and will even allow grime in under the edge here or there; it just happens. So far, at a year and a half, my frontal PPF has a few very minor spots where the exposed edges have tiny flaws starting in them. I'm keeping an eye on those and looking for other troubled spots if they manifest. Color-wise, the high gloss PPF and the clear coat on the rest of the car look identical: i.e. excellent.
It pretty bullet proof , if you get knicks it can be healed with heat application . It maintains color and can be treated with sealers and waxes ( except carbon vinyl due to texture ) I've had a black roof for 8 months looks great still . Extra care should be taken to only wash by hand as it is soft and can scratch
vinyl you would want to take off after 1 or 2 yrs even though 3m or avery says 5 years. PPF lasts a long time 5yr to 10 yrs and they corrected the yellowing issue but cost would be around $4,000 and up i believe. a wrap maybe $1500 to $3000 range. Matt or satin finish may discolor fast if not taken care of or ceramic coated. and fluorescent colors tend to fade fast.
Thanks for this. I've been assuming that vinyl and PPF are essentially the same thing vis-a-vis durability. But you are saying that vinyl will fade/discolor far sooner than PPF will start to look yellow/tatty: is that right?
durability vinyl does not come close to vinyl. Vinyl will protect your paint for the duration it is on from uv rays and such and maybe tiny rock chips but nothing major. PPF can take a beating and scraps and protect flawlessly. But just the material cost of ppf is $1600 to $2500 so the shop will be adding the installation price on top of that. vinyl a roll tops would be $700 for avery. PPF has a matt finish option so gives your factory paint that matt look. But vinyl you don't want on too long because of the glue. The long it is on the harder it will be to remove. PPF is meant to be on for a long duration. Vinyl is more for cosmetics with little protection.
This makes my assertion questionable: that wrap is way cheaper than a paint job.
If you ever gonna resell the car or have a lease then a wrap would be a good option. Long term wise if you keep the car then paint would be best. Plus once you get a wrap you may get addicted and want to wrap in a different color sooner than later because you can. Wrapping in ppf seems more of a luxury because of the high cost. Wrap isn't a cheap hobby, but enjoyable.Thanks! My knowledge has been tripled in one short paragraph. I've mentioned a bunch of times that I am tempted to wrap my Stinger in Fed Orange; and simply replace it when it gets to looking a bit "worn". You're saying that that time comes in a couple of years: and here I was assuming that wrap would last at least five. Heh.
Much of the durability will depend on horizontal vs vertical surfaces (UV light impingement) as well as the wrap finish type. As far as adhesives affecting the paint underneath, there is no chemical reaction that takes place to alter the paint. It just forms a tighter bond with time up to a certain point, which can be removed with the application of heat to assist.
