L8 APXR

Didn't want to hijack Bruce's thread (beautiful results!) but have some time to work on the car's finish now. I am also a big fan of Bruce's methods and have been doing the same on my previous 911's with excellent results (Maguire's Ultimate Compound with a Porter Cable DA and Zaino products) however my new to me 911 has PPF on the front of the car and the bumper and lower hood look like they were a backdrop for bird hunting - lot's of small pits. Having never worked on PPF, I am looking for advice on getting the car back to original gloss. Replace the PPF or refinish it? If refinishing, use the same process as with paint?

Any concerns with using Zaino products on the PPF? I have been using Z-AIO and Z2 with Z6 in between coats and final coat.

TIA

Jaws1

If the PPF is pitted it’s done its job and should be replaced IMO. Depending on usage, the life expectancy of PPF is 5-7 years and 10 at the longest for a normally garaged car. I’d start from scratch.

Bruce In Philly

Call Sal Zaino directly... I have spoken to him a few times... small company, great service.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

L8 APXR

Good idea Bruce. Will do.

And Jaws1 - you are probably right. The PPF has done it's job and is due for replacement.

Bruce In Philly

I have a close friend who purchased a Cayenne via auction... it was completely covered in that condom. Well it was done.. didn't look good at all. so he immediately had it removed..... YIKES!!! What a nightmare! If you think that stuff just pulls up ... forget it. It does damage. I don't know if it happens because of time or just the nature of that stuff. The good news is the car looks fantastic... but after that he swore he would never put that stuff on any car .... ever.

For me, I am one of the few who thinks that stuff looks awful. In a few years, it is incredibly obvious and I can't stand looking at that bra. For me, I would rather get the chips, then after 5 years, just re-spray the front end. Usually I bang up a bumper anyway so it will be the shop... it is inevitable.

Just a data point.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

L8 APXR

Didn't have it on my previous cars but always wondered if it was worth the investment. Without it, it did give me the option of working on the finish.

Actually it looks fine until you get close and see the imperfections on the bumper and lower hood. No yellowing at all. I may live with it a while longer and then decide if I will just remove it or replace it.

As the car has spent much of it's life indoors I am hoping PPF removal won't be too painful.

Bruce In Philly

My friend contacted 3M.... heat lamp is a must... they also recommended one of their solvents that did not work well... I forget what ended up working the best. Getting the film off without pulling up the paint is the first challenge... the next is getting the adhesive off of the paint.... then you have to make the whole surface look consistent again.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

mikes70

Being in the glass biz, removing film from glass is similar. Cruddy film is more likely to do this^^^ later on down the line.

IMO, I think the film is ok for the front if your driving a lot, keeping in mind, that the better quality film purchased will help alleviate this problem. Yes, it is a pain in the butt.

I say we bring back the car bra

L8 APXR

There is so much construction in our area (Houston and South Texas) that there are always rocks and grit getting kicked up by the car or truck in front of you. I do think bare paint would be pitted pretty quickly.

Just hazards of driving in this area. If you want a perfect finish then leave the car in the garage and gingerly drive to Saturday morning get togethers...

Jaws1

I’ve never had problems removing old film. It’s a matter of making sure the film and paint surface is warm by using a heat gun or parking the car in direct sunlight on a warm day (my preferred method). Additionally, technique is also important. Do not pull the film back, rather lift the leading edge of the film and use tension by pulling the film towards you and building tension in the film so it lifts vertically off the painted surface. This method minimizes the amount of adhesive left on the paint after the film is removed.

BudgetPlan1

PPF can be polished to a certain extent, PPF specific polishes are avaliable:
If it's too far gone, steam appears to be the safest way for removal but like most things there are many methods to remove:
As for care/protection going forward, the main item PPF mfg's seem to consistently mention is avoiding petroleum-based products.

Carreralicious

I’m in agreement with Bruce. I don’t like plastic coverings on my car. Same reason why I don’t like screen protectors on my iPhone. If it gets damaged, I’ll replace the screen. If the paint gets chipped, I’ll touch it up and wait till it gets so bad I’ll get a respray. Maybe if I had a Ferrari, I’d be so afraid to damage it in any way, I’d do a PPF just to preserve it, but the 997 ain’t a Ferrari and I’m gonna use it without plastic covering it.

TommyV44

Amen!

Tom