13 yr old Clear bra question

I'm looking to add a 2007 Cayman to my stable. I'm veering away from muscle cars, for now and want something for my wife and I to drive and enjoy so looking this, as I have never been exposed to a Porsche and it fits the bill. I'm looking forward to the new experience. I have been researching what to look for and what to avoid. Today I finally took one for a test drive that I have been researching, and ran into a dilemma that I have no experience with. The car had a full clear bra/ wrap on it. Every panel was covered to the edges not wrapped around them and it was starting to show its age. It was just starting to bubble and in some areas it was flaking off. To sum it up not a fan of the wrap, test drive went good. Loved the handling, the engine noise in the cockpit was fun to listen to, it had a little more road noise than I expected, but overall good. I do all of my own work. This will not be hired out, I enjoy this aspect of toy ownership So now the questions: Hard hard would it be to remove 13 yr old clear wrap? What can I expect the paint to be like when it's removed? What should I be looking for with it on there/ what's it hiding for paint damage and such?

To remove the film with the lowest chance of damage you need steam. Steam will loosen the adhesive in the film and allow you to very slowly remove it. 13yrs..... I expect the paint will be in pretty good shape if you go slow enough. A large steamer will be needed. The tiny ones from Amazon won't cut a big job like that. Rent one. You could also call your local PPF install place and ask them removal charge quote... but it will be spendy. Remember, sloooooooow. Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

I’m about 10 hours into removing the 13 year old clear bra from the front bumper, mirror caps, and fenders.

If it looks pristine would you lift it anyway? Mine is at the ten year mark next year, the application looks brand new and I appreciate the spirit behind the effort but I can't say I would have had it applied.

As stated, you dont just peel off protective film. You need heat to do so from either steam or some other source to release the adhesive and then it will come right off. The pros use industrial clothing steamers because its much safer than using a heat gun. I have personally used a heat gun on low settings ro remove mine before but I trust my own skills and wouldn't suggest it as the best way for anyone else Best to let the pros remove it if its in bad shape and you dont feel comfortable tackling the project yourself. The good news is the paint underneath should look great! My current 981 was wrapped on dealer floor before I drove away with it 7.5 years ago and the film still looks fantastic. Most have no idea its even there unless I tell them or show them

Are you using a heat gun or any other heat source? If I go through with this, it sounds like heat would be the way to go.

It's bubbling and looks dull and worn but still clear. I think it was mainly stored inside, so I've got that going for me. If the car didn't look odd close up, I'd leave it as you suggest but it looks odd.

Here is a pic of the car. Inside lighting misleads actual appearance. There is a couple of deep dings on the front end and on the passenger rear something has broken through and the clear bra is brittle. 41100 miles on her, that is why I'm really considering taking the risk on this car but want to be very sure of what I'm getting myself into with the removal of the bra and what's underneath.

I guess you missed it, but I’ll say it again Do NOT use a HEAT gun. Steam is what we use to remove xPel PPF here. I don’t use it in an automotive capacity, but that’s neither here nor there. Paint is Paint. Steam is slower and won’t allow hot spots, which minimizes the chance of cooking your paint. Do what you like.

It took me about 2 hours to remove the original clear rock guards that were 14 years old. Used a handheld steamer, Wd-40 and a plastic credit card to get the sticky goo left behind. Paint looked great. I don’t know if those are the same kind of material as PPF film though.

2009 and my hood had to be painted after my removal

Sorry I did not miss it, I just forgot to ask on the reasoning. I'm not worried too much on speed, and the hot spots makes sense. Thank you for the clarification, I do sincerely appreciate your feedback. As it goes into the total equation.

What is the reason for painting the hood?

Here’s 4 hours of work over the weekend.

Yikes, that stuff must be so brittle to crack off in little pieces like that! And it looks like the glue residue is also staying behind. It might be easier and better for your sanity to take a belt sander to it at this point and just repaint!😆

My mileage was better than some others above. 2006 car, removed clear bra in 2018. I don't know if it was applied in 06 or at a later date. Best tool for me was a plastic razor blade from a chain auto parts store. Surface warmed by sun. It was a Saturday project, paint shined up well.

My understanding is that 10 years is about the limit if cared for. But in any case I fully recommend putting it back on unless your area is pretty rock free... . Mine was on the car when I got it, put on by pros and has saved me from a lot of chips. I even clipped a deer and it only caused a star crack in the bumper paint underneath the PPF . (yes I am VERY lucky). So they pulled off the PPF , repainted and sent it out to have new PPF back on the bumper. Looks like new now! And the PPF had a few abrasions and chips in it before, so those just went away. I might say one more thing - PPF that is 10-13 years old, is quite likely not as good as any new stuff you get today. Mine is definitely thicker than the pics but really optically clear. You have to tell people and show the edges or they can't tell. You probably can, but the protection is worth it. I have the full front and the kick panels on the side and rear qtr panel. Even with that I got to stones where the PPF is not....so I am glad I have it. Different colors may show it differently. Silver is pretty much no problem in my estimation. Good luck! and congrats on your new toy

Here we are 19 days later:

A gajillion hours later, we're finished!

Looking good!

That is the same colour of my Boxster 987.1 . It is a kind of rare, but definitely classic, in my opinion. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk