[F87M2CS]

Hey everyone,

New M2C owner here that’s been enjoying the forum for quite some time....

Sadly the car has been sitting dormant until I make a decision and was hoping folks here could offer some advice/help/real world experience on the topic of ceramic coating and/or PPF

The car resides in the Bay Area of California.... isn’t driven in the rain/snow/bad weather (does that even exist out here)?

It will mainly be driven short distances (in the hills) and eventually I’d like to take it to the track (but that may never happen)

So besides all the smart alec remarks about driving it more often or buying track time, etc, etc

What are the pros and cons for getting the car ceramic coated and/or PPF?

The sooner I make a decision one way or the other, the sooner I’m driving this beast of a vehicle!

Bonus if folks have recommendations where to get the work/job performed at local to Santa Clara (not looking to drive super far)

Thanks in advance for your input everyone!

[akkando]

Originally Posted by F87M2C

Hey everyone,

New M2C owner here that's been enjoying the forum for quite some time....

Sadly the car has been sitting dormant until I make a decision and was hoping folks here could offer some advice/help/real world experience on the topic of ceramic coating and/or PPF

The car resides in the Bay Area of California.... isn't driven in the rain/snow/bad weather (does that even exist out here)?

It will mainly be driven short distances (in the hills) and eventually I'd like to take it to the track (but that may never happen)

So besides all the smart alec remarks about driving it more often or buying track time, etc, etc

What are the pros and cons for getting the car ceramic coated and/or PPF?

The sooner I make a decision one way or the other, the sooner I'm driving this beast of a vehicle!

Bonus if folks have recommendations where to get the work/job performed at local to Santa Clara (not looking to drive super far)

Thanks in advance for your input everyone!

Do we have rain? Have you been here the last two weeks?

Get PPF. Easier to clean, less worries when driving, and you must worry since you won't drive in rain?????????!?????!!!??

[nik5ta]

I'm also in the Bay (San Carlos) and picking up an M2C at the end of the month. Would love some advice on where to shop for PPF and what to expect to pay for partial/full coverage.

I found the below linked place after a quick search on Yelp but would rather find a place through word of mouth here.

Thanks to all of you for contributing to this very helpful forum!

https://yelp.to/qTKq/VcOH2ys1rU

[chris719]

Ceramic coating isn't a substitute for PPF. Think of a ceramic coating as a very durable wax or sealant. It might have some marginal added scratch resistance, but it's not stopping rock chips.

I am not entirely sure how much real optical benefit there is to coating on top of PPF, but it will make it easier to clean.

Whether or not to PPF is something that is much debated. I'd only do it if you plan to own the car for a long time.

[Frank K]

Originally Posted by nik5ta

I'm also in the Bay (San Carlos) and picking up an M2C at the end of the month. Would love some advice on where to shop for PPF and what to expect to pay for partial/full coverage.

I found the below linked place after a quick search on LinkedIn but would rather find a place through word of mouth here.

Thanks to all of you for contributing to this very helpful forum!

https://yelp.to/qTKq/VcOH2ys1rU

Here is a price list for XPel https://www.xpel.com/search?keywords=M2%20Competition
Should include install and is probably on the higher end.

[aerokubectl]

The two are totally different

[2PUTT]

you can do ceramic coating over the ppf. that's what i do to all my cars. you cannot even tell it has film...

[Flacht3]

I became quite the subject-matter-expert on Bay Area ceramic and PPF recently as I hunted down a shop to do my new GT3.

First let's clear a few things up. PFF and Ceramic are not mutually exclusive, alternative options...they both provide a very different benefit.

PPF- protects against minor dings and scratches. Most notably, rock chips from the highway. This is something even a "babied" car in the Bay Area needs protection against. At the extreme end of the spectrum, I've seen PPF protect against door dings and keying but for the most part it's going to protect against minor chips. In my opinion, it's worth doing at least the front (hood, bumper, mirrors, fenders) but many folks go ahead and do the entire car (granted, you're then looking at about double the cost).

Ceramic Coating - Think of this as an extra layer of clear coat. It provides a very thin later of protection similar to clear coat that adds a nice glossy look but also makes the car more hydrophobic and repels most substances. I.e. if you get bird $hit on the car, it wipes off as if it was barely even there. I have my entire car coated for ease of maintenance, even the wheels. I basically spray each wheel for about 20 seconds with just water and they look showroom-ready.

Most folks add PPF for protection, and then Ceramic is more for ease of maintenance. You can indeed (and should) do both. It really depends on your priorities, but I think it's odd to go the ceramic coating route without PPF.

I won't go into my reviews of the various bay area shops to prevent this from turning into a novel of a post, but you have:

1// Shops that only do PPF
2// Shops that only do paint correction and/or Ceramic Coating
3// Shops that do both!

There are 3-4 high end shops in the Bay that fit into that last category and one that I specifically recommend as a good balance of price and service. If you're interested I'm happy to share.

[aWanderlustSeoul]

Originally Posted by F87M2C

The car resides in the Bay Area of California.... isn’t driven in the rain/snow/bad weather (does that even exist out here)?

It will mainly be driven short distances (in the hills) and eventually I’d like to take it to the track (but that may never happen)

I've had my car less than 7 weeks and don't drive it much but it's mostly due to the traffic I don't want to deal with so I ride my motorcycle more.

I used to live in San Francisco. Other than some rain, what other bad weather and snow is there unless people are taking their M2/M2Cs to Tahoe for the ski/snowboard season.

It sounds like you are hardly going to drive the car and you may not even take it to the track so it will be sitting in the garage most of the time. Just curious, why do you need or want PPF or Ceramic? Of course you can do anything you want with you car and spend the money to keep it in new like condition but you can accomplish the same thing by not driving it.

[Ramos]

You guys do realize that you can apply ceramic coating yourself such as G Techniq CSL in a weekend in your own garage for under $150!
Yes it's not as professional as the pro's but it's a fraction of the cost .. don't get me started on the thousands for PFF, makes zero sense to spend 10% of the price of the car to protect its paint !!

[ChrisK]

Originally Posted by Ramos

You guys do realize that you can apply ceramic coating yourself such as G Techniq CSL in a weekend in your own garage for under $150!
Yes it's not as professional as the pro's but it's a fraction of the cost .. don't get me started on the thousands for PFF, makes zero sense to spend 10% of the price of the car to protect its paint !!

I spent under $2k and covered the entire car in ultimate plus PFF except the doors and trunk lid.

It's self healing and a must if you care about the paint.

[kpham]

Originally Posted by ChrisK

I spent under $2k and covered the entire car in ultimate plus PFF except the doors and trunk lid.

It's self healing and a must if you care about the paint.

Did you do it yourself? The Xpel installer near me wants $2,500.00 for just the full front and rocker panels.

[ChrisK]

Originally Posted by kpham

Did you do it yourself? The Xpel installer near me wants $2,500.00 for just the full front and rocker panels.

Heck no. I went to: https://lumidetailing.com/

They are in the same building as IND. The work they do is beyond perfection.

[nioh_lbbm2]

Originally Posted by ChrisK

Heck no. I went to: https://lumidetailing.com/

They are in the same building as IND. The work they do is beyond perfection.

Prices vary by market. California typically 5-6k for a full car wrap

[Ramos]

Exactly in CA roughly 10% of the price of an M2!
Ridiculous if you ask me

[MTuohy]

I should be taking delivery of my new Alpine White M2C in a couple weeks (currently somewhere in the Atlantic).

My dealer (in NY) quoted me $2498 for the clear bra (bumper, hood, fenders, mirrors), which I'm thinking of going with to prevent chips, etc.

They quoted me $3980 for the ceramic coating to the entire car, which seems insane for a new white car that doesn't need much prep work. I'll probably end up just doing that myself.

[nioh_lbbm2]

Originally Posted by MTuohy

I should be taking delivery of my new Alpine White M2C in a couple weeks (currently somewhere in the Atlantic).

My dealer (in NY) quoted me $2498 for the clear bra (bumper, hood, fenders, mirrors), which I'm thinking of going with to prevent chips, etc.

They quoted me $3980 for the ceramic coating to the entire car, which seems insane for a new white car that doesn't need much prep work. I'll probably end up just doing that myself.

That's some insane pricing. Here in CA full front clear is about 1500 roughly and high end ceramic is typically 1500-2500 depending on which high end name

[MTuohy]

Originally Posted by nioh_lbbm2

That's some insane pricing. Here in CA full front clear is about 1500 roughly and high end ceramic is typically 1500-2500 depending on which high end name

Yeah it seemed a little ridiculous. I think they're trying to make a little extra after giving me MSRP on the car. I'll probably shop around on the clear bra.

[nioh_lbbm2]

Originally Posted by MTuohy

Yeah it seemed a little ridiculous. I think they're trying to make a little extra after giving me MSRP on the car. I'll probably shop around on the clear bra.

Missed the part that you said that was from the dealer. I would never let any dealer do detailing work. At best they just contract with a local independent detailer but I would imagine they get a cut so price wouldn't be great for the consumer. I'm sure you'll be able to find a highly rated independent detailing shop with realistic prices

[Flacht3]

Back to recommendations, the shops I considered (I was looking for a combo of PPF, Ceramic and paint correction) were:

1// Premier Protective Films (Fremont). These guys are known as some of the best in the country but you pay a premium for it (and the way was 3+ months). I passed mainly due to price and the wait, but give them a look if you want a high-end option.

2// Elite Auto Films (San Jose). I heard/read good things. Price seemed reasonable. But they also had a 2+ month wait. I would look into them and see what kind of quote you get.

3// Auto Pro Films (Burlingame). This guy is a no BS PPF installer that doesn't have much of a fancy website or getup but has some of the best reviews I've seen. Friends with Porsches, Ferraris, Lambos etc. all recommended him and his prices are reasonable. He was actually my top choice but again the wait was about 45 days and I grew impatient.

4// Carbonite Detailing (Mountain View). Another "under the radar" guy. He does it all...paint correction, ppf, ceramic coating etc. I can honestly say he's a master at his craft and a perfectionist. Some local collectors (we're talking F40s, F50s, LaFerraris) have him on retainer for touch-ups. He's a small operation with really fair prices. Ultimately this is who I went with (got lucky with the appointment timing) and I'm really grateful how it all worked out. He does custom PPF (no kits) and if you saw my car you'd have no idea there's a film on it.

[akkando]

Originally Posted by Chris_DM

Back to recommendations, the shops I considered (I was looking for a combo of PPF, Ceramic and paint correction) were:

1// Premier Protective Films (Fremont). These guys are known as some of the best in the country but you pay a premium for it (and the way was 3+ months). I passed mainly due to price and the wait, but give them a look if you want a high-end option.

2// Elite Auto Films (San Jose). I heard/read good things. Price seemed reasonable. But they also had a 2+ month wait. I would look into them and see what kind of quote you get.

3// Auto Pro Films (Burlingame). This guy is a no BS PPF installer that doesn't have much of a fancy website or getup but has some of the best reviews I've seen. Friends with Porsches, Ferraris, Lambos etc. all recommended him and his prices are reasonable. He was actually my top choice but again the wait was about 45 days and I grew impatient.

4// Carbonite Detailing (Mountain View). Another "under the radar" guy. He does it all...paint correction, ppf, ceramic coating etc. I can honestly say he's a master at his craft and a perfectionist. Some local collectors (we're talking F40s, F50s, LaFerraris) have him on retainer for touch-ups. He's a small operation with really fair prices. Ultimately this is who I went with (got lucky with the appointment timing) and I'm really grateful how it all worked out. He does custom PPF (no kits) and if you saw my car you'd have no idea there's a film on it.

Jeremy at Invisiguard Clear Bra.

I believe he just does PPF.

[newnmpr0ved]

I personally would PPF the hood, front bumper, door handle area as well as the top of the trunk at the very minimum. Next i would ceramic coat the entire car for extra protection. I noticed Ceramic Coating really helps in preventing iron fallout from bonding to the clear coat.