Photos by Blades Media
This blog documents the full process of XPEL PPF, down to follow up checkovers.
We were proud to work on this stunning GTC4LussoT, finished in LeMans Blu, with a Blu Scuro interior, with Rosso stitching which perfectly complements the exterior.
This is a extremely high optioned car with a whole host of carbon fibre, painted interior trims in LeMans Blu , this truly is a very special car. To protect such a bespoke car, the only way to go was to protect the whole car with XPEL‘s Ultimate Plus Paint Protection Film, which means every panel, even down to the front portion of the panoramic glass sunroof is protected with film.
For this particular customer, it was essential to have full body PPF, as the car is driven properly and will do a decent amount of mileage, and with such a rare and expensive paint option, having the front end respray would not be a option, therefore the PPF is protecting the lovely LeMans Blu from stonechips.
The customer also enjoys cleaning his own car most weekends. Despite being particularly fussy in using the two bucket method with pH neutral products, the customer can rest assured that his brand new Ferrari will not succumb to any swirl marks or scratches. Having specified a whole host of carbon fibre options on the car as well, it is important these are protected properly, as carbon fibre is not very repairable.
Starting with its first wash, we complete our thorough 21 stage wash, before thoroughly decontaminating the whole car using tar and glue remover and fallout remover, then onto mechanical decontamination, using a clay bar. This car has covered a few hundred miles already despite being only a week or so old, so it is even more important this is correctly decontaminated.
Next, we move onto polishing the whole vehicle, to ensure what is being sealed in by PPF is perfection, and also a extremely clean surface for the film to adhere too. After polishing, we then thoroughly re-wash the Lusso, ensuring all possible polishing dust is removed from panel gaps, as this will cause issues when it is PPF'd. The Ferrari is then air dried, and is now ready for film.
To make it even easier to maintain, we coated the whole car in Gtechniq's specialist wrap or PPF coating, HALO, which makes the car hydrophobic, and therefore bead for around 3-6 months on film. Therefore water will simply run off the bodywork, making it extremely easy to dry.
UPDATE 1 - 1/4/19
After 2 weeks, the Lusso comes in for a quick checkup, for any lifting or potential water bubbles. On this particular car, all is good, however it does occasionally happen, and this is perfectly normal, especially if the car is heavily used for the first 2 weeks.
UPDATE - 5/12/19
After around 8 months of use, this Lusso came back into us for a maintenance wash and another overall PPF checkover. We are pleased to report that overall this Lusso is looking superb, with no major issues with PPF lifting or getting dirt behind it. We made a few small adjustments on request for the customer, such as extending XPEL's template slightly for the front of the roof.
