PPF/ Dealer/ Topaz?

[Col Lamb]

Bellisimoto in SE London have a great rep and seem to be cheaper than Topaz. I haven't used either. Still making mind up what to do.

That's good to hear. I popped into see them a couple of weeks ago in readiness for September and Andrew (the owner) was clearly very knowledgeable and professional.

I haven't got a competing quote from elsewhere yet so wasn't sure how their pricing stacks up:

PPF full front section £1390+vat
New car single stage prep £360+vat
Gtechniq £240-£510+vat depending on product (Serum Light, Serum Ultra, CSU Black)
Gtechniq Surface bundle £255+vat (glass, wheels, leather

The full front PPF is certainly steeper than I thought it would be.

Any recommendations on what to go for (Gtechniq product), or what to leave out?

Crystal Serum Pro topped with Exo.

For the rims, Wheel Armour C5

I would not have any glass or internal treatments.

If you are up to a DIY job then a Maguiers (or scimilar) dual action buffer, their cutting compound plus the DIY Gtechnic Crystal Serum Lite would be far cheaper than a Pro Detailer.

[Percymon]

Hi all - time to think about ppf/ gtechniq.

May go a bit overboard but i’m not great at keeping cars looking good.

1. If you use hand car wash places then forget Gtechniq or ay other sealant - these car wash places use harsh chemicals and poor wash practices that will destroy the coating within months if not weeks

2. If you clean your own car then learn good practice (prewash, two buckets with grit guards, etc) and only use the correct maintenance products (ie Gtechniq compatible / branded items)

3. If you use brush car washes - STOP NOW

4. If you cannot abide by #2 then find a detailer/valeting company to wash the car fortnightly for you

[REITSY]

I debated this massively and got quote from people in Bracknell and somewhere else but decided I really don’t mind about the car looking a bit dirty and I have lived without this stuff on my x5, Merc and boxster so will save the money. As i almost always part ex cars with dealers the odd stone chip isn’t going to drop the part ex price as much as the ppf will cost. My opc wasn’t a fan of ceramic.

[Paul1970]

I’ve used Andrew at Belissimoto for my Macan and Cayenne and he’s outstanding to deal with and passionate about what he does. I would highly recommend.

The front sections are key given that’s where stone-chip damage is most likely, but in London there is an argument for having the doors done since the nature of London parking is that scrapes along the doors are quite common.

By having the G-Technique and PPF the car is so easy to keep clean and looking pristine but, as mentioned elsewhere, you don’t want to let the hand car wash places get close to it.

The one disadvantage is if you have a dent behind PPF you can’t use companies likes ChipsAway because they don’t have the facility to remove and restore PPF. Instead, you need to go back to the detailer which makes any repair quite pricey.

[andreas]

My take on this is that it all depends on how long you expect to keep the car, as well as the way it's financed. If you're just going to have it for, say, 3 years, I don't think there's any point doing PPF or ceramic coating. When you sell or trade it, there won't be any difference in its value (although it might be slightly easier to sell). If you're planning to keep it long-term (say 8-10 years), then PPF might make sense, but not many people keep their cars that long.

[Jon A]

My take on this is that it all depends on how long you expect to keep the car, as well as the way it's financed. If you're just going to have it for, say, 3 years, I don't think there's any point doing PPF or ceramic coating. When you sell or trade it, there won't be any difference in its value (although it might be slightly easier to sell). If you're planning to keep it long-term (say 8-10 years), then PPF might make sense, but not many people keep their cars that long.

Agree with you there on the PPF point Andreas. I have a front end PPF and it was expensive and not sure if it is worth it to avoid a few small stone chips but time will tell - probably wouldn’t bother again unless it was about £500 (which it wasn’t!)
The ceramic on the other hand is fantastic. Ease of cleaning but also how long it holds its lustre and shine between cleans. The interior is a doddle to keep clean too (I have pebble) so another bonus

[crockers]

As for products I much prefer IGL Kenso.