PPF On A Ferrari @ PPF On My Car
At PPF On My Car, we believe that PPF Installation can benefit almost any car. We protect everything from daily drivers to high-end luxury vehicles… Sometimes, though, we get a vehicle through the doors of our detailing studio (in Hampshire, close to Hook and Basingstoke) that we just have to write about. This month we installed PPF on a Ferrari… And quite a special one at that… Read on for all the details!
PPF on a Ferrari @ PPF On My Car
Of course, as specialist vehicle detailers, this is not the first time we’ve installed PPF on a Ferrari. But it is the first time we’ve installed PPF on a Ferrari, quite like this one. A 2021 Ferrari 812 GTS, in Le Mans Blue paint, with a Beige Tradizione interior, complete with matching blue highlights.
It’s essentially an 812 Superfast, with the benefit of roof panels that fold neatly away in just 14 seconds! This model has been released exactly 50 years after the first V12, front-engine Ferrari Spyder, the infamous Daytona.
Potentially, it’s the last Ferrari to be released with a naturally aspirated, screaming V12 engine. The move to smaller engines combined with hybrid technology is interesting in itself… But there is nothing, simply nothing, like the sound of this 6.5-litre V12 engine approaching its 9000rpm rev limit. It produces the same 789bhp as the coupe and is capable of 211mph. Every part of it is excessive, unnecessary, and utterly wonderful!
PPF on Super Cars:
Owners of supercars usually want the best of both worlds. They want to enjoy exploring their vehicle’s performance (the best money can buy). But, they also want to keep it looking as perfect as possible. Supercars tend to look dramatic, spectacular, and complicated. They are more likely to use exotic composite materials and multi-layered, difficult to repair paint finishes.
PPF is the only real solution that will genuinely protect these cars from flying debris and scratches.
The Ferrari 812 GTS
This particular Ferrari is owned by long-standing clients who we have welcomed on more than one occasion to our detailing studio (in Hampshire, close to Hook and Basingstoke). And, rather wonderfully, they’ve not been afraid to put miles on their cars in the past. In the past, they have experienced the paint degradation that can come with that choice. This Ferrari is a car to be driven, and our clients intend to do so. So, that’s why they brought it to us to ensure their vehicle was protected from the outset.
The Preparation Process
- Installing PPF on a Ferrari begins in the same way as it does on any other vehicle, with a safe wash.
- After this, we removed some minor contamination from the paint and then gave it a light machine polish to address some defects imparted in the delicate paint finish before delivery.
- There were patches of sanding marks around the car, from where minor imperfections have been removed as part of the post-painting process. These hadn’t been properly polished and refined, so we did that. There were, however, huge accumulations of dried polish residue, again from the post-paint process during manufacture. As well as looking very unsightly in panel gaps, it would be a major problem for us during film installation if this debris suddenly came free and contaminated the PPF.
Installation Challenges
This particular Ferrari is a stunning blue. But the colour is difficult to work with. Even minor distortions or disturbance in the PPF glue would stand out, not to mention any specs of dust!
This challenge is alleviated somewhat by working in the very controlled environment of our Hampshire detailing studio. That said, both Matt and I were very aware that we would need to work diligently to ensure a clean install.
Xpel PPF Patterns:
As always, the Xpel patterns were brilliantly designed, but that doesn’t stop some parts from being very challenging to install. The roof cover directly behind the cabin, with its distinctive twin buttress design, was the hardest part. Within the film’s limitations, and without disassembling the car, our clients were keen to hide film edges wherever possible. When we can, we wrap the film around the edge of the panel and secure it on the back. This makes for a more secure install (less chance of someone forcing water under an edge with a pressure washer, for example, making the film even less visible.
Xpel generally indicates when edges should or can be extended, but it indicated they shouldn’t on this roof cover piece. However, we modified the pattern, extending the edges for 95% of the panel. This made installation immediately difficult by removing reference points for locating the film correctly. Later, trying to get the edges wrapped without losing a finger or two to the folding roof mechanism! The panel has contours that put many demands on the film and, more specifically, the adhesive. It was only through our experiments with the carefully calculated soapy ‘slip’ solution we use that allowed us to get a really clean install. Thankfully, no stress marks were left in the glue as that would have stood out a mile on the stunning Le Mans Blue paint.
Happy Clients:
On this occasion, it took us four days to complete the process of installing PPF on a Ferrari. But we were so pleased with the results. And more importantly, so were our clients, who were over the moon. They said…
It’s like having a brand new car collection, twice, but it looks even better this time!
It was definitely a contender for this best-dressed vehicle blog article on our other website, Auto Curators. And it was photoshoot ready for the weekend. Look out for the article in the Ferrari Owners Club Magazine.
In the meantime, if you need PPF on a Ferrari or any other car, contact us. We work from our detailing studio in Hampshire. Close to Hook and Basingstoke.
