I think your assessment is a good one - I don't think I could handle the front being destroyed by rocks and I was just trying to gauge if it really will destroyed by rocks.
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Decided Against PPF? Regrets? Pictures?
- Thread starter Tjcross
- Start date
Wow that is a lot...if its truly that many than its a no brainer for me. I think with my truck I sat so high on the road with a massive grill/radiator that it wasn't as bad. A pic would be great!
Yall are really making me want to do it...I probably should just spend the money and do it!
I got my full front done and picking up Monday. I’m glad I’m doing this as that front bumper is a magnet for bugs and rocks.
My previous car m235i in white, after babying it for 3 years, always washed with two bucket method, never automated washes unless touchless, ceramic coating, etc. I didn’t go PPF and after 3 years the rock chips showed because underneath was black.
Did it show bad or just when inspected closely? I guess the color under the Model 3 paint is black as well? or silver?
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I'm going thru the same as @MikeATL -- I detailed my 8-year-old Acura last weekend and found many previously unnoticeable small rock chips all over the car. As expected the front bumper and the large grill has the most chips but they're small. The two largest, deepest, most noticeable chips on my car are on the front passenger door near the door handle, and on the rear quarter panel near the bottom of the C pillar, which I've known about for years. And then there're some small door dings.
Acura is silver metallic, and I don't keep it clean, but it has front mud guards and two small pieces of PPF on the rocker panels between the rear doors and the rear wheel wells. My Model 3 is gonna be pearl white, and I'm gonna keep it clean by washing it myself, but there're no mud guards.
I was consider getting full front plus rocker panel wrap like many. But my own chip history suggest I should get a full wrap -- I might if only it isn't so costly!
I know a wrap is gonna protect the paint from the chips, but the wrap itself can still chip. Self-healing wraps only heal light scratches. I don't see myself spending money replacing chipped wrap every few years, so I may as well just do regular touch-up on the paint myself, especially now Dr. ColorChip / Chipfixx makes it so easy.
Regarding easy of cleaning -- correct me if I'm wrong -- I'm not sure wraps (plastic) are easier to clean than clear coat. Most detailing products (soaps, wax, pads) are designed to be used on clear coat, not on wraps or ceramic coats. I don't wanna be held hostage to overpriced detailing products.
And I've learned that wraps may need to be removed for PDR (paintless dent removal), because some of their tools need to be bonded to the clear coat in order to pull dents out.
I think the most I'll do is a DIY-install of pre-cut PPFs for the rocker panels, and maybe the bottom 6 inches of the doors; those are easy and cheap, and the lack of mud guards is a concern to me.
I'm going thru the same as @MikeATL -- I detailed my 8-year-old Acura last weekend and found many previously unnoticeable small rock chips all over the car. As expected the front bumper and the large grill has the most chips but they're small. The two largest, deepest, most noticeable chips on my car are on the front passenger door near the door handle, and on the rear quarter panel near the bottom of the C pillar, which I've known about for years. And then there're some small door dings.
Acura is silver metallic, and I don't keep it clean, but it has front mud guards and two small pieces of PPF on the rocker panels between the rear doors and the rear wheel wells. My Model 3 is gonna be pearl white, and I'm gonna keep it clean by washing it myself, but there're no mud guards.
I was consider getting full front plus rocker panel wrap like many. But my own chip history suggest I should get a full wrap -- I might if only it isn't so costly!
I know a wrap is gonna protect the paint from the chips, but the wrap itself can still chip. Self-healing wraps only heal light scratches. I don't see myself spending money replacing chipped wrap every few years, so I may as well just do regular touch-up on the paint myself, especially now Dr. ColorChip / Chipfixx makes it so easy.
Regarding easy of cleaning -- correct me if I'm wrong -- I'm not sure wraps (plastic) are easier to clean than clear coat. Most detailing products (soaps, wax, pads) are designed to be used on clear coat, not on wraps or ceramic coats. I don't wanna be held hostage to overpriced detailing products.
And I've learned that wraps may need to be removed for PDR (paintless dent removal), because some of their tools need to be bonded to the clear coat in order to pull dents out.
I think the most I'll do is a DIY-install of pre-cut PPFs for the rocker panels, and maybe the bottom 6 inches of the doors; those are easy and cheap, and the lack of mud guards is a concern to me.
That is a great price! Yes, make sure they include mirrors. I expect that is included in the price, but confirm.
I ended up not doing paint correction. Both of ours came with no noticeable swirl marks so I didn't feel a need to do any work. Being a brand new car, you may find paint correction is not needed. You will still want to do an IPA strip clean before applying ceramic coating. And you may still want to use iron remover then clay bar before the IPA wash. Not that difficult. I used Carpro Cquartz UK 3.0 and it was a piece of cake. Check out youtube for how-to videos.
DIY ceramic coatings will last 1-2 years. Sealants last 6-12 months and waxes last 3-6 months. All give or take depending on conditions and usage. All three provide similar levels of protection if you make sure to re-apply as needed. I applied ceramic coating to my wife's car. She cares mostly about keeping the car clean for as long as possible between washes and about making washing easier. Coatings are perfect for that. I prefer and applied a sealant topped off with wax on mine. IMO, wax looks better than ceramic (deeper shine and 'wetter' look) and I enjoy waxing every 2-3 months.
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I've never done any coatings on anything, including my current S, with old nose. But yesterday I was visiting a job site and a guy there had a white 3. I approached from the back and was paying attention, since its my same configuration, and when I got to the front, I actually winced/gasped. The nose was covered with bugs/road tar, and who knows what. Even if it could all be washed off, it's making me consider a front partial treatment of some sort.
So many ice cars and even the old S, the front nose/bumper of the car is broken up into different elements that you interpret differently than the front of the 3 or new S. The front bumper of the 3 is really a body panel, and needs to be maintained as such.
So many ice cars and even the old S, the front nose/bumper of the car is broken up into different elements that you interpret differently than the front of the 3 or new S. The front bumper of the 3 is really a body panel, and needs to be maintained as such.
I got a rock chip on the bumper cover within the first week and a windshield chip in the second week, Also the front bumper is a bug magnet in my area Central Connecticut. I had the bumper, headlights and mirror covers done ( not the hood and fenders I hope I wont regret that) with 3M and so far I think it was the right choice ( I am in the car biz so got a good price from my local guy)
Not just the rocks but all the other crap that you don't want getting baked into your front end like bugs/tar/bird crap etc..
It won't stop everything but with the price of a Tesla I feel it is worth a small investment to keep it looking as good as possible. One thing I don't see mentioned as often is that the PPF gets pretty beat up and starts to look terrible eventually as well but it feels great when you finally peel it off and have a brand new looking paint job underneath and most places warranty it so you can get a new one put on free if it gets too beat up.
It won't stop everything but with the price of a Tesla I feel it is worth a small investment to keep it looking as good as possible. One thing I don't see mentioned as often is that the PPF gets pretty beat up and starts to look terrible eventually as well but it feels great when you finally peel it off and have a brand new looking paint job underneath and most places warranty it so you can get a new one put on free if it gets too beat up.
Thanks for the feedback/thoughts. Does the warranty cover damage from rocks and stuff like that or just peeling and manufacturer defects/issues?
I'm leaning towards full front PPF and then DIY ceramic...Any risks to doing this? What if you mess up ceramic - how hard is it to remove and have a professional do it? Any permanent damage to the car?
I'm leaning towards full front PPF and then DIY ceramic...Any risks to doing this? What if you mess up ceramic - how hard is it to remove and have a professional do it? Any permanent damage to the car?
There are definitely times when I'd recommend against using AP, but I doubt I could define them well at all. I never use it in construction zones or anywhere there are people close to the roadway. I disengage it if an oncoming vehicle seems too close to the line for my comfort. I never leave it engaged if there's a Y in the road unless my lane is unambiguously marked through the fork. I don't use it anywhere there are traffic cones that divert the driving lane from the painted lane lines or if the cones are inside the lane line.
I'd just suggest a new user try it out a little at a time until you get the feel of what it can handle and what it cannot. Most importantly: Heed the manual's warnings that it's a beta feature that requires constant monitoring and constant alertness and readiness to take over at any time. EAP is a driver assist feature, not a self-driving feature, even though, used properly, the car drives itself a good deal of the time.
I'd pay for the FSD package if it provided level 3 autonomy, but I really don't expect that any time soon. Level 3 will be a BIG step forward. Right now it's level 2 and that means constant driver attention.
I didn't pay for the FSD for the same reason, I am happy to pay a little extra when it comes out. Some of the rumored version 9 features have me really excited about version 9! The ability to detect a slow moving car, auto change lanes, speed up and pass the car, and change back is awesome.
I am also hoping for Summon to get advanced to where it can work in all private parking lots like at the mall - no more running in the rain to your car would be fantastic. Valet companies will hate it!
The place I go will replace the PPF if it starts getting torn up but not necessarily for like a single spot of damage. Basically if it hits the point where it isn't effective or looks terrible they will replace it. They cover it for 5 years and said they redo a lot of cars around the 2.5 year mark.
I paid for FSD just to get the new stuff as it comes out, I don't know if it will ever get as far as I want it to but I like being able to watch the technology evolve in real time. I feel like it already paid off in that people who paid for it in advance will get the upgraded hardware at no cost when it comes out next year. I wouldn't be surprised if that new hardware is an extra 3k when it comes out
Off topic: There's a scam in Mexico where a guy dressed as a parking valet stands outside a fancy restaurant, and when you pull up he hands you a ticket for your car and drives it away and you never see him or it again.
Sorry for the digression.
I wouldn't be surprised if Tesla says that it will be more expensive but not if you upgrade before a certain date - improving cask situation before the end of the year.
With normal cars that could easily happen - Tesla not so much right? I know you can track location, should have a way to auto turn off the car and the car would do so safely and slowly. Tesla is the most recovered stolen car according to some. Sorry for off topic...Off topic: There's a scam in Mexico where a guy dressed as a parking valet stands outside a fancy restaurant, and when you pull up he hands you a ticket for your car and drives it away and you never see him or it again.
Sorry for the digression.
Yep at the end of Q4 they will probably use this to put on the pressure. Hopefully they will offer the pre-order price at the same time to get everyone on board. The more of us that use it the more data the machine learning/AI engine has to get to the next level.
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