Paint correction prior to PPF?

IMO, which is just that. One man's opinion. Unless you are spending time going over every inch, in really good lighting, looking for minute imperfections you aren't going to see paint flaws that take away from the car (in total). I suppose there is always the extreme case exception. Most of the PPF guys around here do not recommend paint correction. But of course, they are willing to take your money if you insist.That said, there are many OCD owners on this forum who are going to violently disagree with me. I believe they just like spending money but everyone is free to an opinion.

 

hold on - if you are talking about a freshly delivered ferrari the paint will be in 6/10th condition at best. it will most definitely have swirls. are you guys saying you should PPF over imperfect/swirly paint?

i wld want the pain perfect before ppf.

 

Generally you would not clay a car unless you plan to do a correction afterward, because claying causes marring of the paint. When they told you they plan to clay the car but don't recommend paint correction I cringed. If it were me I'd find someone else to do the PPF because I'd have no confidence in them.

Here's another bit of nonsense from them: "If you are dead set that you want your car buffed and polished beforehand you can have Ferrari do it before it comes over. But all it is going to do is get compound, polish and fibers all in every crevice on the car and we will be fighting it the whole time we do the install as it gets into the film."

They are flat wrong on this. First, nearly all compounds and polishes used in paint correction these days are water soluble, and so wash off easily in the washing step. Second, there are no fibers left behind. Fibers from what? And even if there are any, they wash off just as easily. Fighting it the whole time? I have no idea what they're talking about, and neither do they.

I've been detailing and paint correcting cars for 22 years. I've never heard such nonsense.

As for being able to see paint defects through PPF, I have no idea because I don't use PPF and never will.

 

1. You spent $350k on a car, spend the extra $750-1000 for a proper correction.
2. Claying with no polish is the dumbest thing I’ve read all week
3. Find a new shop, those guys sound like a bunch of clowns.

 

Of course you will get myriad opinions on this topic, from one extreme to another.
On my latest ride an F8 with the TriCoat paint, my paranoia took over and I went all in. Had paint correction then PPF installed.
Every car is unique and one size does not fit all. Wait till your car arrives and do a thorough examination of the paint. Ferrari has been known to have good & bad paint on delivery.

Only you will know what makes you happy. The film on the other hand is highly recommended as far as I'm concerned. Years ago I hated the stuff because there were always tell tale edges. Now the latest technology and professional installation renders it ALMOST hard to detect. If you look hard enough, you can usually spot where a seam is necessary, but overall, the majority will never notice.

Regardless, if you drive at all, PPF at least on the front fascia + hood + rockers is worth it IMO. The rest is a personal call. My fancy paint dictated my decision, but your results may vary.
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Thanks, I just count help myself.
It makes no sense at all, but to me it is worth every cent. Go figure.

 

I personally would leave the paint the way the car was delivered. Good or bad its factory. I would PPF the whole car straight from dealer.

 

this is mind boggling to me fwiw.

 

I'm a big fan of originality. Im sure the 288, F40, F50, Enzo...etc had plenty of paint issues. Would you paint correct them? Most wont I would assume.

 

Absolutely. My f40 has been paint corrected. I wldnt do it annually but once every ten years for sure.

 

Wow...my hat off to you sir.

 

I wld never ceramic an f40 but why wldnt u correct it using the leas abrasive approach as possible?

 

Some of them arrive really rough. Mud, nicks, swirls, clearcoat damage, etc. The dealer will do a certain level of prep with their in-house guys but they're not going to spend 4-5 days on one car.

 

Its all of them- have you ever seen what they look like when they come off the ship in nj? And then the dealers have mediocre detailers at best. Total **** show.

 

I was recently inquiring about this same topic at a very well regarded shop for PPF. They said that there is really no need for paint correction prior to a PPF install. The shop said they do a thorough cleaning and removal of any wax or coatings. The main reason they don't recommend a paint correction is that the new PPF film more or less hides swirls and light imperfections. Paint chips are the one thing it obviously will not hide. They also mentioned after PPF is removed there is typically a need for a paint correction simply to remove some of the left over residue. As someone stated earlier, they said if a client insists they will take their money and do a full paint correction.

 

On a civic i get it. But if you are buying a 300k this continues to boggle my mind. To each their own.

 

Mercifully no, but I’ve been there as several have been unloaded or recently delivered awaiting cleaning/detail. It reminds you they’re just cars after all and they are treated more like a Hyundai Accent than you would expect.

 

You're doing the right thing!

 

You're doing the right thing. As another poster said, Ferrari paint will not come to you in 10/10 condition, and putting a layer of film over imperfect paint will make the car's appearance even duller.

If this was my wife's Tesla or something you daily and don't care about as much I would let them cover it in PPF w/o correction. In a car such as this, where the little things add up to the overall experience, look, and enjoyment of the car - I would 100% correct it and if it were me only apply the film to the must have areas.

The fact that they are going to clay the car and put iron remover etc is going to make the paint look even worse before applying the film. Clay is abrasive and leaves residue that if not perfectly removed can also add another layer to this.. hence the paint correction after clay. If PPF'ing my Ferrari, I would find a company just as OCD as I am to ensure proper prep and install. Hoping you found a different place - look forward to seeing the results!

 

Lots of misinformation. Claying alone or in conjunction with an Iron remover will not dull paint. In fact it will enhance the brightness with the removal of the Iron deposits/surface imbedded debris. I always wash after claying or using a Iron remover. I assume the installer recommended using a soap that removes the existing wax & sealants? I personally used Dawn dish soap which works extremely well as a final wash.

 

With all due respect, NEVER use a dish soap to wash your car. Period.
There are a multitude of videos on YouTube that walk you through the wash process. Every one advises against using dish soap.
Google has many answers on the use of dish soap as well.



"Don't use household cleaning agents like hand soap, dishwashing detergent, or glass cleaner on the paint. These aren't formulated for use on a car's paint and may strip off the protective wax. Do use a dedicated car-wash product, which is milder and specifically designed for use on automotive paint."