[vividracing]

Originally Posted by Turbo95eg6

Despite what anyone says, I still think paint finish with clear bra will never look as good compared to a car without one.

Well you're sort of correct. Film has a very slight bumpiness to it compared to the flat smoothness of paint, however, the look of the film once installed depends heavily on the quality of paint underneath. If you just wash the car then put film on, you're trapping all the contaminants stuck in the paint under it, making the film look more bumpy. But if you use a clay bar on the paint then polish and seal, the surface will be super flat and clean and the film will also be so. At car shows, I've had people examine the paint and they're surprised to learn there's film on it, they never would have noticed unless I told them, and I've had people ask how the paint looks good.

Film just does not have the same qualities as clear coat, and tend to be more dull with noticeable orange peel type effects.

The orange peel look is a result of a poor paint surface quality, and not using a clay bar, and a not polishing before installing the film. Again, the film is only as good as the surface it's put on. It conforms to the surface and will reflect any defects under it. A good paint surface (top of the pic) makes it practically invisible. How it's more dull I don't know your meaning, but if you mean the way light shines, then yes there is a difference, but not noticeable to the average person. If you have a screen protector on your cell phone, it's super smooth because there's nothing under it to make it bumpy. If you trapped something under it, it'll show through the film.

With that said, it's better to get a whole panel done, so you done see the lines.

Agreed, again if you get a rock hit in a place just past the protected area, you'll be punching yourself for not doing the whole piece.

Also if you ever want to take it off, you're gonna be in a world of hurt. I tried to replace a mere half portion of my bottom bumper/lip, and I never want to experience that again. I can't imagine taking it off a whole bumper, let alone a whole hood.

Unless you need to replace it for getting torn after getting hit, there's no reason to. And a good installer has a process of doing so, and it's not like it shreds the paint, they use fluids to make it easier too. Like how you would use goof-off to get rid of glue. I know this.

I use 3M and after removing the film it's definitely more yellow and not as clear as it once was.

3M is the least reputable PPF product, XPEL or SunTek are your better choices. Stay away from 3M til they make their stuff more on par with the others.

Maybe different brands hold up better but I've had debris fly through the film and still chip my paint.

I've had apparently a big rock hit my front bumper and it ripped a hole in the film, exposing the paint underneath. I was so worried it scratched the paint but when the whole piece was removed, the film did it's job, absolutely no damage.

Can film protect in every instance? No, there's always an exception, but normal freeway driving, stop and go traffic, daily driving, you'll be protected. If you follow behind a full dump truck for a dozen miles, you're on your own! I tend to speed around dump trucks and back off behind cars on roads with debris on it to reduce the risk.

-RyanG