Matte PPF for a Magic Mushroom

alexandruast said:

I got my LC150 wrapped in heavy duty matte PPF 3 years ago.
This picture is taken last year at the yearly retouching schedule.
It is great for the looks, great for protection, but I won't do it again on any other car I own for the following reasons:
1. Everything has to be disassembled for the PPF to be properly seated - door panels, handles, mirrors, taillights, headlights, misc trims. The bumpers have to be taken off.
2. Technicians who are working on it usually are paid poorly and don't give a shit if a clip is missing or the vapor barrier is not placed properly back, or they break something, or they cut too deep intro the paint surface when cutting the PPF, you won't see it anyway.
3. It is very expensive if you do a full wrap (but you cannot do half if it's matte), expect to pay more than a professional paint job.
4. The PPF gets scratched anyway and a tiny tear will become a bubble after you pressure wash over it several times, and you'll want to replace the PPF on the panel, which is more expensive than painting.
5. A deep scratch that bends the metal will have no problem to bend the panel through the PPF.
6. The PPF is degrading over time, some corners will peel off, others will get blown if you are not careful when you pressure-wash (and it's really impossible to avoid all edges, unless you do not wash the car in the first place). You'll have to do yearly maintenance if you want the 10-year-warranty, which is kinda expensive... I paid 1000EUR on my last yearly visit, which included removing the peeled and damaged parts, apply new PPF, apply special PPF protection (which, by the way, won't be the same color tone, see the pictures).
I much prefer the factory paint. Small scratches and paint chips can be DiY with color code retouch paint, lacquer and polish, there are a lot of tutorials on youtube. If it's too damaged, just get the whole panel painted and call it a day.

Later Edit: IG has a lot of aluminum panels. Aluminum panels, when dented/deformed, cannot be brought back into shape like steel ones. So there is no reason to protect the paint. Second point, scratches on the IG add to the patina and character. They tell stories. No way in hell I'm gonna get rid of them!

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SkiBum1 said:

This is not a problem at all with a protective film and not the Mat finish. You are right, to get a full mat finish you have to go under and not around, everything. The protective film is to protect against scratches, blemishes, chips, dings etc. if you want a Matt finish, then buy your car that way originally. Makes no sense in my opinion to buy a car and go out immediately and change the look of the paint when you could have simply ordered it that way.

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Eyedogtor said:

...
- The cost of a full wrap is nowhere close to the cost of a full professional re-paint. That is just flat out wrong. If a full wrap is $6-8k, a full professioanal repaint may start at $25k plus.
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alexandruast said:

I fully agree that is a personal choice, it's not a debate. Pricing is different from region to region.
Let me give you an example for my specific IG - it came in Sela Green color (I bought a vehicle that was already on the dealership premises, based on equipment level, and I had to choose between green with everything and blue without tow pack).
I love the look of the dual color roof, and I wanted to wrap the roof in a color similar to Scottish White.
The price quotation I got from a reputable wrapping workshop was 2100E for colored PPF, 1350 for normal wrap (which I don't really like).
I asked the dealership for a roof paint job, and the quotation was 1999.56 EUR, which I've accepted.

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flynnsk said:

Looks great!
I've reached out to multiple local detail shops and even our Dealer about PPF. Radio Silence. Hard for me to fathom how multiple businesses don't need/want my $$ to do at a reasonable cost.

I may just go the DIY route.. sure it won't look as good, probably wont last 10 years.. however also won't be $10-12K+tax. Can buy the an 8mil matte film in bulk (S-Tek, DynaMatte, 3M etc) for approx $850-900 +tax and have plenty left over for re-application.

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Eyedogtor said:

Hey everyone, Just picked up the Grenadier with full-body Stealth (Matte) PPF - including roof, and I have to say it looks amazing! Makes the Magic Mushroom look even more purposeful and military/utilitarian, but isn't as dramatic as a lot of matte wraps I have seen on other colors. This looks like it has always been there. The team did an awesom job - took about a week and a half. Some pics below. Sorry it was overcast today, so they may not do a great job showing the effect.

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