from Xpel’s website...

”It is highly unlikely for paint protection film to harm OEM paint. Paint systems used on modern assembly lines today produce a minimum bond strength of 16 MPa and maximum of 25 MPa between the panel and the paint depending on color, iridescence and the system used. Our film’s bond to the painted surface at normal state (immediately following installation) is .0753 MPa. Even after years of heat and sun, the bond between the film and the paint increases to only 0.17 MPa. What that means is in the absolute worst case scenario, the bond of factory paint to the panel is over 94 times stronger than the bond of our film to the paint. In the best case, the paint is 332 times stronger.”

im guessing other film manufacturers will also have similar properties so shouldn’t be an issue. Maybe it depends on the type of adhesive used?

 

Looks like I went with the most popular choice myself...

my question to some of you with the Ceramic is.. two fold..

1. Did you guys do the leather interior as well?

2. Are you applying any kind of "up keep" protection on your ceramic every so often? I know the stuff I use as a product called "Reload" that is a mist on / wipe off..?

 

Not surprising since this is an enthusiast's forum. I wonder what the overall Porsche 911 ownership would show?

 

I would just apply ceramic coating initially.

As much as I think the ceramic coatings (CQuartz, Modesta, etc) are sort of voodoo magic, the self-replenish stuff like Reload is even moreso.

 

here is a very helpful video for those entertaining doing both PPF and Ceramic..

 

Take all the statistics you want, but I can assure you that it happens. If you don't believe me, create a poll and ask folks about what happens when they pull their PPF off of their cars -- I would guess that at least 5% experience some paint pull. While that isn't a huge number, it's a risk regardless. Also, mind you, I said I used XPEL and I still recognized the risk, so I don't necessarily agree with their statistics. In other words, enter at your own risk.

 

You’re never going to get accurate result to this question here, the sample is just too skewed. Personally I can’t see the value in either, modern paints are just so easy to maintain. Regular washing with water and waxing was all I ever did on my last 911, it looked just as good after 5 years and 30,000 miles as it did when new.

As for protection, I’m in the patina camp. They’re cars, unless you have a museum they’re designed to be used.

 

I expected the results to tip towards PPF just not by this far. But it could be like color polls where black (combining both metallic and non-metallic) comes in a distant third or fourth when Porsche says it is the number one color in the U.S. and Europe for 911’s. So yes this group is probably not representative of the overall group of Porsche 911 owners but they are probably more informed because of their passion for the car.

As for me, one of the reasons I switched to GT Silver at the last minute was because lighter colors hide road rash much better than darker colors. So I figured it would leave the door open to not doing PPF since if it gets a lot of chips not being as visible as it would be on black or Gentian Blue (other two colors I was contemplating) would be a benefit.

 

I am in the ppf camp. It’s because they are cars and built to be used & enjoyed that I support it. For me, it’s all about preserving the paint. I don’t care if the film gets beat up, doesn’t look perfect, has edges or seams etc.... The film is there to protect the paint so the car can be driven and not sustain as much paint damage, not to make the car look better. On other cars , I’d probably just ppf the bumper and hood. For the 911, it’s really amazing how badly the rear hips get pelted. You either accept damage within a couple hundred miles in this area, protect it, or don’t drive.

As for the unfortunate experience of smiles11, that really sucks, but it shouldn’t happen with a good installer.

with modern paint and modern film, the paint should definitely not lift on removal of the film

 

no ppf, no case on phone, commando

 

Properly installed PPF and properly removed PPF will not pull paint from the car. I've had Xpel removed and applied 3 times on my car with no issues.
Like we have always said about PPF, installer, installer, installer......

 

Unrelated to Ppf, but related to rock damage. I just gave my car a wash and noticed for the first time that the matte black plastic side skirts are getting sand blasted directly in front of the rear tires. I suspect this is normal.

 

yep.. mine too.. I assume they did that treatment knowing this is normal... Goes with the territory I guess,

 

I have a stupid question: does having full PPF mean that we can now take the vehicle through automated car washes without having to worry about swirl marks? If so that would be really nice and a huge advantage in terms of convenience.

 

I still wouldn't do it. I don't want an abrasive brush possibly catching any edges of my PPF, and with "laser wash" (touchless) being pretty commonplace, why you would use something that abrasive on a car you paid that much for is beyond me.