ceramic coating/clear bra worth it for track car?

I have a 2011 BMW that's currently my daily driver (don't commute much though)/track toy. It has a couple paint chips/marks from tracking that I plan to fix. Is it worth it to ceramic coat & clear bra (high impact areas only), give that the paint is already damaged?

m3luv wrote

I have a 2011 BMW that's currently my daily driver (don't commute much though)/track toy. It has a couple paint chips/marks from tracking that I plan to fix. Is it worth it to ceramic coat & clear bra (high impact areas only), give that the paint is already damaged?

Ceramic will offer little resistance to rock chips on the race track.

Before ceramic coating you'll definitely want to properly prep the paint so that it's flawless before you coat it with something semi-permanent. You would then touch up the paint chips after compound/polish and before coating.

I don't think anyone would recommend ceramic coating only the front clip of your car - but what do I know.

If you want to apply a PPF because the best protection is your ultimate goal, you would prep, touch up paint chips, PPF, and then ceramic coat.

PPF over damaged paint from chips won't look great. If you only have a handful and repair then it's still worth it but if you have a lot like your front bumper probably does then you won't want ppf on it or you'll want to respray first, wait 3 months then ppf.

Hi there, I'm also in San Francisco.

My car had PPF from new. After 10+ years of driving and lots of track days, I had it replaced with new PPF. The old PPF looked really nasty after all these years and miles. The paint was pristine under the PPF and looked brand new. After new PPF, the car looked showroom fresh again and protection renewed - the new PPF films are way better than the old ones. Be aware that track rubber is a bitch to remove from clear bra and sometimes bond permanently to the clear bra. Most track rubber removers will damage clear bra.

PPF the car if you care about the appearance. But if your paint is already chipped up, definitely look into getting it resprayed before PPF otherwise you just lock in all the existing damage.

Ceramic coating is just a durable wax/sealant. It will do nothing against rock chips and scratches. It will keep your car looking nicer between car washes though. Not hard to DIY a coating.

Note in the picture, the clear bra is not dirty. That is actual damage on the clear bra from driving. The clear bra took a beating but saved the paint underneath.

Damn my car was so beat up from track. So resprayed, new ppf, corrected, and graphene coated.

Z K wrote

Hi there, I'm also in San Francisco.

My car had PPF from new. After 10+ years of driving and lots of track days, I had it replaced with new PPF. The old PPF looked really nasty after all these years and miles. The paint was pristine under the PPF and looked brand new. After new PPF, the car looked showroom fresh again and protection renewed - the new PPF films are way better than the old ones. Be aware that track rubber is a bitch to remove from clear bra and sometimes bond permanently to the clear bra. Most track rubber removers will damage clear bra.

PPF the car if you care about the appearance. But if your paint is already chipped up, definitely look into getting it resprayed before PPF otherwise you just lock in all the existing damage.

Ceramic coating is just a durable wax/sealant. It will do nothing against rock chips and scratches. It will keep your car looking nicer between car washes though. Not hard to DIY a coating.

Note in the picture, the clear bra is not dirty. That is actual damage on the clear bra from driving. The clear bra took a beating but saved the paint underneath.

I would think coating the ppf would make it easier to remove rubber that gets on it from the track.

Z K wrote

My car had PPF from new. After 10+ years of driving and lots of track days, I had it replaced with new PPF. The old PPF looked really nasty after all these years and miles.

Nice.

Z K wrote

Hi there, I'm also in San Francisco.

My car had PPF from new. After 10+ years of driving and lots of track days, I had it replaced with new PPF. The old PPF looked really nasty after all these years and miles. The paint was pristine under the PPF and looked brand new. After new PPF, the car looked showroom fresh again and protection renewed - the new PPF films are way better than the old ones. Be aware that track rubber is a bitch to remove from clear bra and sometimes bond permanently to the clear bra. Most track rubber removers will damage clear bra.

PPF the car if you care about the appearance. But if your paint is already chipped up, definitely look into getting it resprayed before PPF otherwise you just lock in all the existing damage.

Ceramic coating is just a durable wax/sealant. It will do nothing against rock chips and scratches. It will keep your car looking nicer between car washes though. Not hard to DIY a coating.

Note in the picture, the clear bra is not dirty. That is actual damage on the clear bra from driving. The clear bra took a beating but saved the paint underneath.

Prime example of PPF's prowess. The technology has evolved massively in the last decade. They have zero orange peel, are crystal clear, have 99% gloss levels and the adhesive technology has evolved as to no damage paint upon removal.

akkando wrote

I would think coating the ppf would make it easier to remove rubber that gets on it from the track.

It's the opposite. The rubber from the track sticks to PPF and bonds with it since they are both petroleum-based products. You can't use tar/rubber remover on clear bra because it damages the film. On paint, you can use tar remover and/or polish off the rubber. On PPF, you cant use those.

The clear bra film is very delicate and you need to care for it differently than paint.

Z K wrote

It's the opposite. The rubber from the track sticks to PPF and bonds with it since they are both petroleum-based products. You can't use tar/rubber remover on clear bra because it damages the film. On paint, you can use tar remover and/or polish off the rubber. On PPF, you cant use those.

The clear bra film is very delicate and you need to care for it differently than paint.

I mean CERAMIC COATING the PPF would make easier to get rubber off of the PPF

akkando wrote

I mean CERAMIC COATING the PPF would make easier to get rubber off of the PPF

I have ceramic coating on the new PPF now. I did 2 track days on this set up. I can't say it is any better. Rubber still bonds to the PPF.

Ceramic coating really has no effect on keeping the car cleaner from track debris. I find it helps keep the paint cleaner from normal every day stuff like bird bombs and dirt flies off which makes it worth it.

There isn't much that you can do about extreme use like track driving. You replace the clear bra every now and then and try not worry about it.

Z K wrote

akkando wrote

I mean CERAMIC COATING the PPF would make easier to get rubber off of the PPF

I have ceramic coating on the new PPF now. I did 2 track days on this set up. I can't say it is any better. Rubber still bonds to the PPF.

Ceramic coating really has no effect on keeping the car cleaner from track debris. I find it helps keep the paint cleaner from normal every day stuff like bird bombs and dirt flies off which makes it worth it.

There isn't much that you can do about extreme use like track driving. You replace the clear bra every now and then and try not worry about it.

Hmmm good, to know at least.

Z K wrote

It's the opposite. The rubber from the track sticks to PPF and bonds with it since they are both petroleum-based products. You can't use tar/rubber remover on clear bra because it damages the film. On paint, you can use tar remover and/or polish off the rubber. On PPF, you cant use those.

Here's a trick I picked up from an AMMO detailing video on YouTube - use a paint sealant and a microfiber cloth to remove the rubber marks from the track or highway debris.

After the car is clean, put a small dab of sealant (I used Meguiar's liquid wax-its a sealant) on the mark and lightly work it with the cloth. It disappears like magic after a few seconds and bonus, you put some paint protection on the spot.

Works great on PPF and clearcoat and using something you probably already have in the garage.

ES BMW wrote

Here's a trick I picked up from an AMMO detailing video on YouTube - use a paint sealant and a microfiber cloth to remove the rubber marks from the track or highway debris.

After the car is clean, put a small dab of sealant (I used Meguiar's liquid wax-its a sealant) on the mark and lightly work it with the cloth. It disappears like magic after a few seconds and bonus, you put some paint protection on the spot.

Works great on PPF and clearcoat and using something you probably already have in the garage.

I've done this before. It always works on paint but only works sometimes on clear bra. With 25 years of cleaning and maintaining clear bra, I've tried about everything.

The clear bra is soft - it is softer than paint. When you rub something, you're using an abrasive (physical rubbing with a towel/applicator) and it'll scratch the clear bra. The harder you press, the more scratched the bra becomes. So the tire marks can come off but it comes at a cost.

A clear bra's "self healing" abilities only work for a few years when new. After it ages and gets harder, it won't heal anymore.

I just want to chime in and say if you ever plan to sell the car after you track it, just do the PPF in the first place so you don't have to pay to respray it later

Z K wrote

I've done this before. It always works on paint but only works sometimes on clear bra. With 25 years of cleaning and maintaining clear bra, I've tried about everything.

The clear bra is soft - it is softer than paint. When you rub something, you're using an abrasive (physical rubbing with a towel/applicator) and it'll scratch the clear bra. The harder you press, the more scratched the bra becomes. So the tire marks can come off but it comes at a cost.

A clear bra's "self healing" abilities only work for a few years when new. After it ages and gets harder, it won't heal anymore.

Agreed. My PPF is less than a year old and the sealant trick worked perfectly. I barely applied any pressure when working the sealant into the tire mark. You start thinking it's not working and then the mark starts to disappear. Took 30+ seconds of light pressure for the worse marks at the front but it worked.

This is the video I'm referencing:Goto 4:22 for the start of the rubber removal on paint and PPF. I'm in Miami so didn't need to heat anything on the non-PPF sections of the car. Worked great on the wheels too.

ES BMW wrote

This is the video I'm referencing:

Goto 4:22 for the start of the rubber removal on paint and PPF. I'm in Miami so didn't need to heat anything on the non-PPF sections of the car. Worked great on the wheels too.

He doesn't get to the clear bra part until about 10 minutes when he is working on his black car.

Like I said earlier, the results of using any product to clean tire marks on clear bra will vary. On newer clear bra, it comes off easier and it can self heal. I can just use my wash mitt with a car wash solution to rub off tire marks on my Suntek Ultra as the material is new and the tire marks don't embed as much.

If you do this on old clear bra - it will not work. My Ventureshield clear bra has tire marks that nothing will remove.

Just cleaned up my car after a track day this weekend, used the ammo trick. My car is ppf and coated. Not sure how much that did, but it came off pretty easy.

For rubber removal from tracking, I use Mothers R3. Works like a charm. I dont have PPF but reviews say it works just as well.

You can order it from Pepboys and pick up in store.
https://www.amazon.com/Mothers-09224-Racing-Rubber-Remover/dp/B005R5WGCS

ppatel14 wrote

For rubber removal from tracking, I use Mothers R3. Works like a charm. I dont have PPF but reviews say it works just as well.

You can order it from Pepboys and pick up in store.
https://www.amazon.com/Mothers-09224-Racing-Rubber-Remover/dp/B005R5WGCS

Do not use on clear bra! R3 will melt clear bra and turn it milky white. I tried it and had to replace the clear bra because I had a cloudy white spot on my black car. Any rubber/tar remover is a risk to clear bra - the more powerful it is, the more damage it'll do. R3 says "safe for vinyl" but clear bra is not vinyl.

On paint it is fine.

Z K wrote

Hi there, I'm also in San Francisco.

My car had PPF from new. After 10+ years of driving and lots of track days, I had it replaced with new PPF. The old PPF looked really nasty after all these years and miles. The paint was pristine under the PPF and looked brand new. After new PPF, the car looked showroom fresh again and protection renewed - the new PPF films are way better than the old ones. Be aware that track rubber is a bitch to remove from clear bra and sometimes bond permanently to the clear bra. Most track rubber removers will damage clear bra.

PPF the car if you care about the appearance. But if your paint is already chipped up, definitely look into getting it resprayed before PPF otherwise you just lock in all the existing damage.

Ceramic coating is just a durable wax/sealant. It will do nothing against rock chips and scratches. It will keep your car looking nicer between car washes though. Not hard to DIY a coating.

Note in the picture, the clear bra is not dirty. That is actual damage on the clear bra from driving. The clear bra took a beating but saved the paint underneath.

This is one of the best cases of PPF saving paint that I have seen. Did you get a full PPF wrap on your car? Or just the "track package" that includes the front end and rocker panels? In your time driving on the track, did you incur damage anywhere else? Thanks in advance.