Ford Ranger Raptor | Ultimate Immortal Quartz Protection (Vlog 55)

hey guys it's Andre here and today's video is a new vehicle protection detail on this 2023 Ford Ranger [Music] [Music] Raptor [Music] so I'll just fill you in on some details about this vehicle and job and run you through a quick pretail inspection and then we'll jump straight into it first up these new Raptors are hard to get a hold of here the owner patiently waited a year for this one to finally arrive and I have to say from the iconic rapor blue paint to the black out trims wheels and its overall stance I think it just looks Sensational and I'm a little jealous as I mentioned all the time every detail is different and ultimately what's done or isn't done on any job is up to the client and what they choose to select amongst all the available options on this particular job the owner's main focus was paint protection and after quite a bit of back and forth discussions he decided to opt for a combination of ppf or paint protection film for the front end and doors with a multi-layered ceramic coating combination for the rest of the vehicle now I don't personally install ppf but worked with a local and very experienced ppf installer to make this happen for my client and that whole process is really what you're going to see in this video now based on a preeta inspection the overall condition of this vehicle is typical meaning there's nothing I'm too concerned about but at the same time it's far from perfect with what looks to be some dealer inflicted buffer Holograms and SRS where maybe the dealership was trying to remove or address some light scratches and basically made it worse maybe the most annoying thing though is the horrific oily looking tie dressing that's splattered itself all over the fled guards and even made its way onto the paint and vinyl decut staining and creating a horrible mess apart from that most of the paint has minor swirls which I have to say this highly metallic blue paint does a fantastic job at hiding but if we have a look at some of the plastic trims those swirls really jump out and will need to be addressed so that's the quick rundown on this job now let's get to [Music] it [Music] first up was giving the wheels a clean now the owner decided not to have the wheel ceramic cut I'm not sure if he's planning on getting some aftermarket wheels or if he just isn't too concerned encoding them but in any case they'll still get a great clean and a complimentary ceiling applied the rims themselves were fine to clean but most of the work here was removing the dealer applied tire shine I'm not sure if they applied it to dirty tires or the dressing they used has already caused Browning but for a new set of tires the amount of Gunk on them was ridiculous so it took a couple of cleaning applications to finally get them back to a nice clean State and I'm sure that the tie dressing I'll be applying later on will look and behave so much nicer for the owner moving forward [Music] next up was the exterior decontamination [Music] cleanse I know many of you guys have seen me do this hundreds of times in the past and there was really nothing out of the ordinary here [Applause] in essence the vehicle was given an alkaline detergent touchless pre clean and pressure rins down to start with in order to degre and remove the looser dirt as safely as possible [Music] [Applause] [Music] that was followed up by an acid leaning detergent in a physical hand wash process to further clean and strip down the surface contamination as well as break down any waxes or sealants the dealership may have applied [Applause] [Music] [Music] some of the more intricate trim areas were also brushed out to help dislodge some trap dirt and there was a couple of areas that did need some further chemical and cllean treatments to remove a few stubborn bonded [Music] particles [Music] the paint and trims were both visually and physically inspected to ensure they were both clean and bare and the whole vehicle was then dried and ready for some pre-correction steps one thing I'll lastly add here that I have mentioned many times in the past is that new paint typically has some natural mold hydrophobic Behavior so you don't need to try and get it to pull water like it would on an older vehicle as as long as the paint isn't beading and shading water like crazy and feels smooth with no contamination and a little grippy with no existing waxes or sealants it's perfectly clean bare and ready for [Music] correction [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] w [Music] [Music] recording next up was a few pre-correction steps to get the vehicle ready for pain correction starting with an IPA or isopropyl alcohol panel wipe [Music] down this step is really about removing any lingering chemical or detergent residue that's still remaining from the previous wash stage cleaning up any kicked up dirt or water streaks that may have occurred during the blow drying process and soaking up any water or moisture to ensure that my masking tape will adhere securely with the paint clean and bare I then like to do another postwash inspection just to make sure there's nothing I missed or nothing out of the ordinary I need to be aware of but in this case all looked well and just like it did in the initial pretail inspection I then proceeded to take some paint thickness measurements once again everything looked quite normal here with the paint averaging about 120 microns in total and after taking some measurements in the door jams that were averaging about 70 microns I'd predict that roughly everything above 50 microns is clear coat giving this Raptor about 70 microns of actual top layer clear coat which again is all good and normal with no perceived issues the final step in this pre-correction stage was masking the plastic and rubber trims to protect them during the correction [Music] stage [Music] [Music] [Music] so on to the paint enhancement stage now as as this is the first Jobing video I've put out that includes ppf application I'm going to focus a little less on the detailer side of paint correction and a little more on the ppf side of preparation and correction so let's get into that now I did a little more off camera testing But ultimately the compound and Pad combination I decided to use was based not only on how well it removed the minor defects and Amplified the gloss which it certainly did and you'll hopefully see that by the end but I also selected them based on the fact that it was an extremely low to no DUS in combination with easy to remove residue making it less problematic for the ppf installation I also used previously washed microfiber towels and checked that they weren't leaving any limp behind and I additionally switched to a slightly stronger IPA solution to make sure all the polishing oils and residue was stripped off clean the other thing I did at the end was give all the outer and inner panel edges and additional thorough clean to ensure the ppf would have a strong bond when wrapping panel edges all of these little tweaks and adjustments aren't anything overly different to what I normally do but to help the ppf installation go as smoothly as possible they can certainly be good practices to employ now as this Raptor will be a partial ppf and a partial ceramic coating job it's also important to think a little and adopt the best overall working method what this basically means means is that although from my end it would be quicker and easier to correct the whole vehicle at once so it's ready for both ppf and ceramic coating that's actually not the best way to attack this job the reason is that ppf installation can be a little wet messy with tacking and residue going onto opposing panels and ultimately little scuffs and swirls may be created on the perfectly pre-polished panels that you intend on ceramic coating so the best way forward so you don't need need to repolish or hand over a less than desirable finish to your client is to start by only polishing the ppf panels first and then after the ppf installation you can then polish the remaining panels you intend on ceramic coating one exception to this is glass with glass being so hard and scratch resistant you can and I did polish it beforehand as for this job the owner did opt for glass coating so with all the glass all I needed to do after the ppf installation was give it another good IPA wipe down ready for ceramic [Music] coating so apart from a few little tweaks and adjustments I made to tune this job for both ppf and ceramic coding protection applications essentially it really wasn't all that different to what I'd normally do just ensuring I was being conscious of the ppf installation and making sure my client is going to get a fantastic result that meets his expectations once I was done with this initial stage of Correction I tried to remove as much dust and residue of the vehicle as possible so that in the morning the ppf installation was all set to proceed as smoothly as [Music] [Music] possible [Music] [Music] he [Music] now I'm not going to talk you through the ppf installation honestly this isn't my forte and I'm not going to pretend as someone who's only new to it that I'm experienced enough to teach it I will however give props and thanks to John who was the installer and allowed me to film a little of this process I actually first met John about 8 years ago when I attended one of his vinyl rap courses and fondly enough he actually attended one of my detailing classes earlier this year it's longer now so I don't have to walk around as much but he's been applying signage and vinyl for about 20 years now ppf for the last decade and teaching classes for longer than I have not to mention he's won a couple of ppf competitions so needless to say he's just unbelievably good at his trade and it was just a pleasure to watch him work we were also impressed with his skill and manner that is now also teaching ppf classes here with me and it's just been amazing to access his wealth of knowledge so as you guys watch a little of the footage here I just want to touch on a couple more things with ppf installation now over the last year or so really since carpro Immortal ppf was released I have been working with and getting feedback from a number of local ppf installers to learn as much as I can about it and we've done loads of testing to see where it sits how it installs looks and performs which has just been an amazing learning experience for me but I want to be clear that my perspective is from an experience detail as eye and judgment and not from an experienced ppf installers but with that said this is what I've learned firstly you don't need to polish or correct paint prior to ppf installation but what we did find is that when the paint is polished the ppf bonds stronger and text easier or better and this was the case not only for carpros Immortal but also with about half a dozen other films we tested on polished and non-polished paint it was actually a very consistent testing outcome secondly not all films are created equal even when comparing the most popular premium brands all the feedback I've gotten back from local installers seems to point to Immortals glue having a little more TCT than the average film though it may not be the tackiest as well as having a great amount of stretch though it may not be the most pliable compared to some thinner films out [Music] there another thing is I don't normally work bottom up you like going top down different installers have different preferences so it's not always a case of certain characteristics being better than others for example high-tech films do tend to secure to deep crevices and edges easier but also tend to reduce your work time be a little bit more difficult to squidy out can be more problematic in hotter climates but installers can adjust their slip and Tax Solution ratios as well as use hot and cold water solutions to combat the film's characteristics and the environment now again my perspective as a detailer was different to the installers that I found were primarily and almost solely concerned with how the films are like to work with which is completely understandable no ppf installer wants a difficult film to work with but I have to say that I was a little surprised that apart from John the actual look of the installed film was barely a consideration amongst most of the installers who tried it in fact when asked to evaluate just the looks of immortal compared to other films they use there was almost no indication or thought there meaning they didn't seem to even assess that this is in no way a knock to the installers just something that seemed to be almost constant where the look of the film was barely considered me on the other hand not being an installer the look of the film was my first consideration which I know is biased and shortsighted as I'm not the one laying it down but to cut a long story short I was actually asked to do a blind test where five other films were applied side by side with carpro Immortal and without knowing which was which I had to judge which looked the best and my detail as I immediately went to a modal having the least amount of texture or orange pill and the greatest amount of saturation and reflective gloss it just really stood out to me and I wasn't the only one who made the same choice we also did the same test looking at the hydrophobic behavior of all the films and once again Immortal was the leader there it really is such a fantastic looking and behaving film and maybe the fact that carpro is coming from the detailer side of things rather than the rap or film side of things is why the look of a model was a primary focus in developing this film one other thing for your detailers out there is that I was just so surprised at how many paint defects ppf in general actually masks to put it simply you really don't need to worry about compounding Haze both minor and moderate and even fine to moderate swirls just disappear when the film is laid over them now there's an argument to be made if you want the paint looking its best prior to ppf installation so that when it's removed it still looks perfect but that can be a personal choice all I'm saying is that unless it's a severe defect like a deep scratch or chip the film will mask it so impressively another thing to address is whether to not ceramic coat the film now carpro immortal like many premium films does come with a top layer ceramic coating and although I've done some testing that would suggest Immortals coating won't last as long as a standalone coating like SE quartz I still have questions about whether or not applying a coating directly over a mortal's coating will actually Bond sufficiently maybe it's better just to enjoy the coating that comes with the film and once it wears off apply ceramic coating that may then Bond better but honestly I'm not sure at this [Music] stage [Music] now ppf is a process that generally takes days if not weeks just like high-end detailing and it's also important to mention that the film typically looks its worst immediately after application and takes a few weeks to dry up and cure to look its best but after allowing JN to do his magic for a couple CP of days I then proceeded to finish off polishing the rest of the vehicle while John would pop in and out of the shop to sort out and tidy up some odds and ends during that [Music] period [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] at the end of quite a long week it was finally time to put the finishing touches on this Raptor by ceramic coating the rest of the vehicle now what the owner decided to go for in terms of ceramic coating the paint and trims was a premium two-stage coating package with carpro dartz ceramic coating for the hardened and more scratch resistant base layer and SE quarts professional for the Slicker more hydrophobic and glossier top [Music] layer now again guys I know many of you have seen me apply ceramic Coatings hundreds of times so I won't go too much into that here except to say that all the exterior paint and trims were given this two-stage coating the ppf was not coded as like I mentioned before I didn't feel comfortable charging for that without knowing if the coding would actually bond to the film's existing coding and actually last as long but Caro does predict 2 years for the film's coding so I guess we'll just see how that goes I've been playing around with the moral for the best part of this year and although I still have some questions about it I'm definitely at the stage where I'm more than comfortable recommending it to my clients and I've even had it on my own car for the last 9 months now every now and then I get comments about why I seem to use and review certain brands more than others and the simple answer is that I always do extensive testing on the products I actually use professionally because it's my job to make sure they're safe and effective before charging clients and using them on their cars I'd love to have more time to test and review more products extensively but there's a reality where you just can't test everything or keep switching to the flavor of the month that's fine as an Enthusiast on your own cars but there's a responsibility you should have as a professional charging real money for Real Results and you just can't do your due diligence on every brand and product out there you have to pick and choose and for the most part these choices are based on brands that I've come to know and trust look guys it doesn't mean they're better it just means I've done my testing invested that time and trust they will deliver great results for my [Music] clients so let's wrap up this video this was a very different job for me as I pretty much work solo and have done for many years I will however say that it was a real pleasure watching John do the ppf installation on this beautiful Raptor now I've been practicing a little though not really enough with ppf installations more so just to appreciate the process educate myself and maybe do some basic stuff down the track so then now having more of an understanding of what it takes to correctly apply ppf I do have a lot more appreciation for the craft my big take away is that it's not all that hard to apply ppf what is however rather difficult is applying it to a high or almost Flawless standard that part in my opinion takes many years to really master I just found it a real pleasure watching someone like John at the top of his field doing his magic a clean tack here perfect stretch there a nice Precision almost laser-like cut like some sort of machine it's just an art form in itself making a flat piece of film Contour so seamless to a curved panel it also made me think how even basic trades and life skills these days aren't taught to most kids when I was at school we had woodwork metal work Auto textiles and even basic cooking classes to teach necessary skills that are important to have these days your average young adult can't change a tire let alone top up engine oil or coolant will struggle to fix a leaky tap put up some curtains mend a but on a shirt maintain a lawn or even cook a basic meal it's like Society decided kids don't need to know how to do these basic things anymore and I think that's a real shame when you fix or create something tangible with your own two hands that serves a fundamental want or need it's one of the most satisfying and rewarding things you can do for yourself or a loved one I get it we have Jim the handyman Uber Eats and video games where we sit for hours Landscaping digital farms and so many addictive viral videos to watch on everything imaginable it's captivating and convenient I know but are we better for it or are we perhaps a little less confident and ambitious than our parents and a little more detached from the reality of Our Lives unraveling as we sit behind screens that are geared towards instant gratification and long-term regret just a thought guys it's just such a different world to the one I grew up in now unfortunately I don't have a customer reaction to end this video with but I'll leave you with the final shots of the finished results and you guys can use your imagination or leave a comment as to what you think the owner's reaction might have been I'll leave it there guys and if you enjoyed this video and would like to say thanks and help support future content you can do so by buy me a coffee at buyme a coffee.com CCAD in which I'll have a link to in the description box or you can now also hit the thanks button below the video and thank you everyone for all the support so far as always I really hope you guys enjoyed and found this video helpful please share it with others give it a like and comment below to show support for this content and I will see you guys [Music] soon my eyes are wide open I see you clear my toes touch the same floor our world has been shaking on oh what's your soul saying oh is your world changing oh what your soul say oh is your world changing your face tells me always things you m often spares and I hope you know I do what it takes to bring joy into your day oh what's your soul saying [Music] oh is your world changing oh watch your soul say oh is your world changing [Applause] oh my eyes are wide open I see you [Music] clear my toes touch the same floor our world has been shaken [Music] on oh what's your soul saying oh is your work changing oh what your soul saying oh is your work changeing oh oh

Channel: Car Craft Auto Detailing

Views: 25,635

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Id: Qcc-gww-KxY

Length: 35min 1sec (2101 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 21 2023