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I just purchased a 2003 911 996.2 and the original seller installed a thin plastic cover Bra on the car. I'm sure it protects well but there is a line where the plastic protector goes and it just isn't what I'm looking for. It seems sticky to take off and I'm nervous I might ruin the paint taking it off.
Any ideas on how to remove carefully?
Take it to a reputable PPF installer. I hate when people do partial PPF installs - just cover the entire panel! Being that it is black I would have it paint corrected than have full hood PPF installed to protect.
Before letting ANY PPF tech work on your car, please research them (if you haven't already done so). They run the gamut from excellent to awful. Usually you get what you pay for.
I just purchased a 2003 911 996.2 and the original seller installed a thin plastic cover Bra on the car. I'm sure it protects well but there is a line where the plastic protector goes and it just isn't what I'm looking for. It seems sticky to take off and I'm nervous I might ruin the paint taking it off.
Any ideas on how to remove carefully?
Tough to see with the picture, but what you describe was typical with the 996 15-20 years ago. Not an oversight nor mistake. Just the way they did it back in the day. If you are going to remove and replace it, as everyone has said, get a professional that knows what they are doing. But most will tell you that you run a risk of paint possibly coming off if its a 15 year old PPF. So be prepared for a respray if its that old.
All excellent advice in this thread for how best to handle old PPF. The material used today is worlds away from what was used in the early aughts.
I had a similar experience with my partial PPF when I purchased mine. It's not fun to deal with. Revealing perfect, unmarred paint underneath is a great reward though. If your paint is original its softened with age and will be more susceptible to road rash. Protecting it with new material is a good choice if you're fussy about your cars appearance. 😁👍
I gotta agree with @Ocean Blue . The new stuff is so much better than the old stuff. Mine is over 15 years old. Its still in very good shape since my car is garage kept. One of these days I will have it professionally removed and bite the bullet for a respray if needed. Fingers crossed. But I will gladly put another one on because it has protected the paint from rock chips.
Take it to a reputable PPF installer. I hate when people do partial PPF installs - just cover the entire panel! Being that it is black I would have it paint corrected than have full hood PPF installed to protect.
Originally Posted by GC996
I gotta agree with @Ocean Blue . The new stuff is so much better than the old stuff. Mine is over 15 years old. It's would still in very good shape since my car is garage kept. One of these days I will have it professionally removed and bite the bullet for a respray if needed. Fingers crossed. But I will gladly put another one on because it has protected the paint from rock chips.
The film should lift just fine, and honestly you can probably try removal yourself in an inconspicuous area (there's decent YT videos on the most efficient ways). I wouldn't expect it to be challenging to remove, but I wouldn't wait much longer, 12-15 years is really the expected lifespan of the film from my understanding.
Plastic bra for 911
