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Okay this is probably a dumb question, but what are these for? Is it a piece of PPF to protect the paint from rocks or is it some sort of reflective surface for oncoming traffic? Question is, can I take them off? I hate how the edges always look dirty even after a fresh wash. And if I do take them off, what are the chances there will be an outline or difference in paint color? I have had the car for a little over a year now and I do have an after market ceramic coat on it.
that's dealer-installed PPF. You probably have a strip on the lower 1/3 of your hood, and also on your sideview mirrors too.
To remove it I would take it to a shop that does PPF. They will use heat guns and experience/technique to remove it without any paint risk, then do minor paint correction and reapply ceramic coat to the bare paint. Or, you could get PPF that's worth a damn, find a shop that does XPEL premium plus + get a full front clip put on, up to you.
No, please don't remove them unless you plan to PPF the door yourself.
My rear doors have taken a beating. The PPF itself even has a chunk missing, presumably from a rock hitting it.
I agree, not sure if i would remove it or recommend removing it, but i don't like how noticeable it is against the ultra white. Needless to say mine is still on.
fortunately I have the FCK mudguards for added protection
I agree, do not remove it. I have that whole area PPF’ed and after almost 3 years of mountain runs (and pre-FCK mudguards), my PPF needs a PPF! There’s only so much it can self-heal and I shudder at what the paint would look like without it.
Have you tried a Q-tip or lightly use a toothpick to clean out the dirt?
It came from the factory like that in mine too! I would not remove either. I keep mine cleane with using warm water on the edge and so far, it looks new and the car is almost 3 yrs old.
Where it was installed when our cars was freshly painted, i would be scared of taking it off and removing sections of paint but that is just my opinion. You could always ask a bodyshop (reputable) on their advice
I can confirm that my wife's 2023 Cloudburst IS500 came delivered with this PPF installed. Actually there are TWO triangular pieces -- one mounted on the forward-facing radius on the lower rear door, and one on the lower aft corner of the door. They are almost invisible, at least on Cloudburst.
On lighter colors, as said, the edges tend to collect dirt and it's more obvious. We had this on our previous 2017 IS350 in Ultra White.
Leave it on - this is an area that takes a lot of abuse, pretty much on any car out there. You will be happy you did in the long run.
I stand corrected, I have the same exact template PPF on my car. It appears to be installed at the factory or port. So the dealer has nothing to do with it (or they all use the exact same template)
Side stickers
