Paint protection film removal from matte paint

[Mrgator]

Hello guys. Considering that matte painted cars have been on the rise and owners using more ppf, any experiences in what happens when you try to remove the film? There are many ideas of what may happen, but do any of you have real world experience? I have XPEL Stealth on my Designo matte paint, and although it was just installed over the entire car, I'm thinking about the long term. Have PPF which I installed on the front only of my regular glossy painted car back in 2005 which has started to crack. Don't want the same thing to happen across my entire matte car. I'm hoping that the PPF technology has improved over the past 10 years. And yes I did place car polish over the film. Mainly Zaino products. Any 'real' info would be greatly appreciated.

[Guest]

PPF has improved and I would recommend calling the manufacturer and discussing your concern, Xpel is what I install.

Haven't had any problems been using it for about 8 yrs.

removed some 3m from an 2006 MLK benz that was all cracked and flaking, steamer and patience. Literally took two days just to remove from front of hood, fenders and mirrors. Can not use plastic blades or scrapers. Paint was beautiful underneath, but Matte paint is a whole different bird. Hope you get good news from Xpel, if not, run the warranty out

Cheers

[Speedytim]

with any ppf i would replace it every 5 years ... just because they give a 10 year warranty or a lifetime warranty the film will crack if its not a garage queen ... even if it was a garage queen i would still replace it ... and like the liners in ur shower they still haze like film ... weather ... sun ... kids all play into effect ... as for removing from a repainted vehicle it all depends on the prep of a paint job ... no aftermarket paint job will hold up to factory but here in atlanta there are a handful of body shops i trust to do a install after the paint is cured ... theres a few first timers ive done a install and peeled the paint right up just laying the film onto a bumper I.E. cheap body shops ... so bottom line is make sure ur paint will hold up ... best results replace the film in 5 years no matter what warranty the company gives u ... once the film cracks prepare to pay a large amount of labor unless ur doing it urself then lots of patience and hope ur hands will be up for the job. good luck

[Jake]

I 100% agree with Speedytim. I tell people plan to remove/replace it in 5 years.I have pulled to much old crap film to think other wise.

[XPEL Jeff]

1.  While no manufacturer would frown on more frequent replacement, you'll  want to remove any brand of PPF at the end of the warranty term, as eventually the polymer chains in all films will begin to break down.

 

2.    Shower curtains are typically made from a calendered monomeric pvc, which is extremely low grade, as it is a commodity product.  Optical grade polyurethane is MUCH more durable that pvc, so try not to get too worried about that.

 

3.  PPF technology has changed quite a bit over the last 10 years, and what was considered to be cutting edge back then, wouldn't even be considered in today's market.

 

4.  There can be a significant difference in durability between two competing brands that are identical in appearance initially.

 

5.  The chemicals contained in polishes/waxes can vary greatly between one product to the next, even within the same brand.  It is best to stick with all natural (think caranuba) or purpose-made products for ppf.  At a minimum, you should avoid products with heavy amounts of petroleum distillates (steer clear of anything that says kerosene, toluene, naphtha, etc).  

 

6.  Take the car back to your installer when you wish to remove it, as there are certainly right and wrong ways to remove film.

 

7. As Speedy tim mentioned, weather can be a factor too. A car that sits outside in Arizona sun every day will degrade more quickly.

 

Long story short, there are a lot of factors at play, but the decision you made to go with XPEL should let you rest easy when it comes to durability.  As I mentioned before though, just set a calendar remainder to have it removed at the end of the warranty term, as nothing lasts forever!

 

Having said all of that, most installers choose to have customers sign a paint damage waiver when working on matte paint jobs because they can be so finicky (the dealerships do the same thing upon purchase of the car).

 

Just give us a call if you have any further questions, we'd be happy to help.

[Vinylspec]

the fact that it has been repainted matte it a little cause for concern for me to begin with. Also xpel has a nice stealth ppf which is a matte finish

[Mrgator]

Thanks to all for your feedback. The 2005 is a different car than the matte painted car. This is my new baby, and I live in Florida. Car will be considered a daily driver, but kept in garage otherwise.

[alberts316]

My question is what do you do about cleaning off the adhesive left behind?  I know chemicals will work to get it off, but all the rubbing and what not involved could leave some scratches in the matte finish.  Since you can polish out any defects or marks on matte(from my understanding), what do you do? 

[Jake]

I have a Mercedes dealer we do work for, so I have done a few of the Matte Mercedes. We used Suntek film on them. Just a heads up, the Matte finish will not be exact.Make sure you do only full panels or it will stick out like a sore thumb.