[zorroone]

I have G21 340 coming in August.

I have a number of annoying stone chips on my current F31.

To avoid a repeat, I am considering protection film as opposed to ceramic coatings etc.
I know the protection film is expensive but it seems to be the only one that helps prevent this unsightly damage.

Has anyone any experience or recommendation in this regard?

Thanks.

[Tengocity]

I've had PPF on 3 cars now- E89 Z4, F31 335d and current M4.
First two were 3M ventureshield and the M4 has Xpel. I think they work very well, and worth it if you have the car from new and expect to keep it for a significant period. The self healing film is fantastic, though I still have a ceramic coating on top to maintain ease of cleaning.

Folk say you can do a respray for less, but that doesn't stop the stone chips happening, and it can be unsightly till you do.

I've done a partial front coverage and fully done bonnet and wings, and the partial coverage is a nice balance of cost v protection. Having said that I wish I'd done the full bonnet on the M4 as the M bulge has a few stone chips.

[MUFCbmwbear]

Full bonnet and front end at minimum

[zorroone]

Thank you. Helpful.

I am intending to do the full front and a ceramic coating on the rest.

We don't seem to have a lot of places in NI that do the paint protection.

The place I was at today use HEXIS and gave a quote of £1200 for the full front, I thought this was a bit steep.

[wassap]

For £1200 i'd put up wit the stone chips! but yes that sounds about right. I think PPF is evolving all the time, a friend had it done about 5 years back on his RRS, and it didnt really look all that good after 2 years it had dulled and slightly discoloured.

[Don76]

PPF is like most things in life. You get what you pay for. It's quite an investment, but if you plan to keep the car for a long time and you want it to stay looking it's best - it can represent good value.

Make sure you research the installers and choose a known and trusted product.

[kzg1969]

I have it on 2cars and recently had the X3 done....think the initial quote was £1200 for the front. I asked what i could get for £600 and got front bumper and 1/4 bonnet (deleted Full bonnet, A-Pillars, mirrors and parts of wing).

That covers the high impact areas, but still runs risk of chips.

One thing that i might consider next time is the windscreen - chips soooooo easy

they do not like going on top of ceramics, so make sure you do PPF first (my other car was the other way round and you have to be super careful when jet washing)

You wont get your money back at sell time, and its cheaper to paint....but its peace of mind and keeps them in good condition

[kzg1969]

I have it on 2cars and recently had the X3 done....think the initial quote was £1200 for the front. I asked what i could get for £600 and got front bumper and 1/4 bonnet (deleted Full bonnet, A-Pillars, mirrors and parts of wing).

That covers the high impact areas, but still runs risk of chips.

One thing that i might consider next time is the windscreen - chips soooooo easy

they do not like going on top of ceramics, so make sure you do PPF first (my other car was the other way round and you have to be super careful when jet washing)

You wont get your money back at sell time, and its cheaper to paint....but its peace of mind and keeps them in good condition

[Megabass]

Originally Posted by zorroone

I have G21 340 coming in August.

I have a number of annoying stone chips on my current F31.

To avoid a repeat, I am considering protection film as opposed to ceramic coatings etc.
I know the protection film is expensive but it seems to be the only one that helps prevent this unsightly damage.

Has anyone any experience or recommendation in this regard?

Thanks.

Full wrap and it was the best money I spent to not worry about kids touching my dirty car, a cat jumping on it. The dealer poorly washing when you specifically tell them not to. With Xpel most minor blemishes self heal. Some don't but who cares, its plastic not your paint.

[zorroone]

Originally Posted by Megabass

Full wrap and it was the best money I spent to not worry about kids touching my dirty car, a cat jumping on it. The dealer poorly washing when you specifically tell them not to. With Xpel most minor blemishes self heal. Some don't but who cares, its plastic not your paint.

Thanks guys, this is all good advice. Your car looks amazing.

I remember getting the 1st stone chip on my current F31, I was really annoyed.

Can you get the windscreen protected in some way?

[Chrisr22]

I have the whole car covered in XPEL Ultimate Plus. Definitely worth it for a new car you’re going to keep for a while.

My old car with ceramic coating got keyed on several panels and also scratched by a cat so I felt PPF was needed for my new car.

Make sure you get a reputable place to do it as you don’t want the installers cutting the PPF on the car or poorly prepping the car.