Originally Posted by THE REFINERY

Not guaranteed, but definitely a possibility. Touch up paint can't bind quite as solidly to the substrate compared to factory paint. Yes, we always wait a day before applying PPF after our touch-up specialist has finished to give the new paint an opportunity to dry/cure completely.

But even if the PPF does pull up the touch-ups in 5-10yrs when you remove the PPF again, it's not a terribly expensive exercise to touch them up again at that time IF it has happened.

HTH!

Originally Posted by Bluedan

Awesome thanks! I’ll definitely be reaching out to you very shortly for both touch up and full PPF!

Just out of curiosity, have you ever heard of PPF lifting factory/OEM paint or clearcoat upon removal? I know the risk is mostly with resprayed panels, but I’ve heard that if factory/OEM paint has been over-detailed such that the clear has become very thin, or if the OEM paint is just thin to begin with (eg Ferraris), there is a risk of peeling when PPF is removed.

I personally can’t see how the thickness of a clearcoat (assuming OEM) could affect the likelihood of lifting, since I assume the only factor is the strength of the bond between the clear and the paint vs the strength of the bond between the PPF and the clear.

Originally Posted by THE REFINERY

Hi - thanks for the great questions:

First - a quick/spray detailing product is great at temporarily restoring some gloss and a smooth, slick feeling. We love Gyeon Quick Detailer for this purpose. But it doesn't provide a very durable layer of chemical resistance like a wax/sealant/ceramic coating does. You should always keep your PPF waxed/sealed like you do with your clear coat. PPF is more porous than clear coat and is susceptible to staining from pollen, clay, dirt, dust etc over time. The repellent layer of wax prevents those particles from embedding or binding to the surface.

If your PPF has contamination stuck on the surface, you can safely use both chemical and physical decontamination processes on it. Gyeon Iron is great at dissolving metallic contamination, and you can spot clean with something like Gyeon Tar if there are grease, sap or rubber marks on the surface. If the PPF surface still feels rough to the touch, you can use clay bar/pad to sheer those embedded particles off - but it frequently causes some marring that you'll want to address with a light machine polish after. PPF has a thin "clear coat" that will respond well to a soft polishing pad (Rupes White pad) and mild polish (SONAX Perfect Finish) - but do not try an aggressive compound or compounding pad. You can wear through the clear coat of the PPF if you use too aggressive an approach.

We don't like the traditional paste waxes that leave behind a thick, chalk-like build-up in panel gaps, PPF edges, and on trim gaps. We much prefer using a liquid sealant like CarPro RELOAD - which wipes away perfectly clean with no residue. And yes, RELOAD has some of the "ceramic coating" ingredients in it (SiO2) - but it is NOT a ceramic coating and is applied just like a quick detailer or spray wax. It's equally well suited to "topping up" the hydrophobic characteristics of a ceramic coated surface OR used as a stand-alone paint sealant. It typically lasts for 4-6mo's per application.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Originally Posted by 991.2 GTS

Thanks Gerard,
Sounds good, I’ll place an order for the CarPro Reload. I just read your recommendation again, so I think it makes sense for me to try Reload as the only sealant on the whole car (PPF and Non PPF). This will simply things and still last 4 to 6 months.

Originally Posted by moab

Gerard is the man and his shop is the coolest in the country.

Originally Posted by Bahama

A question, not sure if already answered earlier...
what are your recommendations on polishing/protecting single stage paint (a 1969) ?
Much appreciate your insights.

Originally Posted by THE REFINERY

Single stage paint is really rewarding to polish, since it restores very well once the damaged or oxidized surface has been removed. Check our our video series from the Guards Red Porsche 944 project for an example of how dramatic the turn-around can be:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...hH4kXusqsAoUkw

But of course, you also have to be aware of how much paint material is left on these older cars. Even though polishing and paint correction doesn't remove much paint thickness (~1µm), edges and corners can wear much faster or have much thinner paint. So we always recommend that when you do invest in paint correction/polishing on an older car, you try to be as careful with it as possible afterwards so you don't find yourself wanting to re-polish it again in another 2-3yrs. With the right washing, protection and storage methods, you can keep your finish looking fantastic for a very long time without needing to re-polish.

In terms of protection, if you go the DIY paint sealant route - choose one that is easy to apply and remove. The more "buffing" action you apply to the paint, the more likely it is to inflict swirl marks and other love marks while you're reapplying your surface protection.

That's a nice benefit of ceramic coatings - they don't need to be reapplied often so you can eliminate one source of paint friction from the list. And they leave the surface so slick that wash mitts and drying towels are more likely to glide over the surface rather than sticking and dragging (which causes swirl marks).

Both LSP's can work well on single stage paint. If you do go the wax/sealant route, the key is to use clean, soft applicators and removal towels with light pressure. Only rub as much as you need to to get the wax/sealant residue off.

I hope that helps!

Originally Posted by Bahama

Many thanks for the detailed and informative insights. The ceramic coating might be a way to go after proper polishing. I might reach out to you folks to have a look at possibly doing this + polish if the paint thickness warrants it.
Thanks again

Originally Posted by heroicdeath

I was wondering what the possible ways to restore headlights from being stone chipped and scratched to a like-new state so we can put a PPF on it to protect it. This is a 991.2 with PDLS.

Originally Posted by Vise

Don't the 991 headlights have a UV coating on them? Assume any polishing would remove that coating so I'd probably tread lightly... my 991 headlights have film on them which I'd recommend but apparently you need to be very careful in removing the PPF to not damage the UV coating.

Originally Posted by THE REFINERY

Right - keeping it simple is a good strategy. I think you'll find RELOAD looks great, offers strong hydrophobic repellency, and is easy to work with.

But... if you really want to play scientist, you could use RELOAD on the PPF and your other fav sealant on the rest of the car to see how each performs over time.