To Ceramic or not Ceramic? PPF!! - Page 3 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Hi, I've purchased a super low milage 8 year old Boxster from a main dealer. Paintwork looks really nice given the age. I'm now given options of "Bodycare" for £549, "Bodycare Ceramic" for £749 as well as other more expensive options: "GTechniq Ceramic" for £1,299 and PPF for I suspect much higher amount. Any recommendations on what to choose and why? For the record, I'm not the one who would maniacally clean a car all the time, not obsessed with that. But obviously want to ensure this wonderful machine looks the part for the next few years too. Thanks

I have had PPF on a number of cars and it is very effective in stopping stone chips however over the last couple of years costs have really escalated and I no longer think it is worth the money. I had my current cars ceramic coated by the OPC when new and this treatment does make them much easier to clean and avoids the dreaded swirl marks. No protection against stone chips obviously - but these can be minimised by not driving too closely to other vehicles (!) If you want value for money on an older vehicle then I would have the paintwork”detailed” by a reputable valet and then apply ceramic .

Firstly would recommend not to get the dealer to do it, if that's where your quotes are from. Get a decent detailer to do the ceramic coating on it, where they'll correct the paint first - costs will be less too PPF is a personal decision, if you're going to be using it a lot might be worth whole getting front and exposed areas (sills, front of wheel arches done) but part of me always thinks a respray is cheaper when the time comes - that said PPF technology has moved on so much (self healing etc) rather than the yellowing, edge curling applications f 15 years ago...

Also depends on what paint colour you have. Something like Ice Grey Metallic, Carrara White or GT Silver are quite a hard paints and I probably wouldn't bother. If you have Artic Grey which is a soft paint or Black which shows everything then I would go front end PPF. I had my Artic Grey ceramic coated initially, but still had some minor scratch marks appear, so I pushed the budget and had it PPFd annoyingly just after a stone chip on the bonnet. I can still just see it underneath the PPF but it has stopped further damage. I paid £1400 for a front end PPF including mirrors and screen surround and he applied a piece to cover the front of the rear arches like 911s.

JurassicGTS said: Also depends on what paint colour you have. Something like Ice Grey Metallic, Carrara White or GT Silver are quite a hard paints and I probably wouldn't bother. If you have Artic Grey which is a soft paint or Black which shows everything then I would go front end PPF. I had my Artic Grey ceramic coated initially, but still had some minor scratch marks appear, so I pushed the budget and had it PPFd annoyingly just after a stone chip on the bonnet. I can still just see it underneath the PPF but it has stopped further damage. I paid £1400 for a front end PPF including mirrors and screen surround and he applied a piece to cover the front of the rear arches like 911s. It's GT Silver actually, and yes makes sense, I had a silver coloured 987 ages ago and it was quite resistant indeed. Would you still do "ceramic" though at the point of purchase or I guess can also be done at any time with the same effect?

Trikster said: Firstly would recommend not to get the dealer to do it, if that's where your quotes are from. Get a decent detailer to do the ceramic coating on it, where they'll correct the paint first - costs will be less too PPF is a personal decision, if you're going to be using it a lot might be worth whole getting front and exposed areas (sills, front of wheel arches done) but part of me always thinks a respray is cheaper when the time comes - that said PPF technology has moved on so much (self healing etc) rather than the yellowing, edge curling applications f 15 years ago... I'm reading that correcting the paint is important where there are defects, while if it's literally almost showroom condition might be a waste of money?

WG said: I have had PPF on a number of cars and it is very effective in stopping stone chips however over the last couple of years costs have really escalated and I no longer think it is worth the money. I had my current cars ceramic coated by the OPC when new and this treatment does make them much easier to clean and avoids the dreaded swirl marks. No protection against stone chips obviously - but these can be minimised by not driving too closely to other vehicles (!) If you want value for money on an older vehicle then I would have the paintwork”detailed” by a reputable valet and then apply ceramic . Thanks, good one.

GTechniq every time. I have used Their products on my last 3 911’s. Gives a great finish. However, your quote looks high.last January, I haggled with my OPC and got the price down to £899, including wheels and interior treatment. Well worth the cost

I wouldn't use the OPC/Dealer to prepare your car unless this is negotiated within your deal. Many OPC's use detailers now, for example the OPC I bought my car from used a very good local company and it was included after some haggling. It may be worth organising yourself if it is something you feel like you need. I've had ceramic coatings and PPF on a number of cars now, others have mentioned that ceramic coating won't prevent stone chips, but it will reduce swirl marks and make cleaning/maintenance easier - but you also need to clean your car differently, different products and will need to "top up" your coating every now and again. PPF has evolved and the norm is now self-healing PPF, so light scratched "melt" away for use of a better word. The best option is having both for peace of mind, but you need to figure out if the cost is worth it against how long you intend to keep the car, usage, mileage etc - if it's a garage queen and will only come out on sunny days it wouldn't be worth it and vice versa.

Hi OP. As others have stated it is better to go elsewhere to get this done. However, maybe OPC will do wax detail as part of the deal? The Swissvax bag I got with my OPC car was - to my surprise - priced at several hundreds£ when I looked up online. A professional detailer will clay bar the car & machine polish. You can then get PPF & Ceramic. But for 8 year old Boxster might not be worth it? Check with any insurers you're using. Some of the standard insurers especially class it as a modification. Or if they don't may refuse to have it reapplied in event of a claim.

Lots of good advice here. Personal view is ceramic is ok but not worth the money detailers command for it nowadays. Never ended up buying into it but i did invest in a DA polisher long ago and always put PPF on my cars. For example, still have my MY06 987s from new and whilst it does have a partial PPF, the right routine to wash it and an annual machine polish/buff and it doesn't look anything near its true age. Better to put the money elsewhere.

I had full PPF done on our new artic grey 718 GT4 and front / rear arches on our new Black Macan GTS before collecting them Elite detailing did it and I can highly recommend them

stewieyan said: It's GT Silver actually, and yes makes sense, I had a silver coloured 987 ages ago and it was quite resistant indeed. Would you still do "ceramic" though at the point of purchase or I guess can also be done at any time with the same effect? You need to decide before you pick the car up, whether you want PPF or not, as they’ll take the ceramic off before applying the PPF, so it would be a waste of money. I’d only get PPF on a brand new car, or a used car with absolutely no chips or scratches, as you’ll always see them under the PPF.

stewieyan said: It's GT Silver actually, and yes makes sense, I had a silver coloured 987 ages ago and it was quite resistant indeed. Would you still do "ceramic" though at the point of purchase or I guess can also be done at any time with the same effect? No wait and if you decide to have PPF have them ceramic coat the balance of the car afterwards, although on the GT Silver I really wouldn't bother as it's probably the easiest colour to take care of.

Where are you based?

JurassicGTS said: Where are you based? Kent and Surrey

If you're in Surrey I'd highly recommend 'All That Gleams' (https://allthatgleams.co.uk). They fully ceramic coated my SRS (which already had PPF) end of last year, for a not unreasonable £595, and did a really fab job (using xpel products though they could also have used gtechniq halo which would have worked out a bit cheaper), super experienced and knowledgeable too. They carry out loads of work for Guildford OPC for example (especially on their RS stuff), as well as tons of exotica. They do full PPF too, seem good at tailoring the job/products for you. When I was searching for a car, I was getting quotes of around £4K for PPF alone, I ended up buying a car that already had full xpel PPF in the end. On my search I also came across King PPF (https://www.king-ppf.com), who seemed good/responsive/knowledgeable and also provided the best quote - they recommended Suntek Reaction PPF which already has a ceramic/hydrophobic coating already (so £3700 for PPF without the need for ceramic on top). I'm not familiar with it but they were very +ve about it vs xpel + ceramic on top (which is what I have now anyway). I'm personally a stickler for ceramic coating, love the finish, extra layer of protection (bird poo, etc) and the ease of cleaning since I prefer to do that myself. Wanted PPF on the SRS since I imagined this was a keeper, and have been on (and planning to go on) tour where following others (with especially wide tyres) will guarantee some bits of tarmac or stones thrown your way! One thing that troubled me about PPF was the number of issues I'd seen on cars less than a year old - lots of coming away at edges and bubbles on approved used SRS's I'd seen... mostly what appeared to be a result of lack of care when cleaning - I imagined them being jet washed at OPC's without a care/knowledge of PPF and how close the lance should get to the finish or edges :/. There is no right answer, go with what you're comfortable with and what's important to or bothers you and how much you're willing to spend on that bother ! I'd personally reconsider PPF if it started to get to 5-10% of the purchase price though.

Sent a “no” to the salesman, am now asked to reconsider and have them apply the cheapest “Bodycare” at least, since they will be polishing the car anyway. Very confused, could do with not spending an extra £500 if there’s no immediate need.

I always regret have ceramic coating put on only to sell the car 8 months later. PPF if its a keeper.

stewieyan said: Sent a “no” to the salesman, am now asked to reconsider and have them apply the cheapest “Bodycare” at least, since they will be polishing the car anyway. Very confused, could do with not spending an extra £500 if there’s no immediate need. Salesman concerned he’s loosing his commission, I’d go to a detailer rather than a dealer if having any work of this nature undertaken.

Paul_N said: Salesman concerned he’s loosing his commission, I’d go to a detailer rather than a dealer if having any work of this nature undertaken. Absolutely, don't pay the OPC for something you can get done better/cheaper at a later time if you feel you want the product.

stewieyan said: Sent a “no” to the salesman, am now asked to reconsider and have them apply the cheapest “Bodycare” at least, since they will be polishing the car anyway. Very confused, could do with not spending an extra £500 if there’s no immediate need. Middle ground could be getting the car waxed; a decent carnauba should give about 3 months and enough time to work out what to do next. If OPC are polishing the car you'd hope they are clay barring it too...

I offered the dealership £500 for "Bodycare Ceramic" instead of £749 and they agreed. The car looks amazing. Thanks to all the contributors, really helpful!

Once again I have opted for the PPF but passed on the ceramic coating for the wheels . I wasn't convinced by the implied benefits and as the car is religiously washed by myself a few times a week dirt never really gets a chance to build up . I don't know if others agree with me and I would enjoy hearing your thoughts and experiences . £4500 for the PPF as opposed to £6000 at Porsche Wolverhampton . I have used DetailR a few times and have always been delighted by the job . I did ask about PPF for the windscreen which Richard at DetailR reckoned was good for 12 months or so I passed on that too though I think that may prove to be a mistake on my part and I may have it applied . Once again I am glad to hear any thoughts and experiences of PPF on a windscreen . Finally expecting to pick her up on Friday , we decided to let her sit in a heated environment all weekend to dispel any lurking moisture and aid better adhesion , this was Richards suggestion and I took his advice . Monday literally cant come quick enough .

Not being funny but why would anyone ppf and ceramic coat a car if I’m reading this correctly?

Youforreal. said: Not being funny but why would anyone ppf and ceramic coat a car if I’m reading this correctly? Whilst the PPF protects from impact damage, long road trips in warm climates make removing bug etch a problem without a ceramic coating. Again depends how you use your car.

reddiesel said: Once again I have opted for the PPF but passed on the ceramic coating for the wheels . I wasn't convinced by the implied benefits and as the car is religiously washed by myself a few times a week dirt never really gets a chance to build up . I don't know if others agree with me and I would enjoy. You paid £4500 to have a full PPF, but didn't spend a few hundred to have the wheels and brake components coated with ceramic? IMO, that's crackers. Personally, I think ceramic coated wheels (I have Gtechniq C5 Wheel armour) is an essential when protecting a car like this. You'll never be able to clean the brake residue fully, regardless of how often you wash them, it'll build up and burn-in over time. Whilst the wheels were off I also had the callipers & springs and all other wheel arch areas ceramic coated with Gtechniq. The car is 2.5yrs old and it all still looks as good as when new. Each to their own, but IMO CC'd wheels and components are 100% worth it Edited by kmpowell on Sunday 23 February 15:05

Youforreal. said: Not being funny but why would anyone ppf and ceramic coat a car if I’m reading this correctly? Ceramic coat the wheels , not the car .

Youforreal. said: Not being funny but why would anyone ppf and ceramic coat a car if I’m reading this correctly? Ceramic coat the wheels , not the car .

993rsr said: Youforreal. said: Not being funny but why would anyone ppf and ceramic coat a car if I’m reading this correctly? Whilst the PPF protects from impact damage, long road trips in warm climates make removing bug etch a problem without a ceramic coating. Again depends how you use your car. I thought ppf was an active coating that need product specific cleaning to keep it active? Also thought ceramic coating need a hard surface to adhere too? the game has more than likely moved on since I had any real intrest in the latest and greatest things to empty a wallet.

Ceramic is great - and do the wheels too. I wouldn't put PPF on a car (unless tracking it). Or buy one with it. PPF never looks quite right to my eyes; it's become harder to get insurance with it, and, as I tend to keep my cars for a long time, I prefer dealing with stone chips than failing PPF (which they will all have eventually). A good touch up kit, careful application and a DA polisher with the right polish and pad renders most of my stone chip repairs almost invisible- and I am no maestro. Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 23 February 16:37

Discombobulate said: Ceramic is great - and do the wheels too. I wouldn't put PPF on a car (unless tracking it). Or buy one with it. PPF never looks quite right to my eyes; it's become harder to get insurance with it, and, as I tend to keep my cars for a long time, I prefer dealing with stone chips than failing PPF (which they will all have eventually). A good touch up kit, careful application and a DA polisher with the right polish and pad renders most of my stone chip repairs almost invisible- and I am no maestro. Edited by Discombobulate on Sunday 23 February 16:37 Totally agree with this although the rear hips on the 911 can benefit from some sort of protection.

A timely thread, collecting a new 718 from my local OPC on Saturday. I’ve elected to go for a ceramic coating rather than PPF partly due to cost, partly due to the fact I would prefer to deal with the chips rather than the PPF in a few years. The OPC are doing it for free as part of the deal and whilst it might not be the best job, it’ll certainly get me started. However, to stop the chips on the rear hips/arches I’ll be fitting slim, low profile arch guards to the front wheel arches. I couldn’t find anything that I liked online in the UK, so I’ve designed them in CAD and 3d printed them out of black PETG to suit. It might take a few goes to get them perfect but hopefully they’ll make a meaningful difference. I’m also fitting RGS grills to stop the inevitable condenser damage.

AndrewGP said: A timely thread, collecting a new 718 from my local OPC on Saturday. I’ve elected to go for a ceramic coating rather than PPF partly due to cost, partly due to the fact I would prefer to deal with the chips rather than the PPF in a few years. The OPC are doing it for free as part of the deal and whilst it might not be the best job, it’ll certainly get me started. However, to stop the chips on the rear hips/arches I’ll be fitting slim, low profile arch guards to the front wheel arches. I couldn’t find anything that I liked online in the UK, so I’ve designed them in CAD and 3d printed them out of black PETG to suit. It might take a few goes to get them perfect but hopefully they’ll make a meaningful difference. I’m also fitting RGS grills to stop the inevitable condenser damage. Never heard of RGS grills until now. Are they installed in the same way as Zunsports or does the bumper have to be removed to install. No fitting details on the website.

Youforreal. said: Not being funny but why would anyone ppf and ceramic coat a car if I’m reading this correctly? A hydrophobic ceramic coating goes on the PPF. It makes it easier to maintain/clean, and it makes the PPF last longer. So for the body of a car it's 3 stages: Paint decontamination and machine polish, then PPF applied to the bare/prepped perfect paint, then a ceramic coating on top of the PPF.

I had Gtechniq applied as a freebie to my 718 by the OPC when I bought it new. I think they just applied it rather than a paint correction and application job. I had no intention of doing either so was welcome. Definitely made the finish more hydrophobic from a cleaning point of view. Some folk say it improves the lustre of the paint but I can’t really vouch for that. My car was graphite blue metallic and I hadn’t seen any others with that. I didn’t have any stone chip issues other than being hit by something which was more like a rock, which took a chunk out down the plastic on the front bumper. Not sure if the ceramic offered additional protection or whether being a lower mileage driver I reduced the happen chance of chips. My approved 992 came with PPF. Not sure who fitted it. It’s basically all front end and lower door and skirt, the over the rear arches. Can see edges when dirty, although they are relatively unnoticeable generally. Was never a PPF fan prior tbh. The covered elements are unscathed though. Not sure whether I’d go out of my way to do either on a car without them. There are probably a lot af factors at play - mileage, use, colour and nature of the paint etc. not to mention how fastidious a car cleaner may be. Other downside with PPF is insurance issues, which I had.

I wouldn't have a car without PPF now. Well, a decent car anyway. I went out last Sunday, and a bird decided to empty its guts all over my car while we were driving. Most of it was on the roof, but there was a fair amount on the gloss black rear wing/ spoiler. I completely forgot to clean it off when I got home, but remembered on Thursday, by which time it had etched into the PPF, and nothing I tried would get rid of it, despite having a garage full of cleaning products. I was not happy, as it was partly my fault for forgetting to do it as soon as I got back. And then I remembered the PPF is self healing. So, out with the hairdryer, and all traces were gone, including all the fine scratches I put on it, trying to get the bird crap off. It hasn't quite paid for itself in that scenario, but a few more of those and it will. Plus, being able to wash the car with a bucket and sponge, and not have to spend hours snow foaming and using several buckets of water to ensure I don't scratch anything has saved me hours already, and will continue to do so. And Admiral don't even list it on their list of modifications, so couldn't care less about it. Win win!

Pinball said: Not sure if the ceramic offered additional protection Ceramic coatings offer zero protection to stone/physical damage. Ceramic coatings simply create a hydrophobic layer that also helps with UV protection, making it easier to clean, the paint lasts longer, and it stops chemical fall-out and road grime from sticking to the paint.

kmpowell said: Youforreal. said: Not being funny but why would anyone ppf and ceramic coat a car if I’m reading this correctly? A hydrophobic ceramic coating goes on the PPF. It makes it easier to maintain/clean, and it makes the PPF last longer. So for the body of a car it's 3 stages: Paint decontamination and machine polish, then PPF applied to the bare/prepped perfect paint, then a ceramic coating on top of the PPF. I had ppf on a car, didn’t really like it and don’t do track days now, much prefer giving the cars a good wash and apply some zymol vintage. Don’t sit up the chuff of other drivers so barely a chip in my 8 yr old paint. Edited by Youforreal. on Monday 24th February 10:43

kmpowell said: Ceramic coatings offer zero protection to stone/physical damage. Ceramic coatings simply create a hydrophobic layer that also helps with UV protection, making it easier to clean, the paint lasts longer, and it stops chemical fall-out and road grime from sticking to the paint. Cheers for the info. My lack of stone is doubtless then down to low mileage and not tailgating cars. The latter being one of my most hated driving habits on the road.

Commenting again on this thread. My last 981 didn't have PPF or ceramic coating, the paint on the lip of the lower rear arches had completely gone after a few years due to stone chips and the tyres flicking them up. Bonnet had a few nasty chips in also. Every car since then I've done extended PPF and ceramic coating.

JurassicGTS said: Never heard of RGS grills until now. Are they installed in the same way as Zunsports or does the bumper have to be removed to install. No fitting details on the website. Not quite the same as Zunsports which just clip in front of the fins and it’s a 2 minute job. However they’ve changed the design and look very aftermarket in my opinion, the old design was much better. That consisted of 4 pieces which went between the fins, the new design is a single piece. The RGS grills go behind the fins, which means more faff to fit, although they can be threaded through, no need to remove the bumper. You have to tape up the paint and feed them through carefully which is a little fiddly. But once done they look very OEM and are much less obvious. They quite a bit cheaper too!

AndrewGP said: Not quite the same as Zunsports which just clip in front of the fins and it’s a 2 minute job. However they’ve changed the design and look very aftermarket in my opinion, the old design was much better. That consisted of 4 pieces which went between the fins, the new design is a single piece. The RGS grills go behind the fins, which means more faff to fit, although they can be threaded through, no need to remove the bumper. You have to tape up the paint and feed them through carefully which is a little fiddly. But once done they look very OEM and are much less obvious. They quite a bit cheaper too! Great thanks.

Just for info. I had mt 992 fully PPF'd including the windscreen, lights and sunroof and also had the Gtechniq Halo2 ceramic coating applied on top. Also had the other glass and wheels ceramic coated and the interior (also had the piano black around the gear selector PPF'd). Overkill i know but it gives me peace of mind!

DBXExige said: Just for info. I had mt 992 fully PPF'd including the windscreen, lights and sunroof and also had the Gtechniq Halo2 ceramic coating applied on top. Also had the other glass and wheels ceramic coated and the interior (also had the piano black around the gear selector PPF'd). Overkill i know but it gives me peace of mind! It's your car, so do what you want Only joshing, but have you considered seat covers and adhesive carpet protection too? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09ZY4Q1SH/?tag=ceukre...

DBXExige said: Just for info. I had mt 992 fully PPF'd including the windscreen, lights and sunroof and also had the Gtechniq Halo2 ceramic coating applied on top. Also had the other glass and wheels ceramic coated and the interior (also had the piano black around the gear selector PPF'd). Overkill i know but it gives me peace of mind! Interesting as my XPel installer has strict instructions from Xpel not to PPF current Porsche headlights as they have a coating that would be damaged by either the installation material or when removing the PPF. Edited by JurassicGTS on Tuesday 25th February 12:11

Discombobulate said: DBXExige said: Just for info. I had mt 992 fully PPF'd including the windscreen, lights and sunroof and also had the Gtechniq Halo2 ceramic coating applied on top. Also had the other glass and wheels ceramic coated and the interior (also had the piano black around the gear selector PPF'd). Overkill i know but it gives me peace of mind! It's your car, so do what you want Only joshing, but have you considered seat covers and adhesive carpet protection too? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09ZY4Q1SH/?tag=ceukre... Possibly even a mobile car port for the rainy days.

JurassicGTS said: Interesting as my XPel installer has strict instructions from Xpel not to PPF current Porsche headlights as they have a coating that would be damaged by either the installation material or when removing the PPF. Edited by JurassicGTS on Tuesday 25th February 12:11 The PPF'ing was done through Porsche (they used Topaz) so assume all is in order - perhaps they used a different brand of PPF.

Youforreal. said: Possibly even a mobile car port for the rainy days. Drive it in the rain, are you mad......