Protect Lab
How to protect a Geely EX5's paint for under $4,000 in Sydney's Hills District. It compares ceramic coating, paint protection film (PPF), window tint and the other usual add-ons, recommends a combination for how you use the car, and lists installers around Kellyville and Castle Hill.
Live site: https://brendonlow.github.io/protect-lab/
What it does
- Decide. Nine quick questions: what worries you, where you drive, where it's parked, how long you'll keep it, budget, how you wash it, kids, colour and resale. The answers score every option and build the best combination that fits your budget, with a reason for each item, an "if you can stretch" upgrade and warnings. "Use this pick" loads it into the bar at the bottom.
- Compare. Twelve options (entry, pro and graphene ceramic; partial-front, full-front, full-car and stealth PPF; colour wrap; tint; windscreen film; wheel and interior coatings) rated for stone chips, swirls, UV, bird droppings and cabin heat, with Sydney price bands, expected life garaged or parked outside, and cost per year. Tap rows to build your own combo. A dealer "paint protection" pack sits alongside for reference. Ready-made packages show their total against your budget.
- Installers. Nine shops near Kellyville and Castle Hill, sorted by how many of your picked items they do, then by distance. Each has the film and coating brands, published prices where there are any, phone, website and map links, plus questions to ask when you ring.
- Notes. What ceramic and PPF do and don't do, EX5 specifics (glass roof, sensors, factory paint), and NSW tint limits.
- Top bar. Budget cap, shop tier (budget, established, premium) and garaged or outside. Everything reprices as you change them.
- Your answers and picks are kept in your browser, and the page link carries them too, so you can send someone your exact combo.
Run it locally
Plain HTML, CSS and JavaScript with no build step or dependencies. Open index.html directly, or serve the folder:
python3 -m http.server 8099
then open http://localhost:8099.
Data and caveats
- Everything lives in
data.js: the protection options with their price bands, life and protection ratings (items), the ready-made combos (packages) and the shops (installers).
- Prices are October 2026 Sydney bands for an EX5-sized SUV, taken from installer websites and industry price guides. They are not quotes. Get two or three written quotes and ask what film or coating brand, what coverage and what warranty you're getting.
- Installer details come from each shop's own website in October 2026. Ring before visiting; this app isn't affiliated with any of them.
- The recommendation is a simple scoring model, not professional advice.
