"Why Paint Protection Film (PPF) Sucks - Watch this before you buy" - video

XLR82XS

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Of course that situation sucks. The installer is to blame on that one. It's all about the installer. (Bulk install is key) NO WAY any of my expensive cars will be driven without PPF. Not worth the damage that will happen. It's fantastic especially when ceramic coated.
Porsche Taycan "Why Paint Protection Film (PPF) Sucks - Watch this before you buy" - video RS PPF (2)
Porsche Taycan "Why Paint Protection Film (PPF) Sucks - Watch this before you buy" - video PPF & ceramic
 

TaycanCook

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I intend on installing my own precut ppf. If/when the ppf gets destroyed, I'll remove and install it again. It's similar to how I deal with my screen protectors. Swap them out from time to time. I might even double wrap it, so I can peel back the high impact areas and replace them easier when needed. It's definitely not a miracle product, but I think it appeals to the nut jobs out there like me.
 

XLR82XS

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I intend on installing my own precut ppf. If/when the ppf gets destroyed, I'll remove and install it again. It's similar to how I deal with my screen protectors. Swap them out from time to time. I might even double wrap it, so I can peel back the high impact areas and replace them easier when needed. It's definitely not a miracle product, but I think it appeals to the nut jobs out there like me.
No doubt front bumper/hood/rocker films require replacement ever few years if you're OCD and depending on usage. That's what it's for - to take the brunt of the damage instead of the paint.
 

smoothound

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I must admit I have never found any noticeable damage on my cars without PPF - keeping them for 3 years and doing perhaps 8K miles annually.

Most of my driving (UK) is around town (~30mph) with occasional longer trips on country lanes (spirited) and 6-10 motorway trips each year (around 70MPH).

I don't track/race or off-road/rally my cars.

Perhaps my experience is a UK or European specific thing? They do sell PPF over here, but I can't see what it protects from. Maybe it's just me being lucky.

FWIW

cheers
 


XLR82XS

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I must admit I have never found any noticeable damage on my cars without PPF - keeping them for 3 years and doing perhaps 8K miles annually.

Most of my driving (UK) is around town (~30mph) with occasional longer trips on country lanes (spirited) and 6-10 motorway trips (around 70MPH).

I don't track/race or off-road/rally my cars.

Perhaps my experience is a UK or European specific thing? They do sell PPF over here, but I can't see what it protects from. Maybe it's just me being lucky.

FWIW

cheers
Take a flashlight and shine it on your front bumper, hood, headlights, fenders. When you see the "sparkle" - that's damage/pitting from road debris. Same concept on windshields when sunlight beams through at certain angle; sparkly "chips".

Not all damage is severe - but it's there and adds up over time. Can be as simple as a stone flying up from center line when someone changes lanes in front of you.
 

DerekS

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A good installer does a custom job and rolls the edges making the film invisible.

I always get PPF on the front clip as it makes me happier driving without fretting about the chips.
 

smoothound

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Take a flashlight and shine it on your front bumper, hood, headlights, fenders. When you see the "sparkle" - that's damage/pitting from road debris. Same concept on windshields when sunlight beams through at certain angle; sparkly "chips".

Not all damage is severe - but it's there and adds up over time. Can be as simple as a stone flying up from center line when someone changes lanes in front of you.
Just checked. Present car has only done 10,200 miles so that may explain, but no visible marks or sparkles with flashlight - looks and feels like glass.

I keep in a garage and lightly clay-mitt key areas every ~6 months or so - and apply hybrid graphene-silicon wax every couple of months using multiple microfibre cloths and 3 buckets.

Windscreen looks fine too.

Perhaps it's the paint colour saturation being RS green hiding 'sparkles'?

Anyways I will keep checking - if I see deterioration before my CT Turbo arrives (Q4'22) I will go for PPF.

cheers
 


faroutinNM

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Perhaps my experience is a UK or European specific thing?
Yes, I can imagine that working out well in your situation.

But, as you implied, it's different in some places. For instance, here in the American Southwest high desert country. We occasionally have windborne granules of granite driven steadily at 50+ mph in a particular (pardon the pun) horizontal direction over hours-long periods. Then there are the 300+ per year cloudless days of very intense solar radiation with a mile-high lack of atmospheric filtration levels of the lower elevations. This radiation can literally consume even the highest-tech paint on upward-facing surfaces. Last, I sometimes drive dusty secondary roads without the benefits of regular precipitation to temper them. Welcome to my world, and please do visit, as the opportunity arises, and you can experience this dramatic outdoor environment (most of it really is beautiful and enjoyable).

My car is firmly garaged while I am at home, but I don't want to subject the front clip OR any other painted areas to hours of unprotected exposure to the above-mentioned elements. I've driven 6200 miles and have been out for many hours with my full-PPFed Taycan Turbo, yet it still glistens with a faultless, unblemished shine, maintained by a mere monthly, brief, gentle hand wash. So, I'm happy to have this protection, and if, after 5 years I prefer to replace some or all of the PPF, then so be it.
 
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Scandinavian

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I must admit I have never found any noticeable damage on my cars without PPF - keeping them for 3 years and doing perhaps 8K miles annually.

Most of my driving (UK) is around town (~30mph) with occasional longer trips on country lanes (spirited) and 6-10 motorway trips each year (around 70MPH).

I don't track/race or off-road/rally my cars.

Perhaps my experience is a UK or European specific thing? They do sell PPF over here, but I can't see what it protects from. Maybe it's just me being lucky.

FWIW

cheers
Have you never met a gritter when out driving on country roads?
 

f10tt

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I put 50k miles on my F80 M3 in a year without PPF. It was atrocious. Since then I never looked back. There's a very similar argument that's in perpetual discussion on TMC about this and it always comes back to the same thing: people with bad experiences usually have the installer to blame.
 

Jhenson29

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Lol, I did what he said in the video. I got a bad hit to the front bumper, called to asked for replacement cost, and then didn’t do it. To be fair, I’ll be doing it during the 1 year ceramic maintenance.

Redoing ceramic on new pieces adds to cost (and time) also.

But, I personally think damaged PPF looks better than paint chips. Your opinion may differ.

Edit: I’ll also add that I think some hits will cause damage to paint, but not PPF, so it’s not like the damage is equivalent and just either damage to paint or damage to PPF. I think the PPF will show less damage overall for the same abuse, typically.​

Here was my damage:
Porsche Taycan "Why Paint Protection Film (PPF) Sucks - Watch this before you buy" - video 91B3AB26-ACFC-474C-AE20-DEE181CCF7FA


That section was actually peeled back, and I would have went ahead and replaced it immediately if it didn’t fold back and stay (a little heat seemed to help). But so far, it’s stayed fine, even with power washing, so I’ll just wait ‘til next May/June.

You can’t even really see it unless you’re up close. See pic below. This was one I took to show the installer the location. (Then I used it for my profile pic, without the red circle, because I liked the way the colors came out; Mamba green can have some very bright colors, almost yellowish, in bright sun; very pretty).
Porsche Taycan "Why Paint Protection Film (PPF) Sucks - Watch this before you buy" - video A2EAEE93-525D-48BA-96E2-BC99BEEC5BBA
 
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plumandreal

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I got to say, I think the video is a load of rubbish. The Urus has done 36k miles with PPF on it!! And as the video says, the film has likely protected the paint. Good as new. Isnt that the idea? Did anyone say PPF is meant to look good at 36K miles? Without it, the car would likely need more than a quick touch-up. Possibly paintwork needed that would outweigh the PPF value. And are re-sprayed panels ever as good as factory paint?

One year in and 11000 miles and the front of my 4S looks like new. No mild gravel rash, no chips. It looks great. A car without PPF could not survive UK weather in that way. The bottoms of my doors are looking rough and the rear wheel arch film is also looking bad and is due to be swapped out soon at minimal cost. The PPF only cost me equivalent of $2000.

Maybe different in the US, but if the paint isn't too good, the OPC would respray and effectively offer me a price based on the work they would have to do to resell the car. Thats my $2000 back.

The only point I think the video makes is, at nearly 40'000 miles its time to renew your PPF if you want your car to look good.
 

4sCT21

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I will be looking at PPF/PPS for mine, fed up of motorway damage etc my last car at less than 1 month old ended up with a deep ding in the wing from motorway debris, had to pay for wing respray etc
Sponsored

 
 




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