I had never done any paint protection to a car before, but after getting my '19 Redeye WB in Indigo blue I decided to have it PPF and ceramic coated. After having all of that done I noticed that the car still looked amazing, but it seemed a little darker than before. I just picked up my new '21 SS in Indigo blue and when I had the cars side by side you could tell that my wrapped '19 REWB was a little darker than my '21 SS as if it was missing the metallic. I haven't talked to the company that did all the work on my '19 RE yet, but I wanted to find out if it was the PPF or the ceramic coating that made my '19 RE a little darker. I know that they are different years with different paint, but I do remember after having all of that done to my '19 RE that it was a little darker and didn't pop as much. So my dilemma is do I PPF and ceramic coat my new SS and lose the metallic or do I take my chances to keep the metallic look. I have had bad luck with rock chips while driving down the road before and that is why I had my '19 RE wrapped. The day after I got my '19 RE I was driving down the road and something fell off of a tree trimming truck heading in the other direction and hit my driver side A pillar and put a small chip in the paint on my new car that I hadn't even owned for 24hrs. I had the paint fixed and immediately had it PPF and ceramic coated. On our 9 1/2hr road trip home the other day with my new '21 SS in tow I got multiple thumbs up while driving down the road and every time we stopped for gas I got compliments and people asking if they could take pictures of the car because they loved the way it looked. So sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to give a little back story on why I am torn on whether or not to PPF and ceramic coat my new '21 SS or not.
To PPF or not to PPF
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I was planning on keeping the '19 RE for life and that is another reason why I had it PPF and ceramic coated, but I couldn't pass up the deal. They gave me $1k more then what I paid for my 3 year old car plus 4% below invoice and the 0% for 72 months allowed my to get a newer car and lower my monthly payments. You can't pass up getting a newer car with more options and still lowering monthly payment. Also they didn't offer hood pins and the carbon/suede interior when I got my '19 RE and I was going to do the brake conversion so I could run the demon wheels as well.
So just my opinion but I would do the front end and fender flares at a minimum as I did on my ‘18 Challenger Hellcat Widebody. These cars throw rocks more so than the narrow body. Also my dad and I went on the 2021 Hot Rod Power Tour and ended had two rock incidents on the hood. A couple small chips toward the front and a couple closer to the windshield so I wish I had put PPF on the hood but where do you stop???
Also consider rock guards if you haven’t. Not a fan of mud flaps but also not a fan of rock chips so….
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Also consider rock guards if you haven’t. Not a fan of mud flaps but also not a fan of rock chips so….
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I will probably end up doing the whole car again, but I just wanted to see if it was the combo of the two that covered the metallic or if it was one or the other. I have the ZL1 deluxe rock guards and I think they do a great job. I wish they were a little bigger, but it seems like they are just big enough to do the job. People keep recommending the Swaim rock guards because they are bigger, but I don't like the look of them.
I opted NOT to put any on my car. I DID do ceramic coating. I have the carbon stripes & thought the ppf wouldn't work well with those. I definitely did the ZL1 rock guards and side splitters & they saved the sides & fender flares. I don't drive mine alot so hoping the front end will last. Just my opinion. I don't like the look of ppf lines either.
My car has the PPF on the front bumper and wheel arches along with the ceramic coating on the whole car and love it. The bugs are so much easier to clean off the car during the summer since I live by the lake. Going to do it to my other cars as well. Same process.
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My Durango is my DD and In the Ne Pa its just piece of mind..I don't have any mental angst about it getting dirty/chips ect.
I had my RE's entire front end, the flares and the backs of the mirrors done in Stek PPF then the entire car ceramic coated. Mine is black so can't say it changed the color but I like the extra safety measures it has now to prevent chips. The only place you can see lines are around the front headlights on the bumper just tight area's to bend the material around. Not really noticeable at all though and you really can't see a difference in the painted Vs PPF panels. Not to mention is cleans like a dream! I also have the ZL1 rock guards.
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269 Posts
I have the rock guards for my car but what do you mean side splitters?
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269 Posts
Where do I find these for my charger Widebody?
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I personally am not a fan of PPF as I don’t like the finished look and if you don’t tail gate or drive a lot of highway you should be ok. Also if your keeping the car for some time it has to be re done or it is a pita to take off later and starts to deteriorate.
I did the exact same thing
I'm going to be in the minority here but every detailer, every detailer, professional detailer that cares about his customers has told me PPF is a waste of money. That it's inconsistent, quality has gone to the tank and you are far better off with some sort of ceramic applied professionally either with training or proper DYII.
The problem with just ceramic is it does not help at all preventing chips or even scratches. There are some that say their coating makes it harder and prevents chips but that's BS. PPF has came along way and done right with the right product you really can't see it or tell the difference in finish. I chose both for ease of cleaning and chip prevention because nothing pisses me off more than chips! To each their own decide what makes sense for you needs I'm happy with my decision even though it was not cheap!
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