E90 owners, lets talk PPF

[gsx-lex]

Hey everyone , just got an E90 and the paint is absolutely fantastic and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm considering getting PPF done (DM me if you have recommendations in the MD/DC/NoVa area), but am slightly apprehensive. A quick search online seems to suggest that some people love it, while others complain about scratch marks, bubbles, etc.

For those of you that have gotten it done:
Did you do that entire car or just certain sections (and why)?
How long did it last (or is expected to last)?
What sort of maintenance to you do for upkeep (regular car washes, avoid certain soaps, etc)?

Thanks.

[ppointer]

If you get someone skilled in the application, you won't have bubbles and scratches.

I have only ever done bumpers and partial hood, as whole car PPF is really expensive. The oldest application I have had looked good until year 14, when I had to have it replaced. I would say it aged really well, then the last year or so it yellowed and cracked. After getting it replaced, the SUV looked brand new again (and still does).

The vendor told me to occasionally use cleaner wax to keep the PPF looking fresh.

[MADBMWX5MC]

Originally Posted by gsx-lex

Hey everyone , just got an E90 and the paint is absolutely fantastic and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm considering getting PPF done (DM me if you have recommendations in the MD/DC/NoVa area), but am slightly apprehensive. A quick search online seems to suggest that some people love it, while others complain about scratch marks, bubbles, etc.

For those of you that have gotten it done:
Did you do that entire car or just certain sections (and why)?
How long did it last (or is expected to last)?
What sort of maintenance to you do for upkeep (regular car washes, avoid certain soaps, etc)?

Thanks.

There are some folks who have done their entire car, SUV, etc., I have only done the entire front. The choices are many and all yours to decide.

Should last, depend on brand, more than 5 yrs easily without any issues.

I just wash it with waterless wash, but others use any carwash detergent. I do not take it carwashes.

I've had work done by Xtreme Auto Details and Exotic Vehicle Wrap in No VA. Both good, but there are many others in our area.

[N1rve]

Originally Posted by gsx-lex

Hey everyone , just got an E90 and the paint is absolutely fantastic and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm considering getting PPF done (DM me if you have recommendations in the MD/DC/NoVa area), but am slightly apprehensive. A quick search online seems to suggest that some people love it, while others complain about scratch marks, bubbles, etc.

For those of you that have gotten it done:
Did you do that entire car or just certain sections (and why)?
How long did it last (or is expected to last)?
What sort of maintenance to you do for upkeep (regular car washes, avoid certain soaps, etc)?

Thanks.

I PPFed my entire car. Reason being is that from my other cars I've owned, rock chips tend to appear on weird places on the car, rear fender, top of the hood, doors, door handle. Also I've seen some posts where if someone keyed a PPF car, it doesn't leave that much damage.

This is not my car but what I found from a google search.







My PPF is currently at 5 years old. It's expected to last 10 years (or warrantied for 10 years). It still looks almost as it did brand new. There is no yellowing or discoloration. I wax and clay my PPF so I am not sure how much of the original hydrophobic properties is left lol. I have XPEL Black on my roof and LLumar Platinum on the rest of the body. Between the two, XPEL is more orange peel like and LLumar is smoother. It's not dramatically different but you can tell between the two.

My upkeep of my PPF is I just wash it normally. I don't use a 2-bucket method properly and I just use one bucket for body and one bucket for wheels lol. Swirl marks are minimal if any.

I've ran it in an auto wash like twice because I didn't have time to wash the car and there's no lifting or anything like that.

I daily drive my car as well, so it does get baked in the parking lot, gets rained on, gets bugs and dust and whatever nature throws at it. It's got over 50K miles on it and it still looks good. It's still glossier than any other white car I park next to except a Ceramic Coated car or another PPF car -- then it's almost the same.

My only thing is that my car is white and when PPF gets bunched up due to a rock hitting it or debris, it leaves like a black/grey little marks and I have quite a few of these on the front bumper, hood, front fenders, rear fenders, and side skirts. PPF is not impenetrable as I do see little cuts in the film from rocks and debris. Also, the area that has been hit the most is the side skirts #1 and front bumper #2. I also have PPF on my head lights and I do not have any hazing, but I can see bunched off PPF due to debris hitting it. No amount of heat or hot water would heal it once it reaches that point. Heat and Hot Water really only works on light scratches and swirl marks.

I do feel more at ease when I drive it since I'm not as worried about rock chips and stuff while driving around.

[alex2364]

I recommend Raja @ Speed & Tech if you’re willing to drive to Ashburn. Best in the area and customer service is fantastic! They have a shop thread in the G80 section.

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1879305

[gsx-lex]

Exactly what I was looking for. Why did you change the type of PPF on the roof vs rest of body?

Originally Posted by N1rve

I PPFed my entire car. Reason being is that from my other cars I've owned, rock chips tend to appear on weird places on the car, rear fender, top of the hood, doors, door handle. Also I've seen some posts where if someone keyed a PPF car, it doesn't leave that much damage.

This is not my car but what I found from a google search.







My PPF is currently at 5 years old. It's expected to last 10 years (or warrantied for 10 years). It still looks almost as it did brand new. There is no yellowing or discoloration. I wax and clay my PPF so I am not sure how much of the original hydrophobic properties is left lol. I have XPEL Black on my roof and LLumar Platinum on the rest of the body. Between the two, XPEL is more orange peel like and LLumar is smoother. It's not dramatically different but you can tell between the two.

My upkeep of my PPF is I just wash it normally. I don't use a 2-bucket method properly and I just use one bucket for body and one bucket for wheels lol. Swirl marks are minimal if any.

I've ran it in an auto wash like twice because I didn't have time to wash the car and there's no lifting or anything like that.

I daily drive my car as well, so it does get baked in the parking lot, gets rained on, gets bugs and dust and whatever nature throws at it. It's got over 50K miles on it and it still looks good. It's still glossier than any other white car I park next to except a Ceramic Coated car or another PPF car -- then it's almost the same.

My only thing is that my car is white and when PPF gets bunched up due to a rock hitting it or debris, it leaves like a black/grey little marks and I have quite a few of these on the front bumper, hood, front fenders, rear fenders, and side skirts. PPF is not impenetrable as I do see little cuts in the film from rocks and debris. Also, the area that has been hit the most is the side skirts #1 and front bumper #2. I also have PPF on my head lights and I do not have any hazing, but I can see bunched off PPF due to debris hitting it. No amount of heat or hot water would heal it once it reaches that point. Heat and Hot Water really only works on light scratches and swirl marks.

I do feel more at ease when I drive it since I'm not as worried about rock chips and stuff while driving around.

[gsx-lex]

I don't mind driving to Ashburn for good work.

Originally Posted by alex2364

I recommend Raja @ Speed & Tech if you’re willing to drive to Ashburn. Best in the area and customer service is fantastic! They have a shop thread in the G80 section.

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1879305

[N1rve]

Originally Posted by gsx-lex

Exactly what I was looking for. Why did you change the type of PPF on the roof vs rest of body?

I have a sunroof/moonroof so my roof is white and I thought it looked off on an M car. Originally, I vinyl wrapped my roof but that only lasts 2 years max. I replaced it with XPEL Black which is just black PPF instead of clear. The price difference between Vinyl and PPF is about ~200 for the roof. If black PPF existed at the time (2019), I would have done black PPF since that is also warrantied for 10 years.

[bosstones]

Does anyone use Gyeon's line of products specific for PPF car washing and maintenance? I've been reading up on PPF maintenance and it seems opinions are across the board. Clay vs don't clay vs only use fine clay. Indirect application for iron removal vs direct spray for iron removal.

I get that the film is, generically, a plastic film so certain chemicals and application techniques can be bad. A lot of what I'm seeing is also just common sense for even non-PPF vehicles.

[N1rve]

Originally Posted by bosstones

Does anyone use Gyeon's line of products specific for PPF car washing and maintenance? I've been reading up on PPF maintenance and it seems opinions are across the board. Clay vs don't clay vs only use fine clay. Indirect application for iron removal vs direct spray for iron removal.

I get that the film is, generically, a plastic film so certain chemicals and application techniques can be bad. A lot of what I'm seeing is also just common sense for even non-PPF vehicles.

I don’t. I just wash my car with whatever Car Wash Soap Costco is carrying at the time lol. I do clay my car with Mothers clay kit and then just apply spray wax (Turtle Wax Hybrid Solution) over it.

PPF is supposed to be something that can take abuse and not something that should be out on a pedestal lol. I am literally abusing the snot out of my PPF and I’m sold on the product and I would 100% PPF my entire next car(s). The film I’m going to choose is the one with the thickest material which is from Suntek/Llumar which is now 11.5mils. Mine is only 6mils I believe. PPF tech has been changing a lot for the last 5 years and they come in color now too.

[John in VA]

AAPP in Rockville has many happy BMW club customers.
https://www.aapaintprotection.com/

[gsx-lex]

Originally Posted by alex2364

I recommend Raja @ Speed & Tech if you’re willing to drive to Ashburn. Best in the area and customer service is fantastic! They have a shop thread in the G80 section.

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1879305

I reached to Speed and Tech. as well as another place for a quote. It seems no one wants to quote an estimate unless they can sell you on the product over the phone or in person.

[SYT_Shadow]

For me, the PPF is a no brainer. It's the only way to conserve paint long term.

My individual MCB E92 was PPF'd immediately upon purchase and I will be getting it redone before long as it's over 10 years old.

[KevinGS]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

For me, the PPF is a no brainer. It's the only way to conserve paint long term.

My individual MCB E92 was PPF'd immediately upon purchase and I will be getting it redone before long as it's over 10 years old.

Only if you care about the appearance of your car. And I do. So, yep, PPF is a no-brainer for me.

My E93 is a 2013, and has 165,000 miles and counting (love this car!), and it still has its original PPF that the original owner installed when he bought it. It's yellowed a little over the years, and it's beaten up in places, but the front end still looks pretty damn good. I can't imagine how the front end of this car would look without it after 11 years.

And it's sooo much easier to clean off the bugs, without any fear of scratching the paint.

These were both taken in the last few months: