[KungFuPanda]

Was in a bit of a conundrum several months ago - loved my Skoda Octavia VRS, but hated driving it as a daily drive on Mumbai roads. And as usual this brilliant forum helped me figure out that I would be out my mind to even think of letting my car go.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-...other-car.html (Skoda Octavia vRS suspension is too stiff for Mumbai; should I sell it for another car?)

It was time then to shower some well deserved TLC on my steed, one - out of guilt, cause I even considered letting her go, and two - cause my till then friendly neighborhood 3M Car care outlet, introduced swirl marks on the car and the car was suddenly looking very dull. More on that later.

In the mean time, a Pic to keep things interesting.


I tend to get at least one round of detailing done on my cars each year. Since the time I have had the Octavia, I stuck to 3M mainly because I didn't have the patience to find a good detailer in Gurgaon in 2018. I opted for 3M's Hypershield package which is their equivalent of a ceramic coating. At the time of making that choice, self healing PPF option was not yet available at 3M, and I felt that the glossy shine that a ceramic coat / Hypershield provided was the way to go.

Last 3M Hypershield done in Dec 2020


Come 2021, post 26K Kms on the road, most of which were highway runs - thanks to COVID, the car had many small paint chips on the bonnet, and a couple of scrapes on the front bumper. None of these are visible from more than two feet away from the car, unless one knows what they are looking for. The car was otherwise well maintained, and whilst it pained me to see the chips every week when I would get the car washed at 3M, I justified it to myself that I can't eat my cake and have it too (read milk the VRS on highways and have no chips to show for it). Or could I?

On one such weekly car wash at 3M, I left the car with them and stepped out to finish some personal work with family. This was the first time I left the car alone with them after nearly 4 months of my weekly routine. When I came back after a couple of hours, my car was already washed and the folks were putting finishing touches on it. However, I noticed that an Ertiga XL6 that had come for a wash was undergoing a rather inappropriate pre-wash treatment. The car was clearly covered in dust / mud, and one of the employees was spraying something on the car and rubbing it with a pretty dirty microfiber cloth. I was in a hurry and didn't think of it much then, but the image lingered in my mind.

Later over the next week, every morning as I approached the car to drive to work, I felt that my car was looking a bit dull from the rear 3 quarter profile. Coming weekend I again took the car over to 3M for it's weekly wash. This time, I hung around but didn't make my presence very obvious. The lads drove the car to the washing bay and whilst it was parked there the same routine of spraying on my dusty car was started. I casually approached the guy abusing my car and asked him what was in the can and was appalled when he said diesel. I immediately took it up with the manager, who apologized profusely and made some excuses and assured me a complimentary detail and Hypershield coat on a day suitable to me. I was happy that they readily accepted their mistake, and also offered to redo the coating on my car. I didn't have the time to get the coating done one my car that day, so asked them to just wash the car and clay the car that day. Not knowing that a clay would make the car look even more dull and should never be done without a mechanical correction afterwards . Worst part is the manager didn't even advise me otherwise. I left with the car that day feeling underwhelmed and with a bad taste in my mouth. I could never get myself to go back to them anymore, just lost faith in them after that incident.

With that, I started my search for a good detailer in Mumbai that was within a reasonable distance to Powai. Tried reaching out to multiple folks, and in fact sent WhatsApp msgs to three detailers. Got a single response, and a very prompt one at that from Amol at Optimum Detailerz.



I was already happy reading such glowing reviews on Google. Called him on the number and inquired about Ceramic coating. Tried to negotiate. He was chatty, but pretty clear on the rates offered. Assured quality, but wasn't flexible on charges. Sounded like an enthusiast but not a salesman. However, his ask was nearly double what I was paying for an annual Hypershield, so I decided to keep looking for options.

In the meantime, kept watching videos on Youtube about different types of Ceramic coating, PPF and other detailing products. Really liked ESOTERIC. They have a nice FAQ series as well which answers many typical questions that one might have on car maintenance. Watched the video below, amongst many others. This one really helped me keep an open mind towards PPF. Do check it out, and other videos on the channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTu-NgBdBhI

After two more weeks of videos and not much progress in finding a detailer I liked in the poorer part of Mumbai, figured it would be best to know more with an in person visit to Optimum Detailerz. Setup a visit on a Sunday afternoon, which ended up becoming a Sunday evening visit with wifey and kids in tow. Amol's workshop in Chembur is easy to find and is freaking large compared to Mumbai standards. He can easily fit 10 cars in there I think. When we reached there, there was a 10 yr old black Jetta that had just been coated with a self healing PPF. Great to see a sparkling, well maintained German car, with nice clean lines. I was already smiling on the inside. His boys were cleaning up the wheels of an SUV armed with multiple detailing brushes. And his workshop was clean. I almost shed a tear or joy.

We were joined by the man himself in about 5 mins. Chatty, just as he was on the phone a couple of weeks ago, Amol spoke about the different options I had, in terms of both Ceramic coating and in terms of PPF. I told him that I wasn't keen on the PPF keeping the costs in mind, which is when he asked me to come and have a look at an Ertiga parked on one side of his workshop. My wife and I looked upon in amazement as he promptly took a wire brush and give a good 30 sec scrubbing on one side of the bonnet of the car. He then asked us to look closely and spot any visible swirls at that spot, and we couldn't spot any. 3/4th of the bonnet was covered in a self heal PPF and the rest was where you could see visible swirl marks as one would on a daily use car that wasn't particularly maintained well. I was sold. Discussed with him and from all the options such as STEK etc. opted for a Korean PPF that he sourced. He calls it the Opticoat "Dhaal" PPF which is self healing, and comes with a 3 yr warranty. I also went with 2 coats of IGL Ceramic coat designed for PPF on top of it, IGL Ceramic coat on all trims, Alloys, and an Opti-Glass Pro coating on the sunroof, along with an Interior, undercarriage and Engine bay detail.

Amol asked to keep the car for a min of 5 days. I was out travelling for Diwali and left the car with him for 8. I ended up spending nearly 5 times what I did on my annual Hypershield, but boy oh boy am I happy.

For those of you who are confused with a Ceramic or a SHPPF, I highly recommend a SHPPF. Especially for us enthusiasts who will keep the car for long, it is toooootally worth it. Yes, there is a very minimal Orange peel effect, but that is only visible when you look at it within two feet of the car, and only apparent to those who are cuckoo about these things. If you like looking back at your car when she is parked, and you are reluctantly walking away, stealing glances at her, then SHPPF is the way to go. Enough Said. Let the pictures do the talking.

[goenkakushal]

@kungfupanda

That RS looks stunning and totally brand new.
Can you share the cost involved for PPF, I am looking for a good brand at reasonable price.

I have heard many stories of PPF turning yellow and spoiling the paint when trying to remove PPF . (My biggest fear)

Many installers are taking advantage of the fact that, customers lack knowledge about the product and they can easily get away by applying some low cost Chinese stuff .

I have seen vehicles with paint totally spoilt, while removing PPF because of poor quality film and its adhesives. I have even heard some 3M authorised guys using counterfeit products which may look the same for few months but will get spoilt within a year or two and worst even , spoil your paint.

Please be sure of the product quality before you proceed for PPF installation.

[KungFuPanda]

Hi goenkakushal. Thanks! I think with reputed installers you should not have any issues. The below posts should also give you some clarity on your questions.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...ml#post5138611 (Paint Protection Film (PPF))

For my work SHPPF with 3 Yrs warranty and 2 layers of Ceramic coat on the PPF, all external Trims, Alloys, plus the interior, undercarriage and engine bay detailing, it cost me around 1.19 L including GST. Hope this helps.

[goenkakushal]

Originally Posted by AjayJohri

Hi Salil

I got full PPF wrapping done on my Verna in Feb this year. 3M is notoriously high for PPF, and surely does not deliver value for money either - so I went to a detailing studio near my home. The specs are as follows:

- Cost: Rs 30,000 for full wrapping

- Guarantee: 3 years with a maintenance package to replace damaged film caused by nicks, grazes etc

- Brand used: Avery Dennison

- Installation time: 1 and a half days for peaceful installation and removing the bubbles

Your car sure looks good.
I don't want to scare you but this price of 30K is difficult to digest.
Were you provided with a E Warranty card from Avery? I hope its a genuine product.

I got a quote of 1.10 Lac for full car PPF of Avery with self healing properties and 5 Yrs warranty directly from the brand.
How is it possible that you got it done for a 1/4 of the cost?

I hope you PPF is still performing well.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by goenkakushal

I got a quote of 1.10 Lac for full car PPF of Avery with self healing properties and 5 Yrs warranty directly from the brand.
How is it possible that you got it done for a 1/4 of the cost?
.

I don't want to answer on his behalf but the low cost should be because they used Vinyl PPF and not TPU. Also there are lots of fake/factory reject Avery Dennison available in the markets. Their genuine portfolio is indeed very expensive be it vinyl wrap or PPF.

[rahul1407]

Hello Folks, This is my first post on this thread and I landed here to look for advice/opinions on protecting my latest acquisition, Skoda Octavia Graphite Gray posted at (Skoda Octavia 2.0 TSI DSG Review).

I intend to keep my car for 8-10 years with love and the first step is to protect the original paint of my car. After some initial searching, the only options I found were Ceramic and PPF. With a strict budget in mind, I started my research with Ceramic Coating but soon dropped the idea due to an absence of additional layer with PPF plus the degree of protection in PPF is leaps and bounds ahead when compared with Ceramic Coating.

I checked with a couple of folks across Gurugram who are providing PPFs from some known names like Llumar, Garware etc to their respective in-house brands like Bull Armor, UtlraShield, Aegis and the list continues. I havent heard of Xpel from these outlets in the first place yet.

During my search, I also came across a quote from Turtle Wax Studio Gurugram which apart from Llumar, is providing a PPF from LG Hausys for decent 80k inclusive of taxes for entire car with a 5 year warranty. Although I havent heard of the brand name before and I couldnt find any discussion here on team-bhp as well.

I wanted to understand if this a good brand to put my money into or should I look somewhere else. It has self healing properties although the thickness is 140 microns. I am considering it as its a subsidiary of LG Electronics and I am little conservative on my budget. I am open to hearing other alternatives or verified references in Delhi/NCR. Hence I am posting here

Also I am contemplating if I can opt out of covering my car's roof from getting PPF, reason PPF is mainly to protect from scratches, stone chips and both of which are less likely to impact on roof side so I can save a couple of bucks there as well.

Please Advice!!

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by goenkakushal

This is exactly my biggest fear which I shared in my previous post.

I was just trying to guess the reason for such horrible condition, it could be one of the following:

1) Was this PPF a Fake 3M sold to you. If it was a genuine one with warranty card etc then this should have never happened. Can you please take it up with 3M
2) Was it due to wrong installation method?
3) Was your car exposed to any extreme climate or some unhealthy environment of some chemical factory in the vicinity ?
4)Is life of PPF only 1-2 years and beyond which it is not safe for your paint?

A brand like 3M cant be selling such sub standard product which will spoil the cars paint. This issue should be examined for their own benefit.
Can you share which 3M PPF variant was sold to you and at what price?

Have you tried visiting the store where it was installed? Would like to know his comments.
I hope this is a result of some sub standard counterfeit product. Else everyone who has installed PPF to protect their lovely looking cars will be found after 5 years.

Chances are it was genuine 3M and installation can’t really be messed up to make the film behave like this (unless superglue is used which I’m sure you’ll find out once you remove it). Poor installation will result in things like premature adhesive failure, dust and debris under the film, etc.
Which begs the question why did this happen?

As a detailer we regularly get cars for PPF removal and in my experience, once a film crosses the 3-4 year mark, the chances of it breaking up and coming off in pieces like this, increase exponentially. The adhesive begins to fuse with the cars clearcoat and one has to be very, very gentle during removal as too much heat (with the heat gun) or force will result in paint being stripped along with the film, also once you get the film off the adhesive left behind is another issue that takes a lot of tar and glue remover to dissolve. Note: this happens irrespective of brand, while I can’t say for each and every brand under the sun, I’ve seen quite a few and all were prone to the same issue once they crossed 3-4 years in age (Optimum is a little better than 3M in terms of ease of removal). In fact, we have a policy in place now if PPF is older than 4-5 years we don’t touch it, we request the person to get it removed from the place that installed it.

[Bala_R]

I am looking for any leads on good PPF installers in Navi Mumbai. I have just booked Tata Harrier and intend to get the PPF done immediately after delivery.

[hrishig]

Hi, Any comments /feedback on the 12 year warranty film valor from llumar? https://llumar.com/na/en/automotive/paint-protection-film/valor/

It seems more costly than the platinum series. (10 yr)

[Sebring]

Roof PPF is for pigeon droppings which are acidic and eat the paint. Make sure you get that one. Between LG and Llumar I'd opt for the latter since they're the GOLD STANDARD (At least in the Middle East)

Originally Posted by rahul1407

Also I am contemplating if I can opt out of covering my car's roof from getting PPF, reason PPF is mainly to protect from scratches, stone chips and both of which are less likely to impact on roof side so I can save a couple of bucks there as well.

[kiredd1005]

Any suggestions on a good PPF installer in South Bangalore? I stay in Banashankari, I'm open to Jayanagar, Koramangala, HSR Layout, BTM Layout. TIA!

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by rahul1407

During my search, I also came across a quote from Turtle Wax Studio Gurugram which apart from Llumar, is providing a PPF from LG Hausys for decent 80k inclusive of taxes for entire car with a 5 year warranty. Although I havent heard of the brand name before and I couldnt find any discussion here on team-bhp as well.

Late reply but I just checked their company profile and they have only mentioned about Vinyl PPF and Vinyl wrap. I would not suggest going for vinyl PPF based on my own experience and also having used vinyl sticker from LG Hausys, I can say that it has been the worst vinyl I have ever used. Hence stay away, since paying 80k for Vinyl PPF is not worth it IMO.

[rahul1407]

Originally Posted by Sebring

Roof PPF is for pigeon droppings which are acidic and eat the paint. Make sure you get that one. Between LG and Llumar I'd opt for the latter since they're the GOLD STANDARD (At least in the Middle East)

Thanks for the confirmation. Will get that included.

Originally Posted by audioholic

Late reply but I just checked their company profile and they have only mentioned about Vinyl PPF and Vinyl wrap. I would not suggest going for vinyl PPF based on my own experience and also having used vinyl sticker from LG Hausys, I can say that it has been the worst vinyl I have ever used. Hence stay away, since paying 80k for Vinyl PPF is not worth it IMO.

Yes I went through their specs (http://www.lghausys.com/upload/downl..._SOLUTIONS.pdf), it states PVC PPF and I have also dropped this from the list.

I also had an interaction with Carzspa who are providing PPF from Garware and Aegis with 5+ years of warranty. I planning to choose the former because of their reputation in the Indian market for Windows Films/Tints and that gives certain degree of confidence.

[Torque_Cruiser]

I am getting delivery of new Dark Safari this week. Planning to do a PPF coating. Has anybody heard of TNO PPF film. Got a quote of 75K from a detailer.

Also, has anyone used Go Mechanic in Noida. They are quoting 64K for entire body and will be using Avery Dennison. Any help will be appreciated

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by Torque_Cruiser

I am getting delivery of new Dark Safari this week. Planning to do a PPF coating. Has anybody heard of TNO PPF film. Got a quote of 75K from a detailer.

Looks like another unheard of name. I did a Google search again and could not find and leads to this. TNO seems to be some tech company in the Netherlands with no mention of anything close to ppf in their profile.