Be careful with car films: “Then the operating license expires”

If you want a little more color temporarily, you can use car films. This saves money, but the pros and cons should be carefully weighed.

The so-called RAL Classic catalog is an industrial standard work. In its original version, 213 colors are listed for distribution. But there is pretty much monotony on the streets: As the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) reports, most car buyers in 2022 want a grey, silver, white or black finish.

30.8 percent of the vehicles were painted white or silver. Just 5.8 percent of new registrations were blue and only 0.1 percent had violet paintwork.

There is a good reason for this: tastes are too different and car paints are too durable and, above all, too expensive to allow for large-scale experiments, says Hans-Georg Marmit from the expert organization KÜS in Losheim am See.

With a view to a lasting pleasure and a successful resale, the vast majority of car buyers are therefore in the middle of the common color taste. They almost inevitably end up in the “grey zone” of the paintwork.

But for people with a more individual taste, there is a risk-free solution: foiling. This usually costs a lot less than a complete paint job. The vehicle gets a temporary second skin that can be a little more colorful. And if you’ve had enough of it or want to sell your car at some point without losing money because of your rather weird taste, you can simply peel off the film again.

With the foil you can influence the value of the car when it is resold, confirms Dieter Fess from the residual value specialist BFF Forecast in Völklingen. Emergency vehicles, taxis and other cars can be ordered individually, wrapped for the respective purpose and sold at a more attractive price after use with new paintwork.

But he restricts: Although you can reduce the loss in value, you can rarely really make a profit. This applies all the more to private customers, according to the expert. The film offers added value: “The paint underneath is protected from stone chipping and the effects of the weather, and the car may look younger than it actually is,” says Marmit.

Depending on the quality of the film and the structure of the vehicle, you have to reckon with 2,000 to 4,000 euros for an average car with full wrapping, Marmit estimates. The working hours are particularly expensive, because two people are employed for around 24 hours for a complete wrap. Car films are special films that are applied to the paintwork of the car using adhesive. They are not only available in color but also transparent.

If you want to save money, you might lend a hand and wrap the film yourself. But the expert warns against it. That is hardly to be recommended, since a lot of experience and careful work are required. “Otherwise there is a risk of ugly bubbles and distortions.”

Car film is applied using the cold/warm method. To do this, the affected area on the car must be dry and free of grease. The foil is then only laid on and cut with a special tool. If you try to wrap it as a layman, you can quickly scratch the paintwork.

Compared to painting, the film remains extremely cheap. Installing, cleaning and applying several coats of paint can result in costs of up to 10,000 euros for the new paintwork alone.

Where the film does not hold, experts speak of “low-energy surfaces”. These are, for example, unpainted plastic components such as the shock absorber or decorative strips. The film simply has no hold on these parts.

In addition, vehicle owners should know exactly what paint they have on their car. The film cannot adhere well to special seals either. A film can be applied, but this will last much shorter. The reason: special seals have a lotus effect to which the films do not adhere well.

It doesn’t matter whether car owners have the foil applied by professionals or try their luck in their garage at home: they are not completely free in their choice of color and foil, explains Marmit and warns against using chrome and mirror foils.