Removing Old Paint Protection Film (Clear Bra) Damage Free Method | Project E46 M3 | Episode 5

[@HazardGarage]

**NOTICE** If you purchased the small handheld steamer that was used in the video (link is now removed) and also linked in the description, please know that there is a recall notice on it. I have put in the description an alternative link to another steamer you can use in your project. Please visit this page for more information: www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2024/BISSELL-Recalls-More-Than-3-Million-Steam-Shot-Handheld-Steam-Cleaners-Due-to-Burn-Hazard

[@dgander23]

Thank you for this video. I was quoted $1,000 to remove my 20 yr old 3M clear bra. I instead watched your video and after 10 hours mine was gone. I instead used a heat gun, the plastic razor blades, WD40 and then polishing compound. The key was the plastic razor blades and not being stingy with them. Using fresh ones frequently made the job easier. Wish I could post my before and after, it's amazing

[@HazardGarage]

glad it worked out for you! I can understand why it would cost so much to professionally remove because of the hours it takes, but if you don't mind doing the labor yourself, its not hard!

[@MrDsturman]

@@HazardGarageyes 10 hours at $100 an hour = $1000

[@zeescott4770]

Used the razor as well but then used the steamer nozzle ahead of the razor while peeling......4 hours

[@HazardGarage]

@@zeescott4770 yeah...its a lonngggg slow process, but glad you got it off!

[@finalapproach]

Thank you, buddy! Really helped me out in a similar situation. The film was 18 years old, all cracked and ugly. Removed it all.

[@HazardGarage]

glad it was helpful!

[@Son_of_a_G]

Great tips. I removed my clear bra that was on my old 2007 Camry. I used a hair dryer in place of a heat gun or steamer. Goo Gone seemed to work ok for removing the adhesive and doesn't seem to have damaged the paint.

[@HazardGarage]

Nice! Happy to hear it was helpful!

[@jeffreylyons1531]

Dang man! This was something I was terrified to try, doesn’t look bad at all. Great video! Fantastic channel, love the M3 and Miata.

[@HazardGarage]

Yeah man its not difficult, just a bit time consuming lol Thanks for the support Jeffrey! 😁

[@Oops-IMeantToDoThat]

You can use WD40 to remove adhesive. Beats every gunk specific product every time!

[@HazardGarage]

I have heard of WD40 being used for things like bugs, sap and rubber tire bits. Maybe I should do a test between WD40 and adhesive specific removers. 🤔

[@davidbritt6676]

Great video! I need to take some small areas off in front of my rear wheels. Speaking of wheels, your wheels are fire!

[@HazardGarage]

Thanks! and glad the video was helpful!

[@thecountrycompoundadventur4886]

Thank you for this!

[@HazardGarage]

🎬Watch these videos next👉 200K Mile BMW E46 M3 Build Begins: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooCzpmuwq6-Ld7M Installing Budget 9" Android Head unit: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3bdkKN5hcqZnNE E46 BMW M3 - Vanos Rebuild: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYekpnmKqcp1fqs $900 Junkyard Miata Build Time Lapse: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWTUmqWLd7GnnM0

[@mosslager]

The old film did its job and saved that paint. I'm going to try to remove a 17 year old 3M bra I had installed off my car this weekend. I tried a 4" corner and said there has to be an easier way. I will try your method.

[@HazardGarage]

let us know how it goes!

[@mosslager]

@@HazardGarage It went...That is a lot of work. I now know why it cost so much for removal. Mine came off in 1/4" pieces. Those plastic razor blades are a must.

[@HazardGarage]

@@mosslager absolute must! Glad it came off....eventually lol

[@cool555]

Wow awesome job man. I have ppf that I need to remove from an 18 yr old Vette and I'm worried that the paint will come off. Your technique should help! Thanks so much for posting. Did you notice any change in paint color from ppf covered areas and the stock paint?

[@HazardGarage]

Glad you found it helpful! The paint on my M3 definitely could use a buff and polish so when I pulled the PPF off it was like my car had a farmer's tan. lol

[@carsonchasingadventure]

This is awesome, can’t thank you enough for this one

[@HazardGarage]

glad it was helpful!

[@filmbakery2146]

Great video. Thanks a lot. Been finding solution to fix this

[@HazardGarage]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TheS65]

Amazing job, and amazing patients! I have a 2010 E90 m3 with 3M PPF from the dealer😩😩

[@HazardGarage]

Thanks and Good luck!

[@tonyserrano5973]

Thank you I did this to the hood of my o7 altimas hood it turned out great

[@HazardGarage]

thats awesome!

[@mr.lad-detailingtricksntip]

Would a blow dryer have helped? I tried this method on a clear bro, 7 hours later I was only half way done. Grabbed a hair dryer. 10 minutes later I was finished. I think the moisture from the steamer can do more harm than good honestly

[@HazardGarage]

I think a hair dryer could work and definitely safer than a heat gun. Maybe I should have tried lol. I saw someone use a steamer (granted it was much more powerful) and it looked like an alternative method to try vs the heat gun method.

[@3xHermes]

Great video, wow... what a labor intensive process! Makes me wonder if the PPF is worth it? Thanks for the video!

[@HazardGarage]

Thanks! Yeah it was not fun lol. My honest opinion on PPF is for a majority of people, avoid it at all costs. These things are supposed to be replaced every like 3 or so years. to avoid cracking and the adhesive degrading and ripping off paint. If you cannot afford to do that, don't get it. Also PPF will give your car "tan lines" over time as the exposed parts of your paint will age/fade quicker than what's covered by PPF. This is my opinion.

[@3xHermes]

@@HazardGarage Just bought 2017 SS Camaro 50th, has PPF all over the place, that's what brought me to your video, it's already pretty milky looking and coming up around the edges, so I'm wondering what I should do next. And how much money I'm going to have to spend. And I have to admit that the Film did it's job, many places I can see if its wasn't there my Paint would have been damaged. Anyway thanks, great Video!

[@anothersiguy]

I’ve been putting this off on my Si for so long, tried boiling water trick and got like 1 inch of it off. I’m for sure trying this exact process, I was about to give up on it.

[@HazardGarage]

Its tedious for sure! But a combination of heat, plastic scrapers and an amazing adhesive remover. It wasnt so bad. Just put on some headphones or watch some shows while you do it to help pass the time. Good Luck!

[@anothersiguy]

@@HazardGarage Thanks and appreciate the great video, you got my sub!

[@MsNdrstd1]

i think the hair dryer is safer and goo gone....also any oil willremive adhesive.....regular cooking oil or olive oil. the steam technique was better than the heat gun.

[@hondurano92]

is the rapid remover safe for headlights..and will steamer work on them as well?

[@HazardGarage]

I used them on my headlights with no issues. Just make sure to rinse/deactivate the product per its instructions within the time window specified.

[@Fee.1]

Can you please check what the active ingredient is in that product? Is it acetone ?

[@HazardGarage]

it just says petroleum distillate. But it worked awesome and paint was not damaged at all. just follow the instructions.

[@StingrayOfficial]

What a pain! But it did its job! Paint underneath looks good. Working on a 2002 with from dealer clear bra.. a black car.. I think I should just get a new hood.

[@haystie]

can i use boiled water as a replacement for the steamer?

[@HazardGarage]

theoretically yes. you just need to get the film/glue warm enough to easily come off. Steam would be much less messy though 😅

[@FutureTobinHeath]

Would you recommend the same method to remove under the handles….a little concerned it would be harder to scrape since it is a curved surface

[@HazardGarage]

Id say it works on curves too. The plastic blades are not sharp/strong enough to cause any real damage. It's like using your fingernail. Any scratches can be removed with a little compound and polish. Of course be mindful as you're doing it but when I was scraping off my old stuff, I was using decent pressure and it turned out great!

[@nathanmahaffey8479]

I’ve been using a heat gun at work but would the steamer be safer? Always worried about melting the plastic lol

[@HazardGarage]

the steamer is definitely safer. Honestly you dont need a ton of heat to soften up the film.

[@redeemedbythelamb.]

So I just bought a 2003 infiniti fx45 and I’m not sure if it’s an old clear bra on it or like bug deflector residue but it’s on the grill and my mirrors and it’s like black and gross looking ! Could I use this method?

[@HazardGarage]

yes! the plastic razor blade prevents marring (make sure to replace the blades often to make sure its clean and straight) then the rapid remover melts the left over glue like hot butter! also rapid remover is great for tar, sap and bugs too

[@redeemedbythelamb.]

@@HazardGarage thank you for your reply !!!

[@Jp-gd3jy]

Do you know of after removing the clear the paint under won't match the rest of the car?

[@HazardGarage]

Depending on how long the film was on your car and how well you took care of the exposed paint, there can be a difference in appearance/condition of the protected paint vs non-protected paint.

[@mikeprice8307]

Yep and that's why most do the whole car

[@kevinkleinhenz6511]

If you use a good polishing compound you can blend the two without noticing the drastic lines.

[@HazardGarage]

@@kevinkleinhenz6511 im too newb to try that. I used some meguiars one step compounds but am thinking a pro with more proper materials and skills could fix it.

[@kevinkleinhenz6511]

@@HazardGarage Don’t cut yourself short. Watch some videos, it’s not rocket science, no reason to pay big bucks for something you can do in a couple of hours. 👍😀

[@revikxoACE]

bro please I need help, on mine it’s literally brown it’s 22 years old, mine only has it on the front, I paid 50 dollars for this 3M remover thing I got from the paint store.. it did NOTHING and I don’t want to use the heat gun my dad has.. do you have any tips I can do without damaging or scratching my car before I go out and buy different kinds of removers?..

[@HazardGarage]

sorry for the late reply. steamer is the safest way to add heat but I can understand a good steamer is kind of pricey. The steamer I used was super small and light duty so it took longer. you can definitely use a heat gun. Just apply heat in a sweeping motion for like 5 seconds at a time on low setting. You only really need to just warm up the PPF to get it to loosen up. Don't worry too much as to melt any plastic you'd have to let the heat gun sit in one spot for like a minute or two. If the adhesive is still too strong after you heat it up, heat it up for like a few seconds more until you find out what works best. this will not be a quick process regardless and damage to paint is still possible (especially on plastic because paint isnt as strong on plastic as it is on metal parts) even if you do everything right. This is why I am super ANTI-PPF because you are supposed to replace that crap every few years but no one ever does. Good luck!

[@revikxoACE]

@@HazardGarage no worry’s! thank you so much i appreciate it a lot :) I’ll definitely try to do that, it has spots I need to touch up anyways so mabye i shouldn’t be to worried about the paint, again, thank you so much!

[@physics2817]

Thank You 🙏

[@HazardGarage]

glad it was helpful!

[@evs2760]

How many times did you have to refill that steamer for the whole job?! What is the plan for the headlights after removing that protection layer?

[@HazardGarage]

I used less than a gallon of distilled water for the car. A larger steamer lets you move faster but its much more expensive since it has a larger steam capacity. For the headlights I'll probably just use some 3M ceramic coat for UV protection. I don't think going through the hassle of a paint protection film again is worth it to me. But I never really cared about rock chips before. Depends on the person you are.

[@Snagrex]

I thought protection film wrapped car released nearly year, I didn’t to know this car wrapped sticker more than 15 year ago. Pleas let me know brand protection film because My job wrapped sticker protection to customer warranty with 3-4 year only used.

[@HazardGarage]

Hi! The protection film was installed by a previous owner. I am not 100% sure when. I have heard that PPF should be replaced every 3-5 years (depending if parked in garage or outside) so your warranty seems to be within the general consensus.

[@kurticusmaximus]

After all this work, would you ever apply PPF again?

[@HazardGarage]

In most cases I would not recommend PPF or Vinyl wrapping. Only because 90% of people who get these do not maintain them. You should be removing and reapplying PPF for vinyl every few years or so. Even if it isn't cracking or peeling. The adhesive can permanently damage paint (especially on plastic parts) when being removed. Also if you do not get a full PPF or vinyl wrap, any exposed paint will wear at a different rate than what's covered by the PPF so you'll end up with "tan lines" on your car.

[@elitechen5918]

can u use a heat gun? since i dont a steamer!

[@HazardGarage]

yes you definitely can. Just becareful not to stick in one place too long and burn anything. You really dont need a lot of heat to loosen the glue and start removing.

[@f8qtrf881]

How you are trust the paint wont go out with ppf removal?

[@HazardGarage]

the adhesive for a PPF should not be that strong that it would take the paint with it. Unless the paint was not good to begin with. Also with heat, the adhesive becomes less "sticky"

[@Fee.1]

How long did it take you to do that panel that was messed up

[@HazardGarage]

It can take about 30 mins to an hour a panel. Could be faster with a better steamer but its a slow but steady process.

[@Fee.1]

@@HazardGarage you feel a steamer beats a hood air gun? If so why?

[@SupremeDetail510]

Did a job like this today except it crackled terrible and was super worn down. Wanted to charge more lol but didn’t.

[@HazardGarage]

i hope they noticed your generosity 😄

[@CornerOfTheOval]

About to attempt this on a neglected 2002 Lexus LS 430 with white paint... gonna be rough

[@HazardGarage]

Take your time and godspeed.

[@mmbnyc2003]

Great video . could you tell us exactly which adhesive remover.. or what the base chemical is to it.. I tried the exact same method as you but I was using professional strenghh glue gone which calls itself an adhesive remover.. but it didn't work 😧

[@HazardGarage]

It's called Rapid Remover. I put a link in the description. You use the steam and plastic blade to remove the film and the left over glue is easily taken care of with the rapid remover. good luck!

[@John-qe2js]

Do I NEED the steamer?

[@HazardGarage]

you dont NEED the steamer, but a source of heat is going to be very helpful. You can use a heat gun, or a hot blow dryer but just becareful you dont warp/melt plastic parts. Steamer was a safe way of doing it for me.

[@jaykiec21]

The problem with heat gun was you cant control the heat being transferred and can easily melt plastic so I decided to go with your suggested steamer. The body shop charges a lot of money when your plastic bra got burned down by sun exposure & embedded with the paint. @@HazardGarage

[@MyGuyKirby]

For anyone viewing this, he had to speed it up or it would take forever it seems. It is a slow process so do as shown but be patient.

[@HazardGarage]

Exactly! Its fairly easy, but slow and tedious. Get some good headphones and just chip away at it!

[@Starz1288]

@@HazardGarage how slow?! I'm doing the whole front end of a coach RV and I'm about to loose my mind. Honestly how long for this one? Maybe it will give me better patience or not but either way??? Lol

[@HazardGarage]

@@Starz1288 oh boy! lol Ok on the BMW I had to remove: Half the hood, door mirrors, front bumper, the ends of the rear bumper, and the rear door corners. All that took probably 8 or so hours. It might go faster if your PPF is still relatively new and will come off in one piece. The BMW had cracked film so it took longer cause it doesnt come off in one piece. For your RV, maybe buying a pro-sized steamer (not the one I used in the video) could speed up the heating process. Maybe larger plastic non-marring scrapers (instead of razor blades). Remember you don't need a ton of heat! Just enough to be warm, not hot/gummy. Bigger steamer: amzn.to/47yjy4A Non-marring scrapers: amzn.to/3R7VvEA hope this helps! good luck!

[@iamher6422]

You think a heat gun on low could probably work too..?

[@HazardGarage]

heat gun can also work just be careful not to stay in one place to long and to not melt the paint or the film. You really dont need THAT much heat. Just enough to make it easier peel/use the scraper. Any residue left over is easily taken care of with the adhesive remover.

[@jonn9603]

Could you have use boiling hot water and pour over the clear bra and taken it off that way?

[@HazardGarage]

I think anything "hot" greatly helps. Steam seemed to be the safest, although heat gun would work too as long as you gently heated it up and made sure not to melt anything. In theory hot water should work too but steam might be more efficient and less wasteful.

[@MechInvent]

Plastic scraper definitely damaged my paint... But it has to be done.

[@HazardGarage]

😱😱 sometimes you gotta be aggressive at risk of scuffing up your paint. However, because the plastic is so soft, you should be able to buff it out as long as it didnt take paint with it.

[@nicreyes123456]

It is really hard to do

[@HazardGarage]

It definitely is a job I don't want to do if I dont have to...

[@kevinoverbeck1687]

And this boys and girls is why you never put PPF on your car unless you're going to sell it in less than 5 years.

[@HazardGarage]

💯💯 or you're willing to it removed and new PPF reapplied all over your car (no exposed paint) every 3 or so years.

[@carlyletom301]

Man, that job seems alike scubbing a shopping mall floor with a toothbrush.

[@HazardGarage]

you're not far off...

[@GertrudeTheCar]

Bruh I was just gonna blast mine with a pressure washer

[@HazardGarage]

becareful not to take paint with you! also you'll probably still need the rapid remover to get rid of the adhesive residue.

[@2ifbysea]

I was late in the brake sarge ha ha