Bra Film...

[Mitch Leland]

Howdy,

I thought it might be helpful if I posted this e-mail from our member, Cooper Boggs... He was nice enough to write a very comprehensive e-mail to me and He agreed that I could share it with the other members.

Thank you Cooper,
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Hi Mitch-

Thanks for asking about the film.

To answer your question, yes the film can be safely removed from the paint.
BE AWARE if your car was recently repainted you need to wait a minimum of 4 weeks before installing the film. The paint must FULLY cure. If the film is installed too soon after refinishing the curing process is stopped and the paint will likely come off with the film if removed in the future.

The film is usually about 8mils thick (.008) from most of the manufacturers. Porsche has used 3M product for its rear splash guards in the past. Lotus and Mercedes use VentureShield on their vehicles.

You mentioned that you are in Texas. XPEL is a major designer and reseller of paint protection film. They are located in San Antonio. I trained with them a few years ago.

Another company operating out of Texas is Invisiblemask.com Jim Seely is the owner. They make patterns and resell kits as well as have installers in the area. They have 3M Automotive, VenturShield and 3M Aerospace films available.

Some things you might like to know...there are several different manufacturers of film on the market. 3M Automotive film is the most commonly used. It has some draw backs, the adhesive is more yellow than competitors and the clear coat applied to the urethane base has much more 'orange peel' texture than competitors. This looks bad on a dark colored car.

VentureShield film is what I use and has a much smoother surface and is far less yellow. It has a coated finish like 3M for durability. (Venture claims that their film isn't yellow at all, the reality is all of this film regardless of manufacturer has a slight yellow hue to it...my wifes white 993 can attest to this).

The film that Invisible Mask sells as their "invisi-mask" brand is a very high quality 3M Aerospace product. It is barely yellow and very smooth. I have used it for black cars in the past. Its down fall is that it is un-coated so it is more susceptible to the environment.

Avery Dennison also makes film. I have used it in the past as well. It starts out nice and glossy like the Venture but is un-coated and fades very quickly from airborne contaminants. Not a very nice product for longevity.

Ask your installer what they have available.

No matter what film is installed on your car, you should wash it with water and a mild car washing soap, then apply a coat of Plexus Plastic Cleaner to the film. Spray on and wipe off with a microfiber cloth. It is an aerosol spray designed to clean plastic windows on aircraft. Here in CA it is available at marine supply and motorcycle stores. These folks wipe down their bike fairings and windshields. Best prices are found on the net though.

All of the film will be damaged by harsh cleaners such as bug and tar removers, 409, simple green, acetone, and any abrasive polish.

Hope all of this info. isn't too overwhelming!

If you have any other questions I will be glad to answer them too.

Take care, Cooper

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