Paint Protection Film
in San Francisco.
ESM Motors installs paint protection film in San Francisco, in-house, on new and cherished vehicles. Paint protection film is a layer applied over your paint that takes the rock chips, road debris and contamination your paint would otherwise take. No shortcuts, no rushed installs. Every vehicle is washed in our indoor wash bay, installed by our own team and inspected before delivery.
What PPF protects against.
Paint protection film shields your paint from rock chips, road debris, scratches and the contamination that etches clear coat, such as tree sap, bird droppings and water spots. The film takes the damage instead of the paint, and film can be replaced while chipped paint cannot be undone.
We see rock chips on the front end of cars that are only weeks old, and paint etched by sap, rain and bird droppings on vehicles that have barely left the dealership. Manufacturers paint differently, too: techniques and paint thickness vary from brand to brand, so two new cars parked side by side don’t have the same margin for damage.
The film
Thicker than your paint.
Quality paint protection film is about 8 mil thick, roughly 200 microns. That’s thicker than the entire factory paint it protects, which is typically 110 to 150 microns from primer to clear coat.
Film vs. paint thickness · 0–250 µm
~200 µm
Quality PPF (8 mil)
110–150 µm
Entire factory paint, industry standard
Sources: Rivian Gear Shop (8-mil film) · InsideEVs (paint standard)
“
Touch-up paint fills a chip. It never makes it disappear. A proper repair means repainting the whole panel.
Your paint
You only get so much clear coat.
Factory paint is built in layers, about 100 to 110 microns in all, and the clear coat on top is only around 45 microns. It’s the layer that gives the paint its gloss and protects the color underneath from UV.
Every polish removes a little of that clear coat, and it doesn’t grow back. That’s why we’d rather protect paint than keep correcting it: film or coating takes the wear, so your clear coat doesn’t have to.
Inside your factory paint · about 100–110 µm in total
45 µm
of clear coat: the layer that protects your color from UV, and the layer polishing removes
Sources: Mark Nichols, Ford Research & Advanced Engineering, “Paint materials and processes from an automotive OEM perspective”, via NIST · PPG, OEM film builds
Our process.
A proper PPF install is mostly labor: washing, decontaminating and preparing every panel before any film goes on, then fitting and finishing each edge by hand. It’s the work most clients don’t see, and it’s exactly what separates a clean, nearly invisible result from film that lifts, shows seams or traps contamination.
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Indoor wash bay
We are one of the few shops in San Francisco with a proper indoor wash bay, and we wash with pH-balanced, filtered water. Water itself can damage paint: the contaminants in it leave spots, and those spots can etch the finish. It’s the same reason rain can etch paint.
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Decontamination and prep
Every panel is cleaned and prepared before film goes on. Sealing a contaminated surface under film would lock the problem in, so this is where we refuse to cut time.
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Hand-fitted film
Every installation is done in-house by our own team, with precise panel alignment, wrapped edges where possible and discreet seams.
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Final inspection
Each vehicle gets a detailed inspection before it’s returned to you.
Coverage options.
Choose coverage by where your car actually takes damage: the front end takes most rock chips, so partial or full front covers the highest-risk areas, while full body protects every painted panel. We recommend coverage after looking at the vehicle, how you drive it and how long you plan to keep it.
Partial front
Leading edge of the hood and fenders, bumper, mirrors
Full front
Entire hood, full fenders, bumper, mirrors, headlights
Track package
Full front plus rocker panels and other high-impact areas
Full body
Every painted panel
We also build custom coverage when a vehicle needs something different.
Gloss vs stealth.
Gloss PPF keeps your paint looking the way the factory intended; stealth PPF gives a gloss car a satin finish. Both protect the paint the same way. The difference is how the car looks, without changing its color.
01
Gloss
The factory finish, protected
- Keeps the original glossy look
- Self-healing for light scratches
- Partial or full-vehicle coverage
- Ideal for metallic, gloss and custom paint
02
Stealth
A satin finish, same protection
- Creates a smooth satin finish
- Keeps factory matte paint matte
- Self-healing for light scratches
- Best suited to full-vehicle installs
Why ESM Motors
Woman-owned.
Enthusiast-led.
Built in San Francisco.
Every PPF installation is done in-house by our own team, prepped in an indoor wash bay with pH-balanced filtered water, and inspected before delivery. We give clear recommendations and clear pricing, and we stay involved after the install.
ESM Motors was founded by a lifelong car enthusiast with a clear vision: create a shop where vehicles are treated with care, clients receive honest guidance, and every detail is held to a higher standard.
