[Francium]

First of all, sorry everyone, I know there are already hundreds of posts on PPFs, but I couldn't quite find something specific to the hood.
Currently I have PPF from factory that cover almost everything, but I had to remove the hood PPF because the Italian race stripes the previous owners applied left hideous residue on the PPF (graphical content, viewer discretion recommended).

So I'm wondering, does the 4C really need a hood PPF? I have seen no damage to the hood PPF and since the hood design is so flat, I think the bumper and the windshield takes most of the hits anyway.

 

[Francium]

A shameless and voluntary plug here for Carbon Elite Detail in Lafayette, IN. Best detailing experience I've ever had. Family run business with hard working, car loving guys that use great stuff on your car and provide great service with compatitive pricing.

 

[Alfanut]

First of all, sorry everyone, I know there are already hundreds of posts on PPFs, but I couldn't quite find something specific to the hood.
Currently I have PPF from factory that cover almost everything, but I had to remove the hood PPF because the Italian race stripes the previous owners applied left hideous residue on the PPF (graphical content, viewer discretion recommended).

So I'm wondering, does the 4C really need a hood PPF? I have seen no damage to the hood PPF and since the hood design is so flat, I think the bumper and the windshield takes most of the hits anyway.
View attachment 140683

Absolutely yes. Just ask @Gilles27. One drive with us without PPF and his bonnet was pock-marked with stone chips. It required new paint. Don’t go cheap.
Edit: This is a photograph taken on that day.

 

[AAaF]

Plain and simple; It does.

 

[Knievil]

Yes.

Also, the 4C didn't come with factory ppf. May have been dealer applied.

 

[Antithos]

Fyi dealer applied PPF was garbage at best. Very prone to yellowing and will definitely be noticable on your white car. Might want to look into removal of factory ppf and apply new. Just about everything out there is far superior. Fyi great looking car!

 

[RKBerta]

Yes.

Also, the 4C didn't come with factory ppf. May have been dealer applied.

Evidently ALFA did have hood PPF on some cars that was installed either in Italy or when it got to the US and installed by ALFA. I saw one of those at my dealer when I bought my 2015 new. The dealer said they ordered one that way to see if it was going to be any good (it was just as bad as the rocker PPF). My car was having PPF installed by an independent for the dealership at the same time so was able to see the difference. They said the ALFA PPF was pretty bad also so were going to have it removed and redone by the same company that did mine ;-) The factory PPF also yellows after a few months which is OK on most colors but not on white cars....it looks horrible. I haven't noticed how it looks on silver cars....perhaps one of our members can comment on that. The factory stuff is also much thicker than normal PPF which MIGHT be an advantage on the sills but I have no evidence it is better or worse than a quality PPF like Xpel or Suntek Ultra.

And as far as the OP about having his hood redone. YES DO IT when I bought my car I refused to take it home from the dealer until the ppf was installed. I have heard to many sad stories of those who waited before installing it. Any car as low and with thge surface area as ours....and with the softer paint is going to be pock mark city in a short time if uncovered. I suppose one could just commit to a repaint every few years but that is not something I would do.

 

[ALPHAmole]

Yes.

Also, the 4C didn't come with factory ppf. May have been dealer applied.

What's the "front fascia protective film" then?

 

[614]

Take a cruise with a group and someone in front of you is running cheaters—then decide if you need hood PPF.

 

[Knievil]

What's the "front fascia protective film" then?

View attachment 140697

I stand corrected.
Not an Australian option.
And the side protection and door sill stuff that we got was rubbish and was removed and replaced on my way home from the dealer on the day of delivery.

 

[borocouncilman]

The 4C puts a lot of paint low and in harms way. If you're going to be upset about a rockchip and/or the potential of one is going to ruin your enjoyment of the car, I'd recommend doing the hood.

I didn't do PPF initially on my 4C, but when the chip guards on the sills started to yellow, I had the front, door sills, mirrors, windshield frame, and door lowers done. To make things perfect, my installer touched up the chips that I picked up in the first 10k miles. We also did ceramic coating of the whole car. Results? It looked better than it did on delivery day. It was head turning awesome.

About 9 months later, I was driving along the road and a hubcap bounced from the other lane and hit the front of the car. The PPF was ugly and torn up. I thought for sure that the paint was damaged. When the installer removed the PPF, the front fascia was unharmed. They replaced the section and it was as good as new. So, yeah, it was totally worth it.

 

[flyt100]

From the attached:

 

[ALPHAmole]

Yes, that's exactly the PPF coverage on my wife's 4C (shown above in the EXTERIOR pic). Has anyone DIY removed the factory PPF? -Just looking for a clue of how nightmarish the process might be and if it's likely to come off clean or leave adhesive.

 

[borocouncilman]

Yes, that's exactly the PPF coverage on my wife's 4C (shown above in the EXTERIOR pic). Has anyone DIY removed the factory PPF? -Just looking for a clue of how nightmarish the process might be and if it's likely to come off clean or leave adhesive.

I'd be more concerned about paint coming off than leaving adhesive. The removal of my factory sill chip guards required talent and experience to come off cleanly. Just the right amount of heat. I left it to my installer to deal with and glad that I did.

 

[alphaboy1]

I'd be more concerned about paint coming off than leaving adhesive. The removal of my factory sill chip guards required talent and experience to come off cleanly. Just the right amount of heat. I left it to my installer to deal with and glad that I did.

In regards to the factory ppf removal my detailer here in ct successfully removed the material from the rocker panels and door sills with no paint damage. I was certainly worried the paint would come off but my detailer assured me i would be fine. I had the factory material replaced with XPEL Ultimate and also had the hood, front bumper, fenders, mirrors and headlights covered. I also had them install Bray 2 layer windshield protection. Very happy and much more invisible to the eye than the old material also self healing when in direct sunlight.

 

[MDPharaoh]

I would absolutely do ppf every time, the reason why you are not seeing damage on the ppf is because it is much more resilient than clear coat is, especially the soft clear on the 4C

 

[Red$torm1991]

Please do the PPF on the doors. I had the factory PPF removed and redone. I didn't doo the doors for some reason and I wish I had. I have a rock chip on either door. I plan to have the PPF redone on the whole car. It's worth the extra money.