Every mile you drive throws something at your paint. Rock chips off the 118, sand kicked up by the truck ahead of you, bug acid baked on through a summer afternoon, a shopping cart in a Northridge parking lot. Paint protection film is a clear urethane layer that takes all of it so your clear coat never has to.
We install PPF by hand at our Chatsworth shop, for customers across the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles. Every piece gets wrapped around the panel edges instead of trimmed on the paint, which is slower to do and is the reason our work still looks right years later.
What paint protection film actually does
PPF is thick, clear, and slightly soft. When a rock hits it, the film absorbs the impact and your paint never knows about it. Light scratches and wash marring lift out on their own once the panel warms up in the sun, which is what people mean when they call the film self-healing.
It is not a coating and it is not a wrap. A ceramic coating adds gloss and makes washing easier, but it will not stop a rock. A vinyl wrap changes your color and shrugs off light abrasion, but it is far thinner. Film is the only one of the three that stands between a highway impact and your factory finish.
Coverage options
Most people start with the front of the car, because that is where the damage happens.
Partial front covers the leading edge of the hood, the front section of both fenders, and the mirrors. It is the least expensive way to stop chips. There is a line across the hood where the film ends, and in direct light some owners notice it while most never do. We will show you exactly where it falls before you decide.
Full front wraps the entire hood, both full fenders, the front bumper, and the mirrors. No line anywhere. This is what we recommend for a car you plan to keep.
Full body covers every painted panel. It costs more and it takes longer, and the paint underneath stays exactly as it left the factory. Owners of low mileage and collectible cars go this route almost every time.
We also do targeted pieces. Rocker panels, door cups, the strip behind the rear wheels, the loading edge of the trunk, headlights. If one spot on your car keeps getting hit, tell us and we will cover just that.
How we install it
Bring the car in clean or let us handle it. Either way we decontaminate the paint before anything touches it, because film locks in whatever is underneath it. If the paint has swirls or scratches we will tell you honestly whether correction is worth doing first. Film magnifies what sits below it, so this step matters more than most people expect.
We wrap edges rather than cutting on the vehicle. Cutting on the car risks scoring your clear coat, and it leaves a hard edge where dirt collects and lifting starts. Wrapping takes longer. It is also the difference between an install that disappears and one you can spot from across the parking lot.
The film needs time to cure once it is on. We will tell you at drop off how long we need the car and when it is safe to wash it.
Living with film
Wash it the way you would wash paint. Hand washing is best. Skip the automatic bays with spinning brushes, which are hard on any finish including bare paint.
Small marks in the film usually vanish after a hot afternoon or a warm rinse. Deeper cuts that go all the way through do not heal, but the film is what got cut instead of your paint, which is the entire point of having it.
Film can be removed. When it comes off, the paint underneath is in the condition it was in the day we wrapped it. That is a large part of why film holds value on any car worth keeping.
Film and ceramic coating together
They pair well. Film handles impact, coating handles chemistry and cleaning. A coating applied over film makes it easier to wash, adds gloss, and helps it shed water. Most of our full front and full body customers add coating in the same visit, since the car is already prepped and in the shop.
Serving Chatsworth and the greater Los Angeles area
Our shop is in Chatsworth and most of our work comes from the west end of the Valley. People drive to us from across Los Angeles, and for film it is worth the trip. We regularly wrap cars for owners in Northridge, Granada Hills, Porter Ranch, West Hills, Woodland Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, and Encino.
If you are further out, the drive is a one time thing. Film goes on once and stays on for years, and the gap between a careful install and a rushed one lasts exactly as long. Call ahead and we will tell you what the visit involves before you make it.
Common questions
What does PPF cost?+
It depends on the vehicle and the coverage. A compact coupe and a lifted truck are different jobs. Send photos or bring the car by and we will quote it in person at no charge.
Will I be able to see the film?+
No. We use a state-of-the-art Graphtec FC9000 to cut the PPF so it fits each panel perfectly, with no lines ever being shown.
Does the film turn yellow?+
Modern urethane is far more stable than the products that gave film that reputation years ago. Ask us what we install and what it is warrantied against and we will go through it with you.
My car already has chips. Can you still wrap it?+
Yes. Film will not repair existing damage and it will seal it in place. We will show you what we find and let you decide whether to address it first.
Can you put film over a wrap?+
Generally no. Film needs to bond to a hard surface. If you want both, film goes on the paint and we talk through what you are trying to achieve.
Get a quote. Bring your car to our Chatsworth shop or call (747) 220-0200. We will look at the paint with you, explain what each coverage level actually protects, and give you a real number before anything starts.