Photos by The Cartographer
One of the latest cars to leave FCD's Christchurch studio is a beautiful Ferrari 296 GTB with the Assetto Fiorano pack.
This client is a repeat customer having had some detailing work carried out previously on another of his very special edition Ferrari's, however this time with the car being brand new with delivery mileage, he wanted to protect the cars most vulnerable areas with XPEL's Ultimate Plus Paint Protection Film.
The areas protected on this car in particular is often referred to as a 'Track Pack' kit.
This consists of :
- Front Bumper + (front splitters if factory fitted)
- Bonnet
- Wings
- Mirrors
- Headlamps
- Side-skirts (usually a option for an extended, larger kit)
- Windscreen surround with first section of roof
With some Ferrari paint jobs being in the tens of thousands of pounds, especially in cases like this with a painted livery or stripe, and also having hand painted Scuderia Shields, (around £10,000 on their own!) it really makes sense to protect that finish, as this can be very difficult to match if there was a need for bodyshop work.
With cars like this it is important to try to retain as much originality as possible and avoid respraying panels and local 'smart repairs'.
After a few years with average usage, a high performance car such as this without PPF, is likely to need a front end respray due to stone chips. However with PPF, the bumper film could simply just be replaced at a relatively small expense, whilst also retaining that original paintwork, although due to the protective nature of the film, this isn't always necessary to replace parts.
XPEL's PPF is around double the thickness of paint measured in microns, so the paintwork underneath is greatly protected from stone chips and road rash as well as scratches and it can even protect the car against acts of vandalism such as car keying!
At FCD, we only use XPEL film, be it Ultimate Plus gloss film, or STEALTH for satin/matte vehicles or even a satin conversion such as this cars bigger brother the SF90 that we carried out earlier this year.
One of the many benefits to using an XPEL installer is the film is backed by the manufacturers 10 year warranty against yellowing, cracking, discolouration and blistering. Where older films often would turn slightly yellow after a few years, XPEL is guaranteed against these common misconceptions that PPF isn't very durable.
Another key thing to ensure when using any PPF installer is that they are using a pre templated kit. As a XPEL Authorised Installer, we have access to their Design Access Program, enabling us to view, modify and print panels from a huge range of cars from brand new models, all the way back to 1960s and 70s classics. Not all PPF installs are equal, and some installers may offer a cheaper price, but not all areas will be fully covered and will often be hand cut directly onto your vehicle with a knife/scalpel!
Now this stunning hybrid prancing horse is protected for the road ahead, and the customer can enjoy the car worry free from damages!