[Berzerker]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

Congrats!

Briefly: foam cannon, waste of money
Ceramic: hyped, waste of money unless you DIY (it's easy!)
Cover: no.

I'm not a fan of PPF, usually ridiculously expensive and I don't like the way it looks. Does it protect? Sure. But don't save it for the next guy.

Drive the car, enjoy it, frequent washing to keep it clean, it's that simple!

What's wrong with a foam cannon lol. You can get a hand pump one for the wheels for $20. Regardless, a pressure washer attachment for snow foam is also like $40-50 and makes cleaning the car super easy. It's an important step if you want to prevent or at least minimize paint swirls on the clear coat, and it does a great job at doing that.

And I don't notice a single difference in looks from the PPF'd part of my car to the non-PPF'd part. PPF has had a lot of technology enhancement in the last 10-15 years to make it imperceptible. Just good at protecting the car.

[BryanCO]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

Congrats!

Briefly: foam cannon, waste of money
Ceramic: hyped, waste of money unless you DIY (it's easy!)
Cover: no.

I'm not a fan of PPF, usually ridiculously expensive and I don't like the way it looks. Does it protect? Sure. But don't save it for the next guy.

Drive the car, enjoy it, frequent washing to keep it clean, it's that simple!

I always find it interesting that similar type of folks can have very different opinions and experiences.

Washing cars is ok - not super fun - to me. PPF, ceramic, foam gun, etc. all make the process easier (maybe more fun) and help keep the car looking good while I own it.

Specifically re the foam gun, if the car is lightly dirty, it does a good job cleaning it. I can knock out our three daily drivers pretty quick. Foam wash then a foam protectant. This does require a decent power washer but that is super handy here in CO to wash off the mag chloride during winter.

[exuberantwombat]

Originally Posted by RPM33

What difficult thing did you accomplish in your life?

I lost 60+ lbs. Lived a lot of my life severely overweight and this was my inspiration to work towards a healthy life style. I'm not technically there yet. I had expected delivery of the car to take 3 more months at least! But it seems Covid supply chain issues are slowly on their way out. Regardless, I'm happy to take it sooner rather than later. At least it becomes a more tangible reminder of the work I put in to break my unhealthy habits.

[exuberantwombat]

Originally Posted by KevinGS

Welcome, Exub! I'm in MD too, and I was an early adopter. I ordered mine in March of 2021 amidst all of the front-end controversy. And mine arrived in June, 11 weeks later.

I drove straight from the dealership to the PPF shop (like a 50-mile trip), avoided all highways, left 10 car links in front of me when possible, and drove like 5 MPH under every speed limit...all under the fear that some random rock will fly up and chip the paint.

I made it unscathed (whew!) and had decided to only have the full front-end PPF and the windshield. And they paint corrected and did the full ceramic. It wasn't cheap.

Looking back, if I had to do it all over again, I would do the full paint correction, PPF the whole car (and windshield), and skip the ceramic portion of the job.

Why?

After 60,000 miles in 2.5 years (yes, I drive my M4 a lot, and straight through winter, and I have taken several long trips), the front end protection has successfully protected the paint. And I've had some definitive rocks hit my paint (audible ones), which required a replacement of the PPF on the bumper one time, and on the hood another time. Along with a bunch of other little rocks that had nicked up the PPF. Upon replacement, the paint underneath was pristine. Woohoo!

But, I also have had rocks hit my unprotected doors and partially unprotected lower rear quarter panels, and I really wish I had protected those regions fully. The only part of the car that doesn't really need it, IMO, is the rear trunk and bumper. All other parts of the M needs PPF (roof included), though I know I'm a bit more anal than most. Hec, even my rims have small rock chips. Nothing is immune.

Having said that, I have done my fair share of car rallies with others, which has included track time, highways and country roads. So when you're driving spiritedly with others in any of these situations, you can't avoid rocks hitting the car from someone in front of you with sticky rubber. And as you're going around a turn, or passing another, a rock can easily hit the door or the side glass too. And the rear quarter panel that pokes out is destined to be sandblasted with rocks in everyday driving situations unless you live in a highly developed area with absolutely no construction (hard to find this area in MD).

To me, ceramic is a "nice to have" and can be self-applied with 85% of the same effect by the owner. And it can be done later, it doesn't have to be done immediately. You can get a similar visual effect with some really good wax, it just won't last nearly as long.

IMO, ceramic coatings are bit overrated. But for people who like clean, chip-free paint, PPF is a bit underrated, but doing the full car ain't cheap. But if you drive spiritedly or on the track, worth every penny. If you drive like a grandma 90% of the time, avoid driving behind all trucks (especially dump trucks) and generally don't tailgate, then, no, you don't need PPF.

Again, if I had to do it all over again, I'd spend all my money up front on a full PPF, and I would either self-apply ceramic myself, or would just wait and have it done a year or two later, or whenever.

Spend wisely. And most of all, enjoy your car.

I used to have the same opinion of needing to PPF the whole car. But I gotta be a bit practical. I was quoted $10k for full PPF from a local shop here. You tell me if that is reasonable or not. Eitherway, it made me reconsider because aside from monthly payments, there are other things in life I want to save for.

I personally think frontal PPF with ceramic coating is the best compromise for what I got going on. Will I do long trips like you described? Most likely. I am not sure if I will take it to a track any time soon. I will undoubtedly be a big baby about driving it for a while until I get used to it! I just have to preemptively make peace with the inevitable chip in the unlucky spot. Otherwise I'll just keep myself from enjoying it fully.

[exuberantwombat]

Originally Posted by BryanCO

I always find it interesting that similar type of folks can have very different opinions and experiences.

Washing cars is ok - not super fun - to me. PPF, ceramic, foam gun, etc. all make the process easier (maybe more fun) and help keep the car looking good while I own it.

Specifically re the foam gun, if the car is lightly dirty, it does a good job cleaning it. I can knock out our three daily drivers pretty quick. Foam wash then a foam protectant. This does require a decent power washer but that is super handy here in CO to wash off the mag chloride during winter.

Big fan of making things easier haha. Foam cannon seems like a good investment to me. I will personally want to learn how to wash without one to get a handle for the basics. But it seems inevitable for me. I can see myself having a ton of fun washing it. But I also know myself well enough that the novelty of it will eventually wear off. Pictures like the one you shared really get me hyped up for delivery! I think folks at the dock may be taking extra days off for Thanksgiving. At least that is what I tell myself every time I check the timeline and see it stuck at the same point!

[turbojg]

Definitely ceramic coat the wheels and find yourself a good wheel cleaner detergent as you're going to need it with all of the brake dust. I probably clean my wheels 3 times to 1 car wash.

I decided against PPF for my car as it won't get driven in the winter and is not a daily driver. I drive defensively to avoid dump trucks and following closely. However. I will say that ceramic coat on the entire car is worth every penny when it comes to wash and dry the car. After washing and rinsing I usually take the nozzle off the hose and let the water run slowly out of the hose and pour it over the car so it forms a sheet and all of the water runs off and pretty much drys itself. Maybe a dab here and there with a chammy or towel. I do my own ceramic coating and find it actually easier than applying wax.

I also believe the foam soap canon helps to prevent swirls as the foam acts like a cushion when going over it with a fine soft mitt. You can find some relatively inexpensive portable electric or gas pressure washers out there to operate the foam canon and to take the heavy dirt off.

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

Congrats!

Briefly: foam cannon, waste of money

I'm not a fan of PPF, usually ridiculously expensive and I don't like the way it looks. Does it protect? Sure. But don't save it for the next guy.

Foam cannon is absolutely not a waste of money. It helps lift and remove dirt prior to washing which significantly reduces washing induced marring and swirls.

PPF……what if you ARE the next guy? We purchased a Cayenne in 2013 and still have it with over 125k miles on it. Believe me, I wish I had PPF on it.

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by exuberantwombat

I lost 60+ lbs. Lived a lot of my life severely overweight and this was my inspiration to work towards a healthy life style. I'm not technically there yet. I had expected delivery of the car to take 3 more months at least! But it seems Covid supply chain issues are slowly on their way out. Regardless, I'm happy to take it sooner rather than later. At least it becomes a more tangible reminder of the work I put in to break my unhealthy habits.

Congrats! I did the same and have kept it off nearly 2 years now. I was never severely overweight being 6’2” but I was definitely chunky. No longer. It was a long road…nearly 12 months. But at the end of the day my wife and I have changed our life and going into our 50’s we are as healthy we have been in 20 years.

Feels good, doesn’t it?

[mashimarho]

Welcome, if you HAPPEN to PPF the full car, it certainly makes maintaining it a lot easier too.

[JDUNITNOW]

Washing and maintaining a car will get easier the .ore you do it. You will come up with a method that works for you. As far as PPF and ceramic coating, I would at least do full front, side skits and roof. Owned my car almost two years and haven't ceramic coated it yet. I did a slight paint correction and use turtle wax products on car and P&S brake buster for wheels.
Now I will say this, get different brake pads and get rid of black wheels. Fighting the brake dust and if you are anal about clean wheels, black wheels will never look as clean as the day you wash them and 826m wheels are a labor of love.

[LuvMyE92]

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

Foam cannon is absolutely not a waste of money. It helps lift and remove dirt prior to washing which significantly reduces washing induced marring and swirls.

PPF……what if you ARE the next guy?

LOL on that, you made a good point. But the OP didn't say if he/she was getting a proper manual transmission, and that's a deal breaker for me. So I probably won't be buying her/his car in a few years.

To be fair, I've never owned a foam cannon or any other kind of cannon. I wash my car weekly, even in the winter, so it's not like it ever gets seriously dirty. I think the statement "It helps lift and remove dirt prior to washing which significantly reduces washing induced marring and swirls. " needs some scientific analysis, and so I'd like to suggest that you wash half of your car conventionally, and the other half as you do with the cannon, et. al. After a few years, let us know if there's an appreciable difference. If there is, I will apologize.

Seriously, I did that once, when in school, protecting half of the vinyl top on my Olds Cutlass (yes, I'm that old) and four years later, I could tell a difference. Problem was, I forgot which half was which. And it looked really bad.

@DrinksTooMuchCoffee I respect your well-reasoned and thoughtful posts, so I'm certainly not looking to get into an argument here and/or derail the OP's thread. I'll suggest that since he/she plans to cover the car outside, there will be a lot more paint marring and scratching simply from applying and removing the cover than there will ever be from washing the car with a sponge. But that's a different thread.

[Adcampo]

Originally Posted by Lupeskew

Don't forget the valve controller! Wait for your 1200 mile break in to do exhaust or valve controllers however.

Why do you suggest waiting after break in?

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

LOL on that, you made a good point. But the OP didn't say if he/she was getting a proper manual transmission, and that's a deal breaker for me. So I probably won't be buying her/his car in a few years.

To be fair, I've never owned a foam cannon or any other kind of cannon. I wash my car weekly, even in the winter, so it's not like it ever gets seriously dirty. I think the statement "It helps lift and remove dirt prior to washing which significantly reduces washing induced marring and swirls. " needs some scientific analysis, and so I'd like to suggest that you wash half of your car conventionally, and the other half as you do with the cannon, et. al. After a few years, let us know if there's an appreciable difference. If there is, I will apologize.

Seriously, I did that once, when in school, protecting half of the vinyl top on my Olds Cutlass (yes, I'm that old) and four years later, I could tell a difference. Problem was, I forgot which half was which. And it looked really bad.

@DrinksTooMuchCoffee I respect your well-reasoned and thoughtful posts, so I'm certainly not looking to get into an argument here and/or derail the OP's thread. I'll suggest that since he/she plans to cover the car outside, there will be a lot more paint marring and scratching simply from applying and removing the cover than there will ever be from washing the car with a sponge. But that's a different thread.

It's not a debatable point. It's easily proven, many videos on the internet. But if you are happy with the way your cars look and come out, by all means, continue your routine. There is no one correct way for sure.

Also, everyone has many levels of tolerance for what they find acceptable. And what they can see. Judging by the way most cars roll around, most people are pretty clueless about how damaged their cars are. So there is definitely no right answer for everyone.

Finally, you missed my point of "you" being the next guy. "You" as in the current owner of the vehicle. I very much regret not putting PPF on my current Cayenne. It looks good from 10' away, but when you get up close, it's sad. Thankfully it's a bronze colored paint and it doesn't look too bad. We tend to keep our cars for a long time and I've seen the damage 100k miles add up
In Texas. It's simply unavoidable, we have too much crap on our roads here. My wife's new Cayenne is dark blue...it would look like hell in half that mileage. Putting PPF on it and replacing it every 5 years or as needed is a no brainer for me. I will also
Own the M3 for probably 7 years at least, so same analysis.

[LuvMyE92]

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf

Finally, you missed my point of "you" being the next guy.

Oh.

[exuberantwombat]

This for sure is a long term car, so me being "the next guy" is true. I can't personally justify full PPF so I think I will stick with just front coverage. Maybe a few other problem spots like the wheel wells that flare out at the rear. I know ceramic coat isn't physical protection so much as it is chemical protection. It's the best I can manage in this point in time. If I can pull off great care of the paint over the next few years, I'll reconsider full PPF.

@JDUNITNOW thanks for the list of materials you use! Any added info is appreciated. You made a great point about black wheels but it'll have to be something I put up with for now. Someday I will consider a different style.

I guess I never said what it was. It's a comp xdrive in Isle of Man Green Metalic with Kyalami Orange extended leather int. Has int carbon trim as well as ext carbon package. Plus most of the other QoL options they offer with the car. No carbon buckets. They were strangely absent when I speced it out. Not that I would have picked them. The side bolsters looked troublesome.

Side note: as of today it is on the move from dock to dealer!!

[ChiTownM]

Your compromise is a good approach, save the money where you can. I have had previous M3s that I just drove without any protection and they received their fair share of road debris, etc. I didn’t mind it too much, I just drove the cars to have fun and not worry about it. IF you were to trade the car in for your next car, you will get zero trade in credit for PPF, ceramic coating, tint, etc……

Parking outside means that you want to make sure you take good care of your keys inside your house or apartment ….. concealing the key signal for comfort access. There are separate threads here about that, and on other forums.

[exuberantwombat]

Originally Posted by ChiTownM

Your compromise is a good approach, save the money where you can. I have had previous M3s that I just drove without any protection and they received their fair share of road debris, etc. I didn’t mind it too much, I just drove the cars to have fun and not worry about it. IF you were to trade the car in for your next car, you will get zero trade in credit for PPF, ceramic coating, tint, etc……

Parking outside means that you want to make sure you take good care of your keys inside your house or apartment ….. concealing the key signal for comfort access. There are separate threads here about that, and on other forums.

I'm reading that thread about a guys car getting stolen like this. Will consider a Faraday box for them. Also I may need to install a Ring doorbell. Recent news of teenage vandalism in my neighborhood. It's pretty safe overall so that was a shock to hear.

[Needsdecaf]

Originally Posted by LuvMyE92

Oh.

No worries, I poorly worded it. Point being it’s often posted that PPF is “saving it for the next guy” but that’s not always the case. I get that mentality from people who flip cars often or lease and I would say in that case, yeah, PPF is not a good use of money.

[Lupeskew]

Originally Posted by Adcampo

Why do you suggest waiting after break in?

Hi there. Just getting advise from the forums, shops that sell and installer. I also think it's wise to wait until everything syncs in break in and avoids any "questions" when bringing it back to deal for break in oil service is all. I will be breaking mine in quickly with a couple trips to visit my daughter in college so I can add my mid-pipe and valve controller.

[turbojg]

Took mine in for my break in service with a Dahler valve controller on the car. Didn't hear a word about it. I spent a lot of time securing the wires and making it as inconspicuous as possible so I wasn't about to take it off for a 1 hour service.

[Lupeskew]

Originally Posted by turbojg

Took mine in for my break in service with a Dahler valve controller on the car. Didn't hear a word about it. I spent a lot of time securing the wires and making it as inconspicuous as possible so I wasn't about to take it off for a 1 hour service.

Yes, just giving general advise since pluses and minuses if something went sideways is all and getting through your 1200 miles goes quick if you want to.

[uhNexus]

Originally Posted by exuberantwombat

I only thought to do it on the windows with the added bonus of tinting them. And the idea of DIYing it makes me cringe a bit. I'd hate to muck it up some how! But the point that it'd be easier to clean is a good one so I will consider it!

P.S. Username is a mysterious holdover from childhood haha. Never bothered to come up with a new one.

Your username is a gamertag, isn't it?