View Poll Results: What paint protection do you have on your vette?
Voters: 122. You may not vote on this poll
PPF and/or Ceramic Coating
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2026
Posts: 118
Likes: 122
From: NW Pennsylvania
PPF and/or Ceramic Coating
Just curious ....... what, if any, protection do you have on your vette and what do you recommend?
I'm currently thinking of getting a PPF track package installed and topping the entire car off with a ceramic coating. I know the ceramic coating makes cleaning easier. However, I've never had a ceramic coating so I'm a little concerned with the upkeep of it because I have hard water and I hear that is not good for it as the water spots tend to etch the coating. I would be using a blower to dry off the car but I'm not sure how fast it dries especially since my driveway has minimal to no shade. Also, what happens when you get caught in the rain and then the sun comes out and dries the rain spots on the car?
I'm currently thinking of getting a PPF track package installed and topping the entire car off with a ceramic coating. I know the ceramic coating makes cleaning easier. However, I've never had a ceramic coating so I'm a little concerned with the upkeep of it because I have hard water and I hear that is not good for it as the water spots tend to etch the coating. I would be using a blower to dry off the car but I'm not sure how fast it dries especially since my driveway has minimal to no shade. Also, what happens when you get caught in the rain and then the sun comes out and dries the rain spots on the car?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 867
Likes: 402
From: White
Have a ‘20 Z51 3lt ceramic coated and selected POF.
6th car with ceramic. 3 with with CeramicPro and 3 I did myself Gyeon
on the CeramicPro I bring in once a year for the “refresh”. The rest of the time I use BeadMaker a super product that can be used on the whole car.
i buy by the gallon
6th car with ceramic. 3 with with CeramicPro and 3 I did myself Gyeon
on the CeramicPro I bring in once a year for the “refresh”. The rest of the time I use BeadMaker a super product that can be used on the whole car.
i buy by the gallon
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,571
Likes: 764
From: panama city beach florida USA
St. Jude Donor '09
25 e CC ed it does at times get water spots but blast it with a hose then leaf blower then micro fiber towels and some times a lil spray detailer and i am good to go . I usually stay out of the sun .....i hate washing any car
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 3,725
Likes: 84
From: Woodlands (houston) TX
do both ppf is to protect against chips etc , ceramic coating will help with the light swirls/micro scratches you get from normal washing and wear as well as easy clean up. They have 10mil ppf now and colored. I am going to do a 90s Marlboro livery on my car with white ppf which protects all the high impact areas and then re-ceramic coat the entire car.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2025
Posts: 480
Likes: 436
From: Central Texas
Maybe you're thinking of the initial curing phase, where for the 1st couple of days, while the coating is curing, you don't want to get hard water on it during that time. But after the coating has cured, it's a hard coating which protects the clear coat (or PPF) underneath the ceramic.
I had PPF added to the front of my wife's Durango and then ceramic over the entire thing about 3 years ago, and we don't do any special care to it. She runs it through a wash tunnel to clean it, and it still looks fantastic today.
For the C8, I had a track pack PPF put on, and then ceramic over all of it. It's only been a month or so, but IMO, is a good investment. (I paid $3k for the track pack PPF + the ceramic coating over the entire body + wheels + calipers). For the C8, I won't use the wash tunnel like the wife does, but I wouldn't do that even if it didn't have PPF + ceramic.
If you want to keep the warranty of the PPF and ceramic coating, then you do need to comply with the requirements (like an annual refresh), but honestly, I've never known a single person who has made a claim on a PPF or Ceramic warranty ...
Racer
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 497
Likes: 448
From: Raleigh, NC
The 24 that I have now is totally PPF and ceramic coated to include the wheels being ceramic coated. I would definitely recommend having the track pack PPF done. The previous owner had mine totally PPF coated. I would definitely recommend using Ceramic Pro as there film comes from the factory already ceramic coated thereby saving you some money. I have never had a problem with water spots and our water here is terrible. If I see one I use some Ceramic Pro detail spray and a microfiber and it is gone.
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Drifting
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 1,761
Likes: 1,497
2024 C8 of the Year Winner - Unmodified
I have both PPF+Ceramic.
PPF is on the entire front end and sides of the car. Only the rear, the rear hatch, and targa top are not covered in PPF. Unfortunately came into play on the very first drive of the car. Some idiot in a Jeep couldn't maintain his lane, went into the median and threw rocks into the passenger side of my car. It's hard to tell, but I think it penetrated the film. The installer couldn't tell either. Either way it lessened the damage to the paint/fiberglass if it wasn't there....
PPF is on the entire front end and sides of the car. Only the rear, the rear hatch, and targa top are not covered in PPF. Unfortunately came into play on the very first drive of the car. Some idiot in a Jeep couldn't maintain his lane, went into the median and threw rocks into the passenger side of my car. It's hard to tell, but I think it penetrated the film. The installer couldn't tell either. Either way it lessened the damage to the paint/fiberglass if it wasn't there....
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,121
Likes: 506
From: Greenville, NC
2025 C8 of the Year Finalist - Modified
I had PPF installed on the front of my ER and then the entire car ceramic coated. I've had PPF on other vehicles and it really helps protect the car from rock chips.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2026
Posts: 499
Likes: 255
From: Pacific Northwest
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,742
Likes: 1,861
From: Myrtle Beach SC/Charlotte NC
There are up sides and down sides to both before and after. The shop that is doing my PPF/Ceramic wants to do it after the stripes are put on. The PPF will protect the stripes and when done right with good PPF the so called “line” that would come off the edge of the stripe is non existent….The down side is if you decide you want to change the stripe you have to remove the PPF....
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 135
Likes: 182
From: Hopkinsville Kentucky
2025 C8 of the Year Finalist - Modified
My issue was with the strip ending in a valley it creates a very small air gap (line) and could not get the PPF to stay down.
Has anyone had the PPF removed??? about 5 years or so it needs to be removed before it starts to get hard, I would think that is another big expense that you might want to know before you do it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,742
Likes: 1,861
From: Myrtle Beach SC/Charlotte NC
i don’t think the "getting hard” is a thing anymore but what I was told and I don’t know if this is a thing or not, is that over time the edges of the PPF can get a shade darker due to dirt/dust collecting/sticking on the edge. This is not really an issue unless it is on a white car which it could show. IDK
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,072
Likes: 1,062
From: TX
Just curious ....... what, if any, protection do you have on your vette and what do you recommend?
I'm currently thinking of getting a PPF track package installed and topping the entire car off with a ceramic coating. I know the ceramic coating makes cleaning easier. However, I've never had a ceramic coating so I'm a little concerned with the upkeep of it because I have hard water and I hear that is not good for it as the water spots tend to etch the coating. I would be using a blower to dry off the car but I'm not sure how fast it dries especially since my driveway has minimal to no shade. Also, what happens when you get caught in the rain and then the sun comes out and dries the rain spots on the car?
I'm currently thinking of getting a PPF track package installed and topping the entire car off with a ceramic coating. I know the ceramic coating makes cleaning easier. However, I've never had a ceramic coating so I'm a little concerned with the upkeep of it because I have hard water and I hear that is not good for it as the water spots tend to etch the coating. I would be using a blower to dry off the car but I'm not sure how fast it dries especially since my driveway has minimal to no shade. Also, what happens when you get caught in the rain and then the sun comes out and dries the rain spots on the car?
Good luck
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2026
Posts: 118
Likes: 122
From: NW Pennsylvania
Already done! I bought new wheels and had them ceramic coat them including the barrels before the tires were even mounted on them. Thanks for the tip though!
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 3,035
Likes: 1,440
From: New Jersey
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C2 of the Year Winner - Unmodified
2024 C1 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C5 of the Year Winner - Unmodified
St. Jude Donor '25
If I were buying a new C8, or Corvette or any significant value, I would most definitely do PPF and ceramic coating. I have seen enough "proof in the pudding" for how well PPF really works, and the ceramic just brings it all together.
