conandrum

I have to add that the ppf film they used was much more flexible than the 3M Scotchgard I used in previous pages. The 3M I used was very tough and hard to manage.

Sorry for the late update. 6 days after the last post I went to a local PPF installer in Nicosia - shiny monkeyz They use Avery Dennison but not sure which one they used on mine (note to update). The headlights were already close to perfect when I got there. If you remember there were minor micro-scratches visible at certain angles and lighting conditions. They did some quick polishing with a wool pad and a 3" rotary. The micro-scratches were diminished slightly after this. Then they applied the film and cut to size on the headlight. With the film installed, the micro-scratches are not visible any more. After that they applied some carpro ceramic coating. The job took 1 hour and 10 minutes roughly and the total cost was 140 Euro. A couple of mini air bubbles dissipated within the next week or so (hot weather here). The headlights are now 100% perfect and protected at the same time. Check out the photos.

On friday, 3 days ago, I found a PPF installer in a nearby city, Nicosia and I went to visit. He told me that the 3M film I showed him was a tough film with little stretch and it is not recommended, at least for my own headlights. I arranged an appointment for the 8th of August when they will be installing their own ppf on my headlights after doing some final polishing. According to them, my headlight still has clear-coat on it. When the guy said this I was shocked and said that I sanded every shiny bit off the headlight until it was all hazy. To this he replied that if there was no clear-coat, polishing would not bring back such a shine. I am not entirely sure this is correct; what do you guys think. Anyway I will update when it is done.

Can you help me pinpoint the problem? In my opinion, the scotchguard film is too thick for my extremely curved headlights? Would that be accurate? This guy on the same headlights used 3M’s VViViD PPF and it looks soooooo soft! If I had seen this video back in March I would have ordered this one instead. but as you already know I was influenced back then by the vid in a previous post, where the headlight is less curvy, a heatgun is used and a bit of pulling/stretching: Maybe there is still hope with a heatgun?

I saw the hood obstructing, so I cut it. And then I pulled it to reduce the fingers and i moved it to do this. As soon as I saw those folds happening I knew this was a failed attempt. Price was about 60$ with shipping for 60"x24". I have another 3 or 4 such pieces left. Yes.. only the liner and it comes inwards through the engine compartment. I had the car up and the right liner out about 4 weeks ago when I replaced the windshield sprayer pump and the headlight sprayers. Maybe this is why I want to avoid doing it again on both sides LOL. Going for the least effort if it will provide results is logical. However, no results for me in this case because I have zero experience plus limited ppf plus no readily available wrap shops. I tried finding someone to do this back in May but they did not make a professional impression - more like a cowboy. I may need to check in another city and send the headlights there. IDK.

Yesterday I tried a piece of film to see how it behaves on the headlight and to prepare for the first application. Tonight around 22:00 the temperature dropped below 32 degrees Celsius so I tried to apply the film. I quickly realized that this will be as hard as I wished it wouldn't be! PPF size was good. Soapy solution was good. Film was moving fine. IPA solution was good and gave a bit of a bite when needed. The PPF film though is quite hard and difficult to iron out its fingers. Even though I was doing this carefully and taking it easy, pushing down a finger would create a permanent fold down the middle of it! This happened 3 times and I decided to minimize the fingers by pulling the film horizontally along the top of the headlight and then along the bottom of it. This stretched the film a bit along those areas and reduced those fingers somewhat, but still it needed leveling the fingers remaining. I even used the blade to cut the film successfully along the top edge for testing and found it quite easy with a new blade. I thought this would be difficult. So basically what I thought would not be a problem, ended up being the worst issue for me. Now I am seriously thinking of my contingencies as @mobiledynamics already said. Any advice before jacking up the car, removing the wheels and fender lining, removing the headlights and then visiting a paint shop for a clear-coat? 🙂

Then it could be from transport or when they were cutting it, cause I never took it out. In that situation, can you polish then with a polishing pad & 3D One maybe?

Exactly the same one as shown in the last video above. I think he just cut it 1mm further out from the edge. Isn't that enough tuck? I am gonna need the luck )) Thanks

What ratios of soap do you suggest? Thanks for trying to help.

I get your notion... cover it to the edges. So you are suggesting I cut it on the lens directly like this guy, who gave me the idea in the first place: I will not bother atm to remove the headlight. I will give it a go while on the car. If I see it coming unstuck at the edges after some time, I will revisit. Any tips on doing as good of a job as possible at the edges? I heard spraying some alcohol (dilution?) near the edges will help them stick better and faster (is that true)? BTW. thanks for pushing me in the right direction.

I think you are very wrong here. Check out this video: Actually I decided to go for 3M Scotchguard PPF specifically because of the superior UV protection & lens protection all at once. It is much thicker than any spray/smear clear coat and is guaranteed for 5 years by 3M (pro = 10 years). No chances of cracking, self healing properties, easy on/off/repeat. I think you cannot beat it. I decided against clear coating first and then ppf, simply for the ease of reapplication of ppf whenever needed ie. not having to deal with any yellowing clear coat under the ppf ie. remove ppf, run a polisher for 2 minutes and ppf again. PS. I am the first owner, car is excellent. After headlights I will do some body work on stone chips and a general one-step polish and its perfect!

Are you suggesting I order me some 2K just in case I do not like the result? Removing the headlights on this car is not trivial so it must be done as is. Why PPF? The reason I did not choose the easier route of 2K is the uncertainty regarding the longevity of the product and the possibility of spider's web cracks after a while. In these events, I would have to redo all the prep which I did not want to do. Guarantee & Longevity. My 3M Scotchgard™ PPF according to 3M is guaranteed for 5 years. 10 years for the pro version. I could not find any numbers for 2K (let me know). Availability. spraymax also has a specific coat for headlights called 2K 2in1 Headlight Clear - could not find it on Amazon/Ebay. spraymax has a generic 2k clear coat, which is not designed for headlights, and it costs $31.56 + $37.70 delivery from USA to Cyprus. I felt that this was way too much for so many question marks that it left in my head. post mitigation I think my exit strategy in this is that I will bite the bullet, take the front wheels off, extract the headlights and take them to a guy with an oven to bake them with some clear coat. For me this is a learning experience in diy skills. If I find any issues e.g. ppf has inconsistent glue pattern etc, I have to throw in the towel and find a solution asap. I do not want to move the car out of the garage until the headlights are protected. This is why I was asking for the pattern... I cannot move the car.

Very strange. I cut the ppf, and just placed it on the headlight, and squeegeed the soapy water from under it. No stretching involved. It is possible that the glue has accumulated unevenly from being rolled up for a few weeks? This is how I received it from the seller... rolled up inside a cardboard cylinder.

Can someone lend a hand please? I am not in the US and there is no professional services where I live. Any help appreciated.

Btw, this is a trial I did with a small piece of 3M ppf. I used regular tap water and soap. The photo was taken a few minutes or a few hours after installation - I did not wait a day for all the water to evaporate completely. Do you think the residue seen under the ppf is soap/water salts? When I do the installation I should: 1. wash first with soap & rinse with loads of water & wipe with soft microfiber. 2. use a alcohol and wipe with lint free cloth (is microfiber ok to use here?) Examine lense & do it again if needed. 3. spray distilled water & soap solution (30+ to 1 ratio) 4. install ppf Any corrections or modifications to the list let me know. PS> If you know anyone who can supply me with a headlight pattern please share this topic with them. Thank you.

I am looking for a PPF pattern for the headlights of a 2008 BMW E71. I have just finished polishing the headlights after many trials (see here: https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/help-headlight-restoration-swirls-showing.1455750/). I must now install the PPF from a roll I ordered online. I thought it would be a piece of cake cutting this film while on the car, but it is not that easy and I would like to do a good job. If anyone has access to any pro software and feels charitable enough, could you please allow me to use the headlight template for this car? If you would be so kind I would really appreciate it immensely.