# Paint Protection, Is It Worth It?



## CaptBreadbeard (Aug 26, 2015)

My F31 ED was in September, so I'm in the long wait while it crosses the ocean. I've been researching film and sealants, as well as getting a few quotes. However, add up the costs of all the "protection" and you're in quality repaint territory. Below is some of my research, bias, and thoughts, but is all this paint protection really worth it? Thanks.



I intend to keep this car for 10 years (I get attached to good cars...don't plan on ever getting rid of my S2000). Thus, I'm very interest in properly maintaining the vehicle. Generally, I will pay a few more dollars to get the quality and level of service I want; it really bothers me to pay for products and services which are slipshod. Given this...

The two best PPFs seem to be 3Ms and Xpel (only looking at the high-end products from each). However, the cheapest quote I have for 3M is $800 for only the bumper and 24" of hood. Since the seam will drive me crazy, to get the bumper, full hood, fenders, and mirror is $2400! The trunk lip is $50 more and the rocker panels are an additional $125. $2575 covers the problem areas, but good grief that's a pretty penny! 

Then if you want to seal the paint, Opti-Coat Pro seems well regarded. I haven't received a quote yet, but I've heard pricing north of $500! That won't include sealing the wheels either (haven't researched this well enough yet).

We're seriously talking about $3500 just to get a car that will look nice and not rust away in 10 years due to the transition away from high quality solvent-based paints! Insane! This doesn't even factor in the downsides such as loss of gloss, yellowing, seams, etc. with films! 

So, what have you done? Is all the trouble worth it or do you just suck up the paint chips? Thanks for any insight and opinions.


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## frank325 (Dec 29, 2005)

None of that is worth it to me. I use a good sealant and don't tailgate. I sold my 10 year old e90 earlier this year and I think it looked fine. Paying for that stuff wouldn't have made a difference in what I could sell it for.


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## CGP (Sep 18, 2013)

It all depends on your situation. With the snow, sand and gravel up here my car looks like it has been sand blasted after a couple of years. I dont tailgate and leave a space but someone just sees a small space and slides in front of me - a couple of feet away. It is made so much worse because I have a strip of about 5 miles at 60 mph which just send all the lose sand flying everywhere. My last windshield was $1200.

I spent years fixing paint chips every spring and actually got pretty darn good at it. To me, protection film is an absolute necessity. I am very happy with the xpel.


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## frank325 (Dec 29, 2005)

CGP said:


> I spent years fixing paint chips every spring and actually got pretty darn good at it. To me, protection film is an absolute necessity. I am very happy with the xpel.


What kind of process did you follow for fixing your chips? I tried years ago but was never happy with the results on my jet black.


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## CaptBreadbeard (Aug 26, 2015)

frank325 said:


> What kind of process did you follow for fixing your chips? I tried years ago but was never happy with the results on my jet black.


+1

It's really bad around here with the sand. Not tailgating is a good suggestion, but as mentioned by CGP, often impossible to avoid. They sand excessively IMHO because we don't get enough snow to force people to buy proper winter tires (northern VA). Thus, with the relative wealth, there are lots of expensive cars driving around in the middle of winter on summer tires or "all" seasons which are as close to summer tires are possible. The govt reaction to all the craziness is to excessively salt/sand everything. I've lived around the country where they get real snow and even Germany, no where have I seen it this bad. Of course, because they didn't budget well, there's no money to clean up the sand so you get 4+ months of sandblasting on the car. Eventually the April showers and traffic blow the sand to the shoulder.

This picture is of my 07' S2000. I've given up trying to fix it as long as it's my daily driver. On the steel I paint over the chips only to protect against rust. The hood (pictured) is aluminum so I don't bother since both chips and touch up paint look awful. Paintless repair is worthless on this car...the paint is so thin and the chips so deep (bare metal), it does't work. I've yet to see a water based (i.e. newer) car around here that isn't really bad. Never had a problem before they switched from solvent to water...

I guess I'm talking myself into doing it, but good grief it's expensive. I just bought a new set of Volk rims for my summers so I can use the OEMs for winter tires, not to mention the winter tires. Tint, tune, upgrades, etc. This is an expensive game. :bigpimp:


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## CGP (Sep 18, 2013)

frank325 said:


> What kind of process did you follow for fixing your chips? I tried years ago but was never happy with the results on my jet black.


There are of course lots of different approaches. I found that for ordinary road rash such as on the s2000 below either Dr Color Chip or the Langka system work well. I have used them both.

With Dr Color Chip you give them your color code and they send you a vial of matching paint. With Langka you use OEM touch up paint. Both systems are essentially the same.
A couple of videos will show it better than I can explain:

https://youtu.be/1rxBEPVmgOo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=903HND6ta9A

https://youtu.be/ot7ta_fJehQ

Of course it takes a while to get the knack of either system. It is important to note that from my experience neither system will have the touch-up paint level with the original paint. If you look closely you will still see a chip. However from a couple of feet away both systems really do make the surface look much better - really you don't notice.

The more time, patience and experience you have the better you will be at covering the chips. I use a sharpened toothpick to apply the paint in a chip - much better than any micro brush. Also important to note that these systems are designed for covering up road rash not deep, large chips. If you have a deep chip you need to clean the chip and apply glazing putty to fill the chip. You will also need to wet sand the glazing putty once it drys. Following that process, which can take a couple of days, you can then use the systems noted above.

I found the Dr Color Chip best for lots of road rash. I thought the Langka system better to tackle a few larger, deeper more noticeable chips. With the Langka you can really let the paint dry and then take your time to level off the paint. I have made some very deep rock chips virtually disappear with time, glazing putty, wet sand paper and the Langka. However you can only tackle a few chips with that attention to detail or you would be there for a month of Sundays.

Again both systems work well to deal with road rash. Does take some patience.....


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## frank325 (Dec 29, 2005)

I used langka last time. Of course, the major spots I hit were pretty large, so the dull new paint was pretty obvious compared to the glossy existing paint.


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

Tried Dr. Color Chip, but the fully specified match was off. The pimples are all marked and protected now.


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## TOGWT (May 26, 2004)

The advantages of coatings

Paint surface coatings provide a far superior all-round protection compared to traditional waxes or sealants. The layer of protection that a coating provides is measurably thicker and has a much better chemical resistant. This would prove beneficial in the event that a vehicle is subjected to acidic attack from bird excrement, insect inners and carcasses, acid rain and etc. The thicker chemical resistant coating will make it more difficult for these types of contaminates to penetrate the protection and damage the paint matrix.

Aside from the protection benefits, a coating will also offer better durability, lasting gloss, and an unequalled resistance to dirt and grime, which can easily be rinsed away, making maintenance even easier.

The Science behind Coatings - http://togwt1980.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/the-science-behind-coatings.html


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## CaptBreadbeard (Aug 26, 2015)

TOGWT said:


> The advantages of coatings
> 
> Paint surface coatings provide a far superior all-round protection compared to traditional waxes or sealants. The layer of protection that a coating provides is measurably thicker and has a much better chemical resistant. This would prove beneficial in the event that a vehicle is subjected to acidic attack from bird excrement, insect inners and carcasses, acid rain and etc. The thicker chemical resistant coating will make it more difficult for these types of contaminates to penetrate the protection and damage the paint matrix.
> 
> ...


Page doesn't exist at the link you provided?

What coatings do you recommend then? Thanks.


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## TOGWT (May 26, 2004)

Take a look at Optimum Polymer Technologies Opti range easy to apply, great durability easy to maintain


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## terrainx (Nov 1, 2015)

Picked up my F12 yesterday and now am in the same boat.. as needing to figure out what PPF to go with. I think I'm set on Xpel Ultimate but how much to cover is the question. White appears to be the hardest to cover/out lines so I'm planning on doing the full front.



CaptBreadbeard said:


> My F31 ED was in September, so I'm in the long wait while it crosses the ocean. I've been researching film and sealants, as well as getting a few quotes. However, add up the costs of all the "protection" and you're in quality repaint territory. Below is some of my research, bias, and thoughts, but is all this paint protection really worth it? Thanks.
> 
> I intend to keep this car for 10 years (I get attached to good cars...don't plan on ever getting rid of my S2000). Thus, I'm very interest in properly maintaining the vehicle. Generally, I will pay a few more dollars to get the quality and level of service I want; it really bothers me to pay for products and services which are slipshod. Given this...
> 
> ...


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## CaptBreadbeard (Aug 26, 2015)

terrainx said:


> Picked up my F12 yesterday and now am in the same boat.. as needing to figure out what PPF to go with. I think I'm set on Xpel Ultimate but how much to cover is the question. White appears to be the hardest to cover/out lines so I'm planning on doing the full front.


I haven't committed yet as I'm still waiting for my ED. However, based on pricing and my preferences (no seams), I'm leaning towards full hood, bumper, front fenders, mirror, rocker panels, and trunk lip. To do this with Xpel Ultimate looks to cost about $2-2.5k, but location may change the pricing dramatically.


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## terrainx (Nov 1, 2015)

CaptBreadbeard said:


> I haven't committed yet as I'm still waiting for my ED. However, based on pricing and my preferences (no seams), I'm leaning towards full hood, bumper, front fenders, mirror, rocker panels, and trunk lip. To do this with Xpel Ultimate looks to cost about $2-2.5k, but location may change the pricing dramatically.


What color is your car?


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## CaptBreadbeard (Aug 26, 2015)

terrainx said:


> What color is your car?


Estoril Blue M-sport.


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## terrainx (Nov 1, 2015)

Dark colors - easier decisions.


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## Nulevel (Sep 3, 2015)

My wife chose the "The Protector" series (as per BMW dealer's suggestion) on her 2011 328i and I'm not convinced it was worth it. 

She rarely drives it (she has just over 30k miles on it) and keeps it garaged the majority of the time. She also has it cleaned and maintained exceptionally well. 

I would consider it for myself only if the vehicle were exposed for prolonged periods to extreme harsh environments. I do not keep my X5 garaged so it does get lots of sun exposure here in West Central FLA, but I'm still not convinced the extra layer of protection would really make a difference.


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## terrainx (Nov 1, 2015)

I'm most likely going to get xpel ultimate installed next week to mainly protect the front so I can take drives up the coast and not worry about road debris.


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## CaptBreadbeard (Aug 26, 2015)

I decided on paint protection film (bumper, full hood, a-pillars, front fenders, mirrors, hatching loading strip, and front of the roof). For now I've decided against professional coatings and simply sealed and waxed the car myself. I also sealed and waxed the rims. While I'm sure the professional coatings are better, I just couldn't bring myself to pay for them over what I can do myself. Especially with all the other items I've added to this car.

Thanks to everyone for input.


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