Tips to Remove "Clear Bra?"

[spazzyfry123]

My car came with tremendous amount of protective film around the car, and the defined lines are absolutely killing me over a Jet Black car. What tips and suggestions do you have to remove the film DIY? I have the 1/3 length up the hood/fenders as well as the front bumper, side skirts, little panel behind the rockers, mirrors, and a strip down the middle of the rear bumper below the trunk opening.

Also, what should be done after it is removed? Paint correction, buff, etc.

Thanks!
Tyler

[m3jala]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

My car came with tremendous amount of protective film around the car, and the defined lines are absolutely killing me over a Jet Black car. What tips and suggestions do you have to remove the film DIY? I have the 1/3 length up the hood/fenders as well as the front bumper, side skirts, little panel behind the rockers, mirrors, and a strip down the middle of the rear bumper below the trunk opening.

Also, what should be done after it is removed? Paint correction, buff, etc.

Thanks!
Tyler

Can't recommend how to remove but in terms of protection post cleanup my car came with ceramic pro treatment. It definitely helps in terms of maintaining the car and from what I have seen is way better than the clear plastic stuff. I am jet black as well. Like others say pain to clean but I love this color.

[inTgr8r]

Look on YouTube, there are several DIY on this.

It works best with 2 people, one to heat it up with a heat gun, the other to pull it off.
DO NOT pull straight up, pull across the painted surface either buy pulling back on itself or by stretching it.

Most of the glue will come off with the film.
You will need some goo gone to clean up the remaining bits.

It's much easier than window tints removal.

[codinge90]

Do you know how long it's been on the car? You'll have to be super careful removing it if it's been on the car for a long time and been sitting in the sun. PPF is literally glue based, I've seen plenty of cars remove clear and paint removing it. Heat it up with a heat gun and go slowly.

[TomHudson]

Comes off easy-peasy.
A bit of heat from a heat gun and it comes right off.
I did mine in the sun, to make it even easier. Seriously took about 15 minutes

Afterwards, polish it up.

I started at the corner of the front fender. It’s a small piece to give you that confidence

[spazzyfry123]

Thanks guys. I don't know why the thought of doing this is stressing me out as much as it is. I'm a mechanical guy and am scared shitless of paint work

I'd leave it all on if it weren't for the defined lines on the hood, fenders, and rear bumper. Against the Jet Black is looks like a deep scratch.

Originally Posted by inTgr8r

Look on YouTube, there are several DIY on this.

It works best with 2 people, one to heat it up with a heat gun, the other to pull it off.
DO NOT pull straight up, pull across the painted surface either buy pulling back on itself or by stretching it.

Most of the glue will come off with the film.
You will need some goo gone to clean up the remaining bits.

It's much easier than window tints removal.

Thanks! I didn't realize that Goo Gone was good for clearcoats. Good to know!

Originally Posted by codinge90

Do you know how long it's been on the car? You'll have to be super careful removing it if it's been on the car for a long time and been sitting in the sun. PPF is literally glue based, I've seen plenty of cars remove clear and paint removing it. Heat it up with a heat gun and go slowly.

THIS exact reason is what scares me.

It has been on the car its whole life as far as I can tell. But it has been a garage queen the majority of its life (initially a lease turned into someone's baby that got a couple thousand miles a year on it before me). But the last thing I want to do is create more problems.

Originally Posted by TomHudson

Comes off easy-peasy.
A bit of heat from a heat gun and it comes right off.
I did mine in the sun, to make it even easier. Seriously took about 15 minutes

Afterwards, polish it up.

I started at the corner of the front fender. It’s a small piece to give you that confidence

Confidence inspiring. Any recommendations for post-removal polishing? I am great with mechanical maintenance and tinkering. I'm not much beyond a hand wash otherwise.

[spazzyfry123]

Originally Posted by m3jala

Can't recommend how to remove but in terms of protection post cleanup my car came with ceramic pro treatment. It definitely helps in terms of maintaining the car and from what I have seen is way better than the clear plastic stuff. I am jet black as well. Like others say pain to clean but I love this color.

How long have you had the Ceramic Pro on? Is it something that you need to have reapplied after a certain amount of time? It is certainly something that I have considered, but I'm curious if it's worth the cost. Seems incredible!

And I will say... I've been looking for the exact spec of my car for YEARS with no luck. Jet Black was at the absolute bottom of my list, but I couldn't pass it up when it finally showed up for sale. Still wish I had Space Grey or Titanium Silver...But I've been in love with the car nonstop since I picked it up over a year ago. Please don't hate when you see it dirty, just know that I use her for what she's intended for!

[m3jala]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

How long have you had the Ceramic Pro on? Is it something that you need to have reapplied after a certain amount of time? It is certainly something that I have considered, but I'm curious if it's worth the cost. Seems incredible!

And I will say... I've been looking for the exact spec of my car for YEARS with no luck. Jet Black was at the absolute bottom of my list, but I couldn't pass it up when it finally showed up for sale. Still wish I had Space Grey or Titanium Silver...But I've been in love with the car nonstop since I picked it up over a year ago. Please don't hate when you see it dirty, just know that I use her for what she's intended for!

On mine it was applied when the car was new so 2013. I don't have any issues with it and it just looks like clean paint which in the case of jet black looks awesome. You do not need to reapply unless you start getting stone dings and need to remove, paint correct and then reapply. They have some extra layer on the windshield which you are supposed to reapply yearly for maximum beading affect but I have not had to do it since owning it (one year).

In my book it's 100% worth it and I plan to try my hand on applying it myself on my wife's suv next summer (too many projects going on now!)

Good luck.

[TomHudson]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

Thanks guys. I don't know why the thought of doing this is stressing me out as much as it is. I'm a mechanical guy and am scared shitless of paint work

I'd leave it all on if it weren't for the defined lines on the hood, fenders, and rear bumper. Against the Jet Black is looks like a deep scratch.



Thanks! I didn't realize that Goo Gone was good for clearcoats. Good to know!



THIS exact reason is what scares me.

It has been on the car its whole life as far as I can tell. But it has been a garage queen the majority of its life (initially a lease turned into someone's baby that got a couple thousand miles a year on it before me). But the last thing I want to do is create more problems.



Confidence inspiring. Any recommendations for post-removal polishing? I am great with mechanical maintenance and tinkering. I'm not much beyond a hand wash otherwise.

It was only to polish the edge where the clear bra ends, at the edge of the paint. You may not have to do anything. I have a quality rotary buffer with pads and polishes..

Seriously, you’re overthinking this. The bra was worn, faded and cheap quality. I pulled off , buffed it and it looks amazing; ask the guy who bought the car,

[XPEL]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

My car came with tremendous amount of protective film around the car, and the defined lines are absolutely killing me over a Jet Black car. What tips and suggestions do you have to remove the film DIY? I have the 1/3 length up the hood/fenders as well as the front bumper, side skirts, little panel behind the rockers, mirrors, and a strip down the middle of the rear bumper below the trunk opening.

Also, what should be done after it is removed? Paint correction, buff, etc.

Thanks!
Tyler

Hey Tyler,

Check out the graphic below along with the care instructions we've pulled from XPEL.com/Care

Removing Paint Protection Film
Professional removal of the film is recommended. However, when professional removal is not possible, the film may be removed as follows:

Removal of paint protection film should be done with a steamer. It will keep the film pliable and wet so that it can be “stretched” off the vehicle.
Peel one corner of the film up with your fingernail.
Pull the film towards you at a shallow angle less than 45 degrees (see figure 8a). This angle is important to ensure sure that the adhesive comes off with the film rather than staying on the paint. The film should “stretch” off the car.
If any adhesive is left on the car, use a general adhesive remover to help loosen it.
See our Paint Protection Film Frequently Asked Questions page for more info. Click here.

Once removed, we hope you consider having the latest and greatest clear bra installed, XPEL ULTIMATE PLUS.
Check out the video here to see the rigorous testing we put the film through.
XPEL ULTIMATE PLUS Video

Hope this info helps, let us know if we can answer any other questions.