CERAMIC COATING
Adequate protection of your Porsche paint has become a crucial aspect of the 911 ownership experience. So what’s better, PPF or a ceramic coating?
Keeping a 911 looking its best has been a major element in ownership from day one. The choice usually comes down to deciding between chemical protection, via detailing, or a physical barrier over the paint, via paint protection film (PPF). Getting the car professionally protected isn’t just about making it shiny, it is about keeping it that way, for as long as possible. PPF and car cleaning have both moved on with technology and the passing of time. The chalk-laden liquid waxes of yesteryear gave way to carnauba wax, but today the top spot goes to ceramic coatings. For some owners, lotions and potions aren’t the answer. Instead, they want a physical barrier protecting the paint, so turn to paint protection film – literally a 0.5mm plastic barrier applied over the paintwork. But which is better, and for what end? T911 went to two paint protection specialists to find out.
THE PROCESS BEFORE PROTECTION
Any form of paint protection is only a coating over what is underneath. Ceramic or PPF will only look as good as the quality of finish it covers. Before either process can be applied, there’s some prep work to be done, the aim of which is to make the surface being covered as cosmetically blemish-free as possible.
Blemishes come in all forms, from stone chips and scratches, down to minor swirls, hazing and cobwebbing – minor scratches that build up from poor washing practices. All of these rough up the surface of the paint, dulling reflections, spreading light refraction and reducing the depth of paint finish. These blemishes are removed by cutting the top layer of finish away, using a machine polisher and cutting compounds. To decide how far to cut, the car is cleaned, and the paint expertly inspected.
“For any type of polishing, the car has to be clean to start with,” says, Alex Hawkins, detailer at Cridfords. The typical detailing pre-wash, two-bucket method then clay bar is used to leave contaminantfree paint. The aim throughout is to lubricate off the paint contaminants, rather than scrub, which causes the hologramming we’re aiming to prevent. “Anything that isn’t lubricated becomes an abrasive, causing swirls and holograms,” says Hawkins.
Assessment is done by Hawkins choosing an area of bodywork – typically a corner of the bonnet – and using a detailing inspection light, looking at the paint condition. This point source of light clearly shows any marks on the paint, meaning Hawkins can judge what correction work is needed. “Hologramming and swirls build up through years of bad washing,” says Hawkins, so older cars can be expected to need a number of polishing stages. Brand-new cars haven’t had the chance to accrue damage, so may only need a light, single-stage cut. That’s right, even fresh factory paintwork has room for improvement.
Cutting compounds vary from coarse to fine abrasion, and when balanced with soft or hard pads on the rotary polisher, allow all manner of marks to be skilfully removed. “The aim is to cut as little as possible, but go as deep as needed,” says Hawkins. The process is neatly explained visually by a sample panel Hawkins uses on the wall. It looks like a block of dark blue paintwork, but only when using his inspection light do you see the four areas to the finish. The top is severely cobwebbed, marred paint typical of older cars’ condition. Below that, after a stage-one machine polish, the cobwebbing is lessened, and below that again, after a second-stage polish, only the lightest occasional marks remain. The fourth section is after a final stage, ready for ceramic coating: blemish-free, with deep, lustrous colour, razor-sharp reflections and metal flakes catching the light like jewels. “It is like prepping a wall for paint,” says Hawkins, “you do all the skimming, rubbing down, before you go for the paint. It is the same with ceramic coat.”
Hawkins demonstrates the process on a 991 bonnet. True to his demo board, there’s the odd mark and swirl, which he removes in three stages, wiping the panel down in-between machine polishes with panel wipe, so he can judge the paint finish, free from any product. Each stage leaves fewer and fewer marks, until the paint is cosmetically perfect. In this rich, lustrous form, it is ready to be protected, be it by PPF, or ceramic coating.
Strictly speaking, PPF doesn’t need quite the level of finish perfection of ceramic coating, namely because the film material itself forms the final level of finish. “The glue in the PPF fills in minor swirls and scratches,” says Hawkins. It does, however, need the paint to be as clean as possible, which is why machine polishing is commonly used.
PPF
In its basic terms, PPF is a sheet of clear film, usually up to 0.5mm thick, applied to the paintwork with adhesive backing. The intention is to physically prevent anything damaging the paint surface, like flying stones. It is similar to vinyl graphics, in that at a PPF specialist, a roll of film is cut to a 911 modelspecific pattern on a machine. To fit it, soapy water is sprayed on the bodywork, then the cut-to-shape PPF is slid into position on part of the car, in manageable sections. The soapy water allows time for accurate positioning, slowing the PPF’S adhesive cure time.
Commonly smaller areas are treated with PPF, like front bumpers, rear leading quarter panels, and the leading edge of bonnets, but it is possible to
PPF a whole car. The limit is on cost. “A typical PPF treatment for front bumper may be around the £400 mark, but when you go onto a trackpack, or whole car, you’ll be into the thousands,” reveals Hawkins. Because of that cost, and of needing a pattern for the material to be trimmed to, full PPF treatments tend to be on very high-value cars, in the hundreds of thousands. In terms of 911s, Hawkins says you’re unlikely to get full treatments for many models off the shelf. Instead, you’ll find offerings for the common impact areas. Custom kits, mainly for pre-997, would likely have to be made. Possible, but involving extra labour and cost.
If a wrap or PPF has previously been applied to the car, removal should be straightforward, providing the paint underneath is original or has been applied properly. It should require just gentle heat, and pulling at the right angle, so as not to fight the glue, risk tearing the film, or worse, pull off poor paint. For refitting, the process is in cleaning the area of contaminants, wiping with tar and glue and a panel wipe. Then, new PPF is cut to a pattern, before lubricating the area with soapy water. The
PPF backing is peeled off, more lubrication sprayed on, and the rearmost edge lined up first. A nylon squeegee then pushes out the air bubbles and soapy water as the film is positioned, and the PPF adheres to the bodywork. Extra adhesion is controlled by spraying neat water on the adhesive side, to push out the soap, allowing the glue to stick to the paint in that spot. For a visual demonstration of the PPF process, we enlisted in the help of First Choice Detailing, who applied film to a beautiful, Sapphire blue 991.2 GTS.
There are downsides to choosing paint protection film for your 911, though. It is a physical item, so it eventually loses clarity and yellows, which is why it has a limited lifetime and ability. “It is usually guaranteed for ten years and for stone chips up to 70mph,” says Hawkins at Cridfords.
So, while it is a barrier to paint, PPF isn’t infallible. Stones can be sharp, so expect the odd one or two to penetrate the film. The good points though are that it is simple to replace, so could be treated as sacrificial, if expensive as such. Over time, minor scratches and damage can be evened out, simply with a little controlled heat.
PPF technology has improved over a short time: films from a few years ago wouldn’t wrap around corners for example, leaving visible edges, but now the film can be neatly tucked around panels to leave a spotless finish. It’s worth remembering the visual appearance will only be as good as the material itself.
It’s also possible to apply ceramic coating over
PPF. The aim there is not to add gloss, but to simplify maintenance, for dirt shouldn’t adhere too easily to the ceramic-coated PPF over standard film.
CERAMIC COAT
Ceramic coatings appeared around a decade ago, and in essence are a polymer you apply to the paintwork. Unlike the waxes of yesteryear, ceramic coating actually bonds to the paintwork, meaning it can be more effective than waxes and over a longer period of time. The important thing is that it is effectively a chemical lacquer over the paint lacquer. To work effectively, the preparation beforehand has to be thorough, hence the machine polishing stages. The prep and ceramic coating makes the surface glass smooth and slippery, meaning dirt has less to hold on to, keeping the paint looking nicer for longer.
Application is done by a small amount of fluid on a microfibre finger mitt. There’s no scrubbing or swirling, instead, working a manageable area, “you simply work it in overlapping straight lines, finishing in the direction of the car,” says Hawkins. Unlike waxes, there’s little curing time, and the ceramic is wiped off within 30 seconds with the supplied microfibre. The car is worked around in that fashion, slightly overlapping each section, avoiding smearing. The bottle of fluid is surprisingly small, but enough to do a whole 911, and only a single layer is required.
The process takes between two and four days, the variance being in machine polishing time, and starts at £1,000. Once applied, expect it to last a number of years. Maintenance is then just a decent pre-clean, conventional two-bucket wash, and a spritz with the ceramic detailing spray provided in the maintenance kit with every application. Note that ceramic coat doesn’t add gloss. It was the prep work that does that job. “The ceramic seals that finish in, protecting it,” says Hawkins.
Good points for ceramic are its permanence.
Once it’s applied, it is bonded, so there’s no buffing or re-application like waxes. Washing the car takes just half an hour or so, not all day. “If the car is dirty, you literally just jet wash it, and it will be done. There’s no need to be waxing it each time,” says Hawkins. That may be a minus for owners who enjoy the time spent manually applying products each month.
Cridfords’ products are warrantied for five years, so if there’s a failure of the coating, it will be reapplied. If paintwork is needed, the ceramic will need reapplying to the new paint, after being machine polished, of course. Beyond that, the product doesn’t offer any stone or scratch protection. You’ll need to be aware that if you wash the car carelessly, or expect it to withstand a track with lots of stones, you’ll quickly damage the paint again.
VERDICT
PPF and ceramic coat offer slightly different benefits depending on how you want to use the car. If you’re wanting to use your 911 extensively on road trips or track days, then a track pack of PPF is probably the most sensible thing you can do to minimise the paint damage that will undoubtedly happen. Where you’ll lose there slightly is in the cosmetic appearance, but that may not be a concern. Ceramic coating the PPF should be considered if you want ease of maintenance in the future, as it will make it harder for dirt to stick to the car – and certainly make removing those French autoroute flies a doddle.
In contrast, if you’re instead planning to use your 911 for local show and shine mornings or summer bimbles, then ceramic is definitely worth investigating. You’ll have the paintwork brought to the most lustrous shine possible, in many cases better than new, and the modern ceramic coating will lock in that look for you, with the least ongoing effort.
For any older 911s, cosmetic perfection will likely be more of a concern, so again, ceramic rather than PPF will be the longest-lasting detailing solution for your problem.
Like choosing your perfect 911, the best method of paint protection is the one you prefer. Armed with the T911 knowledge, you’ll know which is the best fit for your needs.
“You’ll have the paintwork brought to the most lustrous shine possible”