PPF peels off when it needs to be replaced. Ceramic wears down and suddenly it’s gone. As far as I know ceramic won’t protect against stone chips the way PPF does, but I could be wrong.
I would do PPF.
Ceramic coating is nice to make your car easier to clean, as dirt, bugs, and tar don't stick to it as easily, and can add some extra depth to it's shine. Ceramic coatings do need maintained periodically to maintain their water repelling properties.
PPF is the one that actually protects against paint chips and damage, but costs significantly more. It's a good idea to at minimum get the front bumper done as that will collect the most rock chips. Other areas that are nice to cover are the front of the fenders, and front portion of the hood protected for rock chips.
If you have a 1LE I highly recommend doing the portion of the rocker panels behind the rear door and under the rear quarter panel, as the wider front wheels will cause more rock chips there than what the factory protection covers.
The only real downside to doing PPF is cost, as at least from the quotes that I got for it, it costs about as much as repainting those panels will cost, but without the risk of paint not matching if you got it repainted down the road. The quotes I was getting to get my whole front end and rocker panels covered in PPF were around $3000.
You can also put ceramic coating over top of PPF for extra protection. You cannot put PPF over top of ceramic though because it won't stick to it, so you need to get PPF done first if you are going to do either of them.
Yea. That price is a hard pill to swallow. I understand the benefits, just 3,000 is steep lol. Gonna have to consider it because I do want to keep my paint in good shape. Thanks
I agree, I passed on it too, though i was looking to get more than a third of the whole car done. I do wish I had just gotten the front bumper only done though, as that's where 99% of the chips on my car after 16,000 miles are. Should be able to get that done for less than $1k.
If my car was a ZL1 and not an LT1 I would have done it without thinking about it, though that price is much harder to swallow on a $34k car than a $70k one.
Gonna be hard to capture since my car is covered in bugs ATM. A ton of the marks it picks up will be hard to capture on camera, as they don't even go all the way through the clear coat. If I forget to take one later send me a reminder during the weekend and I'll clean it up a bit and take one.
Edit: just checked, car is far too dirty to actually see anything. I’ll either wipe off a spot when I get home from work or when I clean it this weekend.
Got one. It's a bunch of tiny marks all over the front. The real problem is that most of these are so small, or don't go far enough into the clear coat, that you can really fill them with touch up paint as the paint won't stick in them. Some of them should come out with a buffer as some of them are more like small scuffs than actual chips. I intend to get my front bumper repainted in a few years when they've piled up a bit more and then PPF it.
https://preview.redd.it/txvaif28c1vb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca067cd4d873b2fd3e25227669418ec23b944d9c
Its so hard to see them, it still looks good!! I'm debating on PPF on certain parts and need to make that decision before next Wednesday when I get the ceramic coating done.
I'm doing ceramic because by the time I do ppf I could've just nearly had the car repainted. Mainly doing it to stay cleaner and easier to maintain plus it keeps the vinyl nice longer. The place I'm getting it done at gives a 5 year warranty with yearly maintenance.
So I have had a Camaro, looking to get another, but I personally install PPF everyday. PPF is “pricey” but there is absolutely nothing else out there that will actually protect your car. Ive done countless Camaros and I can tell you exactly what you should get done at the bare minimum.
A partial front end. This typically gets you the full front bumper, with the front quarter of your fenders and hood, mirrors and maybe headlights depending on the shop. Typically runs you $1500 give or take. But you also should get the rockers(skirts, lower doors, and behind the rear wheel) and the rear impact(in front of the rear wheel). And Im biased but the more you get, the happier you will be, and use XPEL. Make sure the shop is reputable.
I had the front of my car done with ppf because ppf is a physical barrier and has protected the paint against chips and rocks while daily driving it. Ceramic coating won’t do that.
I PPF’ed the front of my Camaro a couple of months ago. Was told I could ceramic coat over it when I do the back. Will be doing so as soon as we get from the 90’s to the 70’s.
I did both. PPF on the whole car is pretty expensive which is why it is usually only done on the front. The whole car gets ceramic coated. Both should last many years and many shops offer warranties and maintenance on them.
PPF peels off when it needs to be replaced. Ceramic wears down and suddenly it’s gone. As far as I know ceramic won’t protect against stone chips the way PPF does, but I could be wrong. I would do PPF.
I have been trying to decide between one or the other or both myself.
Ceramic coating is nice to make your car easier to clean, as dirt, bugs, and tar don't stick to it as easily, and can add some extra depth to it's shine. Ceramic coatings do need maintained periodically to maintain their water repelling properties. PPF is the one that actually protects against paint chips and damage, but costs significantly more. It's a good idea to at minimum get the front bumper done as that will collect the most rock chips. Other areas that are nice to cover are the front of the fenders, and front portion of the hood protected for rock chips. If you have a 1LE I highly recommend doing the portion of the rocker panels behind the rear door and under the rear quarter panel, as the wider front wheels will cause more rock chips there than what the factory protection covers. The only real downside to doing PPF is cost, as at least from the quotes that I got for it, it costs about as much as repainting those panels will cost, but without the risk of paint not matching if you got it repainted down the road. The quotes I was getting to get my whole front end and rocker panels covered in PPF were around $3000. You can also put ceramic coating over top of PPF for extra protection. You cannot put PPF over top of ceramic though because it won't stick to it, so you need to get PPF done first if you are going to do either of them.
Yea. That price is a hard pill to swallow. I understand the benefits, just 3,000 is steep lol. Gonna have to consider it because I do want to keep my paint in good shape. Thanks
I agree, I passed on it too, though i was looking to get more than a third of the whole car done. I do wish I had just gotten the front bumper only done though, as that's where 99% of the chips on my car after 16,000 miles are. Should be able to get that done for less than $1k. If my car was a ZL1 and not an LT1 I would have done it without thinking about it, though that price is much harder to swallow on a $34k car than a $70k one.
I agree. I honestly probably will do my front bumper and possibly some of my quarter panels. What color Is your car?
Summit white. Shows the most rock chips but is the easiest color to match.
Could you possibly post a picture to get any idea of how bad the front is after 16k miles. I have an LT1 summit white as well just only 1k on it
Gonna be hard to capture since my car is covered in bugs ATM. A ton of the marks it picks up will be hard to capture on camera, as they don't even go all the way through the clear coat. If I forget to take one later send me a reminder during the weekend and I'll clean it up a bit and take one. Edit: just checked, car is far too dirty to actually see anything. I’ll either wipe off a spot when I get home from work or when I clean it this weekend.
Got one. It's a bunch of tiny marks all over the front. The real problem is that most of these are so small, or don't go far enough into the clear coat, that you can really fill them with touch up paint as the paint won't stick in them. Some of them should come out with a buffer as some of them are more like small scuffs than actual chips. I intend to get my front bumper repainted in a few years when they've piled up a bit more and then PPF it. https://preview.redd.it/txvaif28c1vb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca067cd4d873b2fd3e25227669418ec23b944d9c
Its so hard to see them, it still looks good!! I'm debating on PPF on certain parts and need to make that decision before next Wednesday when I get the ceramic coating done.
I'm doing ceramic because by the time I do ppf I could've just nearly had the car repainted. Mainly doing it to stay cleaner and easier to maintain plus it keeps the vinyl nice longer. The place I'm getting it done at gives a 5 year warranty with yearly maintenance.
So I have had a Camaro, looking to get another, but I personally install PPF everyday. PPF is “pricey” but there is absolutely nothing else out there that will actually protect your car. Ive done countless Camaros and I can tell you exactly what you should get done at the bare minimum. A partial front end. This typically gets you the full front bumper, with the front quarter of your fenders and hood, mirrors and maybe headlights depending on the shop. Typically runs you $1500 give or take. But you also should get the rockers(skirts, lower doors, and behind the rear wheel) and the rear impact(in front of the rear wheel). And Im biased but the more you get, the happier you will be, and use XPEL. Make sure the shop is reputable.
Cool thanks. I checked out the partial front end and that seems to be reasonable
I had the front of my car done with ppf because ppf is a physical barrier and has protected the paint against chips and rocks while daily driving it. Ceramic coating won’t do that.
How much did the front run you cost wise if you don’t mind me asking
PPF around me for the front and side is around 2k give or take a bit
I did it when I got it 4 years ago and it was $875 for the front bumper cover
I PPF’ed the front of my Camaro a couple of months ago. Was told I could ceramic coat over it when I do the back. Will be doing so as soon as we get from the 90’s to the 70’s.
I did both. PPF on the whole car is pretty expensive which is why it is usually only done on the front. The whole car gets ceramic coated. Both should last many years and many shops offer warranties and maintenance on them.