[sandeepmallya]

Guys. Looking to put PpF on my KIA Carens. It's just a couple of months old. 3M JP Nagar is quoting 1.5 Lakh with a 7 year warranty and 1.8 Lakh with a 10 year warranty. There seems to be a Gomechanic PPF service with 3 years warranty for 65K. Which do you think is best?

[Kaushal16]

Hi, I am getting my VW Virtus GT Lava Blue delivery this week. I am considering getting PPF done as it is a dark color.
I want to stick to XPEL/STEK or similar however based on this thread I understood that detailers workmanship is more important.

Looking for suggestions of a good detailer in Chandigarh to get PPF on my Virtus.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by sandeepmallya

Guys. Looking to put PpF on my KIA Carens. It's just a couple of months old. 3M JP Nagar is quoting 1.5 Lakh with a 7 year warranty and 1.8 Lakh with a 10 year warranty. There seems to be a Gomechanic PPF service with 3 years warranty for 65K. Which do you think is best?

Quality of PPF & installation is key!
You don't want it yellowing, or hardening and cracking as time goes by as a poor installation and/or poor quality film could see you having to repaint the car in a few years once it becomes an eyesore.

If the quote is exceeding your budget : get it done on critical areas and forgo the rest.

[amitgupta]

Originally Posted by sandeepmallya

Guys. Looking to put PpF on my KIA Carens. It's just a couple of months old. 3M JP Nagar is quoting 1.5 Lakh with a 7 year warranty and 1.8 Lakh with a 10 year warranty. There seems to be a Gomechanic PPF service with 3 years warranty for 65K. Which do you think is best?

You should look to get TPU PPF instead of TPH. There are two varieties available in market - self-healing & instant healing.

Self healing heals scratches on the film when exposed to heat - normally when its parked under the Sun (or you can use a heat gun - which isnt advised by the detailers).

Instant healing variety does not need heat, it heals scratches within few seconds on its own.

(as long as they dont penetrate deep in the film beyond healable layer)

Instant healing PPF costs significantly more than self-healing one. I got PPF done on my Tucson couple of months ago & the instant healing was abt 50k more for the same brand.

The quality of the film also matters.

But most importantly, its the workmanship which will matter. You could have a top class film installed in bad way which will not only ruin the look of your car but also waste perfectly good film.

So don't just go with price here. Also do some research into the workmanship of the detailers, check reviews etc. Go visit the detailers, get demos of the PPF. If there are any cars there on which PPF is being applied then that is a good thing - you can check their work quality & get info on the type of film being applied etc.

I got the PPF done from Detailing Bulls here in NCR at their Noida workshop (in NCR they do PPF only at Noida & Gurgaon - their other workshops are not equipped for PPF installation). They had another Tucson in their workshop on which PPF was being applied & the manager invited me to come & check it out so that I can see their work quality & get an idea of how it will look & feel. They had 2-3 other cars there in different stages of finish at that moment - so seeing it myself told me more about their work quality than any videos or reviews could.

[seatosky]

Hi, I'm planning to get PPF for my new car. I am getting options of Saint Gobain (Saphire plus), Llumar, Garware to name a few. The troubling bit is that the unit prices for the same variant of any of these brands vary quite a bit between different vendors (Detailing Bull, WheelForceX, CarzSpa, Detailing Mafia).

Have any of the fellow BHPians have had any experience with these vendors?

[amitgupta]

Originally Posted by seatosky

The troubling bit is that the unit prices for the same variant of any of these brands vary quite a bit between different vendors (Detailing Bull, WheelForceX, CarzSpa, Detailing Mafia).

Have any of the fellow BHPians have had any experience with these vendors?

I got it done by Detailing Bull on my Tucson. But instead of Llumar, I went with their own brand of PPF, Bull Armour Performance Series. They showed me the Normal & Performance variants of their own PPF & Llumar's PPF when I went to enquire. Their Normal variant & Llumar PPF felt almost same but the Llumar one was 1 lac costlier. The Performance Series of their own brand PPF was instant healing (Llumar & their Normal variant were both self-healing) & looked to have better shine when applied.

[avaneeshvyas]

About to get my Xuv700 delivered sometime this month. As is the case with most people, confused about the merits/demerits of getting a PPF done. Apart from the cost, is there a glaring reason to not get the PPF done? If someone can help out, would be great.

Also would there are any detailers in Bengaluru who specialize in detailing for the Xuv700? Present owners of the vehicle if you could share some insights on this also if there are good recommendations for detailing job kindly recommend. I stay in Bommanahalli area in Bangalore

While reading multiple threads came across a few posts which mentioned that the detailing shops generally help with the film on the windshields and the windows. Wanted to understand if this is legal? Even the Mahindra dealer was mentioning that there are RTO approved glass films. Don't think that's the case, but would like to clarify this with people with the knowhow. Additionally are there any alternatives to improve the car cooling and keep the direct sunlight out? Can we get a sunfilm installed on the sunroof and is that legal?

[hyper-VTEC]

Originally Posted by avaneeshvyas

About to get my Xuv700 delivered sometime this month. As is the case with most people, confused about the merits/demerits of getting a PPF done. Apart from the cost, is there a glaring reason to not get the PPF done? If someone can help out, would be great.

I was in same boat, whether to do a PPF for not, when i re-painted few panels and bonnet of my Jetta. While the cost of good quality films (I opted for Stek USA) are definitely eye watering, the benefits it gives are many fold.

First - you need to clean the car less often - since many of these repels dust and water. Just a Jopasu wipe brings out the shine

Second - in case of minor hits, scrapes and scratches, the film take the sacrifice. In cities, even if you are watchful, other vehicles will invariably touch and scratch your car.

Third - Self healing properties - micro marring and minor scratches are nullified by the self healing properties.

Since cost was a concern for me - My installer advised to apply PPF in the bumpers, bonnet and wing mirrors and save a substantial cost. Since these are the most prone areas for scratches and paint chips due to flying debris in highways.

Originally Posted by avaneeshvyas

Also would there are any detailers in Bengaluru who specialize in detailing for the Xuv700? Present owners of the vehicle if you could share some insights on this also if there are good recommendations for detailing job kindly recommend. I stay in Bommanahalli area in Bangalore

I got my painting, PPF and film done by Guy Car Steamer/Motolab in Haralur Road. It is run by an enthusiast. His setup is not eye candy (that's why the humble prices , but expansion is in progress), but his expertise and workmanship is top notch. I will DM you the contact.

Originally Posted by avaneeshvyas

While reading multiple threads came across a few posts which mentioned that the detailing shops generally help with the film on the windshields and the windows. Wanted to understand if this is legal? Even the Mahindra dealer was mentioning that there are RTO approved glass films. Don't think that's the case, but would like to clarify this with people with the knowhow. Additionally are there any alternatives to improve the car cooling and keep the direct sunlight out? Can we get a sunfilm installed on the sunroof and is that legal?

I never used film in any of my car, but the same installer showed me light films from Stek (I think it's called Action 80). Having 80% visibility, its within the RTO permissible limit. But the amount of heat it rejects is commendable. I had travelled to Kolkata in peak summer this year and it saved my skin from the harsh sun and heat of Orissa and WB. I have never been stopped by any cop in Bangalore or any of these states in last 7-8 months because of this film.

[KadiNiSikhiya]

My i20 is almost a year old. It has garnered few nicks and scratches on the front and rear bumpers whilst the body panels remain almost nick-free. Is it too late to go for PPF? If not then what should be the ballpark estimate to get PPF done? I only have a quote from the local Detailing Devilz outlet for 70K which I find bizarrely high for a hatchback.

[hyper-VTEC]

Originally Posted by KadiNiSikhiya

My i20 is almost a year old. It has garnered few nicks and scratches on the front and rear bumpers whilst the body panels remain almost nick-free. Is it too late to go for PPF? If not then what should be the ballpark estimate to get PPF done? I only have a quote from the local Detailing Devilz outlet for 70K which I find bizarrely high for a hatchback.

I got PPF done when my car was 8 years. The surface needs to be corrected properly by a professional before application. If that is done, age of the vehicle is not a matter in my opinion.

[KadiNiSikhiya]

And the price, is 70K justified for a hatchback ?

[hyper-VTEC]

Originally Posted by KadiNiSikhiya

And the price, is 70K justified for a hatchback ?

For the right product used and professionally installed: yes.

[hyper-VTEC]

Originally Posted by avaneeshvyas

Also would there are any detailers in Bengaluru who specialize in detailing for the Xuv700?

Could not DM you, maybe because you are a new member. Please use this Gmaps link. You can find the numbers there. Contact person is Sreyansh.

https://goo.gl/maps/qTLTGe4vZN12wRU96

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by avaneeshvyas

As is the case with most people, confused about the merits/demerits of getting a PPF done. Apart from the cost, is there a glaring reason to not get the PPF done? If someone can help out, would be great.

film on the windshields and the windows. Wanted to understand if this is legal?

Downsides of PPF apart from cost:

1) The entire car has to be pulled apart panel by panel to get a perfect invisible install, things like roof rails, grilles, plastic trim, badges, door handles, headlights, bumpers in some cases, etc. Clips get damaged/broken during this and you lose the factory fit and finish.

I know people who got interior rattles after their doorpads were pulled out in order to remove the outside door handles. You’ll never get the chrome badges perfect in terms of placement and surface adhesion, no matter how skilled the installer. (Porsche bonnet badge is an exception as it’s held by screws and not tape adhesive, but that’s the exception not the norm.)

2) Very noticeable optical distortion, also referred to as orange peel. This reduces the clarity and sharpness of reflections as you’re covering paint up with plastic. Good quality films will have slightly less orange peel than cheaper ones but still very much noticeable.

3) Yellowing, no matter how high end, in about 1-2 years (less sometimes) you will start to see yellowing in the film. This may not be so obvious if the entire car is covered (as you have no reference point) and on darker colours. Once peeled, you will see it clearly.

4) If you want self cleaning/hydrophobic properties on the film, you still need to put a good quality ceramic coating over it, this adds a further 25-50k over what the film cost you.

Pre coated films also need this, the coating that they come with isn’t nearly as durable (or hydrophobic) as a pro grade ceramic coating.

5) Unlike a coating, a perfect install is not possible. A good installer can minimise these, but there will always be minor pieces of debris, film texture (lines in the film visible on close inspection), edges peeling over time, etc.

6) PPF is much, much softer than a ceramic coating and even softer than factory paint. This ensures micro marring and swirls are nearly impossible to avoid while washing even with the safest techniques, and this marring is visible until exposed to heat (unless it’s instant healing like Carpro Immortal.)

7) Self healing is not covered under any mfg warranty and is lost after a few months, it’s essentially a self levelling polymer than can only self level a finite amount of times. Once the self healing effect is lost, all the micro marring due to the soft nature of film now becomes permanent and will require very frequent machine polishing if perfect gloss is to be maintained.

8) PPF adhesive can slowly start to bond permanently to paintwork in some cases, in my experience after about 3-4 years one would be well advised to remove and replace any film as leaving it longer can lead to permanent adhesion with the factory paint, damaging the very thing it was meant to protect. This is particularly true for areas that go through extreme heat cycles like the fenders and bonnet.

9) Unlike a coating, PPF cannot be compounded or sanded or spot corrected in any way, even for the smallest of scratches, the only remedy is to replace the entire panels’ film.

The only benefit is it can stop minor rock chips/moderate scratches, it’s still useless against larger impacts or dents. With newer ceramic coatings coming in which are much thicker at 20+ microns, I find it increasingly difficult to make the case for PPF. (For reference your factory clearcoat is around 50-55 microns thick on most cars.)

As per the MV act, any modifications done to any vehicle without prior RTO approval are technically illegal. Aftermarket sunfilms of any kind have been banned by our courts for many decades now, so yes that’s also illegal, only mfg installed UV cut glass is allowed. In reality, if the tint is not too visible you may not get pulled over.

Originally Posted by KadiNiSikhiya

My i20 is almost a year old. It has garnered few nicks and scratches on the front and rear bumpers whilst the body panels remain almost nick-free. Is it too late to go for PPF? If not then what should be the ballpark estimate to get PPF done? I only have a quote from the local Detailing Devilz outlet for 70K which I find bizarrely high for a hatchback.

70k is extremely low, stay away from cheap Chinese films being rebranded and sold here, they can damage your paint. A hatchback is still 75-80% of the area of a larger car. Good quality rolls themselves are about 100k, (for a 4m car, installer will use about 80% of the roll) add in all the other costs of installation, paint correction and prep and margins and you should be looking at about 900-1000₹/ sq.ft. or 1.3-1.6L in total depending on the brand chosen. Expel is one of the best out there.

As for nicks, unless a dent is too sharp it’s generally not an issue with PPF. For scratches, if your nail can’t catch it, it can most likely be buffed out by the detailer. If deeper, you need to get the paint fixed otherwise the film will show over the scratch and it won’t look good. Also don’t put film over fresh paint, wait at least 20-30 days for it to fully offgas.

[avaneeshvyas]

Originally Posted by AJ56

With newer ceramic coatings coming in which are much thicker at 20+ microns, I find it increasingly difficult to make the case for PPF. (For reference your factory clearcoat is around 50-55 microns thick on most cars.)

Thank you for the detailed answer. Definitely something to think about.

Originally Posted by AJ56

As per the MV act, any modifications done to any vehicle without prior RTO approval are technically illegal. Aftermarket sunfilms of any kind have been banned by our courts for many decades now, so yes that’s also illegal, only mfg installed UV cut glass is allowed. In reality, if the tint is not too visible you may not get pulled over.

So I guess its something to do at your own risk essentially. If the workmanship is good, would there still be signs if the glass has a sunfilm installed?

I was specifically interested in understanding if putting a sunfilm on the sunroofs can potentially lead to trouble. That doesn't impact the visibility per se, but technically might be incorrect. Just trying to understand if anyone has had a run in with the cops and has been called out for the sunfilm on the sunroof. Any suggestions as to what best to do to keep the scorching sun out from the cabin? Any good after market recommendations?