GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk7 => Topic started by: Mike J on 23 June 2018, 08:53
-
The plastic film to which I refer is a clear film that has been used as an anti chip covering forward of rear wheel arches on high end cars.
I understand that this film can now be attached to part of, or the whole body of a car.
Has anyone any experience of this material, if it alleviates cleaning and how it stands up to extended use?
Thanks in advance.
-
It’s PPF (paint protection film), and yes, you can have it applied to your car to protect those parts that are vulnerable to stone chip damage. I’d say it’s unlikely that many people would have it applied to the whole body of a car, as certain parts (rear bumper, tailgate) won’t be particularly vulnerable to stone chip damage. It’s not cheap though; I’ve seen prices of £3,000 or more quoted on Internet sites to have a complete car wrapped in PPF, and £900 - £1,200 for the front section of the bonnet, front wings and door mirror cappings. Bear in mind the car also needs to be fully decontaminated prior to application, so that cost would need to be factored in too. In view of the cost, I suspect that it’ll be mostly high end cars that have this applied.
For those who opt for PPF, many would probably have it only applied to specific vulnerable panels; e.g. front bumper, front half (or whole) of the bonnet, front wings, door mirror cappings and front section of the roof.
DIY kits are available, where you can buy pre-cut sections to cover the vulnerable panels, although I dare say it requires a certain amount of skill to align it correctly with the body panels, and apply it without trapping unsightly air bubbles.
Having PPF applied won’t alleviate the need for washing a car; it’ll still get just as dirty, and be just as susceptible to squashed flies, bugs and bird droppings.
I suppose ultimately it comes down to how much you want to spend on keeping your car’s underlying paintwork free from stone chips or other minor damage such as scratches or bird droppings etching into the lacquer (some might say, for the benefit of the next owner), and how long you intend to keep your car. For what it would cost to have PPF applied, you could get a number of stone chips and minor bodywork imperfections repaired and / or have a car could be professionally detailed a number of times during a typical period of ownership.
Alternatively, the other option is to buy a paint chip repair kit such as a Chipex kit, and invest in a DA machine polisher, some detailing supplies and adopting a safe washing technique to maintain a car’s paintwork in good condition. That’s what I’ve done, and i know it’s not for everyone, but I get the satisfaction of doing it myself and seeing the results of my efforts for a much lower cost.
-
It perhaps also depends on the amount and type of mileage that you do.
The front end of my Octavia was unprotected but was pretty much immaculate after 2.5 years and 25k miles.
Different story now with my Golf. I'm now doing more miles per year and spending far more time/miles on busy motorways, and no matter how careful I am, and with an impact speed of over 100 mph, stone chips are virtually impossible to avoid.
So unless I was spending lots of time on busy motorways or A roads I wouldn't bother with PPF, and even then i'd need convincing that it would withstand high speed impact. I've seen some people peel off the stuff by the rear arches that is put on at the factory, as it can become a bit of a dirt trap.
-
If you're driving on motorways then nothing you do will protect your car from stone chips. Doesn't matter how good people think PPF is it can't defy the laws of physics.
-
And people thought the earth was flat.
-
And people thought the earth was flat.
You've lost me :huh:
-
Just because someone doesn't believe in something, doesn't make it true.
The 'laws of physics' are what? That a clear film item can't stop minor impact damage?
-
I have PPF on one of my cars, it is a low mileage high end car but one i want to keep as perfect as possible.
I did front bumper, part bonnet, mirrors, side sills and part of all 4 doors as my model is susceptible to chipping down the side. There are some huge prices quoted on the internet but all that cost me £500 from a very experienced guy who does work for Ferrari UK.
Has been a brilliant job and certainly has protected my car as I can see some stone marks on the film that otherwise would be chips. These will self heal over time. Flies are so easy to wash off as well.
-
Just because someone doesn't believe in something, doesn't make it true.
The 'laws of physics' are what? That a clear film item can't stop minor impact damage?
Minor impact! Stones on a motorway are not minor impact!! And PPF will not stop a car being chipped at motorway speeds.
-
The front end of your car is hit by debris all the time and the paint/plastic/glass/etc do a great job as mostly you never know. PPF cranks that up a notch. It's not invincible but it's damn good as many, many people report. I don't read about people being disappointed but as you clearly have been, let us know what brand/installer you used and why you weren't happy.
-
Never used it and have no plans to use it either. Got a friend who has it on his BMW and even with PPF the front end has a few really bad stone chips on it. Was applied from new but I'm not sure where and what kind it is. I agree that it will help for minor stones at low speeds but it will never stop high speed stone flicks on a motorway.
-
It's a thin plastic film, what do people expect? :undecided:
I'm sure the body armor I've worn didn't come with it :laugh:
-
Well judging by people on here it's the miraculous organic self healing wonder plastic that stops you getting any stone chips ever. :whistle: seriously though for low speed stone flicks I'm sure it'll save the paintwork more than not having anything at all.
-
http://www.paintshield.co.uk/ provide a 4 year warranty - if anything penetrates the film, they will replace it. That's a lot of faith in the product. Driving on the motorway isn't excluded :whistle:
-
Looks good but I still wouldn't waste my money on it. That's just me though :whistle:
-
So do people discount PPF because it may not stop every single price
of stone damage. The fact it may cut down damage by say 90% seems to be ignored.
-
I suppose it's looking at the cost of PPF compared to either a touch up paint, chipsaway or paint correction. Also with the norm for people to only really keep cars for 2 to 3 years is it worth the money. Then again a good paint protection detail costs 500 to 750ish.
-
I had my car detailed from new, even the delivery packing was left for the detailer to remove.
It has only ever been cleaned by the detailer and I plan to keep the car for 8-10 years.
I do not wash my cars.
My Grande Tour meant a large number of insect bodies/acid was left to bake onto the paintwork, some for over 8 weeks resulting in staining of the paintwork which now requires a repolish. Impact damage from stones was x2 both resulting in chips on the bonnet and one tiny chip in the windscreen.
Im already on my 2nd windscreen, that flying stone left a double groove in the bonnet paintwork that Im told should be retouched.
I was thinking of a full bonnet film cover.
Now considering bumper, wings and wing mirrors, plus those annoyingly shiney black panels behind the front windows. All depending on cost.
-
I have PPF on my Ed40.
I can understand why some people think it’s not value for money or it won’t stop chips but 10K miles in and it all looks good.
Ok a respray of the bonnet and bumper might be less and a chipex kit even less but its personal preference.
The detailer that installed my PPF does a lot of Aston Martins including the demo cars. They showed me a AM that had had a bump in the snow scraping the front bumper, they removed the PPF and much to everyone’s surprise the PPF had saved the bumper. It’s not just stone chips it protects against.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/141072971@N03/shares/8t541F (https://www.flickr.com/photos/141072971@N03/shares/8t541F)
-
Many thanks for sharing that Mike.
It was firsthand experience or members with a sound knowledge of PPF I was seeking.
Can you explain what cleaning procedures you employ?
Also the name of the company who attached the film?
.
-
I used Reep they have depots across the UK. They installed Llumar PPF but another popular one is Xpel.
I do nothing different when washing the car because of the PPF, the only thing i don;t use on the PPF is tar and glue remover or any other harsh chemicals.
We have a Up Gti on order and have had a quote to PPF that but costs are making it a hard decision. Maybe just a good paint correction and ceramic coating instead, it wont help with stone chips but will keep the paint looking good.
-
Anyone know what the life expectancy is of PPF?
Ive heard rumours its 5 years, anyone know that has it what the truth is, its something ive wanted to ask retailers of it for a while now as I normally keep my cars for a long time. The other thing ive wondered about is micro blistering. This can happen to paint if a car cover is fitted over long periods so i wonder about PPF?