As can see am overdue to replace the clear bra that I believe came on my car new (or from dealer) in 2005.



I really enjoy DIY projects, it's a big part of the fun of owning this car to me. I replaced the clear stone protectors in front of the rear wheels that had yellowed - that was a simple project. I see Xpel has pre-cut kits (not cheap) for the front can see here.

Am I crazy considering doing the front myself - generally with a YouTube education? Anyone tried to tackle?

 

No. Not crazy for trying it. Crazy would be doing something like repainting your car with a paintbrush or a roller. That's crazy.
If it doesn't turn out right, you can always remove it.

 

Only crazy thing would be to leave 15 year old PPF on any longer. We all like a good DIY so go for it. Someone did it here in the 997 forum IIRC but I can't find the thread.

 

It depends what you are using your car for and how good you want the PPF to look. There are a lot of professionals that are unable to do a proper PPF install. If it was me, I would pay a bit more and find a reputable installer in your are and have them do it. But that is only if you really care about how it looks. If you just want it to protect the front from chips, then DIY it as you will get the same result.

 

**The problem is sometimes when trying to remove the old clear bra, it will remove the paint. Several shops I have approached about doing the removal/replacement on previous cars I;ve owned will not guarantee they can remove old bra without damage to paint.
Personally, I would leave it up to a professional but they will not guarantee the results..

 

It won’t come out right - it’s not a DIY on a Porsche nose. Too many compound curves. Have a professional do it.

 

Not a diy job. The installer is extremely important.

 

Depends on your expectation. It's not as easy as it looks. I did mine and got it 90%. Made me happy. But you can see the defects.

 

Appreciate all the feedback and opinions.

I did some more reading and came across this post from @Iceter who tackled the job and look like had decent success which gives me some encouragement. The price for the 3M film (here) is almost throw away prices. If doesn't come out well can either redo or give in and let a pro do it. I will not settle for a poorly done job. Some of Iceter's reasons for doing himself...couldn't have said it better myself:

• I really, really don't like to have other people touch my stuff.
• My lack of faith in others to do a job as well as I do (inability to delegate).
• I'm cheap.
• My love for spending time in my garage with the stereo and the beer fridge.

I'm leaning on giving it a go as a project once warmer weather has arrived. First will need to tackle removing the existing (if anyone is going to peel the paint I'd rather it be me), then paint correction on the car in preparation. Assuming I make it happen this summer will share the results.

Iceter if you see this, would be curious of your opinion after 6+ years on doing the job!

 

Try half DIY half pro.
Removal of the old stuff is an arduous hard on your fingers process that you pay for dearly if you get the pro to do it.
my pro showed me how with great results. I did mine over two days so I could rest my fingers.
Heat gun and pull at 60 degrees, not30 or 90, or 120 which will leave the glue on the paint rather than staying on the PPF.
Use pure alcohol to remove any left over glue.
Clay and polish.
Call the pro in or drive to their shop.
Good Luck.
cheers,

 

PPF in general doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in 90% of cases. DIY PPF that looks even worse than a pro install? That is the equivalent of putting plastic down over a sofa.

It makes little sense to make something look worse for the purpose of “protecting” its looks.

As some others mentioned the 15 year old ppf on the car could cause issues so choose the removal expert wisely.

 

I'm planning to pull mine as well; however, i may just leave the paint bare as it looks much better that way to me.

As far as removal, it's not going to be fun. I'm planning to use a steamer to assist with the removal and have my fingers crossed that nothing bad will happen.

 

Yeah, a day's worth of proper removal (pro or DIY) is hundreds of dollars (worth of time or paying someone). Not like it is an enjoyable process either. Then spending thousands to do it right with a new install, and then it still never looks as good as bare paint.

Another potential downside is how bad they look when wearing polarized sunglasses. Since I always wear polarized sunglasses when driving, many times I will notice some really ugly distortions on cars that have PPF applied. Especially depending on how the sheets were cut / applied. Others have mentioned it to me as well so I'm not the only one. My cars with PPF don't show the distortions but I have seen really nice cars with (I assume) expensive PPF applications, that look horrible in areas.

 

In your case the area covered by the PPF looks awful so it makes perfect sense to get rid of that (it looks really yellow compared to the bare paint).

I would personally get someone to do it but it may still be risky... good luck.

 

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