DIY PPF (my experience)

[RsTyle]

Originally Posted by Chilled

There is no main issue with spreading the job over several weekends, just keep in mind that you will need to clean and prep the surface before you ppf. ie. if you clean and claybar the bonnet one weekend but decided to actually ppf it the next, well you will have to do it all over again. Plus the time waist of removing door handles/etc.

If you are only committing just the two days, that may not be enough times for some panels edge to fully dry to allow edge wrap around.

The very first panel you do will be nerve wracking and will take the most amount of time. My advice is do the smallest and flattest panel you can. The gas cap will be fun, but wrapping those edges will be a pita.

Thanks for the advice. Can you explain what you meant by "If you are only committing just the two days, that may not be enough times for some panels edge to fully dry to allow edge wrap around"? Does that mean the car needs certain time to fully dry before I can take it out to drive?

If say I do hood only Saturday morning, am I good to drive Monday morning?

[RsTyle]

Han4mi OP, can you let me know what you had for the hood stripes? Are those vinyl decals? Thanks!

[espressoo]

Very nice install OP. Especially if this is your first vehicle you’ve ever attempted PPF with. If you ever had to do the doors again I definitely recommend removing the door handles. It only takes 2 minutes to remove properly and greatly reduces the headache of having to work around a handle during PPF install. The most important part of unscrewing the door handle is to not completely unscrew the holding torx screw. Only unscrew it until you feel resistance and stop. The door handle then easily pops out. There was a great YT video I used when I DIYed my X7 PPF install. I’ll post the video if I can find it.

Originally Posted by RsTyle

I'm a big DIY guy and I'm contemplating doing this. My only hesitation is I don't have large chunk of time to get this all done once. Do you envision any problems if I tackle one panel per weekend? Also, does the matte PPF complicate things in any way? Thanks!

What vehicle are you doing PPF on as your first attempt? From experience I can tell you it’s very time consuming and frustrating. Especially using bulk PPF vs a pre-cut kit. Mistakes can be pricey if you ruined a large piece and have to trash it. The results however can be rewarding and many people are often in awe after hearing you did it yourself since it’s extremely difficult compared to other DIY mods.

When I did my install I did it over a two week span but had the luxury of not needing to drive it for those two weeks. It was parked in the garage and I didn’t have to rewash or reclean the panel I was doing next. Also, lifting almost always occurs and it’s super helpful if you didn’t drive it 1-2 days after a panel is done. That way you can go back and retack an edge that lifted before it completely dries/cures. If you drive it say 1 day after and an edge lifts, dirt will get under it and it can’t be fixed at that point.

With matte/stealth PPF, it will look funny doing it panel by panel over a few week timeframe but I don’t see an issue. It’s just more time consuming since you’ll have to wash your car every week before resuming the install. For the bumpers I recommend getting a pre-cut kit. Coverage might not be 100% compared to a bulk install but you’ll be less frustrated. Hood, doors and other large parts IMO is better with bulk PPF. Make sure you invest in a really good blade to trim the PPF. A good blade + refill blades might cost you $5-10 more but you’ll have better results and straighter cuts. No worse feeling than spending hours on a panel to only ruining the piece due to a poor trim from a dull blade.

Good luck and share the results!

[espressoo]

This is the most useful BMW door handle removal video I found.

[omasou]

How about some close ups of the edges and complicated parts like door handles?

[Chilled]

Originally Posted by RsTyle

Thanks for the advice. Can you explain what you meant by "If you are only committing just the two days, that may not be enough times for some panels edge to fully dry to allow edge wrap around"? Does that mean the car needs certain time to fully dry before I can take it out to drive?

If say I do hood only Saturday morning, am I good to drive Monday morning?

It's a two part answer.

Edges drying to allow wrap around. - Given where edge is and the direction the water can leave, it may take a considerable amount of time for the moisture in that edge to evaporate to allow full wrap around.

ie. When I did my front bumper, I chose to wrap all the way under the car to the edge of the painted surface. Granted this is way further than most shops will go, but I wanted max coverage. Given that the bottom section is underneath and that is where all the moisture will pool to. I had to wait until he 2nd day for it do dry out before the PPF would stick upside-down.
By comparison, for the A-D piece. the top section (near roof racks) was dry and ready next morning and the bottom section (door jams) I could do straight away.

Yes you can blow out the water with compressed air or heat gun. Given that this is your first time. I would advise caution in doing this as too much air will lift the fill off, too much heat can ruin the film. Hence, if its your first patience is the preferred route.


Been able to drive away/next day. - 2 main reasons for it.
1. as espressoo mentioned. Usually you will want to leave the panel sit for a couple of days because some corners edges may lift and you need to fix. If you get dirt under them. You will have to cut that section off or re-do the entire panel.
2. Most PPF manufacturers and installers recommend 2-3 days wait period for the film to fully adhere to the car. If you take out straight away, the adhesive may not fully cure and when the ppf take a chip/abrasion/ significant wind , it may lift that section/edges off.


As espressoo mentioned, absolutely remove the door handles. It not hard and makes the job easier and the install way cleaner.


Also just seen OP's post and tack recommendations. That is way to high % of alcohol. Most manufacturers say no more that 17% as too much alcohol can ruin the adhesive. I only used about 5% to wash out the soap. For slip I've seen from 2-2.5mil J&J (non conditioned) per 1L


omasou Sure, here is a link to where my bodies are buried. As mentioned in the post this was my first time wrapping/pff or anything like that. I can fix all of these issues, as I have enough material left over to do either 4xdoors, or 1 bonnet, or 2x bumpers, etc. Ps. The Car is dirty in these.
https://f15.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...2#post30692162

[MJBO]

Originally Posted by omasou

How about some close ups of the edges and complicated parts like door handles?

Curious too, this is where satin PPF jobs fall apart.

[espressoo]

Originally Posted by MJBO

Curious too, this is where satin PPF jobs fall apart.

Stealth PPF installed correctly can hide 99% of OEM paint. Whether you paid a shop or DIY it, all it takes is more time and attention to detail.

https://g07.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...7&postcount=49

[MJBO]

Originally Posted by espressoo

Stealth PPF installed correctly can hide 99% of OEM paint. Whether you paid a shop or DIY it, all it takes is more time and attention to detail.

https://g07.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...7&postcount=49

Yes I know, I should have been clearer, this is where poor satin PPF jobs fall apart.

My BSM is satin wrapped and they did an amazing job. Better than some others I’ve seen recently.

[MADBMWX5MC]

Admire those who do their own PPF, I tried twice to install racing stripes on my mustang and gave up. Ended up paying someone to get it done.

[RsTyle]

espressoo It'll be an M3C. I was planning to buy bulk and try to get as much covered as I could, but only if I could only get the hood and rocker panels done, I'd still be happy as that'd be enough coverage for what I have spent on the materials. I'm considering washing each panel as I go. Is there a need to wash the entire car when I only attempt one panel each time?

Chilled Regarding the corners, just curious, since they are wrapped around, what stops one from using some extra tape to temporarily secure them to the (opposite) side of the panel?

[Hornet-01]

Originally Posted by RsTyle

I'm a big DIY guy and I'm contemplating doing this. My only hesitation is I don't have large chunk of time to get this all done once. Do you envision any problems if I tackle one panel per weekend? Also, does the matte PPF complicate things in any way? Thanks!

very cool result, everything is beautiful in the photo.
when you unscrew the bolt to remove the handle, use a magnet, then you won’t lose it. Otherwise, I agree with most of the advice.
I'll attach a photo of my car... film allows you to realize interesting ideas)))

[RsTyle]

I took delivery of the car last week and planning to get started. Where does everyone buy bulk ppf from?

[sunjayk18]

Originally Posted by Han4mi

Some of you have probably considered doing PPF on your precious BMW, but were thrown off by the cost (myself included). I'm happy to report that this can actually be done by yourself for a fraction of the cost.

I really wanted a full stealth wrap on my brooklyn grey m4, but the quotes from local shops were around 5k USD, which is a lot of money. Don't get me wrong - it takes a lot of time and knowledge to get this done right and you probably won't get the same results by doing it yourself, but if you're not looking for perfection, have some spare time (and a secondary vehicle, as you won't be able to use your car for a considerable amount of time) then give it a shot!

Looking to do this too, not satin/ matte, just clear. Any advice on the front bumper? I feel like that would be the hardest part. thank you!

[Han4mi]

Originally Posted by sunjayk18

Looking to do this too, not satin/ matte, just clear. Any advice on the front bumper? I feel like that would be the hardest part. thank you!

I asked a friend to help me out, since you need to give it a really good stretch. The bumper is kinda difficult around the grille and headlights. If you're not looking for perfection you'll be fine.

[MADBMWX5MC]

Originally Posted by RsTyle

I took delivery of the car last week and planning to get started. Where does everyone buy bulk ppf from?

I have purchased from directly from Xpel...mind you, I have been unsuccessful at this, but my fault...not the ppf...