How does a full wrap make sense?

[LandToSea]

I take delivery of my M3P Wednesday. I drive 100m/day average and previous cars acquire notable road debris chips in the front end within a year. I had a bumper 3M clear bra applied on a car 7y ago and I felt it was a waste of $500. Within a few months it had a rock gouge through the film and into the paint. It was very visible mostly due to the film damage drawing the eye to it and not able to be touched up. I saw the end result simply costing me extra $ to resolve, $500 lost on the damaged film plus removal fee before the bumper was repainted. Maybe the newer films are better?

I want to preserve the paint, although I have read it is crappy, but I can't come up with a rational calculation of it's value considering a repaint can be done for similar costs once the car has enough damage to justify it. The lifespan of the wrap in S FL is likely less than 6y which is probably when the paint would really look bad enough to justify repainting without a wrap. Plus, if an accident occurs insurance will only cover the body work and paint to restore to the OEM finish and I would have to pay to reapply wrap to match the rest or remove it all wasting the investment. Considering I have been in 3 not at fault accidents in 2y that isn't promising.

I guess I am looking for missing considerations that may sell me before it is too late to apply a wrap as the paint acquires any damage from daily driving.

 

[Casmium]

I sorta had the same thoughts and skipped wrapping my car as well, typically do about 30K(km) a year. I guess we'll revisit this in 2025 and see how we are all doing with our paint vs those that are wrapped.

 

[Zirak]

I take delivery of my M3P Wednesday. I drive 100m/day average and previous cars acquire notable road debris chips in the front end within a year. I had a bumper 3M clear bra applied on a car 7y ago and I felt it was a waste of $500. Within a few months it had a rock gouge through the film and into the paint. It was very visible mostly due to the film damage drawing the eye to it and not able to be touched up. I saw the end result simply costing me extra $ to resolve, $500 lost on the damaged film plus removal fee before the bumper was repainted. Maybe the newer films are better?

I want to preserve the paint, although I have read it is crappy, but I can't come up with a rational calculation of it's value considering a repaint can be done for similar costs once the car has enough damage to justify it. The lifespan of the wrap in S FL is likely less than 6y which is probably when the paint would really look bad enough to justify repainting without a wrap. Plus, if an accident occurs insurance will only cover the body work and paint to restore to the OEM finish and I would have to pay to reapply wrap to match the rest or remove it all wasting the investment. Considering I have been in 3 not at fault accidents in 2y that isn't promising.

I guess I am looking for missing considerations that may sell me before it is too late to apply a wrap as the paint acquires any damage from daily driving.

You get mainly just peace of mind for having it... things like driving on unpaved roads isn't as nerve wracking, and it'll save you from being keyed (it'll damage the film probably). Though you're right, it'll end up costing more having to replace the film every time damage occurs. But that would also apply for having to repaint each time you get a paint chip..

 

[SanDiegoM3]

I think it’s crazy to not get a wrap. You mention this six years timeframe to justify it but that means you have dinged up front end for 5 years that gets progressively worse. Whereas i’ll get to enjoy years of blemish free paint barring hitting a major road hazard.

I also figure i’m more likely to enjoy my car after 5 years and want to keep it if it’s attractive.

 

[Matt L]

I wouldn’t do a full wrap but front facing surfaces and rockers make sense to me.

Sure it won’t protect the from the big rock but it protects from the small stuff that does rough up the front of the car.

 

[groovidad]

I take delivery of my M3P Wednesday. I drive 100m/day average and previous cars acquire notable road debris chips in the front end within a year. I had a bumper 3M clear bra applied on a car 7y ago and I felt it was a waste of $500. Within a few months it had a rock gouge through the film and into the paint. It was very visible mostly due to the film damage drawing the eye to it and not able to be touched up. I saw the end result simply costing me extra $ to resolve, $500 lost on the damaged film plus removal fee before the bumper was repainted. Maybe the newer films are better?

I want to preserve the paint, although I have read it is crappy, but I can't come up with a rational calculation of it's value considering a repaint can be done for similar costs once the car has enough damage to justify it. The lifespan of the wrap in S FL is likely less than 6y which is probably when the paint would really look bad enough to justify repainting without a wrap. Plus, if an accident occurs insurance will only cover the body work and paint to restore to the OEM finish and I would have to pay to reapply wrap to match the rest or remove it all wasting the investment. Considering I have been in 3 not at fault accidents in 2y that isn't promising.

I guess I am looking for missing considerations that may sell me before it is too late to apply a wrap as the paint acquires any damage from daily driving.

Sounds like you already answered your question(?) I thought long and hard about having the front done, from bumper to fenders and mirrors: $1350. Thought about rock damage I've sustained to other vehicles over the last 15 years and found it to be minimal. So, no film.

 

[Nocturnal]

I agree. A full clear wrap doesn't make sense. I believe a front or partial front is the sweet spot. The extra cost can be applied towards a total repaint or more likely, a full color wrap sometime in the future. I went with partial front wrap and ceramic paint protection myself.

 

[woodisgood]

I agree with most of your points, especially about it being a waste if you are in a collision. Films have improved considerably in terms of their self-healing and repairabilty. We just have a front bumper wrap (Xpel Ultimate) on our Model 3 and in one year/25k mi it is blemish free. It was $500. Previous car took quite a beating on the same commute so imagine it would have been far worse for Model 3’s large flat front. The hood has taken a few small chips but overall I’m glad I skipped the additional cost of wrapping it. The fenders have stayed clean. The headlights are worth wrapping if it’s a small additional cost as they’ve taken a few impacts and those really bug the hell out of me.

I suppose one could wait until the bumper was bad enough and then repaint, but then all that time you’re staring at all those rock chips saying, “it’s not bad enough yet is it?”

 

[LandToSea]

Sounds like you already answered your question(?) I thought long and hard about having the front done, from bumper to fenders and mirrors: $1350. Thought about rock damage I've sustained to other vehicles over the last 15 years and found it to be minimal. So, no film.

I haven't answered it but, am just communicating why it isn't a no brainer for me. You opted out because of minimal rock damage historically while I am not justifying it for the opposite, too much damage historically. If I knew the current material used for wraps would not show most road rock impacts I would be leaning toward getting it done but my 7y old experience tells me different. An impact from a gravel sized rock at highway speeds has proven it to be a waste to me in the past. Maybe newer films are more resilient? I just looked at the Xpel costs and they seem to be over $5k which is insane imo. If that is realistic I won't be going that route.

 

[SanDiegoM3]

I haven't answered it but, am just communicating why it isn't a no brainer for me. You opted out because of minimal rock damage historically while I am not justifying it for the opposite, too much damage historically. If I knew the current material used for wraps would not show most road rock impacts I would be leaning toward getting it done but my 7y old experience tells me different. An impact from a gravel sized rock at highway speeds has proven it to be a waste to me in the past. Maybe newer films are more resilient? I just looked at the Xpel costs and they seem to be over $5k which is insane imo. If that is realistic I won't be going that route.

That’s for the entire car.

 

[Az_Rael]

A full wrap never makes $$ sense and it is debatable whether a partial does either. It is more for people who are very particular about their paint and gives peace of mind.

I have a full wrap. Cost me lots of $$. However, I am regularly sandblasted by high winds in the desert on my drive and my coworkers suck in a crowded parking lot, so lots of minor scuffs on the wrap are found almost daily. I had one door jab that wasn't hard enough to dent (luckily) but did tear the wrap. Paint is untouched, so I just need to replace that one section of wrap.

But yeah, unless your daily drive regularly sounds like you are driving behind a gravel truck due to blowing sand (mine does) it probably ain't worth it.

 

[LandToSea]

I agree with most of your points, especially about it being a waste if you are in a collision. Films have improved considerably in terms of their self-healing and repairabilty. We just have a front bumper wrap (Xpel Ultimate) on our Model 3 and in one year/25k mi it is blemish free. It was $500.

I suppose one could wait until the bumper was bad enough and then repaint, but then all that time you’re staring at all those rock chips saying, “it’s not bad enough yet is it?”

That is good to hear about the films resilience improving. $500 is likely worth it for the bumper if it holds up to normal sized road debris short of getting a semi retread square in the nose at 75mph

 

[KenC]

Never wrapped a car before, but I decided to do a 3M Scotchgard Pro, partial front wrapped edges, rockers and full doors. Since I DIY'd it, my cost was $700, plus my labor. The install went well, but I haven't done the front bumper yet, waiting for a nice day, since it's the hardest piece by far.

 

[Glamisduner]

Looking at the dents in my front license plate, I can see the PPF full frontal wrap is working very wll on the front of the car

If you want to preserve the paint what other option do you have other than not driving the car?

It's not just about repaint vs PPF either, it looks better with PPF over accumulating chips in the interim and you can re apply a single piece of PPF easier and cheaper than you can repaint, which is especially important at the beginning of the car's life. PPF can't stop everything but it does help.

Only you can decide how much to apply. Full front was what I decided on, but it might have been worth doing the rockers too. I have several paint chips in the first 6 months of ownership but the front of my car would already be plastered with chips if I had not installed PPF (As it is, I had to install over a few chips that occurred while waiting for the tesla repaint job to cure).

 

[DirtyT3sla]

It's a smart cosmetic choice, not so much a smart financial choice...

 

[LandToSea]

It's a smart cosmetic choice, not so much a smart financial choice...

So, looking at your DirtyTesla makes you a good test subject. Are you wrapped or not?

 

[DirtyT3sla]

So, looking at your DirtyTesla makes you a good test subject. Are you wrapped or not?

No, I'm not wrapped. Definitely not worth the money imo. I'm over 13k miles and of course have some rock chips and stuff but same as any other car.

 

[Matt L]

No, I'm not wrapped. Definitely not worth the money imo. I'm over 13k miles and of course have some rock chips and stuff but same as any other car.

Not the same as mine...

 

[Tha_Reaper]

I wrapped it on day 3. Full wrap to protect the paint. Financially I think the choice isn't that bad since I can deduct 50% of those costs from taxes, and in the end a car with virtually untouched original paint should give me a significantly higher resale value.

But I have to admit that my main motivation was that I really wanted a matte black Tesla, and I don't regret anything. The financial part was mostly to convince my wife and accountant

 

[LandToSea]

I wrapped it on day 3. Full wrap to protect the paint. Financially I think the choice isn't that bad since I can deduct 50% of those costs from taxes, and in the end a car with virtually untouched original paint should give me a significantly higher resale value.

But I have to admit that my main motivation was that I really wanted a matte black Tesla, and I don't regret anything. The financial part was mostly to convince my wife and accountant

How do you save 50% of the expense on taxes?

With the wrap cost of $3.5-6k being 6-20% of the original car cost depending on the model, and at least double that compared to the resale value after 25k+miles I do not think the ROI is even close to being rationalized. This is not considering any sort of tax deduction as you mention.