New and Custom Installations
By Chris DiMinico
When the AutoNuvo team heard a new BMW M2 was coming in to receive our full front-end paint protection film (PPF) installation, it’s safe to say we were all a little giddy. I mean … a mineral gray track machine? That’s one sweet ride, and we couldn’t wait to get our hands on it.
Once the vehicle arrived, we performed our initial inspection, which mostly involved the team drooling over the car. (Ian, our shop manager, is a huge BMW enthusiast.)
We then brought it into the wash bay to begin our decontamination stages. Our team started with the wheels, giving them a thorough rinse followed by liberally spraying Gtechniq W6 Iron and General Fallout Cleaner onto the faces and barrels. We left the wheel cleaner to cling to the brake dust for about two to three minutes and agitated with a variety of boar’s hair brushes.
We began the wash process with a Sonax Multi-Star APC foam bath. This step allowed the APC to loosen any bonded contamination and prepare the paintwork for a traditional two-by-two bucket wash. The APC bath has become one of our favorite methods in preparing paintwork prior to a traditional wash. In my opinion, it drastically reduces the risk of scratching while using a wash mitt.
After the M2 was rinsed, we grabbed some foam swabs and went through all the cracks and crevices in order to remove any dirt that might find its way out during the film installation.
After the wash process, we clayed the paint using a Nanoskin wash mitt. We dried the vehicle with the Metro Master Blaster Revolution and a couple of plush PremiumShield microfiber towels.
To remove any micro-marring and swirl marks, we then lightly polished the paint with Meguiars M205 and a Meguiars microfiber finishing disc on the Ropes LHR21.
Next step: an IPA wipe-down to remove any polishing residue. Once we were finished, we started the disassembly to allow us to wrap and tuck the film everywhere possible.
In order to remove any previous wax or sealant layers still left over from the wash, we wiped the paint down with IPA. We then grabbed our Rupes pen light to do one final inspection before the PPF install.
By applying bulk film to the front-end area, we have the ability to wrap all of the edges and make it as seamless as possible. We installed top-coated film on the entire front end including the front bumper, full fenders, full hood, mirror caps and headlights. After the install, we heated all of the edges to prevent any dirt buildup underneath the film.
Chris Diminico is the president of AutoNuvo in Holliston, Mass.
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