Ultimate Beginners Guide To Caring For The Paint On Your Ranger

quangdog

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There have been several excellent write-ups on this forum for various ways folks detail their Rangers. I just finished this video that covers all the things I've done to protect the exterior of my truck, and it's aimed at the complete novice. If you have never even so much as washed a car by hand before and want to know how to keep your Ranger looking great, check it out:
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port43

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There have been several excellent write-ups on this forum for various ways folks detail their Rangers. I just finished this video that covers all the things I've done to protect the exterior of my truck, and it's aimed at the complete novice. If you have never even so much as washed a car by hand before and want to know how to keep your Ranger looking great, check it out:
Nice job!!!
 

wrench

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There have been several excellent write-ups on this forum for various ways folks detail their Rangers. I just finished this video that covers all the things I've done to protect the exterior of my truck, and it's aimed at the complete novice. If you have never even so much as washed a car by hand before and want to know how to keep your Ranger looking great, check it out:
Kimball, This has been very helpful, because I didn't know what these processes entailed. Great video, thanks for all of your hard work!
 


Tracy Bowman

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There have been several excellent write-ups on this forum for various ways folks detail their Rangers. I just finished this video that covers all the things I've done to protect the exterior of my truck, and it's aimed at the complete novice. If you have never even so much as washed a car by hand before and want to know how to keep your Ranger looking great, check it out:
Very good video @quangdog. I learned a lot.:like:
 

AzScorpion

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There have been several excellent write-ups on this forum for various ways folks detail their Rangers. I just finished this video that covers all the things I've done to protect the exterior of my truck, and it's aimed at the complete novice. If you have never even so much as washed a car by hand before and want to know how to keep your Ranger looking great, check it out:
Good video Kimball. I'd only suggest one thing is adding grit guards with the grit guard washboards to both the wash and rinse buckets. This way you can rub the microfiber mitt against them and the dirt will sink to the bottom of the bucket. Not criticizing at all I'm just anal about detailing and my OCD is acting up. :)

https://www.detailedimage.com/Grit-Guard-M25/Washboard-P1229/Black-S1/

https://www.detailedimage.com/Grit-Guard-M25/Grit-Guard-Insert-P119/RED-S2/

Grit-Guard-Grit-Guard-Insert-RED_119_2_t_3564.jpg
Grit-Guard-Washboard-Black_1229_1_t_3254.jpg
 

Hoosier Daddy

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I do have a question if you please. I don't fully understand the film protection portion. You prepped the paint like you would for a ceramic coating. Then you put the film on top of the paint and the ceramic coating on top of the film? I thought you prepped the paint so that the ceramic coating would fully adhere to it but in this case the ceramic coating is not touching the paint and is on top of the film? What benefit is the film providing and what benefit is there to putting ceramic coating on top of film as opposed to directly on paint?

Thank you,
Dan
 

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So when should we expect your video on washing your Ranger? :giggle:
Wait, you're not hoping to be the washer are you, cause yesterday you were telling us all how you wash your truck neck'id:tumbleweed:
 
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quangdog

quangdog

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Good video Kimball. I'd only suggest one thing is adding grit guards with the grit guard washboards to both the wash and rinse buckets. This way you can rub the microfiber mitt against them and the dirt will sink to the bottom of the bucket. Not criticizing at all I'm just anal about detailing and my OCD is acting up. :)

https://www.detailedimage.com/Grit-Guard-M25/Washboard-P1229/Black-S1/

https://www.detailedimage.com/Grit-Guard-M25/Grit-Guard-Insert-P119/RED-S2/

Grit-Guard-Grit-Guard-Insert-RED_119_2_t_3564.jpg
Grit-Guard-Washboard-Black_1229_1_t_3254.jpg
Good suggestion. Thanks!
 
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quangdog

quangdog

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I do have a question if you please. I don't fully understand the film protection portion. You prepped the paint like you would for a ceramic coating. Then you put the film on top of the paint and the ceramic coating on top of the film? I thought you prepped the paint so that the ceramic coating would fully adhere to it but in this case the ceramic coating is not touching the paint and is on top of the film? What benefit is the film providing and what benefit is there to putting ceramic coating on top of film as opposed to directly on paint?

Thank you,
Dan
Hi Dan - great question! You are right: I prepped everything to be ready for ceramic, then I installed the PPF - mostly because the prep for ceramic is more or less the same as the prep for PPF. Essentially both just need the surface to be polished and completely clean and free of any wax, soap, etc. As I mentioned in the video, the PPF is completely optional. However, I really hate rock chips, so I went ahead and did the PPF. Some people think that ceramic and ppf is an either-or situation... that you should choose one but not both. However, you can install ceramic coating right on top of a PPF layer, so you'll get all the physical protection of the ppf against rock chips and the water repellent protection of the ceramic coating on top. Ceramic on top of ppf is the best of both worlds.

I should note that I only installed ppf on the forward-facing areas of the truck: grill, bumpers, rear view mirrors, A pillars, front edge of the roof. I did not do the front of the hood because I already have a rock / bug deflector installed there.

Also: I did do a final wipe down of the entire vehicle with my IPA solution after installing the ppf and before installing the ceramic, so that everything (including the ppf) was completely clean.

Does all that make sense?
 

Mr. Boots

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Great content! Loved the video!

Question... The side vents on your truck, did you paint those? Mine have the chrome surround and I can't seem to find any other variants but saw yours and love them!
 

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