How I chose My PPF & Coating Installer

rellascout · 11-16-2018, 12:35 PM

My wife picked up an Avus Blue 2018 M3 at the end of Sept. I did a lot of research on PPF and ceramic coatings. I initially was in the its a car camp. Battle scars are going to happen and one should wear them with pride. If you drive the car it is going to get chips, dings, dents etc.. The only way to avoid them is to not drive the car. Which is not going to happen so initially I braced myself for the imperfections that would come with use.

The car is her daily driver. It is going to see real daily use. Not a ton of miles but it will be driven everyday. The more I read the more we considered getting PPF in the major problem areas and getting it coated. My wife loves the color. We bought the car, did not lease, so we will be longer term owners. Keeping the car as close to new is the goal, which we know is somewhat unrealistic, but without PPF and a quality coating we came to realize that soon the car would show rock dings and chips. The country roads of W NC are littered with road debris. Even with good sealant and waxes swirls were going to happen. I catch the wife looking back at her car as she walks away from it and always has huge smile on her face. I would like to keep her smiling. So we decided to go for it. Keeping the original custom color paint protected just seemed to make sense.

I called around my local area and only one shop does this kind of work. I live in a small town in W. NC so there are not a lot of options. I took the car over to the shop and we talked a bit. I originally found him because he does LLumar Window tint and later learned he did ceramic coatings as well. He was offering LLumar CTX film and Ceramic Pro. The guy was super nice but I could tell he was new to coatings. The more we talked the more I realized that he not done many cars. We did not even talk about PPF. His pricing was on the lower side but his inexperience concerned me. So we chose to pass.

I went back to reading on the forums. Started looking at posts from owners and pros. One thing that kept coming up is that the products all have their advocates and their detractors but what matters more than anything is the installer. Time and time again Pros and customers kept going back to the quality of the installer being the key to success. The products are so close in their performance but the application and installation of the products seems to vary greatly. Some people love their Suntek Ultra others are disappointed but when you did deep it is often the installation of the products that is the problem not the product itself. It seemed like a lot of the active Pros on here kept mentioning Modesta Coatings. So I used their site to find and installer in my area. I had assumed I was going to have to go to Charlotte to find a good installer. Turned out there was one just down the road from me in SC. http://www.carolinaautoimage.com

I checked out the site and it looked solid. The shop also offered Suntek PPF so I was interested. So I called and left a message and then sent an email. Got a reply later that day. I read the owners blog and noticed his name was Bruce. I remembered reading solid posts from a Pro here named Bruce_SC When the shop got back to me I asked are you Bruce_SC on Bimmerpost? Turns out it was.

We talked via text for the next couple of days. We talked about the plus and minuses of PPF and ceramic coatings. We talked about its realistic longevity and what it can and can't do. He was upfront. He told me ceramic coatings will still scratch. PPF will not stop a heavier object from scratching and denting your hood when you hit it going 100 MPH. They are additional protection but they are not bullet proof. He did a great job of setting the proper expectation. He was patient and answered all my questions. So I made an appointment to drive the car down to have him take a look.

When I got there we talked a bit more and then looked over the car. We had taken delivery only about 30 days prior so it is still pretty clean. No major issues. Some tiny stuff here and there, most likely from transport and dealer washing before we bought it. Nothing that cannot be polished out. We talked about the major problem areas that "he" would PPF. We talked about Modesta and Gtechniq. He again gave me the pros and cons of these 2 coatings. The cost of Modesta was higher because of the application process and he was honest if money was not an option it was the way to go but that Gtechniq was excellent for a daily driver. It would hold up well and look great with the proper maintenance. For our application he recommended it. Bruce stressed that even with the PPF and the coatings you need to do proper washing and maintenance or you will shorten the life of these products.

After talking it over with the wife, after all it is her car we choose to do the following.

Complete paint correction and polish.

Suntek Ultra:

-Full Hood
-Fenders
-Front Bumper
-Side Mirrors
-Headlights
-Replace Factory rocker panel piece w/ extended custom piece

Gtechniq

-Crystal Serum Ultra Black
-2 Coats of EXOv4
-666 Wheels removed and coated inside & out
-Windshield coating

We dropped the car off on Wed and he is working on it as I type. This is e first time I have had PPF and a ceramic coating installed on one of my cars. I appreciated the time Bruce took to educate me and answer my questions about the products and the process. I know a lot of the time on this and other boards be focus on the cost of these type of installations. We love to talk about the deal we are getting or asking am I getting ripped off. I understand 100% the value of those discussions but sometimes with these types of services it is the "service" that makes the difference. Sometimes the best deal or the best value is not the lowest price.

The pre-and post sales attention is what really matters. If the job is done right with an exceptional level of detail a few dollars here and there will be quickly forgotten. Just like saving some money but getting less than you expected always lingers. That is not to say Bruce killed me on the price. Far from it based on my research I am paying a fair price but in the end price was not what made me choose Bruce's shop. The car should be done early next week and I am sure Bruce and I will post a follow up but I just wanted to say so far it has been a great experience working with Bruce and I cannot wait to see the end results.

damageprone · 11-16-2018, 05:15 PM

This is good to hear. Customer support after the sale is very important. This is usually why I'm a lemming and I always end up buying an Apple iPhone. Their customer support is great. I've never had that with any other electronics years after the sale.

Bruce_SC · 11-26-2018, 06:35 AM

I truly appreciate the kind words. The journey at this point is almost complete.

Look forward to seeing you this afternoon.

Bruce

rellascout · 11-26-2018, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce_SC

I truly appreciate the kind words. The journey at this point is almost complete.

Look forward to seeing you this afternoon.

Bruce

It was great working with you. You answered all my questions even as we were picking up the car and after I got home. Look forward to seeing you again to take advantage of the free first wash and long term care tutorial.

Audio Fan · 12-08-2018, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rellascout

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce_SC

I truly appreciate the kind words. The journey at this point is almost complete.

Look forward to seeing you this afternoon.

Bruce

It was great working with you. You answered all my questions even as we were picking up the car and after I got home. Look forward to seeing you again to take advantage of the free first wash and long term care tutorial.

How about an update? Would love to hear your thoughts on the results. Thanks.

rellascout · 12-11-2018, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Audio Fan

How about an update? Would love to hear your thoughts on the results. Thanks.

The install went well. I overall very happy with the end product. The look and the hydrophobic properties of the Gtechniq products is great. The detail of the paint correct done prior to application was well done. Looks even better than it came from the showroom.

The PPF is solid. I love the extended sections which replaced the factory quarter panel. The custom piece is large enough to protect the panel but does not stand out and is well blended into the contours of the body. There are a few spots here and there on the PPF which will be corrected. Nothing major mainly me and the wife being a bit OCD. Really if you did not know the PPF was on there you wouldn't see it for the most part. You have to get right up on it and go over it with a keen eye to see the film. Being a bit anal once you see a "spot" your mind and eye go right to it but I am sure Bruce will be able to correct the very minor imperfections. Other people who look at the car have no idea there is PPF on it.

Bruce and I talked about how the film will continue to self correct a bit for 3-4 weeks removing some of the minor imperfections. The weather however here has not been cooperating. It has been cold and snowy. Bruce and I already talked about potential problem areas and he has already committed to replacing anything that we are not 100% satisfied with.

I have already taken a few "hits' here and there in the PPF and even with the cold weather the PPF has does its job. I have to keep reminding myself that the PPF is there to take the minor hits and it will not be perfect forever just like the naked paint would not stay perfect if you drive the car which we do daily. I am happy I chose to go this route and still 100% happy with my choice of installer. Once the snow clears I am going to schedule a time to let Bruce do my free 1st wash and go over the car and work together to get it perfect.

Here are a few pics from the day I picked it up.

R3dliner · 12-11-2018, 10:56 AM

The Gtechniq crystal serum and EVO combo is very good and worth doing. OP the car looks fantastic!

rellascout · 12-13-2018, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R3dliner

The Gtechniq crystal serum and EVO combo is very good and worth doing. OP the car looks fantastic!

Thanks here is a quick video Bruce took.

https://www.facebook.com/carolinaaut...4457671983297/

Detailers Domain · 01-08-2019, 06:59 PM

Bruce is a top notch guy and super easy to work with. Great choice!

rellascout · 01-25-2019, 01:20 PM

Bruce continues to exceed my expectations for after installation support. He is always answers a text and has been quick to address anything and everything that has come up. I cannot express how happy I am that I choose to work with him. The level of service has been above and beyond.

11-16-2018, 12:35 PM	#1
rellascout Private First Class 71 Rep 112 Posts Drives: G30/M550ix 2019 Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0) Garage List 2018 BMW M3 ZCP [0.00] 2019 BMW M550ix [0.00]	How I chose My PPF & Coating Installer My wife picked up an Avus Blue 2018 M3 at the end of Sept. I did a lot of research on PPF and ceramic coatings. I initially was in the its a car camp. Battle scars are going to happen and one should wear them with pride. If you drive the car it is going to get chips, dings, dents etc.. The only way to avoid them is to not drive the car. Which is not going to happen so initially I braced myself for the imperfections that would come with use. The car is her daily driver. It is going to see real daily use. Not a ton of miles but it will be driven everyday. The more I read the more we considered getting PPF in the major problem areas and getting it coated. My wife loves the color. We bought the car, did not lease, so we will be longer term owners. Keeping the car as close to new is the goal, which we know is somewhat unrealistic, but without PPF and a quality coating we came to realize that soon the car would show rock dings and chips. The country roads of W NC are littered with road debris. Even with good sealant and waxes swirls were going to happen. I catch the wife looking back at her car as she walks away from it and always has huge smile on her face. I would like to keep her smiling. So we decided to go for it. Keeping the original custom color paint protected just seemed to make sense. I called around my local area and only one shop does this kind of work. I live in a small town in W. NC so there are not a lot of options. I took the car over to the shop and we talked a bit. I originally found him because he does LLumar Window tint and later learned he did ceramic coatings as well. He was offering LLumar CTX film and Ceramic Pro. The guy was super nice but I could tell he was new to coatings. The more we talked the more I realized that he not done many cars. We did not even talk about PPF. His pricing was on the lower side but his inexperience concerned me. So we chose to pass. I went back to reading on the forums. Started looking at posts from owners and pros. One thing that kept coming up is that the products all have their advocates and their detractors but what matters more than anything is the installer. Time and time again Pros and customers kept going back to the quality of the installer being the key to success. The products are so close in their performance but the application and installation of the products seems to vary greatly. Some people love their Suntek Ultra others are disappointed but when you did deep it is often the installation of the products that is the problem not the product itself. It seemed like a lot of the active Pros on here kept mentioning Modesta Coatings. So I used their site to find and installer in my area. I had assumed I was going to have to go to Charlotte to find a good installer. Turned out there was one just down the road from me in SC. http://www.carolinaautoimage.com I checked out the site and it looked solid. The shop also offered Suntek PPF so I was interested. So I called and left a message and then sent an email. Got a reply later that day. I read the owners blog and noticed his name was Bruce. I remembered reading solid posts from a Pro here named Bruce_SC When the shop got back to me I asked are you Bruce_SC on Bimmerpost? Turns out it was. We talked via text for the next couple of days. We talked about the plus and minuses of PPF and ceramic coatings. We talked about its realistic longevity and what it can and can't do. He was upfront. He told me ceramic coatings will still scratch. PPF will not stop a heavier object from scratching and denting your hood when you hit it going 100 MPH. They are additional protection but they are not bullet proof. He did a great job of setting the proper expectation. He was patient and answered all my questions. So I made an appointment to drive the car down to have him take a look. When I got there we talked a bit more and then looked over the car. We had taken delivery only about 30 days prior so it is still pretty clean. No major issues. Some tiny stuff here and there, most likely from transport and dealer washing before we bought it. Nothing that cannot be polished out. We talked about the major problem areas that "he" would PPF. We talked about Modesta and Gtechniq. He again gave me the pros and cons of these 2 coatings. The cost of Modesta was higher because of the application process and he was honest if money was not an option it was the way to go but that Gtechniq was excellent for a daily driver. It would hold up well and look great with the proper maintenance. For our application he recommended it. Bruce stressed that even with the PPF and the coatings you need to do proper washing and maintenance or you will shorten the life of these products. After talking it over with the wife, after all it is her car we choose to do the following. Complete paint correction and polish. Suntek Ultra: -Full Hood -Fenders -Front Bumper -Side Mirrors -Headlights -Replace Factory rocker panel piece w/ extended custom piece Gtechniq -Crystal Serum Ultra Black -2 Coats of EXOv4 -666 Wheels removed and coated inside & out -Windshield coating We dropped the car off on Wed and he is working on it as I type. This is e first time I have had PPF and a ceramic coating installed on one of my cars. I appreciated the time Bruce took to educate me and answer my questions about the products and the process. I know a lot of the time on this and other boards be focus on the cost of these type of installations. We love to talk about the deal we are getting or asking am I getting ripped off. I understand 100% the value of those discussions but sometimes with these types of services it is the "service" that makes the difference. Sometimes the best deal or the best value is not the lowest price. The pre-and post sales attention is what really matters. If the job is done right with an exceptional level of detail a few dollars here and there will be quickly forgotten. Just like saving some money but getting less than you expected always lingers. That is not to say Bruce killed me on the price. Far from it based on my research I am paying a fair price but in the end price was not what made me choose Bruce's shop. The car should be done early next week and I am sure Bruce and I will post a follow up but I just wanted to say so far it has been a great experience working with Bruce and I cannot wait to see the end results. Last edited by rellascout; 01-25-2019 at 01:18 PM..
	Appreciate 3 nioh_lbbm21716.50 damageprone580.50 Bruce_SC79.50 Tweet Quote

11-16-2018, 05:15 PM	#2
damageprone Major 581 Rep 1,055 Posts Drives: Tesla Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Casino iTrader: (1)	This is good to hear. Customer support after the sale is very important. This is usually why I'm a lemming and I always end up buying an Apple iPhone. Their customer support is great. I've never had that with any other electronics years after the sale.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

11-26-2018, 06:35 AM	#3
Bruce_SC Second Lieutenant 80 Rep 257 Posts Drives: Truck Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: South Carolina iTrader: (0)	I truly appreciate the kind words. The journey at this point is almost complete. Look forward to seeing you this afternoon. Bruce
	Appreciate 0 Quote

12-11-2018, 10:56 AM	#7
R3dliner Lieutenant Colonel 935 Rep 1,930 Posts Drives: 18 M3 6MT Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: NYC iTrader: (5)	The Gtechniq crystal serum and EVO combo is very good and worth doing. OP the car looks fantastic!
	Appreciate 1 Bruce_SC79.50 Quote

01-08-2019, 06:59 PM	#9
Detailers Domain BimmerPost Supporting Vendor 1991 Rep 6,916 Posts Drives: 20 M2C / 22 X3MC Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: New Jersey iTrader: (24)	Bruce is a top notch guy and super easy to work with. Great choice!
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01-25-2019, 01:20 PM	#10
rellascout Private First Class 71 Rep 112 Posts Drives: G30/M550ix 2019 Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0) Garage List 2018 BMW M3 ZCP [0.00] 2019 BMW M550ix [0.00]	Bruce continues to exceed my expectations for after installation support. He is always answers a text and has been quick to address anything and everything that has come up. I cannot express how happy I am that I choose to work with him. The level of service has been above and beyond.
	Appreciate 0 Quote