https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND4vE9vmQWE
Long gone are the days of applying some Turtle Wax to your single-stage enamel paint job and calling it a day. The methods that automakers use to paint cars have evolved drastically. With these advancements, the way we protect our car's finish has changed as well.
In this video posted by Engineering Explained, we take a look at a revolutionary product called XPEL paint protection film. This is a clear film that gets applied to your car's paint. It acts as a second clear coat, protecting the paint from everything from rock chips to scratches. Automotive engineer Jason Fenske had both his Honda S2000 and his Subaru Crosstrek professionally wrapped and he performs a few experiments to prove the product's strength.
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Jason starts the video off by using a permanent black marker to write on his Subaru Crosstrek. He shows that using a cloth with rubbing alcohol is all that's needed to wipe it away.
Next up, he demonstrates the film's self-healing capabilities by doing something that's very unnatural, unless you're into vandalizing cars. Jason uses a wire brush to scratch his Crosstrek and, immediately, it looks horrible. A quick application of some heat via a heat gun, and all the scratches just melt away right in front of your eyes.
The stuff is truly amazing but Jason warns that the healing feature of the film is limited. If you were to tear the film, it would need to be replaced. He also recommends a professional installation as this kind of work is somewhat of an art form. For most cars, there are pre-cut sections for each panel, but a lot of stretching and molding is still required.
This post was originally published on September 10, 2019.