Did you PPF your new Tesla?

When I was hit, driving home from the shop where I had the PPF put on, the other driver's insurance paid for the wrap. As long as I had the receipt and declared it they paid.

 

Also a good point to consider. I have never kept a car for more than 48 months, so I think it is less important for me personally.

 

In my opinion, for the average person that could be searching this post in the future, it is definitely not necessary to PPF your Tesla. In the end it is a car - drive it, enjoy it, and don't worry about a scratch or paint chip here or there. They are unavoidable. I personally do not have PPF on my car.

On the other hand, if you really are bothered by these things then go for it!

 

My ‘21 M3P is in the shop right now getting PPF on the front cap, full ceramic coating, and 50% ceramic tint on the side windows. $2300 total. I plan to keep the car for a long time, and of course always like it looking show room ready after a quick wash.

 

It's a personal decision. I've never PPF'd a car before. It's not very common here in Maine. I've never even seen a PPF shop around. On the other hand, the Model 3 is the most expensive car I've ever owned. Most of my vehicles have been in the high $30s, low $40s. It did pain me seeing all the little chips in the front of my E46 BMW.

I do tend to keep my vehicles for a long time. I had my Saab 900 and my BMW both past 200k miles, so I intended to keep my Tesla for 10yrs, or so I thought. I've since ordered a Cyber Triple, and my younger brother would like to buy my 3 when I get it. He seems happy to know I've taken care of it, and that the paint is perfect under the PPF. So, though I may not keep it for more than 4yrs, I'm glad I PPF'd it, knowing that it's going to my brother. Then again, I spent less than $1000, by PPFing it myself.

 

I did a full wrap of xpel stealth on my white 3 both for the cosmetic appearance and because it makes it WAY easier to clean, without fear swirl marks. I did a DIY ceramic coating on top of it and bugs/poop slide off easily.

 

i did the same with mine’s. I was quoted $2,000 cad for just the front bumper, hood, fenders and mirror cover in XPEL but decided to pay double that for a full stealth around the whole car and couldn’t be happier. The stealth just looks and feels so sexy hehe..

 

Hello ! New here. Would you point me to where you got this done ? Thanks

 

I think you can do PPF any time. The earlier the better. I has been somewhat hesitant in the beginning to spend $1500+, but now 1-1/2 years later I can say that it is a really good investment. I have full front PPF and there is not a single chip or scratch on the car. The paint on my other car (without any protection, and it's not a Tesla) was basically ruined after 4 years, so I can watch the difference. With PPF, it is SO easy to clean. When I have dirt on sides of the car, it takes me an effort to clean, but on front - it's totally effortless. Do the PPF if you have budget for it.

The funny part about the place I did the PPF was that while they are specialized in wrapping/tinting cars like Ferrari's and Lamborghini's, the most expensive vehicle they tinted/wrapped was an RV bus with the base price of about $800k.

 

PPF is subjectively worth it for some and not for others. I got it done on my 21’ M3P. I’m keeping the car for a while and I got the stealth so think the look is awesome and I know it’s protected. Worth the money for piece of mind for me. Personal decision though. I hate stone chips or scuffs on my car and now I don’t even worry about it.

 

@chrismahoney23 black or msm? very nice

 

Ok, so is “stealth” what people are calling the flat finish?
That looks amazing. I remember when BMW started making cars with the “frozen” paint finish, which was more like frosted glass than f;at, but I really liked it.
My wife and I discussed getting black instead of white for our m3. The black looks so good, until it is exposed to the atmosphere. Or is dry, or gets a molecule of anything on it. And, the white pearl was the option without any upcharge.
I wonder if she’d go for that stealth black?
I can’t rogue too hard for options on this since I am still planning to get a Cybertruck.

 

That is a seriously cool looking car!!! Nice choice, love it!

 

I think flat finish is sometimes called stealth on cars in general... but for Tesla "stealth" usually means a performance version on non-performance wheels, I think. So, I guess you are right on that... it's confusing. White is nice too, but I think it looks better with chrome.

 

"Stealth" is what the flat/satin Xpel PPF is branded as:
XPEL | Paint Protection Film | STEALTH Satin Finish Paint Protection | Self-Healing Clear Bra

It can be applied on any color and gives that flat finish while still showing the original color underneath.

Note that any wrap like that which changes the glossiness would need the whole car wrapped or it won't look right. Given that you would need to do the whole car anyways, you can also just order the white pearl and then do a color change wrap to whatever color you like (including that flat look) and save that $1000. If I was going to do a full body wrap that was what I would have done (instead I'm just going to DIY a partial PPF on my Midnight Silver car).

Note that a color change vinyl wrap is typically done with much thinner material (2-3 mil vs 8 mil typical of brand name PPF) which may not last as long (esp. if you pick a color very different from the base such that it is extremely obvious if the layer wears through), although some installers might offer thicker vinyl that serves both functions. Or at least do a ceramic or other coating on top of the vinyl to protect it from wear.

 

MSM

 

I picked up my M3P 30 December and drove it home from Kansas City Missouri to my home in southern Missouri, just over 200 miles in a snow storm. This being my first Tesla, I had read the paint was really susceptible to chips was worried it was have some once I got home being Missouri uses salt and small pebbles for keeping roads drivable during snow. Low and behold it was considerably worse than imagined. The front only had a few tiny chips luckily, however the rocker panels and lower doors were peppered the entire length (pic doesn’t show that great). Thankfully, the rocker panels aren’t that noticeable since at an angle, but still is visible nevertheless. As a quick fix I applied Dr Colorchip to the areas which muted their appearance considerably. Now have an appointment 15 January to have PPF installed on the bumper, partial hood and fenders, mirrors, and full length of rocker panels and lower doors along with window tinting. Total cost is about $1200 but feel worth it here in Missouri.

 

Bartman, it's terrible. In 1 year my windshield has hundreds of small chips and a couple larger ones. Some people don't realize that is what the paint/headlights/mirrors look like as well. It just takes more time/mileage to notice - especially on light color vehicles.

 

100% personal decision. I got my bumper, headlights, mirrors, hood and a few key points done. IIRC, softer paint has been an "issue" on numerous cars for a while now, due to more environmentally friendly paints, so I wasn't specifically focused on that, but more importantly, I took one look at the front bumper cover on the 3 and it was a no-brainer.

For me, the lack of a grille and smaller intake openings meant any chips and dings would be that much more apparent, especially on red, and repainting isn't worth the downtime or attempt to color match, IMO. Prevention is often the better route, and PPF is cheaper, more reliable and makes the bugs, grime, and other bits much easier to clean.

 

THIS!

Some people who view PPF as a waste of money say that they would just repair and repaint if they got substantial rock chips. I respect that decision, but I do have a different point of view. Think about the actual experience of having your car repainted. First, you have to leave your car at the body shop for a minimum of a few days. Second, the body shop may or may not match the color well and they may or may not do a paint job that matches the factory paint in quality. Finally, even if they do a great job on the color and the quality, your car can get damaged yet again shortly after you have the repair done.

With PPF, the vast majority of rock chips will not damage the PPF and the film will self heal any scratches or marks. And if the PPF does get torn or damaged, it is quickly and relatively cheaply replaced. As I mentioned previously, I had to replace the PPF on my front right fender. It took about an hour and cost $150 or so.