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I had PPF (Suntek) done on Monday on my C 63S. I got their premium package which included: total hood, fenders, bumper and side view mirrors for $1400. Since I've done several cars with them I get a 10% discount for a total cost of $1260. This is way cheaper, as some MB dealers charge $2995 for this and get it done for half of that. Can't comment on the tint and ceramic coating as I never opt for those.
Contemplating a XPEL front-end clear bra, paint ceramic coating, and tint for my incoming C63S.
What did you guys do for yours and how much did it cost? And what tint % did you go for?
Planning to reach out to some installers soon and I'm wondering what prices to expect. Thanks!
I’ve got a coupe inbound with magno. I’m going for a full suntek stealth ppf wrap of all painted and CF surfaces, headlights. ceramic coating of trim, front grille and plastic bits, rear diffuser, and wheels and xpel prime ceramic tint on all cabin glass. $4k-$5k total, but worth it to me to protect the satin finish, CF, and satin finish wheels, and heat/Uv protect the leather interior. Xpel prime ceramic on all windows, including panoramic roof. Max legal tint on side and rear (like 35% in TX, I think). minimal tint on windshield and roof. All max heat/uv block, though.
I had looked at a full front wrap hood fenders, runners and mirrors and cc everything else and it was about $1800 if I remember, but prices varied widely. Tint was another $400. Definitely need to shop around, do your homework, and interrogate the snot out of candidate vendors. It’s been harder than dealing with the car itself.
Appreciate the replies guys. Will update when I get some figures.
Originally Posted by benzbell
I had PPF (Suntek) done on Monday on my C 63S. I got their premium package which included: total hood, fenders, bumper and side view mirrors for $1400. Since I've done several cars with them I get a 10% discount for a total cost of $1260. This is way cheaper, as some MB dealers charge $2995 for this and get it done for half of that. Can't comment on the tint and ceramic coating as I never opt for those.
How did they handle the "V8 Biturbo" badges for the fenders? I'm pretty worried about placement if taking them off is needed.
$4-$5k is actually pretty reasonable. I've been getting quotes for a full xpel stealth wrap anywhere from $6 to $8k. Definitely ridiculous. Please let us know how yours goes as it may be worth the travel.
Appreciate the replies guys. Will update when I get some figures.
How did they handle the "V8 Biturbo" badges for the fenders? I'm pretty worried about placement if taking them off is needed.
Great question. They trim/cut AWAY from the paint and go around the badge. I never have those taken off. I also included a zoomed in pic. Sure you can see lines in this blown up pic. You can't see it in real life. Unless you got down on your knees and looked at it from two inches away. It works, and is good enough for me. Better than removing the badging and/or replacing it.
Some have their car literally disassembled and the entire vehicle covered to have zero edges at a huge cost. I guess it all boils down to what a person wants and is willing to pay for. Don't know why the MB factory (and other manufacturer's) don't offer PPF as an option? I'm sure there is a reason, otherwise they would.
Great question. They trim/cut AWAY from the paint and go around the badge. I never have those taken off. I also included a zoomed in pic. Sure you can see lines in this blown up pic. You can't see it in real life. Unless you got down on your knees and looked at it from two inches away. It works, and is good enough for me. Better than removing the badging and/or replacing it.
Some have their car literally disassembled and the entire vehicle covered to have zero edges at a huge cost. I guess it all boils down to what a person wants and is willing to pay for. Don't know why the MB factory (and other manufacturer's) don't offer PPF as an option? I'm sure there is a reason, otherwise they would.
guys I know they remove the badges and put them back so it’s clean.. that’s what my Detailer does and that’s what I used to do when I was a detail nut.. it’s easy.. one question I have is why are people flooding to get a ceramic clear coat on the car when Mercedes paint comes with it as standard from the factory? You are putting another ceramic clear coat over the existing one? Why wouldn’t you just get a proper detail every 6 months to a year and keep it looking better than new?
Yes - you can remove the badges and put them back on. Just like you can repaint a body panel. However, it's never the same after that. If you are really particular, then the best thing, is to order new badges and have them installed on top of the PPF. New badges from MB can be applied in a single shot for proper alignment. Otherwise, they are being peeled/taken off with heat and re-glued one letter at a time. I've seen that and they look crappy if not lined up perfectly.
Yes - you can remove the badges and put them back on. Just like you can repaint a body panel. However, it's never the same after that. If you are really particular, then the best thing, is to order new badges and have them installed on top of the PPF. New badges from MB can be applied in a single shot for proper alignment. Otherwise, they are being peeled/taken off with heat and re-glued one letter at a time. I've seen that and they look crappy if not lined up perfectly.
Can confirm, buddy of mine had his side panel repainted. Shop removed the badges and put them back on and it's not perfect. Seeing it honestly drives me up the wall.
Benzbell, any concerns for scratches/marks when they use blades to cut around the badges?
one question I have is why are people flooding to get a ceramic clear coat on the car when Mercedes paint comes with it as standard from the factory? You are putting another ceramic clear coat over the existing one? Why wouldn’t you just get a proper detail every 6 months to a year and keep it looking better than new?
I think a ceramic coat is different from the clearcoat of factory paint. It binds to & goes on top of the factory paint and helps to prevent swirl marks + makes it easier to clean. My car is going to be black and every previous black car we've had gets swirl marks if you so much as cough on it.
I've already instructed my dealer to skip carwash on delivery. Straight to the detailer I'll go
I think a ceramic coat is different from the clearcoat of factory paint. It binds to & goes on top of the factory paint and helps to prevent swirl marks + makes it easier to clean. My car is going to be black and every previous black car we've had gets swirl marks if you so much as cough on it.
I've already instructed my dealer to skip carwash on delivery. Straight to the detailer I'll go
yeah that’s what I do with every car.. Straight to the detailer.. it’s crucial!!
I applied Modesta glass coat on mine (BC-05 + BC-06 -for the wheels- and the leather protection system) and it works very well
Also installed a Flexishield PPF for the hood, headlights, and the front bumper, I highly recommend it since it has the self healing technology by sun heat or wiping, ceramic coated, and the clarity is just amazing.
Also I tinted the side windows with 0.2 and the windshield has a 0.0 tint film + a single layer Bray protection film (prevents stones chipping and sand blasting) is which’s the most thing I’m thankful for that I decided to install it
Total cost was around 7k$ and I’m so satisfied with the value since I travel a lot with the car and the roads are rough and the weather over here is just harsh and sand storms keeps coming most of the year time
Can confirm, buddy of mine had his side panel repainted. Shop removed the badges and put them back on and it's not perfect. Seeing it honestly drives me up the wall.
Benzbell, any concerns for scratches/marks when they use blades to cut around the badges?
No. I asked. Watched him do one. Blade is away from the paint when he trims.
If I skip the carwash from the dealer and go straight to the PPF place and only get a partial PPF, does that mean I can never get a car wash without causing swirl marks? How do you guys clean your car when you don't get full PPF?
If I skip the carwash from the dealer and go straight to the PPF place and only get a partial PPF, does that mean I can never get a car wash without causing swirl marks? How do you guys clean your car when you don't get full PPF?
The most obvious place where swirl marks show up is the hood. If you PPF the hood then you're good. Swirl marks on side panels (doors, fenders) don't really show - not even on black. Unless your car was washed with sand - lol.
I think a ceramic coat is different from the clearcoat of factory paint. It binds to & goes on top of the factory paint and helps to prevent swirl marks + makes it easier to clean. My car is going to be black and every previous black car we've had gets swirl marks if you so much as cough on it.
I've already instructed my dealer to skip carwash on delivery. Straight to the detailer I'll go
Correct, ceramic coat is different than the factory clearcoat. That said, I think I'd skip the whole ceramic coat thing, depending on price. I had my GLC43 front bumper, hood, and side mirrors done in Xpel for about $1400. I then had the whole car (on top of Xpel, windows, rims, etc.) paint corrected and ceramic coated for about $1500 and honestly would/will probably skip ceramic in the future. My detailer said it should come back every year or so for an "update" wash, whatever the hell that is and the ceramic is really on good for 3-5 years. For the upfront cost, it just doesn't seem worth it to ME. Next time, I will just take car directly from dealer to detailer, have it paint corrected and waxed, and then follow up with a good exterior detail/wax once or twice a year. YMMV.
Tint quote I got was for front two windows to match the rears and was $150 total for 3M product...probably basic tint, not ceramic, but never pulled the trigger on doing that. Will go for ceramic if I do, so probably a bit more. Good luck, C63 is a beast!
Correct, ceramic coat is different than the factory clearcoat. That said, I think I'd skip the whole ceramic coat thing, depending on price. I had my GLC43 front bumper, hood, and side mirrors done in Xpel for about $1400. I then had the whole car (on top of Xpel, windows, rims, etc.) paint corrected and ceramic coated for about $1500 and honestly would/will probably skip ceramic in the future. My detailer said it should come back every year or so for an "update" wash, whatever the hell that is and the ceramic is really on good for 3-5 years. For the upfront cost, it just doesn't seem worth it to ME. Next time, I will just take car directly from dealer to detailer, have it paint corrected and waxed, and then follow up with a good exterior detail/wax once or twice a year. YMMV.
Tint quote I got was for front two windows to match the rears and was $150 total for 3M product...probably basic tint, not ceramic, but never pulled the trigger on doing that. Will go for ceramic if I do, so probably a bit more. Good luck, C63 is a beast!
I agree - I think ceramic coating is a fancy sounding "buzz-word" for a good wax job. As far as paint correction goes. The factory paint looks pretty good IMHO. At the end of the day, you'll be driving the car anyways. I do PPF on the front clip/mirrors. Give it a good wax job and call it a day. Next, there will be a ceramic coating protector to put on your ceramic coating - lol.
I agree - I think ceramic coating is a fancy sounding "buzz-word" for a good wax job. As far as paint correction goes. The factory paint looks pretty good IMHO. At the end of the day, you'll be driving the car anyways. I do PPF on the front clip/mirrors. Give it a good wax job and call it a day. Next, there will be a ceramic coating protector to put on your ceramic coating - lol.
$4-$5k is actually pretty reasonable. I've been getting quotes for a full xpel stealth wrap anywhere from $6 to $8k. Definitely ridiculous. Please let us know how yours goes as it may be worth the travel.
Got a quote from Gulf Coast Auto Shield in Houston for Xpel Ultimate full front (bumper, hood, fenders, side mirrors) at $1900. Ceramic tint quote was $450. A YouTuber I follow recommended them and they had some pretty nice cars in when I stopped by. Since my dealer is close by, the owner offered to haul my car to the shop with his enclosed trailer. I’m impressed
I agree - I think ceramic coating is a fancy sounding "buzz-word" for a good wax job. As far as paint correction goes. The factory paint looks pretty good IMHO. At the end of the day, you'll be driving the car anyways. I do PPF on the front clip/mirrors. Give it a good wax job and call it a day. Next, there will be a ceramic coating protector to put on your ceramic coating - lol.
If the ceramic coat can last a couple of years, I think the price could be justified. Not sure yet tbh. I just know that this time around I want to prevent the swirl marks before they happen lol.
I got a full XPEL Clear bra on my c63s coupe for $3500 not counting the hood. Got it done by the Mercedes dealership in Manhattan. Granted I bargained a lot for that price, and I got the Xpel XR windshield done for 300. Personally wasnt a huge fan because in the sun it seems much lighter than the tint I asked for. But apparently its a lot better at keeping the heat out of my car than the 3M one that I originally had but I havent had a chance to use it in the summer yet so I dont know.
My friend is a GM at Mercedes so he helped me out with the price. I got the full XPEL, entire hood and fenders, front bumper, side mirrors, door edges, lower side skirts, and cilajet for 3K out the door. They removed that side fender badges off and ordered the new one. I had to wait for couple of weeks for the PPF and cilajet to cure before they attach the new badges back on. I understand Cilajet is probably old school and there are way better products out on the market like ceramic coating. I got Cquarts professional installed on my other cars. To be honest with you, I would go with Ceramic coating because they would have to do complete paint correction before they have to apply ceramic coating. It is better result overall. I went with cilajet because it was offered from my friend. I would most likely switch over to ceramic coating down the road.
Last edited by Alexpark911; Dec 2, 2018 at 01:54 AM.
I will add one thing about ceramic coating. It makes your job of cleaning the car so much easier. The water literally beads off the surface and cleaning the car is a breeze.
I mostly use a laser car wash and the car looks immaculate every time. Mind you I also have a white coloured car, but the roof, spoiler and sides are gloss black.
I agree - I think ceramic coating is a fancy sounding "buzz-word" for a good wax job. As far as paint correction goes. The factory paint looks pretty good IMHO. At the end of the day, you'll be driving the car anyways. I do PPF on the front clip/mirrors. Give it a good wax job and call it a day. Next, there will be a ceramic coating protector to put on your ceramic coating - lol.
For a typical gloss paint, I'd tend to agree -- wax/polish and ceramic coating are intended to provide hydrophobic properties to your car so water beads off, dirt/grime don't collect, and so that things like tree sap, water spotting, road grime, tar, bird crap, etc. don't mar the finish. So, ceramic coating might not make a whole lot of sense for someone that appropriately waxes/polishes their glossy car.
Unfortunately, for matte and satin paints, wax/polish are pretty much out of the question -- they WILL damage your paint. They are also much more susceptible to damage from all those things mentioned above and that damage is much more noticeable and much harder to repair. So, it's very important to protect that paint. PPF and ceramic coating are pretty much the only solutions for matte/satin paints. In fact, I've seen many references where people ceramic coat their clear bra (because most films don't have hydrophobic properties built in. It certainly makes washing a heckuva lot easier.
Believe me, as someone who spent the extra $2K to get magno paint, it does hurt the practical side of my brain a bit to turn around and spend 2-3x that to protect it. But, I couldn't hardly stand (or resell) a nearly $100K car with a bad complexion because I didn't invest in it. Like everything else, to each his own.
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