who can confirm they were able to remove paint protection film from headlights

Before I go off and do something I'll regret later, which is not uncommon and one of the reasons that I try to limit my alcohol intake, I thought I would look at paint protection film for headlights. Apparently some people complain that it's difficult to remove. I would assume that it is not immortal and will need to be removed/replaced. Is that realistic?

I haven't yet but the right procedure is to heat it up prior to removal. Similar for paint so you don't remove the paint with the PPF. I've seen Larry from AMMO NYC place a thick microfiber towel on PPF and then pour boiling hot water over it. The towel holds water and heat helping to soften the old PPF. Patience is key here but it looks like a good procedure to follow.

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Sounds like it ought to get things moving. Might be a little drastic and I'd probably end up cracking something but I don't know anyone who's done it themselves. Seems like people put that stuff on and assume they'll never take it off. I imagine it's better to take it off before it's too old. Probably easier to save whatever's underneath that way. So what is too old? 3 years is okay but 6 is too long?

The problem I see is there is no generic "ppf". There are a few key differences and the adhesives are not the same among the top brands. What might have worked for one brand might not work for another. That being said, PPF if awfully thin for headlights and if your goal is to stop cracks from stones, it will only be a small increase in survivable performance. A few companies used to make specific headlight film that was considerably thicker (most ppf is 3-7mils, whereas headlight film has been done in 15 and 30!). Additionally, some PPF has a clear coat that may or may not disperse the illumination in a way that benefits night vision. Headlight specific film typically didn't have that and thus, was nice in that regard. Agree on the not immortal, and changing it out prior to "expiration" is smart. As soon as you see and discoloration and/or any faint crack lines you'll want to get it off. I just pulled some ppf off an older racecar that had it installed many many years ago and PITA is a huge understatement. Good luck, Costas cars and such...

I recently had to remove 3 year old Expel from the hood of my 981 due to a rock impact. I had our local vendor remove it and watched closely. He used a steamer to loosen the glue and peeled it off in less than 10 minutes with no residue. He emphasized working slowly. Sounds like the hot water and cloth technique would work.

A steamer would work just as well as the hot water over the towel. The reason why I like this method better is because the hot towel maintains the heat much longer than steam and allows the glue to become soft. Working slowly is just as important. The horror stories you hear about PPF removal are often due to the fact that the glue is still hard and as you pull too hard it takes the paint with it. Something's gotta give and more often it's the old paint before the PPF. If it's melted a bit and you remove slowly there should be no issues. Last thing you want to do is rush this.

Check out this thread I did a while back https://rennlist.com/forums/991/1030...ispreloading=1 definitely go slow, use steam, and you may need to have a solvent handy to remove adhesive left behind here�s a quick video

I've used a heatgun on window film inside of cars. Works like a charm. The higher the quality of the film, the easier it is to remove. Let the car sit outside in the summer, then use a heatgun or steamer.

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That's a good thread. Thanks. Those lights look awesome. I'm interested in the ultraviolet protection to keep my lenses from yellowing after refinishing them and want to do that without spraying some kind of clear coat. The added benefit of some degree of road rash protection is a plus. Do you feel 996 headlights have the same issues with delaminations as the 991 lights?