Detailers turned PPF Installers

[bob m]

Ppf I bet has put a big dent in the sale of polishers, pads, compounds, polish, waxes and sealants.
There`s nothing left to do once applied except car washes and boring sprays that really don`t do anything.

I have a different take on it. That might be true if the whole car had PPF applied, but I don`t think that`s too common. Most have the whole front end done only. Having said that, I`m thinking that if people are concerned enough about their cars to go through the (considerable) expense of PPF, they are more than likely going to be the people who will take better care and be more concerned about swirls, so they will be using polishers, pads, compounds and polish on the rest of the car. The ale and use of waxes, sealants and coatings will not be affected as all are used on PPF.

[BudgetPlan1]

There`s nothing left to do once applied except car washes and boring sprays that really don`t do anything.

And that`s a bad thing? I`ve got 2 fully PPF`d cars and it`s glorious! If`n I had the $$ I`d wrap and coat every car I had.

[bad penny]

And that`s a bad thing? I`ve got 2 fully PPF`d cars and it`s glorious! If`n I had the $$ I`d wrap and coat every car I had.

Not if that`s what floats your boat. From a detailers prospective it makes things kinda boring.
Why do you coat ppf? A lot of manufacturers nowadays have hydrophobic qualities built in to the film in case you didn`t know.

[BudgetPlan1]

Why do you coat ppf? A lot of manufacturers nowadays have hydrophobic qualities built in to the film in case you didn`t know.

I prefer a coating on PPF as I`m quite familiar w/ maintaining a coated vehicle, specifically with a set of products that have proven themselves to be appropriate for my vehicle usage patterns, climate and maintenance. With 1 car done w/ STEK Dynoshield (hydrophobic properties in film) and another w/ XPEL Ultimate (no hydrophobic properties) regardless of the properties of the film, I still prefer a coating to `face the world`.

At the end of the day, personal preference...just like most things in this `detailing` space.

[Lonnie]

I do not know if detailers are becoming Protective Plastic Film installers/wrappers as much as vehicle sign and advertising graphic companies.

In the old days, they did vehicle advertising or company names by hand lettering and template painting. Then it transitioned to decals and appliques. Now it`s full vinyl wraps with custom-printed corporate/business logos, colors and signage/text designs. I now see these sign/advertising companies advertise for PPF or film wraps for consumer vehicles now. And why not. They have the tools, know-how, and experienced employees to do this.

I just wonder if body shops will pick up on this trend and begin to offer this service. A few in my Green Bay, WI area offer "traditional" detailing services and to offer PPF installation/wrapping is kind of an extension of that.

As far as detailers doing it, I know that Estoteric Detail in New Albany, OH does this and I think it is where BudgetPlan1 got his vehicles wrapped at.

The only other Autopian I know of whose detailing business does PPF installation is Rasky`s Auto Detailing in the St.Paul/Minneapolis MN area.

As a side note, I made the bold prediction that in the (very) near future, all new vehicles will be painted white and then wrapped at the factory in colored PPF. It makes sense because now the manufacturing plant deal in one paint color and with PPF colors, a vehicle can now be custom-ordered in a plethora of color pallet hues (like Mary Kay Pink). A vehicle color is also easily changed by the owner if they so desire or only changed in an area (or areas) that has (have) experienced wear or damage OR changed by the next subsequent owner (Like the man who does NOT want to drive around in that May Kay Pink Cadillac CT6 Platinum Series!) or used car-lot dealer without having to go through a complete paint job.
Seems like an more "practical", but not necessarily economical, way to change and maintain the like-new appearance of a vehicle. (What the heck, Captain Obvious?!! Are you trying to put us Autopian detailers out of business??....
Hey, there is always an interior to "detail" of last winter`s neglect, pet hair (feathers and/or scales), kid`s "accidents", and spilled fast food or coffee shop debris and subsequent stains. Just saying`... Time to sell the Rupes/Flex buffers for a Vapor Systems VX5000 Steamer and MyTee HP60 Spyder extractor.)

What PPF`s do NOT protect against are parking lot door dings or Midwest and Central Plains thunderstorm hail damage. Having Painless Dent Removal (PDR) done to a clear-coat/paint-only vehicle is expensive enough without having to factor in the cost of a new PPF installation replacement in the dented area or panel.

[BudgetPlan1]

I would think that the somewhat significant investment in training, materials, setup and such that comes along with quality PPF installation/offerings is a barrier to some Professional Detailers wanting to jump into the space. Throw in the need to attract the type of clientele that is willing to make the investment in a multi-thousand dollar job and the pool of folks getting into profitable PPF installation grows even smaller.

That said, within 15 miles of my location in NE Ohio are 2 shops that offer the full spectrum of detailing services from paint correction, waxes, sealants, coatings and PPF and I`d guess there are a few more that I`m not aware of. It certainly seems more prevalent than it was 5 years ago.

[Stokdgs]

Phil Yiu, owner of Detailer`s Domain, Norwood, New Jersey, was installing ppf I believe over 10-15 years ago.
Way back then, they just laid a big sheet of ppf over the sections of the vehicle(everything was sprayed with a mild soap and wet) and cut it to size.. His guys are masters at ppf..

Dan F

[Accumulator]

As far as detailers doing it, I know that Estoteric Detail in New Albany, OH does this and I think it is where BudgetPlan1 got his vehicles wrapped at...

Gee, I oughta see where Albany, OH is...I need some PPFing done on the Crown Vic (along with new tint). Thanks for mentioning that!

[T-man143]

I would highly recommend Esoteric.I had the privilege of spending a few days there.They really have it down and do a great job.They take a lot of pride in there work and pay attention to detail.Then watching them do window tint was something else.Of course the class of cars they get is another story.They have there act together for sure

[Accumulator]

I would highly recommend Esoteric...

Ah, another vote of confidence! Good...

...Of course the class of cars they get is another story...

Heh heh, the Crown Vic won`t mind being the least expensive car there

They have there act together for sure

That`s what I wanted to hear!