Advice on wrapping M3

[hashoshi]

Hey folks - I wanted to get some advice / anecdotes on Model 3 wrapping and how to do due diligence on the shop I choose to do it.

A) I want to go for a satin wrap, and am trying to decide if getting a satin-finished PPF is worth the $$ and what the cost delta would be between just going vinyl vs. PPF.

B) I am trying to figure out how to evaluate the shops who do wraps/PPF to make sure I am going with someone who will do a good job (outside of Google reviews). Are there any clear red flags to watch out for?


Thanks in advance!

 

[JetJock3315]

I just picked up my car wrapped in Avery Dennison Satin Light Blue

Just be sure to check out other cars wrapped by the installer.

Make sure you are happy with their quality and abilities.

Was nervous about the satin, but loved it when I saw it in person!

They will need to get complete coverage even with the satin PPF as you would see glossy bits stand out if they don't go around the edges.

Other car has full front PPF that does not wrap around all edges but it has the same gloss as the paint so you can't see the edges.

 

[Mr X]

Hey folks - I wanted to get some advice / anecdotes on Model 3 wrapping and how to do due diligence on the shop I choose to do it.

A) I want to go for a satin wrap, and am trying to decide if getting a satin-finished PPF is worth the $$ and what the cost delta would be between just going vinyl vs. PPF.

B) I am trying to figure out how to evaluate the shops who do wraps/PPF to make sure I am going with someone who will do a good job (outside of Google reviews). Are there any clear red flags to watch out for?




Thanks in advance!

Where do you live?


Everything you're asking is what I was wondering and did research on over a month ago!

I just picked up my car wrapped in Avery Dennison Satin Light BlueView attachment 525163

Just be sure to check out other cars wrapped by the installer.

Make sure you are happy with their quality and abilities.

Was nervous about the satin, but loved it when I saw it in person!

They will need to get complete coverage even with the satin PPF as you would see glossy bits stand out if they don't go around the edges.

Other car has full front PPF that does not wrap around all edges but it has the same gloss as the paint so you can't see the edges.

Ayyyyyyyyyyyy

 

[hydro 481]

Where do you live?


Everything you're asking is what I was wondering and did research on over a month ago!





Ayyyyyyyyyyyy

You two must be soul mates

 

[SMAlset]

@JetJock3315 and @Mr X, nice looking cars! Love your color choice with the white interior. So how did your installs address the door jams and sill plate areas, trunk lids etc.? Also what color car do you have under your wrap? I've only seen a few color wrapped cars in person and was turned off when the door was opened.

OP as for judging a shop to use. Don't rely strictly on online Google reviews and such. You want to select a few shops in your area, talk to the shop owner/manager. He/she should be able to explain the different choices of coverage, what you should expect, discuss any warranties you get, explain what the process will be (wash, clay bar, etc) and how long everything will take and when you need to bring the car back in for a check, what to do if a problem occurs (we have seen a number of people unhappy with the install they got), what kind of aftercare you will need to do, and finally the cost of each level protection. You need to go into the shops you are considering and see some of their work in person and ask other questions you might have then. Don't skip this. It's very important you understand what your wrap entails and what kind of protection it will give you.

If damaged, the area on colored wraps will be more noticeable. Our last wrap was done on my Model 3 back in 2018. We have clear wraps on both our cars and chose the thickest PPF that X-Pel offered at the time for the best protection against rock chips and door dings (it's saved our factory paint a few times already). At the time we had ours done I don't think colored wraps offered much damage protection from those things, just basically paint color change, but that might be different now. Something you should ask about if you want damage protection as well as color change.

BTW we had ceramic coating applied to both of our cars on top of the PPF (needs to be done in that order as PPF can't be put over ceramic--won't adhere properly). Love the results. Nice gloss and easy removal of bird and bee poop. And when it rains the dirt on the car pretty much washes off the car so looks nicer in between car washes.

 

[Burrito]

I’m going through this now. Research. Above is a great post. Color change wraps won’t provide much of anything in procreation but you can get any color satin wrap you desire. Satin ppf will turn your current color matte looking and provide a bunch of protection. Costs seems to be about double going to ppf. That said if you want to go all out bananas you can do both...I don’t know anyone who has but it’s possible

 

[Kilotango74]

I have matte (satin) ppf on my pearl white Model 3. It really pulls the pearl out of it. It absolutely shimmers in the right light.

 

[hashoshi]

Where do you live?


Everything you're asking is what I was wondering and did research on over a month ago!





Ayyyyyyyyyyyy

I live in Northern VA - indeed that blue is nice BTW

 

[hashoshi]

View attachment 525356 View attachment 525355 I have matte (satin) ppf on my pearl white Model 3. It really pulls the pearl out of it. It absolutely shimmers in the right light.

absolutely stellar! What brand and how much to install if you don't mind me asking?

 

[hashoshi]

@JetJock3315 and @Mr X, nice looking cars! Love your color choice with the white interior. So how did your installs address the door jams and sill plate areas, trunk lids etc.? Also what color car do you have under your wrap? I've only seen a few color wrapped cars in person and was turned off when the door was opened.

OP as for judging a shop to use. Don't rely strictly on online Google reviews and such. You want to select a few shops in your area, talk to the shop owner/manager. He/she should be able to explain the different choices of coverage, what you should expect, discuss any warranties you get, explain what the process will be (wash, clay bar, etc) and how long everything will take and when you need to bring the car back in for a check, what to do if a problem occurs (we have seen a number of people unhappy with the install they got), what kind of aftercare you will need to do, and finally the cost of each level protection. You need to go into the shops you are considering and see some of their work in person and ask other questions you might have then. Don't skip this. It's very important you understand what your wrap entails and what kind of protection it will give you.

If damaged, the area on colored wraps will be more noticeable. Our last wrap was done on my Model 3 back in 2018. We have clear wraps on both our cars and chose the thickest PPF that X-Pel offered at the time for the best protection against rock chips and door dings (it's saved our factory paint a few times already). At the time we had ours done I don't think colored wraps offered much damage protection from those things, just basically paint color change, but that might be different now. Something you should ask about if you want damage protection as well as color change.

BTW we had ceramic coating applied to both of our cars on top of the PPF (needs to be done in that order as PPF can't be put over ceramic--won't adhere properly). Love the results. Nice gloss and easy removal of bird and bee poop. And when it rains the dirt on the car pretty much washes off the car so looks nicer in between car washes.

Awesome info here, thanks a ton. I am doing my due diligence as we speak trying to figure out where is good / where red flags are. Obviously quarantine slows this down a bit without being able to go and meet people.

Cheers!

 

[Kilotango74]

absolutely stellar! What brand and how much to install if you don't mind me asking?

Xpel stealth. $5795 full custom wrap then i topped with ceramic coating. 10 year warranty on wrap.

 

[Stickboy46]

Midnight Silver Metallic with Xpel Stealth and Ceramic Pro Coating. 10 year warranty on the ppf and 5 year on the ceramic

Total cost was 6k including Xpel XR tint too (and ceramic coating the white interior.)

As the other person mentioned .. it really shows off the metallic in the paint.

as far as doing due dilligence. Ask if they have done a model 3 before. The shop i went to had TONS of pictures on their site and had done this multiple model 3s before. Also ask what THEIR warranty is. That will say a bunch about how much they believe in their work.