My Experience with a California T

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Unfortunately, new cars can, and often do, have paint (i.e., clear coat) imperfections. Much depends on what was done to the car after it was painted and the conditions the car was subjected to in transit. It's not unusual to see sanding marks, paint swirls, holograms, orange peal, etc. in a newly delivered car. Ferrari is not immune, although the extent can vary. My detailer referred to the imperfections in my 488 as "Italian kisses". Sometimes the imperfections are subtle and not really visible without shining the right type of light on the surface. Others can be quite noticeable without a light assist. "Paint correction" is typically achieved by using a dual-action, random orbit polisher (e.g. Rupes) and a polish. The extent of perfections may require a 2-step process of a correction polish and then a fine finish polish. Sometimes a single-step fine polish is enough. The end result should be a car that has more clarity and gloss (and no visible imperfections). It's true that paint protection film (PPF) can sometimes be applied over imperfect paint and it will mask the imperfections (although at the expense of the best possible clarity and gloss). A simple paint correction should not cost $10,000. It's probably closer to $500 - $2,000 (unless you do it yourself). If you combine paint perfection with a full PPF wrap and then a ceramic coating on top of the PFF, the total cost should still be less than $10,000 (closer to $8,000). Anyway, that's what I paid to have my 488 paint corrected with a Suntek Ultra PPF full wrap and CQuartz Finest ceramic coating (including wheels and calipers). Here is 50/50 picture of the original paint on my 488 next to the corrected paint. Of course, the lighting accentuates the imperfections, but they were there!

 

No, had the car transported from Houston. My wife wasn’t up for the drive there and back. Oh well. Transporting is not that expensive if you plan it well in advance. I transported (enclosed) from Ferrari of Houston to Maserati of Sacramento, and back. Both ends were very helpful and supportive. The transporter was referred by Ferrari of Houston and did a great job.