dings and chips

[ollie.chambers1]

16 hours ago, Cyker said:

If you're worried it'd be worth getting a good ceramic coating applied - The good ones put a hardened layer on the top which can mitigate some chipping, but needs to be reapplied anything from a few months to a year.

If you have deep pockets then paint protection film is even more durable but that stuff is expensive AF

This information isn't quite right I believe. Ceramic coatings do add a hardened layer over the top but they're not designed to mitigate chipping; they're to stop wash related scratches/swirls, and to add massive chemical resistance to paint (so you can use stronger chemicals to clean a car before contact washing).

Professionally installed ceramic coatings are typically guaranteed for around 4-5 years with some going up to 9-10. These are expensive though (over £1000) but this is due to the intense prep (full 1-2 stage machine polishing) the paint needs for the coatings to adhere properly.

Fyi; most consumer level ceramics/graphene/SiO2 coatings/sprays available from shops that you apply after washing, without any real prep, are more like waxes. Designed to keep the car looking cleaner they will only last a few months.

To stop chips and scratches, paint protection film is the only product available to actually provide "protection". As Cyker said this is expensive, more expensive than ceramics, depending on car size expect to pay £1500-2000 and up.