spent on her so far…

We are aligned. Tint, PPF and ceramic. Its amazing how much $$ I am spending on appearance alone! Haven’t even gotten to wheels/tires.

 

[Maxx]

I understand what it does, but is this really worth doing? Are you entering these Jeep’s in shows? You can get the Jeep repainted for around the same cost.

 

[ScrappyCoco]

I understand what it does, but is this really worth doing? Are you entering these Jeep’s in shows? You can get the Jeep repainted for around the same cost.

I go to a lot of shows in Summer and why not bring her as she's fairly rare breed. I guess you could get it repainted but could drive out of parking lot and get chipped. I have 10yr warranty on the Xpel and Gtechniq so I know 10yrs from now she will be showroom condition. I love the ease of cleaning Jeep in 15mins without a hose. Paid enough for her so want to protect her the best way possible.

 

[GA392]

Yes, in my view totally worth it. I only did the front in Xpel and the cost to repaint would far exceed what I paid for the coverage. Washing the vehicle, as @ScrappyCoco said, is super quick and easy when ceramic is installed. To each his own, but for what I paid for the 392, I wanted the protection.

 

[JD37064]

I understand what it does, but is this really worth doing? Are you entering these Jeep’s in shows? You can get the Jeep repainted for around the same cost.

I did just the front (up to the drivers doors), fenders and a pillar for $2200. Ceramic coat for the whole thing (another $1K). It looks great between washes and washes are much easier. Road rocks just bounce off. By the time you'd want to repaint your Jeep it will have looked like garbage for a few years. I felt it was worth it.

 

[Maxx]

Best, reputable place close to me quoted 6.5K for full 10ml Xpel PPF with 10yr warranty. Said they would need around a week and a half to do the job though, which makes me uncomfortable.

Is that a normal and customary time frame for this work?

 

[ScrappyCoco]

Best, reputable place close to me quoted 6.5K for full 10ml Xpel PPF with 10yr warranty. Said they would need around a week and a half to do the job though, which makes me uncomfortable.

Is that a normal and customary time frame for this work?

Mine took 5 days for paint correction, Xpel, 3 layers of Ceramic Coating, tint, and decals. Depends on the shop I guess man power and how busy. Seems long to me.

 

[Maxx]

Does this stuff turn yellow and/or crack after a number of years?

Does it need to be removed and replaced after a certain time period? Thanks.

 

[Mrtintsd]

I can try and answer some of your questions
I have been in the business since late 80’s. Currently have 4 locations in San Diego and we do tinting, PPF and ceramic coating……. We also do flat glass which is commercial and residential tint
Anyway, as far as PPF goes…. It’s been out a lot longer then most people realize. Some of the biggest brands are well over 5th 6th 7th generations. It’s gotten more popular because the product and cutting software has come a long way so you are seeing more shops getting into it. In our industry it’s been the #1 add to shops over the last 5 years and the manufactures have all jumped into it.
So to answer your question…. I would stick with the bigger brands mainly because they will be around the longest to honor the warranty. Most come with 5-10 year warranty. Make sure the shop and manufacturer will be there for you. My recommendations are:
Xpel (leader in the market)
Suntek (owned by Estaman)
Llumar-Valor series (honorable mention that has a new technology behind it…. One to watch but harder to install)
There are other good brads too but they are probably a rebox (one of the big guys makes it for them)

Ceramic coating are the “Hot” thing right now and are awesome if done right. As you guys know it’s the paint correction that is the key. The ceramic coating gets all the credit but it’s what is done before the coating that is key. Make sure you have experience here. A shop that has been certified or been around for some time detailing is what you want
As far as product….. this is tough because everyone makes one. One thing you should know is more layers doesnt make it better. That’s like “double bagging it” not really necessary but might give you piece of mind. You need to look at how HARD the coating rating is (i am drawing a blank on what they call that rating) so the difference between a 5 year and 9 year is not how thick the coating is, but how hard the coating is. Think wood and granite. You can build with both but wood will gouge a lot easier then granite.
I recommend
Gtechniq Ultra with Exo 5 or 9 year (personally the 5 year is fine….. just maintain it every year or 18 months) FYI…. The annual matnance for the coat is…… they reapply the EXO top coat
Ceramic pro has done a great job marketing there product and would be considered a big player with decent products BUT it’s marketed really well so don’t over pay

Xpel fusion is my choice for over PPF. Yes you can ceramic coat the PPF. It’s built for their PPF and makes the PPF pop plus helps with bee pollen stains on PPF

Rightlook for DIY. You can get professional grade ceramic and do it yourself. (I don’t recommend that but you can) I actually think this is equal to ceramic pro but they don’t have the marketing yet

One note is you always PPF first…. Then ceramic coat.
My opinion is PPF everything in front of the windshield (hood,fenders,grill) and ceramic coat the whole Jeep and of course tint the whole Jeep with a IR ceramic film (Stratos series)or ceramic (pinnacle series)

If you want to talk tint then I suggest a new thread cause I could write a book on that.

 

[Gnomad]

Local shop had done ceramic on two of our previous cars. Turned out great, especially our blue X5….it really popped after a simple wash.

However after seeing some pics on this forum of a black 392 with a full matte wrap I knew I wanted to give that a try.

Most of what I read seemed to point to xpel as the way to go, but my go to shop only did llumar. Owner convinced me it was quality and knowing my 392 would probably be the cheapest vehicle in his shop (he does a lot of Porsche and Super cars types) I trusted him.

Took just over a week and $6.5k.

So far it’s been easier to keep clean than the ceramics! And the matte…I absolutely love it!!

 

[Mrtintsd]

Local shop had done ceramic on two of our previous cars. Turned out great, especially our blue X5….it really popped after a simple wash.

However after seeing some pics on this forum of a black 392 with a full matte wrap I knew I wanted to give that a try.

Most of what I read seemed to point to xpel as the way to go, but my go to shop only did llumar. Owner convinced me it was quality and knowing my 392 would probably be the cheapest vehicle in his shop (he does a lot of Porsche and Super cars types) I trusted him.

Took just over a week and $6.5k.

So far it’s been easier to keep clean than the ceramics! And the matte…I absolutely love it!!

Llumar is awesome. Llumar (Eastman) is the biggest windowfilm manufacturer in the world. It’s made in Virginia

All our locations (except 1) are Llumar select pro dealerships for formulaone and Vista films. These films are awarded to the top 10% of their dealers. Very hard to get these stores. Llumar has NEVER argued a warranty claim IF there was ever a problem. For this reason alone you made a great decision.
Llumar has put all their attention into the PPF market and their new cutting software (CORE) over the last few years in order to bridge the gap.
One of my stores is a Xpel dealership. The reason for this is……. They are currently the leaders in the PPF market and we needed to get a better hold into the PPF market. I will say Xpel is easier to install and has a better stretch and tack BUT Llumar has worked hard to make theirs more user friendly
I will also say Llumars finished product is the best on the market. Best way to explain that is Llumar feels like it already has a ceramic coating on it. Xpel must be sealed with ceramic to achieve the same top coat feeling.