Can you put paint protection film on a used car that already has rock chips?

Yes, you can put paint protection film on a used car, just as you can on a new one. It will not repair a chip that is already there. It is a clear protective layer, not a filler, so it protects the paint from the next stone. Before film goes on, we look at the paint panel by panel, and what happens to your existing chips depends on what we find. That inspection tells us if your car is a good candidate for film.

• Film works on used cars. It protects against future chips and does not fill the ones you have.
• It seals in what is under it, so swirls and light scratches are polished out first. Deeper damage is a repair question.
• Tell us about any body shop or repaint work.
• Send the year, make and model, and tell us about the chips.

What happens to the chips you already have?

A clear film does not fill a chip, so a chip that is already there is still there under the film.

What matters is how deep the chip goes (clear coat only, or down to the color coat or primer), if it sits on a panel the film will cover, and if it needs attention before the film goes on. We look at each chip and the panel around it, and we tell you what we recommend before you decide.

We sort chips out first for the same reason we correct paint before film: film seals in whatever is underneath. Every car gets the inspection, and it matters most on a car with a few winters behind it.

What do we check before putting film on a used car?

We start with the paint, not the film. On a used car with swirls, haze or past polishing, correction usually comes before film. The paint inspection covers the whole car and answers three questions:

• What condition is the paint in? Swirls, haze, water spots and etching are all things we can see and plan for.
• Has any panel been repainted or repaired? Tell us what you know about the car's history.
• How much correction is safe? Correction removes some clear coat, so we take off only what the defects need.

Then we work panel by panel under several light sources. The three levels are on the paint correction page, and 1-step, 2-step or 3-step correction explains which fits which car.

What gets polished out, and what doesn't?

Swirl marks, holograms, water spots and light etching are defects in the clear coat. Correction can remove them, and that is the work that belongs before film on a car with a few years behind it. Two-step is our most popular level.

Deeper damage is a different job. A scratch you can catch with a fingernail has cut through the clear coat into the base, and polishing will not fix that. It is touch-up or repaint territory. Whether a chip on your car is clear-coat only or deeper is something we check chip by chip.

Film works best on a near-perfect surface. If the paint is already heavily marred, you are paying for correction and film, and sometimes the right move is correction now and film later. We would rather tell you that than film over a problem.

What if the car has been repainted?

Tell us before the quote. A repainted or repaired panel is part of the car's history, and we want to know about it before we plan the work. If you know a panel was resprayed after an accident or a chip repair, say which one.

Will film stop new chips on a used car?

Taking the hit is the film's job. It is a clear, self-healing urethane layer that takes the rock chips, salt and road rash so they do not reach the paint underneath. How much to cover is the next decision. A car with chips across the front bumper and hood is showing you where its trouble is. What decides your PPF quote walks through coverage and price, and the packages page shows what each one covers. If you do not own the car, see PPF on a leased car.

How can you look at your own chips before you call?

Wash and dry the area, then look at it in daylight, not under a garage light. A chip that has gone through the clear coat reaches the color coat or primer under it, and that is deeper than polishing can fix. Note which panels have chips and roughly how many. That tells us what the inspection is likely to find, and it is better than a guess.

When is it not worth filming a used car?

We would rather say so than take the job. If you expect to sell the car within a year or two, a full-coverage package is hard to justify, and a front-end package or none at all may be the right answer. If the paint is heavily marred, you may be better served by correction now and film later. If a panel is already in bad shape, repair it first. In all three cases the inspection tells us, and we will tell you.

What should you send for a quote?

• The year, make and model
• Where the chips are, and roughly how many
• Anything we should know about body shop work, repainting or earlier polishing
• How you use the car: a daily highway commute, gravel roads, parked outside

Common questions

Can you put paint protection film on a used car? Yes. Film goes on used cars as well as new ones. We inspect the paint first, and anything that should be polished or repaired comes before the film.

Will the film cover up my existing rock chips? No. A clear film is not a filler. It protects the paint from new chips and does not repair the ones you have.

Do I need to fix the chips before the film goes on? That depends on the chip and the panel. We look at each one, and at what is under it, before we decide. Film seals in whatever is underneath, so problems are better dealt with first.

What if my car has been repainted? Tell us before the quote, and tell us which panels. Repair history is part of what we look at when we plan the job.

Can the film be removed later without hurting the paint? Properly installed film can be removed without damaging the paint underneath.

Tell us about the front end

For a paint protection film quote, call (313) 301-3342 and talk it through, or send the year, make and model and a note about the chips through the form. Recent work is in our gallery.