THE REFINERY

Good questions!

Ceramic coating can be removed with machine polishing (ie paint correction) at any time, which is also an ideal way to restart the 4-5yr cycle again once an existing coating has depleted. But if the paint is still in good shape and the coating is obviously depleted, you can reapply coating again with the proper surface prep.

If body/paint work is being done, they're sanding the surface first anyway which will definitely remove any coating present.

​​​​​​While ceramic coatings are technically harder than clear coat, they are MUCH thinner. Abrasive polishing can quite easily remove ceramic coatings. I always suggest to think of ceramic coatings as an "ultra long lasting wax" rather than a secondary clear coat or anything that robust.

I hope that helps!

junior23

What's a safe, quick way to remove dust off the car that's been sitting for a few days? I usually only drive once or twice a week in nice weather so the car is clean but it collects a lot of dust from inside the garage. Thanks!

500

Lots of great and interesting information here. Very generous of you to take the time to share, thank you!

My questions are:

1) I am thinking to have a significant portion of car covered in PPF. Do you normally apply PPF in the form of a pre-cut kit specific to the car, or do you prefer to wrap and tuck sheets to minimize visible edges?

2) If you answer is the latter, I assume you would have situations where you would need to cut the film on the car. How do you ensure not to cut or scratch the clear coat? That is actually my biggest uncertainty in getting PPF...

THE REFINERY

Great question that affects a lot of us. Dusting a car is not ideal, since you can easily drag tiny scratches in the finish if you pick up some sand or something in your cloth. But if you're very careful, you can dust the car with a very soft microfiber - but never use any pressure. Drag the plush MF cloth just hard enough pick up the dust.

Adding liquid like a Quick Detailer or Waterless Wash will help lift the dust away, but it can also increase the "tackiness" of the towel on the surface - meaning it might start clinging and dragging too hard. If you do use a spritz of spray, roll the leading edge of the towel OFF of the surface as you wipe. Imagine you're wiping the panel with a foam ball, and you're trying to get the whole ball surface to touch the surface only briefly as you push it. This effectively keeps a clean edge of the cloth in contact with the panel, and you're not dragging captured dirt/dust/sand across the panel.

Hope that makes sense!

THE REFINERY

Thanks for reading!

1. With our Seamless PPF installations, we do most of the panels from bulk material. That allows us to have maximum control over the placement and tension on the film, and allows us to hide the seams into jambs and wheel wells etc. It's very difficult to tell that our hoods or fenders even have PPF on them. For bumpers, we typically modify the CAD pattern to create a pre-cut piece that allows for tucked edges where possible, but it provides extremely clean pre-cut lines around vents, splitters etc. It also allows us to avoid cutting on the panels in tough to reach areas.
2. When we do hoods and fenders, we're not cutting on the surface. We're trimming the loose ends and wrapping those to the underside or jambs. So no need for a knife on the panel. We try to reduce the amount of cutting required on the car since it's a very delicate exercise. In short, you don't want to CUT the material. You simply score the surface of the PPF then TEAR the material along that new fault line. It's much like what you do with drywall. Unfortunately many installers aren't aware or haven't practiced this technique.

I hope that helps!

500

Thank you very much for the detailed, informative answers... I had not thought of that type of hybrid approach you describe where you modify a template to allow you to fold and tuck, but also have clean edges around ducts etc. That sounds like the best of both worlds.

I am having the front bumper cover on the car in question refinished this week at a reputable shop, and will be reaching out to you in the spring/early summer after the paint is fully cured...

Thank you!

joe'sdad

Hello! I'm a new owner of a GT3 with PPF on the front, but also on the first few inches of the roof and the hips. What do you recommend to clean PPF edges? The white line is bugging me. I've tried a good mirofiber and dome detail spray. But not sure if the job calls for clay or the proper detail brush.

Appreciate your thoughts.

THE REFINERY

Try a soft/med-stiffness bristled detailing brush (I like the Swissvax brushes) and some all purpose cleaner like P21S. Ideally soak it for a bit first, then agitate it parallel to the PPF seam. It should eventually come off.

Next - don't use any paste-style wax. It leaves a lot of chalky residue that catches along PPF seams easily. A liquid sealant (or ceramic coating) doesn't leave a chalky residue and wipes away cleanly. Give it a shot next time.

Good luck!

joe'sdad

Ok - thanks! I've got some of the starting supplies... will try it.

go-ran

Lets bring this thread BACK TO SURFACE!! im sure lots of us here are itching to do some cleaning / detailing while in lockdown.

my steering wheel in my M3 is very dirty and drivers seat also. Ive been working too much and havnt had the time to do a deep clean.

My friend used the AMMO leather interior cleaner and swears by it. really did a good job for him.

would the Gyeon set you sell yield similar if not better results? I have the chemical guys stuff at home but i wasnt so thrilled with the results it yielded compared to the effort i had to put in. With this lockdown in effect id like to finally clean up the leather and treat it. I dont really want to order from the US id much rather buy locally and pickup since im pretty local to your operation.



What do you recommend im all ears.

THE REFINERY

Great question!

For regular ongoing leather cleaning and conditioning, our fav is Leather Masters Strong Cleaner and Vital conditioner.

When there is stubborn grime (clothing dye, sunscreen, greasy hands) we use Gyeon Strong cleaner with the Gyeon Leather brush. Wet the brush (important!), give it a few spritzes of Strong Cleaner, and agitate to a froth. Wipe with a damp MF towel, then a dry one. Once totally dry, you can apply the Gyeon Leather Strong or Leather Master Vital conditioner.

The Gyeon leather cleaner is really robust, and agitation with the brush is the key to getting out ground-in oils.

thanks for the question!

go-ran

[QUOTE=THE REFINERY;17174151]Great question!

For regular ongoing leather cleaning and conditioning, our fav is Leather Masters Strong Cleaner and Vital conditioner.

When there is stubborn grime (clothing dye, sunscreen, greasy hands) we use Gyeon Strong cleaner with the Gyeon Leather brush. Wet the brush (important!), give it a few spritzes of Strong Cleaner, and agitate to a froth. Wipe with a damp MF towel, then a dry one. Once totally dry, you can apply the Gyeon Leather Strong or Leather Master Vital conditioner.

The Gyeon leather cleaner is really robust, and agitation with the brush is the key to getting out ground-in oils.

thanks for the question


perfect, sending you a PM for product.

commie

What is the situation like at your shop for doing PFF and ceramic coating? Still open to the public with the COVID?

It’ll be a while before my ordered C2S arrives, but planning on getting the front PFF and then ceramic coating. Looking around for options to get this done, trying to see if any good option then having the dealership do them when I take delivery.
Shoot me a PM if you care to provide a quote?

THE REFINERY

Hi! Yes, we're currently able to operate on a limited basis, and we've implemented some new processes to isolate the car and worker while different parts of the work is being done. But we're currently closed to the public. It's by appointment only, drop-off only, and curbside pick-up only (for product sales).

It doesn't look like you have PM ability, so can you email us at appointments@therefinery.ltd to discuss a plan for your incoming C2S?

thanks!

rjag2034

Hi, I just had my Gentian Boxster GTS 1/2 PPF with Xpel Ultimate Plus Self Healing & then ceramic coated with Gtechniq Crystal Serum and top coated with Gtechniq EXO ultra durable Hydrophobic coating.

I have low ph car wash etc but am curious about what type of detail maintenance spray you would recommend.

The car is in Victoria BC so a mild climate.