Do you have PPF fitted? A question about dirt!

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zappy-chops
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Do you have PPF fitted? A question about dirt!

Post by zappy-chops » Mon Jan 21, 2019 11:39 pm

I had my 2017 RS6 PE covered head to toe in PPF recently (Xpel Ultimate Plus) and a ceramic coating on top (GTechnic Exo V4). Never done either to a car before so this is all new for me.

Whilst I am happy with the results, it's not quite everything I expected. I thought that having the ceramic coating done would make dirt stick a bit less to the car (it would slide off more than on a normal painted surface). I have a feeling that the opposite is happening and dirt is sticking more readily to the car now. Ok, the car is black and it's impossible to keep clean in winter and I wasn't expecting miracles, but I only have to drive the car once after washing it and it's filthy again.

As a comparison I also have a black Range Rover and last week I washed both cars on the same day. Over the next day or so the weather was the same (and it hadn't rained) and I drove both cars similar distances (a little more in the RS6 but not a huge amount - maybe 60 miles in the RS6 and 40 miles in the RR) and the RR of course has some dirt but the RS6 had much more. Wasn't aware of driving through any puddles etc.

I can't imagine it's the ceramic coating itself, and wonder if the coating over the PPF is causing this. Anyone else with PPF feel the car is a dirt magnet?

Maybe this is all in my imagination, but you know how it is when you get an idea in your head! :bash:
Currently running:
18 plate Lamborghini Huracan Performante (5.2l of V10 naturally aspirated craziness)
67 plate RS6 Performance (fully loaded)
66 plate Range Rover Autobiography (for wafting around)
16 plate Mini Cooper S convertible (lots of fun but rather skittish when thrashed)

Favourite car ever owned:
1971 Citroen DS21 - The Goddess (pure art on wheels)

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MikeFish
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Re: Do you have PPF fitted? A question about dirt!

Post by MikeFish » Mon Jan 21, 2019 11:53 pm

I have ppf on almost all of my, the exception being the rear quarter panels. And all of it is covered with gtechniq ceramic serum and then exo on top.
The hardest bit to clean is the rear quarter panels. The ppf covered panels seem to wash easier so it seems like the combo of ppf and exo works well together.
Not sure if it's just a mistake, but you said you have a ceramic coating of exo. Exo is a water repellant to help keep it cleaner. The ceramic serum is a hardener to stop it scratching. I assume you have both?

zappy-chops
3rd Gear
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Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2018 10:20 am

Re: Do you have PPF fitted? A question about dirt!

Post by zappy-chops » Tue Jan 22, 2019 2:06 am

Not sure Mike, but I will check what was put on. So Exo V4 is not a ceramic coating then? So he should have (and perhaps did) put something like crystal serum light on top of the Exo?

Anyway, it still feels like a dirt magnet. Does yours?
Currently running:
18 plate Lamborghini Huracan Performante (5.2l of V10 naturally aspirated craziness)
67 plate RS6 Performance (fully loaded)
66 plate Range Rover Autobiography (for wafting around)
16 plate Mini Cooper S convertible (lots of fun but rather skittish when thrashed)

Favourite car ever owned:
1971 Citroen DS21 - The Goddess (pure art on wheels)

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MikeFish
Cruising
Posts: 15588
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:23 pm
Location: The Middle of Somewhere

Re: Do you have PPF fitted? A question about dirt!

Post by MikeFish » Tue Jan 22, 2019 2:10 am

Ceramic coating first normally to protect paint from scratching, then exo on top to stop dirt sticking to it. Arguably, with self healing film the ceramic could be under or on top of the ppf, but on top will only protect the ppf rather than the paint so not sure if it's worth it.
But no, I don't think it feels like a dirt magnet. Obviously black shows up dirt a lot but it shouldn't be any worse than your other black car.

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FaisalJ
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Re: Do you have PPF fitted? A question about dirt!

Post by FaisalJ » Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:41 pm

3 black cars at home

- One coated in gyeon ceramic coating
- One with PPF front end, gtechniq CS and Exo on the rest
- One coated in crud

The first two stay cleaner, and for longer, than the last one.


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