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Yoshi_NTECH

PPF Blog Vol.002: "How I Discovered Paint Protection Film (PPF)"

Hello everyone! It's Yoshi from N-TECH.

Today, I want to share how I, as the owner of N-TECH, first discovered PPF and ultimately turned it into a career.


My introduction to PPF began in the world of racing.Back then, top-level race cars were just starting to use carbon panels, and PPF for regular cars didn’t exist yet. I remember spotting “helicopter tape” (a protective film used on helicopter blades) applied to race cars. It was my first encounter with what would later become PPF. At the time, I just thought, “Oh, they’re using this to keep the carbon panels from shattering on impact.” Little did I know, this would lead to a future business!


Around that time, I was a race car driver in an F1 junior program.Even though racing was my life, I knew a race car driver’s career might only last until around 40. So while I stayed focused on racing, I also explored business ideas on the side. I tried buying and reselling luxury cars from sponsors and even launched a custom car shop focused on engine builds and body makeovers. But, in my teens, I didn’t have the experience to make those last, so I went back to focusing solely on racing.


Eventually, one of my sponsors began importing XPEL into Japan—well before there was an official distributor. As a kid, I couldn’t stand even a scratch on my cars! Everything had to stay pristine—whether it was my die-cast models, my MTB, or my dad’s R32 Skyline. When I discovered XPEL as an adult, it hit me like lightning. It was thinner, more flexible than helicopter tape, and could be applied to almost any surface.


Back then, the pre-cut kits only covered the visible surfaces, not the panel edges.I remember the rock chips on the front edge of my Porsche 930 Carrera’s hood—it drove me crazy! So, I started developing custom patterns and one-off installations to cover those spots, creating my own custom data as early as 2004.


Fast-forward to today, and N-TECH's custom data has come a long way.We've been evolving and perfecting our approach for nearly 20 years, and our experience is unmatched. I still fondly remember flying to various countries, XPEL rolls in tow, to install PPF on supercars because Europe and Asia hadn’t widely adopted it yet. Those trips gave me invaluable hands-on experience with some of the world’s finest cars.


Today, N-TECH has expanded beyond Japan to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and California.Our techniques have grown from years of observing how our PPF installations have held up—sometimes even 10 years or longer. Each experience taught us how to improve.


In the next blog, I’ll start sharing some of the equipment, techniques, and expertise we've developed over the past two decades. Stay tuned to see how N-TECH's approach to PPF keeps your car looking flawless for years to come!


Yoshi Tani

N-TECH



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