Ultimate rock chip paint protection
 

What would be the ultimate in rock chip protection for a newly finished, clay barred and waxed paint job? Would you recommend a ceramic coating? How about a 3M or other clear bra over the entire hood and front end? Would you consider both?

Ceramic coating will not protect against stone chips- you will be further ahead to do a full frontal PPF from 3M or Expel or whoever you like best. With practice, the film is not impossible to install yourself- I've done a few, but I'm glad its not my day job.

You can ceramic coat after the PPF.

Interestingly, my wife's Mazda has a section in the owner's manual with a scale showing the speed vs. distance you need to be behind the car ahead to reduce stone chip risk.

darcy

I -hate- installing protector screens on smartphones and I picture the 3M, etc, being just like that... but worse. The idea of installing that is the stuff of nightmares. That said, I am considering having my paint redone then having some kind of protection installed (by someone who is not me)

If the ceramic coating is so durable, if your car needs body work and paint, what do you have to do to ensure a successful repair? IE: how do you remove the ceramic coating completely?

you need to be uber patient with the install- paying someone to do it right is understood. The PPF will take the high speed hit of a sharp stone, especially on the leading edge of the metal body panels. Ceramic is a very nice product, but for my $1800, I'd sooner have PPF.

darcy

If nothing else you could take it down with compound/polish, just like removing clear coat. (In fact, my understanding is that one of the benefits of coating is that you can remove scratches by doing just that—polishing down the coating rather than the clear coat.)

Thank you for the replies. I did learn something, and I'm grateful for that. I definitely want the protection that a PPF will provide and I like the high gloss effect with the ceramic coating. The video and the posts following have been helpful to learn which one is applied first.

I found this on an on-line Mazda 6 owners manual:50 meters is over half a football field! Thats a dozen S2000 car lengths. I need to leave a lot more room in front on group drives. :)

-- Chuck

I'm a big fan of Xpel ultimate. I bought my NSX, grew weary of counting the new chips that I seemingly found after every drive, and had Xpel ultimate applied on everything forward of the doors (except the windshield!), the rocker panels, and the mirrors. When I subsequently bought the S2000 I had it done immediately. I have only 2 regrets: that I didn't have it done immediately upon taking delivery of the NSX, and that my budget didn't permit doing the entire exterior of both cars. If you're concerned about paint chips, get the Xpel. It's not cheap but money very well spent.