Capital PPF_Norm

Finish your edges with a hot-mix of alcohol? (14oz of 70% in a 32oz squirt bottle, the rest distilled water) I have not had any headlights, etc peel, so maybe that is the issue? I suggest and do as many headlights as possible. NO soap at all, just that mix of alcohol for the installation, no problems sticking. (Other than Porsche headlight which I never do because of the stupid hard coat that peels off the headlights) I often spray the last 2 or 3 inches of whatever with that alcohol. Who's film are you using? All the top brands should be fine, Suntek, Xpel, 3m, etc...

I'm sorry you had that installation experience... Pretty bad. I'd go for a full refund and have another shop do a good installation. (Where are you located?) Did they show you an installation at their shop before you got on the schedule? You want to have the installation shop do the removal so that you can check for cut damage in your paint. If you have another shop remove, or you do it yourself, then they may try to pass on the blame for any damage.

Will Xpel allow you to use Llumar ppf film? Last I heard from Xpel Jeff is that to use the DAP program, you have to exclusively use the Xpel film... And to use the Xpel film, you have to ONLY use the Xpel film. New rules now Jeff?

On the other hand, just a week or so ago I pointed out to a Tesla Y owner that brought me his car for PPF that one half of his carbon fiber trunk 'lip' was lifted about 1/3 of the way on one side. He was planning on visiting the dealership about it, but it does show that double sided tape has limits or if improperly installed....

Depending on how much air hits the spoiler, there may be a good chance of leaving it somewhere along the highway also...

Every once in a while, something that doesn't look like that big a deal bites us all in the butt. That black Cadillac I did this week was a pain.

Before starting from scratch however, just use really hot water to soften the film from the yellow part of the light to the corner and lift the film back up there. Spray a mix of alcohol & water to 'relax' the adhesive and give it maybe 1 or 2 minutes then squeegee it back down again. Probably get a line where you pull it up to, but you might get rid of the bubbles. worth checking anyway...

Seems like it would get cut up really easily on countertops wouldn't it? Most people use a cutting board for food prep, but occasionally something sharp can run over a counter... Interesting Idea though. On the other hand, I've heard great things about putting the film on a stainless steel refrigerator door. Those get fingerprints and scratches really easily, but with the film on them, cleaning the surface is much easier. (Haven't done so myself though) I Have put a strip of the film around the outside of my work cart wheels so they don't leave little black spots on my newly painted gray shop floor, haha. Works great!

It looks like what many call 'silvering' or what I've typically called champagne bubbles. Probably over-stretched film. I'd say it just needs to be re-installed with a new piece of film. (At least it's not in the middle of a black hood or front bumper installation!)

I just wear sport shirts that I got for doing beach & flowrider when we used to be able to go on cruises. Works great in the sun, works great installing PPF!

Prairie, this is why I don't do work for dealerships... They want all the $$, and never give out the 'free'! thank you when you push through a rush job or any job. One rate for different jobs when one may take 3 hours and another takes 6 hours sux!

Throwing me off here... Are you saying that they are paying 5 hours of xx per hour to do that Hood, Fender,Mirrors then? And what hourly rate? (I'm assuming you are actually doing the job in something like 1 to 2 hours? Another 2 hours for a bumper?) I'd probably just want to simplify things and ask for xx amount to do the HFM, or xx to do bumper. Plus, not all hoods/bumpers are created equal. Tesla hood/bumpers=easy. Mercedes & corvette bumper=hard'ish (In a more time consuming way of being hard) I know of some businesses in my area (North Carolina) where some installers are being pretty badly underpaid, which of course encourages them to go it alone and create competition. Apples to apples competition isn't a bad thing really, but what sux is when I get a customer calling me for prices, and is comparing my time intensive and labor intensive custom installation to a 30 minute pre-cut speed install on a bumper.

nikki is back!

Um... Other than the box that the film comes in, I don't think any of the films are 'branded'... Not sure what you are asking for...?

Taken as a whole, it doesn't look 'horrible' and some of those are air bubbles that can be fixed very quickly (Like in the 1st picture). Some of the film edges are just a bit further away from an edge of a panel than I personally would like, but if it's a kit installation, then that can be within normal variation I guess. I also saw maybe some champagne bubbles indicating over stretching maybe. But, I would offer to re-do contaminated spots if my customer saw something that I missed. (Which is extremely rare as I give my jobs a very thorough check over before I deliver the job. Maybe a couple specs on an entire installation would 'pass' but not one per panel.

It might be worth while then to allow 5 downloads for every upload of a new pattern or something like that to keep everyone involved. As far as B pillars, I have found the Suntek patterns to NOT have those so far...

Hey everyone, thought I would share that shop space just opened up next to me. I install PPF only and would love to have the other three bays filled up by one or two tenants with complimentary businesses like Window Tint and possibly a Detailer. Please don't ask me details other than what's in this post because I don't know the answers but you can call the number on the Available sign I have attached. What I know: A total of around 3700sf but can be divided in to multiple tenants. 2 walk in doors, 3 bay doors, 1 office reception exist currently. High ceilings for lifts if wanted. I'm sure some upfit & AC can be negotiated like we did. Owner is upgrading the parking lot and exterior of the building soon (he just bought it in January & has done a lot already) Right off a highway that has a ton of dealerships nearby. No PPF-ers please as that is what I specialize in. The owner has already talked to another interested party or two, so if you have any interest whatsoever, please call right away and let them know Norm at Capital PPF, their current tenant, let you know about it. One detailer came and looked today but he may only be interested in one or two bays but hasn't commited yet. I know it will disappear fast as space like this is hard to come by, especially for those in the automotive industry. Address is 1800 N. Salem St., Apex, NC 27523 to see it on a map. And if you come take a look, let me know and I'll show you my setup in 2 of the bays in the building (picture of One of my bays is also included, I built a wall to separate my work space from my wash bay)

So I sometimes will need a simple rectangle with rounded corners for the door steps, where your shoes could scuff the area where you step into the vehicle. I measure it and then design it quickly with inkscape, or the GreatCut program that comes with the GCC plotters. I like this to be a pattern so that it matches from the drivers side to the passenger side and it's simple. Or, I make a pattern for the B pillars on cars/suv vehicle, where your hand grabs the back of the drivers door when you swing it closed. Don't see this included in a lot of patterns out there. I never use full bumper patterns, but I do use patterns for the trim pieces if they are available. But I use the patterns for headlights a lot, because it's hard to improve on such a small, simple piece. So... wondering if anyone out there has an idea of how we, the installers can upload these quick type of patterns into an online database that would be searchable, and FREE to other installers just to help out, supported by the installers for the installers. Maybe if we have a 'how to make patterns' section of the database/forum, then more and more installers get in on the program to build it on up. The reason I think this would be great for a larger group is that I might (And did) make a pattern for the B pillars, and the little triangle piece in front of the drivers/passengers window on a 2020 Audi RS3 because my customer wanted those done, along with the whole rest of the car. But I may never use those patterns again, so it seems a shame to have put that time into it and not use it again. Ideas from those who have internets knowledges?

I'm still testing the spray-on tack enhancer... Jury is still out. What I need to do is to use a couple of pieces of film, maybe 2" wide x 6" long right next to each other. One on the tack area and one without. Squeegee both down for like 2 minutes and see if one is harder to pull away than the other. I can confirm it doesn't seem to damage the adhesive.

C'mon Josh, take a CHANCE with the $1100 new iphone! Isn't it waterproof?

I used the Xpel Gel when it first came out, partially because it would stay in place on a vertical surface, like a bumper. Otherwise, I wasn't a big fan. Especially as the early (First 6 months or so) had little black specks in the 5 gallon jugs that would ruin a full hood, or bumper installation. Switched to Baby Shampoo. Winner winner. Cheaper, and stocked everywhere. Smells better. If it gets into your eyes... no problem. Some people have said Baby Shampoo Can replace Gasoline to get you down the road, or charge up your electric vehicle. (Gasoline & electric charge unverified by independent tests, do not try...) Baby shampoo FTW. Just experiment with different amounts till you find what works best for you.

Sorry, but I have to disagree that precut kits create a 'no risk to cutting the paint'. Because sooner or later, that pre-cut kit isn't going to line up quite right. Sometimes.. Not even daily, it is going to need to be trimmed by the installer. IF (this is the important part, this IF) the installer does not have very good knife skills, then it's far more likely he WILL cut into the paint because he does not practice using the knife day in and day out. Bulk installers ALSO can get into the paint. I'm not saying they can't just that you can't say the opposite is true with pre-cut kits. On the other hand, I've installed and trimmed out a number of bumpers, mirrors, etc, etc where you might find a hunk of schmegle after the installation is finished. It's in a spot where I simply could not sneek under the film to remove the contamination, so off came the whole bumper installation (Mirrors are more likely to take 2 installs as I try to cover as much as possible for a 'seamless' look). I look carefully at all my cuts areas to check if there are any paint cuts just to be sure I haven't lost 'the touch'.

Where do you live Joeexotic? I think you should get a 2nd opinion (Or 3'rd) in your area. It is true that some complex bumpers will have more relief cuts, or additional pieces, but they should be able to tuck and hide the lines better than what I can see in some of those pictures. On the other hand, in the attached picture reflection, IS THAT A FRICKING FLYING JETSKI OR HOVER MOTORCYCLE OR WHAT???

The film just needs to be trimmed back a little more where that lifted spot is. It happens and doesn't mean a poor installation. The film can be stretched to go into those areas, but it is constantly pulling back and the adhesive can only hold so much tension, especially if it rains or you go through a car wash.

I'm very frustrated with patterns & the companies that make them as a whole. Problem 1. Often the patterns are 'pretty good' BUT either don't wrap around an edge or come as close to a non-wrapped edge as much as I would like without needing a strong stretch where one should not be needed. Other times, you need to pull tight to get rid of fingers but that distorts the pattern. Yes, you can just squish down a finger sometimes but that is a spot that is BEGGING to pop up during the first car wash or rainstorm. Then it packs with dirt and just has to be trimmed back now to look bad. Problem 2. They make exceptional patterns that flow reasonably well onto the car BUT they are a smaller operation and only have a few models for the current year or are somewhat new to the pattern market and don't have anything from 5 years ago or older. Problem 3. They charge too much a month for access. It's great to pay $300 a month if you are a huge operation kicking out 100+ cars a month but there should be a simple 'per pattern' plan based on inches or feet of cutter movement that would be better for smaller operations that use patterns rarely. Problem 4. Only allowing access to patterns if you are exclusive to that companies film. I realize and accept that my bulk installations make me produce work much slower than if I adopted patterns in full but Every Damn Time I give a pattern a go, the poor fit, the lack of a pattern at all for a certain vehicle or the high cost just to have 'access', even if not used for a whole month just keeps kicking me back to doing it in bulk to give my customers the quality they deserve. In order to really adopt patterns in full, I'd have to have access to all the makers out there and pay a huge premium per month. (Or accept a hit in quality using patterns that just don't get it done well)