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Yes for sure I have mentioned this. The feedback is that this behaviour is normal and appears also in other cars.
Personally I believe as soon as I dry the car with microfiber clothes it is created static electricity.
Will follow up and see any possibility to solve this issue. If not I will not proceed with PPF in my new 911.
I'm pretty certain I've been experiencing just the opposite with my full PPF (Suntek Ultra). There is very little dust accumulating on the car compared to our Lexus with no PPF. I just took a 250 mile drive last weekend and was once again surprised by how clean the car stayed beyond the direct bug splats. On my prior 991 with partial PPF I never noticed any additional dust on the PPF as compared to the rest of the car.
On the subject of microfiber towels, my dryer has an anti-static setting that really seems to make a difference. It uses small amounts of steam during drying to interfere with static build-up in the fabrics. Coupled with anti-static sheets it really seems to make a big difference. If your dryer has such a setting I'd recommend using it.
I don't understand the idea of coating PPF since the PPF itself is self-healing and hydrophobic. It would seem to me that coatings would possibly interfere with the molecular action the film uses for self-healing. I chose to spend the extra money a coating would have cost to help pay for full PPF instead.
Edit: I found a statement on the Xpel site about coatings, so it appears my struck-out statement above was incorrect (although I personally still have no desire to coat PPF since the coating itself wouldn't self-heal and might reveal scratches you wouldn't see if there was only PPF):
"Yes, Coatings can be applied to the films. Adding a coating does not stop the film from self-healing. Coatings can add a protective layer over the film, which depending on the coating can provide different properties (Please contact your installer or coating company for more information). That additional coating layer, depending on the coating applied, may or may not self-heal. Once the coating wears down and deteriorates, the self-healing qualities of XPEL ULTIMATE and STEALTH will still remain."
Also, here is Xpel's recommendation on what to use on film:
"What is the best polish to put on your car after you have had it wrapped with XPEL ULTIMATE? We recommend using our XPEL Flawless Finish Paint Protection Film Sealant. This product has been specially formulated for use with polyurethane paint protection films to provide the maximum protection and gloss, while containing no ingredients that would cause discoloration over time."
I would have loved to install PPF in my car, but in my country there's nobody I trust to do a correct installation. Tried with the local XPEL and CFC Germany dealers and the only product they had was the precut. I was looking for a wrap around kind of install since I didn't want the edges of the PPF to show and start accumulating dust.
I was planning to apply a ceramic coating on top of the PPF but I ended up doing it without it. I used Gtechniq Crystal Serum Ultra and Gtechniq EXO Coating on top of that. Great results.
I know..... but in here they didn’t have that alternative. It was just pre cut that is visble and after a while you can start seing the dirt in the edges.
I'm pretty certain I've been experiencing just the opposite with my full PPF (Suntek Ultra). There is very little dust accumulating on the car compared to our Lexus with no PPF. I just took a 250 mile drive last weekend and was once again surprised by how clean the car stayed beyond the direct bug splats. On my prior 991 with partial PPF I never noticed any additional dust on the PPF as compared to the rest of the car.
On the subject of microfiber towels, my dryer has an anti-static setting that really seems to make a difference. It uses small amounts of steam during drying to interfere with static build-up in the fabrics. Coupled with anti-static sheets it really seems to make a big difference. If your dryer has such a setting I'd recommend using it.
I don't understand the idea of coating PPF since the PPF itself is self-healing and hydrophobic. It would seem to me that coatings would possibly interfere with the molecular action the film uses for self-healing. I chose to spend the extra money a coating would have cost to help pay for full PPF instead.
Edit: I found a statement on the Xpel site about coatings, so it appears my struck-out statement above was incorrect (although I personally still have no desire to coat PPF since the coating itself wouldn't self-heal and might reveal scratches you wouldn't see if there was only PPF):
"Yes, Coatings can be applied to the films. Adding a coating does not stop the film from self-healing. Coatings can add a protective layer over the film, which depending on the coating can provide different properties (Please contact your installer or coating company for more information). That additional coating layer, depending on the coating applied, may or may not self-heal. Once the coating wears down and deteriorates, the self-healing qualities of XPEL ULTIMATE and STEALTH will still remain."
Also, here is Xpel's recommendation on what to use on film:
"What is the best polish to put on your car after you have had it wrapped with XPEL ULTIMATE? We recommend using our XPEL Flawless Finish Paint Protection Film Sealant. This product has been specially formulated for use with polyurethane paint protection films to provide the maximum protection and gloss, while containing no ingredients that would cause discoloration over time."
Suntek ULTRA has hydrophobic effect. Suntek normal film does not.
PPF has some advantages and disadvantages.
I believe that is you go for a high class ceramic coating the car will shine more than PPF but the car is not protected.
If you go for PPF you loose the excellent Metallic color and color slightly fade. Also no matter how professional the installer is the PPF cannot be 100% edge wrapped therefore there are areas that PPF leave small distance from glass or other elements. These are the points that water and dust concentrate.
Another serious concern I have for PPF installation is that car needs to be disassembled and assembled leading to possible small damages.
Guys, i went with Suntek & ceramic coating on it and i couldn't be happier after less than a week of ownership on a new 2018 001.2 GTS.
I was also unsure but if you find the right installer, it is worth every penny. The looks, the safety and the ease of cleaning.
I have 500 miles on my new car, and it already saved the front from a few dings from flying stones. Nothing that shows, but when i heard it, i was so happy i installed it.
OP here SO afterall I did decide to wrap the front 1/2 of the car only - Now after only 2 days I can honestly say i wish I wrapped the entire car.
I washed car today - it was very easy to clean / dry with the wrap. I was worried about it but man it looks great. It's not perfect but pretty close.
How do they do around the rear decals? Do they cut around the decal (porsche 911 logo) or wrap over it?? What about the parking sensors, door handles, ....
...How do they do around the rear decals? Do they cut around the decal (porsche 911 logo) or wrap over it?? What about the parking sensors, door handles, ....
I just remembered your question. The installer for my PPF removed the rear emblem letters and reinstalled them back on top of the PPF in the exact same position, spacing, and orientation. He does it by laying down a some nice sticky tape over the letters in strips to build up a sheet that keeps all of the letters locked in the same position they were after he cut away the letters using floss. He carefully marked offsets from key points on the rear before lifting the letters off. Then he painstakingly removed the old tape from the car and letters and put appropriate double-sided tape back on the lettering. Once the film is set, he puts the whole assembled sheet back into position and it looks just like the original lettering and with no cutouts around the PPF.
On the parking sensors he cuts small holes exactly to the outer opening around the sensor. On the door, he cut the PPF so that the film dropped down into the cup covering most of the cup, but leaving a small gap at the bottom of the cup since now the flap is too short. You have to look to see it.
On the complex rear bumper of a 991.2, he did had to leave a small slit under the license plate or else it wouldn't lay down right. He says the rear bumper on a 991.2 is harder than the front.
Here are photos showing the film in each of these cases.
Parking Sensor cutout.
Look below the handle to see the seam in the PPF from the side. You can't normally see this.
Looking down from above, you can see how he cut a flap in the PPF and dropped it down from the top with no seam at the top. Due to the indent, there isn't enough film to stretch to the bottom though so a short gap is left. You will never see it without looking though and the PPF still protect the paint in the cup from most fingernail hits.
And here is all of the lettering after it was placed back on the PPF.
OP here SO afterall I did decide to wrap the front 1/2 of the car only - Now after only 2 days I can honestly say i wish I wrapped the entire car.
I washed car today - it was very easy to clean / dry with the wrap. I was worried about it but man it looks great. It's not perfect but pretty close.
How do they do around the rear decals? Do they cut around the decal (porsche 911 logo) or wrap over it?? What about the parking sensors, door handles, ....
Great question.
Rear bumper is done a couple of ways...using pattern, all the lettering can be cut out and film will have an opening of where letters are. The pros of this method is that you don't need to remove/replace the letters. Con - you'll see the outline of the film.
Another way is to remove the letters all together, install a seamless film, and re-apply letters...this would add about $300 just in cost of new letters, depending on what model you have. Getting the letters back on without a jig adds time and effort too, not to mention accuracy of getting letter back exactly where they need to go. Once again, find the right shop, and these issues are not a huge concern.
Check out this thread on a project we did a little while ago:
As for parking sensors, we usually wrap over them. Once again, it's an installer-choice detail. I like to cover them because it keeps the painted area protected as well.
As for door handles, once again, depending on how detail oriented you want to get, they can be removed if you're ocd and a seamless installation can be done.
__________________ Specializing in Porsche/Ferrari since 1995
I would have to say that while PPF may not show the ROI so easily, for anyone that would care if their car got damaged, or if they want to be able to shine and clean their rids, GET ITTTTT.
I got a full body PPF on mine, a lot of $ but worth every penny i spent on it.
Will do it again for sure.
Speaking from someone who never has had cars with PPF prior to picking up my 911, it always seemed a bit nonsensical to me. Essentially you are wrapping your car in zip-lock bag with some self healing properties. Not to mention you will eventually have to remove it... and then likely wrap it again.
However, after viewing some examples locally that were slightly used to see if it actually makes a difference, it most certainly does. I literally viewed two 2017 non-metallic 911s side by side and it was noticeable to say the least. The one with PPF looked brand new - and yet had nearly double the mileage. I think I’m fairly certain I made an audible groan after the viewing as I couldn’t (or just didn’t want to) stomach the additional cost.
Look into it. It’s definitely not for everyone. If I were leasing, I wouldn’t bother.
As I await for my Carrera T to arrive in the next few weeks, I've been pondering if I should PPF my new Porsche or not.
I have never done a clear bra on any of my previous cars before, and so far, they looked like new when I sold them. As a matter of fact, I had my last vehicle, a Macan GTS for 18 months. When I sold it, when talking with the buyer before seeing the vehicle "live" and talking about the price, I offer to discount the price by $500 for each car on the showroom floor of the dealership whose paint looked better than my 18 month Macan. To his disbelief, when we went to the dealer to do the purchase, he was impressed that mine actually looked better, and I didn't have to discount anything at all.
NOW, having said that, I recently bought my son a Subaru BRZ that my nephew had bought new 2 years ago, didn't have PPF, and had been to quite a few track days, and looked like he had raced the car on a gravel track...
Here is what the paint looked like:
After 6 hours of washing, clay bar, polishing with compound and DA, and then another fine polishing, I tried DR Colorchip just to see if it was any good. Nearly 3 hours later and almost a full bottle of the stuff, this is what the car looks like now:
Perhaps not 100% perfect, but definitely 1000% better than before! Needless to say that my son's jaw dropped when he saw the car after I was done with it.
Soooo, if you can go from these before to after pictures on a car that has been severely exposed to gravel and mega chips all over the place in just one weekend of TLC, I feel confident that under normal circumstances my "T" will never look like the before pictures. Ever. And if it has a couple of chips here and there, there is a way of fixing it that will cost way less than PPF. And of course, I think GT Silver will be more forgiving than this blue was.
Food for thought.
Cheers!
P.S,. These are completely un-retouched pictures, and I am in now way affiliated to Dr. Colorchip at all, just wanted to share my own experience.
Man, I'd hire you any day if I ever needed this kind of work done. Wish you made a video we can all see. BTW: Lucky son.
03-28-2018, 10:20 AM
