GTechniq Platinum - advice please - Page 2 - Porsche General - PistonHeads UK

Hello All, Just bought a 1-year old Taycan - Crayon. OPC is offering me Gtechniq Platinum for (I think) £899. Should I go for it? I'm happy to invest to keep the car in as good a condition as possible. Also, reading the forums I hear about PPF and Ceramic - is this what this is? What are PPF and Ceramic? Should you go for them? If so, should you use the OPC or should you avoid them like the plague and go to a local detailer? Any advice much appreciated. As the eagle eyed among you have probably worked out, I don't know much about this...

I would definitely go to a local detailer for PPF and ceramic coatings. In most, possibly all, instances, the dealer will use a local detailer to at least apply the PPF so you’re paying the OPC commission on that. The job that I had done at a national chain via an OPC had so many issues post installation at which point it came down to me to take the car back and forth to get it reapplied. Going direct for a front end “track pack” coverage would have been about £500 cheaper. Better yet, spend the same amount and get a great job first time! If you state where you are then I’m sure somebody can give you some good recommendations.

Sorry should have added that PPF is paint protection film - a film applied to the car to protect it from chips and minor scuffs. G-techniq is a ceramic coating - think of that more to protect the shine and ease of cleaning of the car assuming that it’s applied correctly!

Exystenshalist said: Hello All, Just bought a 1-year old Taycan - Crayon. OPC is offering me Gtechniq Platinum for (I think) £899. Should I go for it? I'm happy to invest to keep the car in as good a condition as possible. Also, reading the forums I hear about PPF and Ceramic - is this what this is? What are PPF and Ceramic? Should you go for them? If so, should you use the OPC or should you avoid them like the plague and go to a local detailer? Any advice much appreciated. As the eagle eyed among you have probably worked out, I don't know much about this... No. By all means go for ceramic coating (very good) but get a proper detailer to do it (probably for less)

Thanks both! I'm in Chalfont St Peter which is NW of London just outside M25. Can anyone recommend for this area? Should I get both PPF and Ceramic? I wasn't sure if they could be applied to the assembled car - whether any trim needs to be taken off for the job. Will the car look different or will it just protect the paintwork? Are there any downsides to doing it? What should I expect to pay for each? Does 1 need to be done before another? Thanks again

I have used MaxProtect, it will be a lot more then 900 but the Porsche dealer option is rubbish as they don't correct the paint before protecting so what's the point?

Exystenshalist said: Thanks both! I'm in Chalfont St Peter which is NW of London just outside M25. Can anyone recommend for this area? Should I get both PPF and Ceramic? I wasn't sure if they could be applied to the assembled car - whether any trim needs to be taken off for the job. Will the car look different or will it just protect the paintwork? Are there any downsides to doing it? What should I expect to pay for each? Does 1 need to be done before another? Thanks again Someone very local to you for ceramic/wax is Richard @ Perfection Detailing, based in Chalfont SG: https://www.perfectiondetailing.co.uk/ Max Protect in Kings Langley can do PPF or Ceramic. Not used but have had several recommendations from various people on forums or Porsche Club. Would only consider OPC if done as part of the deal. Price aside, separate outfits may do more of the prep work like fully claying the car or paint correction - the car may well need these at >1 yr old

Exystenshalist said: Thanks both! I'm in Chalfont St Peter which is NW of London just outside M25. Can anyone recommend for this area? Should I get both PPF and Ceramic? I wasn't sure if they could be applied to the assembled car - whether any trim needs to be taken off for the job. Will the car look different or will it just protect the paintwork? Are there any downsides to doing it? What should I expect to pay for each? Does 1 need to be done before another? Thanks again If you are looking for prep. coatings, ceramic etc, given where you are located the best option would be Richard Tipper, aka. Perfection Valet. https://www.perfectiondetailing.co.uk Richard is one of the best in the business, arguably the best. And a genuinely nice chap and enthusiast. More importantly for you, he is based in the Chalfonts area and not too far from where you are. He does a mobile service but depending on what you need it may be best to take the car to him.

Exystenshalist said: Hello All, Just bought a 1-year old Taycan - Crayon. OPC is offering me Gtechniq Platinum for (I think) £899. Should I go for it? I'm happy to invest to keep the car in as good a condition as possible. Also, reading the forums I hear about PPF and Ceramic - is this what this is? What are PPF and Ceramic? Should you go for them? If so, should you use the OPC or should you avoid them like the plague and go to a local detailer? Any advice much appreciated. As the eagle eyed among you have probably worked out, I don't know much about this... Does the OPC outsource this work to a detailing company? Ceramic coat should involve a full detail before the coating is applied, i.e. full decontamination and then a machine polish to get the panels as clean as possible before applying the coating. The ceramic coating will help to retain it's shine and ease of cleaning, it may also help with small/minor scratches but you will still get stone chips etc. This is where PPF comes in, paint protect film is a plastic film that is cut to a template of each body panel it is applied to, think of it like a screen protector for your phone. Some noe have claimed self healing properties when exposed to direct sunlight/heat can repair minor scratches. PPF will prevent all but the largest of stone chips. You can opt for where you have the PPF applied, frontal area only, wheen arches etc or a full car. You probably wouldn't apply PPF unless you had done a full detail/ceramic coating also. It's worth noting that having a ceramic coating would also require a maintenance routine, this all depends upon where the car is stored, how many miles you do, driving conditions etc etc, and to retain the coating you would need to invest in some ceramic friendly products and certainly not take it through a hand car wash.

Don't forget to inform your insurance company know you've had PPF fitted otherwise your policy will almost certainly be invalid!

Freakuk said: You probably wouldn't apply PPF unless you had done a full detail/ceramic coating also. I think you'll find most detailers will only apply ceramic coatings on top of PPF, not underneath. There are special coatings such as GTechniq HALOv designed for that purpose. Agree that a full detail first is the best option whichever route the OP chooses to go.

When I have PPF fitted they charged to remove the ceramic on that panel before installing so you wouldn’t have both unless you used the type that goes on top of the PPF as linked above or only put coating on the non PPF panels. I did use Max Protect for a single panel (roof) which was not covered with the rest of the car under the track pack. I guess the roof is one of the easier panels but the job they did was night and day compared to the other PPF that had been applied via the OPC. I would definitely go back there if getting PPF again. Based in Kings Langley so not too far from you.

Thanks everyone for the advice and recommendations. I'll start getting in touch with one or more of the companies tomorrow. I'll ask their advice as to what they would recommend. I have just arranged the insurance for the car. Potentially invalidating the insurance sounds worrying. Does PPF count as a modification? Is it likely to lead to a higher cost of insurance? Thanks again!

Exystenshalist said: Thanks everyone for the advice and recommendations. I'll start getting in touch with one or more of the companies tomorrow. I'll ask their advice as to what they would recommend. I have just arranged the insurance for the car. Potentially invalidating the insurance sounds worrying. Does PPF count as a modification? Is it likely to lead to a higher cost of insurance? Thanks again! Yes, PPF does count as a modification if not factory ordered and installed. I read a thread on PH on exactly this subject so I called my broker who confirmed if you have PPF, declare it or risk the consequenses.

gred said: Freakuk said: You probably wouldn't apply PPF unless you had done a full detail/ceramic coating also. I think you'll find most detailers will only apply ceramic coatings on top of PPF, not underneath. There are special coatings such as GTechniq HALOv designed for that purpose. Agree that a full detail first is the best option whichever route the OP chooses to go. Apologies, I should have made that clearer.

Just called my insurers, Admiral. Noted as an 'Exterior Change' and no premium uplift.

cammy71 said: Just called my insurers, Admiral. Noted as an 'Exterior Change' and no premium uplift. Perfect, sounds better than sorry you didn't mention that and your policy is therefore invalid!

Thank you for the info re insurance. I'm also with Admiral so that's great to hear. I'll call them and check now...

HoHoHo said: Don't forget to inform your insurance company know you've had PPF fitted otherwise your policy will almost certainly be invalid! I think that depends on the insurance company….granted the only way you can find out is by checking but the one I use doesn’t need to know.

SV_WDC said: Someone very local to you for ceramic/wax is Richard @ Perfection Detailing, based in Chalfont SG: https://www.perfectiondetailing.co.uk/ Max Protect in Kings Langley can do PPF or Ceramic. Not used but have had several recommendations from various people on forums or Porsche Club. Would only consider OPC if done as part of the deal. Price aside, separate outfits may do more of the prep work like fully claying the car or paint correction - the car may well need these at >1 yr old Watched plenty of new car prep detailing videos and the state of new car paint let alone 1 year can be pretty shocking. Whether PPF or Ceramic (both if you have deep enough pockets) the paint still needs to be prepped and in as good condition as possible by decontamination then machine polishing out any defects and swirls as both treatments will be ‘locking in’ the finish. Personally, I’d go PPF as it offers genuine protection, ceramic as said before aids cleaning but still needs to be looked after for it work as intended.

Exystenshalist said: Thanks everyone for the advice and recommendations. I'll start getting in touch with one or more of the companies tomorrow. I'll ask their advice as to what they would recommend. I have just arranged the insurance for the car. Potentially invalidating the insurance sounds worrying. Does PPF count as a modification? Is it likely to lead to a higher cost of insurance? Thanks again! Gtechniq platinum i a dealer product, a bit like Autoglym Lifeshine. Go to a proper detailer who will use Gtechniq Halo , 5 year guarantee for around £500

Exystenshalist said: Hello All, Just bought a 1-year old Taycan - Crayon. OPC is offering me Gtechniq Platinum for (I think) £899. Should I go for it? I'm happy to invest to keep the car in as good a condition as possible. Against my better judgement, and for convenience sake, I paid the OPC for this. It was a complete waste of time and money. Never again.

So chances are when new it was coated and then again when resold coated again? Is that possible? Sounds like a con.

_speedyellow_ said: So chances are when new it was coated and then again when resold coated again? Is that possible? Sounds like a con. Yes, that's exactly what OPCs do (at least mine tried to do). You can easily tell as there's a Gtechniq sticker which was applied to the windscreen when it was first done. I was then asked if I wanted to get Gtechniq Platinum which the previous owner applied just 11 months ago. I politely declined. It does make a difference in making the car easier to clean, though.

I think ceramic coating by a proper detailer is well worth it if you want to look after your paint and have ease of washing. It’s pointless if you are going to put the car through a car wash or let the local money laundering people traffickers wash it. All of our cars have ceramic coats done by detailing business owned by ph’er Posh Twit. Our new cars were delivered to him with the factory protection still on? He then removes it, corrects the paint and applied the ceramic. It’s well worth having the wheels removed and done on both sides, also having the glass done is worthwhile. Edited by blueg33 on Saturday 27th January 04:28

Pardon the pun, but "detail is key" when applying a ceramic coating - if you are buying a brand new car there is a train of thought that other than the dealer removing the protective strips etc. you don't even want them washing the car as they could just add more defects to the paintwork than it left the factory with. I've had a friend whose "got considerably more coin" than me buy a new Ferrari and the roof was dented as well as several scratches around it generally and he had to have a stage 1 correction on the paint & all the same models in the dealership waiting for delivery had the same dent in the roof btw You should have some good recommendations from the forum of a local detailer to you and their Facebook page will help with further research on what they're up to - a ceramic coating might take 2 days to do on a new car as it'll need to cure before it sees the weather. A good ceramic coating if looked after should see a couple of year's service I'm told at least.

All good detailers will do a single stage machine polishing a new car and in some places a bit more if there is damage.

Thanks everyone - really appreciate the feedback and advice. The car was delivered on Friday - yeah! Sadly, I then immediately had to travel for a business trip over the weekend. i have driven it for a grand total of 4m (into a parking spot) since its arrival. Will be Tuesday before I get to properly take it out. When he delivered it, the sales person told me that they now realise it had the GTechniq applied by the first owner. So I'm pleased with that. I now need to arrange the ppf. I spoke to Max Protect start of last week and they said it would be about £5K + VAT for the full PPF and about half that for only the most vulnerable parts. I'm planning on going for the cheaper option. Do people think this is a good trade off? Thanks again!

Exystenshalist said: When he delivered it, the sales person told me that they now realise it had the GTechniq applied by the first owner. So I'm pleased with that. I now need to arrange the ppf. I spoke to Max Protect start of last week and they said it would be about £5K + VAT for the full PPF and about half that for only the most vulnerable parts. I'm planning on going for the cheaper option. Do people think this is a good trade off? I spent a lot of time trying to make the same decision as you - picked up a used car with 500 miles on the clock which had GTechniq Platinum. In the end, I decided that PPF was not worth the squeeze for people like me, who worry too much about the pristine condition of their cars (I usually obsess over tiny scratches on the car, creases in the leather etc). My opinion applies to almost any car except anything extremely rare/valuable. Here's why I concluded it does not make sense (for me): Financial : PPF would cost anywhere between £2.5-£5k. Now, ask yourself what would happen when you try to sell the car - would the car with PPF be worth £2.5k-£5k? If you saw a few chips and seller told you "I'll give you a £4k discount", it's a no brainer. Insurance : You need to declare the PPF as a modification and many providers will refuse to provide you with an insurance. I don't want to deal with this. PPF Repairs : So, what happens if you chip your PPF? Would you be happy with the PPF being damaged? If not, now you have to shell out for repairs for the PPF, which means replacement of a whole panel. The cost will keep increasing with added hassle. PPF Removal : Let's say you come to sell the car and you want to sell it in a as-new condition. If your PPF has no chips/scratches, then how much damage did you really prevent in the first place (e.g., can a few small chips be SMART repaired)? On the other hand, if you have chipped the PPF, now you either have to replace the PPF on the affected panels (£££), remove the PPF or sell with chipped PPF. PPF removal can damage the paint & clear coat and also result in a different colour between PPF-ed vs non-PPF-ed panels (unless you did full PPF at £5k+). So, more problems, hassle and £££. Stress : It's just a car, not a museum piece. I really don't want to be obsessing over chips/scratches here and there. PPF would only make it worse because I've now invested a non-trivial sum to keep the car in a as-new condition. Except, it's just a car that gets used, it's better to accept the reality, drive it and don't worry at all. Respray : You could easily get the bumper, bonnet + wings resprayed come resale time if it's really bad. It's not that expensive. So when I added up all the cost, hassle and stress, it became clear to me it's not really worth it. YMMV. Regardless of what you decide, enjoy the car!

c3m said: I spent a lot of time trying to make the same decision as you - picked up a used car with 500 miles on the clock which had GTechniq Platinum. In the end, I decided that PPF was not worth the squeeze for people like me, who worry too much about the pristine condition of their cars (I usually obsess over tiny scratches on the car, creases in the leather etc). My opinion applies to almost any car except anything extremely rare/valuable. Here's why I concluded it does not make sense (for me): Financial : PPF would cost anywhere between £2.5-£5k. Now, ask yourself what would happen when you try to sell the car - would the car with PPF be worth £2.5k-£5k? If you saw a few chips and seller told you "I'll give you a £4k discount", it's a no brainer. Insurance : You need to declare the PPF as a modification and many providers will refuse to provide you with an insurance. I don't want to deal with this. PPF Repairs : So, what happens if you chip your PPF? Would you be happy with the PPF being damaged? If not, now you have to shell out for repairs for the PPF, which means replacement of a whole panel. The cost will keep increasing with added hassle. PPF Removal : Let's say you come to sell the car and you want to sell it in a as-new condition. If your PPF has no chips/scratches, then how much damage did you really prevent in the first place (e.g., can a few small chips be SMART repaired)? On the other hand, if you have chipped the PPF, now you either have to replace the PPF on the affected panels (£££), remove the PPF or sell with chipped PPF. PPF removal can damage the paint & clear coat and also result in a different colour between PPF-ed vs non-PPF-ed panels (unless you did full PPF at £5k+). So, more problems, hassle and £££. Stress : It's just a car, not a museum piece. I really don't want to be obsessing over chips/scratches here and there. PPF would only make it worse because I've now invested a non-trivial sum to keep the car in a as-new condition. Except, it's just a car that gets used, it's better to accept the reality, drive it and don't worry at all. Respray : You could easily get the bumper, bonnet + wings resprayed come resale time if it's really bad. It's not that expensive. So when I added up all the cost, hassle and stress, it became clear to me it's not really worth it. YMMV. Regardless of what you decide, enjoy the car! Can you chip PPF?- hasn't happened on any of my cars Many modern PPF's such as expel are self healing To have a proper respray of parts like bumpers requires them removing from the car, and some paints are very difficult to match