Fix a paint chip before PFF or leave as is?
#1
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Hypothetical Q - If you've got a tiny rock chip on the front of the car, would you touch it up before applying PFF, or leave it as is & just apply PFF over it? Chip looks like a tiny smudge of dirt, but we're being told that touching it up & then applying PFF will actually magnify the chip & PFF without fix will be less noticeable, since it'll just blur it. Car is Carrera White, FWIW. Are we getting a line of BS or no? Thanks.
#2
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I would just leave it. If it is that small, I would rather not deal with touch up paint that will never be perfect.
#3
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im no expert but i dont see how it would magnify or smear the touchup paint if you fix properly and give it enough time to cure/dry... if anything deep enough chips will show dimple or bubble in the ppf
#4
Burning Brakes
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I agree , I think touching it up will look better & more uniform under the film.
#5
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I would touch up the chip. Today our vehicles have a clear coat over the base. Some locations will sell you a two stage touch up kit providing your paint is metallic. Non-metallic paint is sold as a signal stage touch up (one bottle vs two). I would slightly touch up the base coat to cover exposed primer or metal. Let is dry and follow up with the clear coat for metallic paint. Try to level your touch up paint to match the thickness of the section you are touching up, (not enough touch up paint on the chip will come across as a void or air gap due to the trapped air, too much paint will create a high spot and deliver the same effects. Lastly, touching up metallic paints will not deliver the same results vs when sprayed since the metallic particles are not equally suspended. Tiny touch up sections s/b fine.
#6
Burning Brakes
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While I was at my PPF installer they were touching up a rocker panel before putting PPF over it. I guess it can go either way. I would touch it up.
#7
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Pic? That will be easier to make a decision.
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#9
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Thanks, all. Spouse says that chip is on plastic bumper, right above the tow hook area. So, perhaps they're concerned that paint won't look as good on plastic vs. metal.
#10
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Touch it up. It’ll always stay there if you have it PPFd. It’ll look just fine when you touch it up and then get the PPF. I had a white 991.1 where I did that and i am glad I did.
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NJ991 (06-10-2020)
#13
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Some film guys will say leave it alone to cover their butts. During an install the film is lifted and repositioned many times and the adhesive of the film can easily grab the touch up paint and pull it out of the chip. Now you have no touch up in the chip and the paint that was there is now contamination in the film. This leaves you with two eye sores instead of one. I would leave it alone and count it as a lesson learned...film the car before you drive it cause it is definitely going to get chipped up quickly.
#14
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Leave as is and don't condom the car. Pardon my anti film militance.
PPF only belongs on custom paint jobs for owners who are brave enough to also track. Until you get to truly valuable cars, where we go back to PPF being devil plastic. Just don't do it.
PPF only belongs on custom paint jobs for owners who are brave enough to also track. Until you get to truly valuable cars, where we go back to PPF being devil plastic. Just don't do it.
#15
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Hypothetical Q - If you've got a tiny rock chip on the front of the car, would you touch it up before applying PFF, or leave it as is & just apply PFF over it? Chip looks like a tiny smudge of dirt, but we're being told that touching it up & then applying PFF will actually magnify the chip & PFF without fix will be less noticeable, since it'll just blur it. Car is Carrera White, FWIW. Are we getting a line of BS or no? Thanks.
white should be one of the easier ones to touch up and level. It’ll never be perfect and a good shop will charge your for it, but better than leaving it and not doing anything assuming chip is deep and no longer looks white
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