I had my black C4 fully PPF'ed with paint correction done prior. I guess I would say my expectations going in would be that the end product would be amazing...which it is..however, there are many spots on the car where dust has obviously got underneath during installation and are noticeable. If you look closely at those areas (ie less than 3ft away), it appears you need to brush them off, but then of course you realize it is under the PPF.

I must mention I have never done PPF before. I read a few comments, including from some installers, that if from 3 feet and away you do not notice anything such as dust or edge wraps, then that is all one can expect. I also realize working on a black car must be joyous when applying PPF. So I am wondering what are normal expectations in a case like this? For those with black cars and PPF applied, are there any areas where you can see small dust spots underneath the PPF?

 

I have a metallic black 4S and had PPF installed on the front end, including the entire hood, a couple of years ago and it still looks fantastic. There are a few dings where small rocks or road debris have nicked the film but the paint is undamaged. I think the key to not seeing any dust or other blemishes on the paint is having a complete paint correction job done just prior to applying the PPF.

 

Thanks. Full paint correction was done on mine prior to install.

 

Sounds like the installer. I had the entire front end wrapped after it was painted due to road rash.

 

1 or 2 areas on a black car I think is okay but if it’s more than that with dust underneath I would say it needs to be redone.

i had a shop do a black cayman. They did a horrible job. My black 911 I took elsewhere and it is pretty good with just 2 small areas of debris

 

Sounds like a pretty average result to me. My basalt black car and my night blue metallic car were both wrapped at the dealer and you can find little things under the paint. I bet you could find someone with better quality control but I'm not sure it would be worth the price for me. The good news is your car will be free of rock chips and blemishes because of the wrap

 

Post up some pictures. A blemish or two is ok. Most other (lighter in color) cars you would not be seeing these, typically. However, with black you do need to take more care of the work as it will easily show. Personally, if its more then a couple, I would go and ask if they can fix/redo the work. If they are certified then look at what level of work is backed by the film supplier.

 

I had paint correction, 3/4 PPF and ceramic coating done on my car. There are three spots that look like tiny bubbles. You can't see them from 4 feet away. Otherwise the PPF came out perfect. I would never own a black car without PPF.

 

The end result is 95% dependent on the installer(s) who is doing the work. As noted in the response below, certain installers take greater care than others, and you should be able to decipher this by going to prospective shops, seeing their work environments, and seeing their work firsthand.

 

The reality is, there’s no such thing as a perfect installation. Most installers and owners would like to believe it’s “perfect” but you’ll always find something somewhere given the correct lighting and discerning eye.

installing ppf is management of debris, correct manipulation of the ppf material, and setting realistic expectations for yourself as installer and conveying that to the owner. You’re putting a giant sticker on a complex surface and time is of the essence.

the standard of excellence will vary from shop to shop, and most importantly, installer to installer. Remember this one caveat...an experienced and crafted installer knows EVERY imperfection He/she has left behind. If they’ve left it behind it’s been either strategic, or lack of attention/intentional.

I’ll give you an example...at our shop, our standard of excellence is among the highest, if not the highest, in the industry. I’m psychotic that way and enjoy the pain...it’s a disease, I need help, but I digress 😆😆

Let’s say on a black 911 I have 2-3 particles on a bumper. If these particles are not able to be cleaned out, and are say near an area that’s not noticeable unless one crouches down and tilts his/her head, but rest of the installation is clean and void of imperfections, we’ll
leave the particles there. Logic behind that; we want the best product for the client but know if we redo an entire bumper and spend 3-4 more hours, what if we get another debris in a more obvious area?

same situation as above, but say the particles are on the top/middle bumper area, and white particles on a black car. Well, if we cannot remedy the problem with favorable results, we redo the entire installation on bumper.

we can afford to do so in such circumstances because we charge accordingly and it’s our business model. I cannot say the same for other shops if they’re competing on price, and you can understand why.

so, long answer, were you over-promised and under-delivered? Or, do you have something that’s the best your installer can perform?

if you share photos of what you’re concerned about, I can better help navigate your concerns

 

+1...well-said

 

How recent is that? Don't you have a Powerkit?

That paint looks perfect and wet even. What products are you using? Do you drive your car or garage queen? Love the spoiler?

 

Thanks.
Yeah, just haven’t gotten around to installing the center radiator. Haven’t needed it yet.
Paint shop did a remarkable job. Painted in July, sat for 45 days while I was out of the country, PPF in September.
i use Swiss Vax. It’s not cheap, but it gives the best shine and a jar lasts a couple of years.
i drive it! Has 44K on it in 6 years.
The spoilers are TechArt, front and rear.

 

You can always tell a car is condom'd. Resist resist.

 

Not really, in fact the statement I hear all the time is “Amazing work, I can’t even tell it’s wrapped” Use a great installer and have ALL the edges wrapped.