propete

I was wondering if any of you ceramic coat your car without the PPF (Paint Protection Film). It seems that most have the PPF first and then the ceramic coat applied. Do any of you simply leave your car as it is from the factory without any coating at all? If you believe the car should have PPF applied first and then the ceramic coating applied, would you at least concede that having it simply ceramic coated without PPF would do no harm and might enhance the looks as well? What are some of the prices you paid to have these services done? Thanks in advance !

D'ZR1 Messiah

It's all personal preference. There are some who only do Ceramic Coat such as Chuck Billy from Corvettes918. There are some who will only do PPF...and then there are others that prefer to do both. I myself will be doing both. PPF to protect the paint, and then the ceramic coating to get the hyperbolic properties where water beads and it is super easy to clean. I've heard prices for ppf range from 5k to 7k for full ppf and ceramic coating from $1500 to 2k depending on what type of paint correction that needs to be done.

range96

Ceramic coat is about enhancing the look, PPF is to protect the paint.

Racerdj

My 2014S
Stingray had just a partial Xpel and no Ceramic. I had my 488 completely wrapped with Xpel and Ceramic. The 488 practically cleans up just rinsing the car. I have Xpel and Ceramic quoted at $6K but they have done all my cars from the 458 and this includes minor paint correction. I am completely sure that just Ceramic will greatly enhance the wet glossy result even without the Xpel. The Xpel protects the paint. For me, my ZR1, M7 will be a keeper and I want to have it look better that when it was new, so I am opting for both.

propete

Thanks D'ZR1 Messiah, I think you and I both have just had our ZR1's produced and invoiced. I shouldn't need any paint correction done to the car because it is new and has just been built and invoiced but hasn't arrived at the dealer yet. I'm thinking about letting the dealer do the ceramic coating without the PPF, mainly because of the costs of PPF. Heck, even the cost of ceramic coating is high too but I feel I should have it done. I guess the ceramic coating is better than nothing at all, right?

DebRedZR1

MustOBeenYellow2015Z

I didn't ppf & or ceramic coat my Z06. At first I didn't think I needed either but the more I drove it I noticed little rock chips on & near the rear rocker vent. When I got my ZR1 I told myself Im doing this car right! I did a full xpel ppf then had opticoat ceramic coating applied afterwards. I don't have to worry about following other cars to close & debris on the road, its such a relief and well worth it in my opinion.

Innovate

As a detailer I will say it depends on what you want. If you want complete protection and shine, do both. PPF is best for protection against rock chips and scratches. Ceramic Coating is a great layer against any outside contaminants and bird poop/bug etchings. Ceramic Coating also helps against hard water spots. A big selling point of the coating along with the gloss and shine is the ease of washing. You literally can spray off light dust and anything heavy you can use your mitt. Your mitt will glide across the coated paint, which is a weird feeling the first time lol. Then dry with a drying aid and nice microfiber towel. Good luck on your decision, also do not forget about the paint correction. If your car needs 2+ steps of correction coatings can be $1,200+ through $2k. Most top tier coatings are less than $1,500 with 2-step correction though.

propete

Thanks Deb, yes I saw your photos of your ZR1 with the Hydroselix and in fact ordered some of it. The dealer in question is the second largest corvette dealer in the country and the dealer doesn't actually do the ceramic coating, they bring in outside contractors and do the job at the dealership. I would suppose they are qualified and good at their work but was just trying to get a little information on what everyone does. I may just decide to do what you did with the HydroSilex on your ZR1. It looks fantastic on your torch red!

duanesZ06

I am doing PPF from the a pillar forward, It's at the detailer now, also the mirrors and door handle coves. Then I will do the Gyeon synchro Q2 over the whole car. I did my Zo6 and that product is very user friendly and 3 coats and a coat of the skin makes it look and feel like glass. I will then do the Wheels with Gyeon rim taking them off to do the entire rim. Nothing is bullet proof but we can help protect these rare bad *** Zr1's with all the carbon fiber on the front. If you don't PPF it what do you when it gets a big rock chip can't paint it. Anyway my 2 cents worth.

Repo Pilot

A couple of thoughts on this subject...

If you think your ZR paint is great. You are wrong. Its just OK but nothing like you would see on a high end German car.

Get down on your knees near your front tire and look at the reflections off your door and then move your head around. See all the ripples?

Or get a bight halogen light above the car reflecting off your hood and then start moving that reflection around by moving your head. The clear coat is full of spiders and orange peel. However, I will say the paint on my new ZR is a whole lot better than it was on my 14 Z51.

That said, I will just be careful for about a month so the paint fully cures. Then the entire car will be block wet-sanded and buffed out by the best paint expert I could find in Orlando (Burke Corvettes). Then it will be covered. Finally, one layer of ceramic will go over the wrap even though Xpel does not recommend it as they say it keeps the film from self-healing.

A good friend has a Z06 and he spent big bucks on "paint correcting" and multiple layers of ceramic by a craftsman that did an excellent job. That lasted about a month until he took a freeway speed small rock to the hood and off the windshield. The rock went completely through the coating and chipped the paint. Ceramic offers some protection but is does not come close to providing the type of protection a product like Xpel does. You are just BS'ing yourself if you think it does.

DebRedZR1

Innovate

gary92109

I have PPF only on the front bumper of my 2016 Z06. About a year after I had it applied I accidentally back a street rod with a real bumper into the front of the Z which was parked directly behind it and it rode up onto the front which left a large 3" X 6" scratch up the XPEL. It even left a very slight indentation in the front fascia. I was totally sick and discussed that I had done something so stupid. After I calmed down I remember that the installer told me that the XPEL was supposed to be "self-healing". I did as he said and heated up a pan of very warm water (almost hot) and slowly poured it over the affected area. After about five minutes I went back out to see if it had helped the scratch. Sounds weird but the scratch could not be seen in any light and at any angle. I could still see the indent in the fascia at just the right angle and light but nothing showed from on the XPEL. The cost of the XPEL paid for itself. I have a couple of small rock tears in the XPEL on the front slitter that can not be "healed" but they are from rocks being thrown up from a truck but the paint underneath wasn't damaged. I would have had more areas on the car covered but the cost is a little much for my budget.

Ninetres

I’m not a fan of PPF for several reasons, and prefer ceramic coating paint. PPF is a HUGE waste of money IMO. HUGE. I’m meticulous about detailing and after owning cars for years, they are in the top 1% of available examples when it comes time to sell, and they always sell for above market value because they look so incredible. I don’t follow abnormally close to other cars and have never had issue with rock chips.

With the above paragraph in mind: Convince me why I should spend $3-7k on some film that lifts in corners over time, yellows, get chipped up worse than paint after years, doesn't look as good as raw coated paint, and is a nightmare to remove/replace.

snakepit

I'm thinking about getting ceramic coat with PPF I have a California duster can I still use it to get dust off.

tobaccokid

I did not do PPF followed by ceramic coating to "enhance the shine", I did it mainly to protect the paint against the obvious occurrences.

Flyjets

Had Xpel on my ZO6, @$2000.
Trying dealer installed ceramic on my ZR1, $650 done at the 1st service.
Pros and cons to each.

Bigeasyvette

Had full paint correction done , then 8 coats of ceramic pro and ceramic window tint, really makes the color POP. Had my new F250 Limited done at the same time as the ZR1. I think the ZR1 was like $ 1,400 & the F250 was $ 1,600. Guy gave me a deal because I let him use them in his advertising. Very easy to clean, just hose them off and then hit'm with the Master Blaster for drying...…..Love the ceramic