AJ Freeman
Ever wondered about where Paint Protection Film (PPF) came from? Why it's used? This article sheds some brief light on what we know about PPF.
Paint Protection Film, also known as PPF, is one thing a lot of people are asking about these days. Is this new? What is this “clear bra”? And why haven’t I heard of it? Well, let me answer some of these questions for you!
Is this new?
No, and in fact, PPF was initially designed during the Vietnam War in the 1950s to protect and extend the life of rotor blades on helicopters.
Their blades were easily damaged by flying debris during take-off and landing. Thus, a “clear bra” thermoplastic urethane, also known as “Helicopter Tape,” was invented. Their purpose was to protect the rotor blades without hindering their performance.
What is clear bra?
Well, the first ever “car bra” was created in 1961 as a redesign of protective covers for the Porsche 356. And for years, the black vinyl car bra that we all know and love (well maybe not all of us) has been making its rounds. But not everyone was too pleased with the visual look of that car bra. May I remind you of its visual:
Yeah, now you remember.
Not even sure if those are still in production. But NOW, with helicopter tape and the car bra, we now have a “clear bra.” A clear automotive protective film that can cover all painted panels of any vehicle. It protects them from rock chips, UV damage that can cause paint fading, parking lot-knicks, scratches, and any other road debris or harmful elements.
So, why might you not have heard of it?
It’s still a new product! Constantly being tweaked and updated, PPF companies are adding new protective properties to each version. The film we use that we believe to be one of the best ones out there in the industry is XPEL Ultimate Plus® and XPEL Stealth®. A clear protective film with a zero orange peel finish, optical clarity, 99% UV protection, and our favorite: self-healing. Yep, any time that your car, protected with XPEL, gets any micro swirls or scratches gets removed by heat. The process is done either by baking in the summer sun or with a heat gun or hair dryer. It’s that easy.
So, if you’re still interested after reading all that, shoot over a message and we’ll get in touch with you! We love keeping cars beautiful.
