My rep informed me that black, grey and blue have soft paint with 1 layer of clear coat. White and Red get 2 coats.
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Model 3 paint wearing off
My rep informed me that black, grey and blue have soft paint with 1 layer of clear coat. White and Red get 2 coats.
That is good information, however according to the pictures published, the red ones don't seem to look any better.
fcharland
Member
I can confirm that the rocker panels near the rear wheels on both sides of my car are 100% road rashed. No offroading, no gravel, and it still looks peppered. Dr. ColorChip makes a road rash kit for most/all of Tesla's paint codes and is ~$70 USD delivered... I may entertain this since I feel it'll be unlikely that Tesla will offer concessions for this obvious design issue.
EDIT: It seems that the OEM paint repair kit is a Dr. ColorChip product, go figure!
EDIT: It seems that the OEM paint repair kit is a Dr. ColorChip product, go figure!
As a painter I can tell you that an extra layer of clear is not going to increase durability in the least. Thicker paints can be easier to chip. The norm in most bodyshops is two layers of clear. The single most important factor is the quality of the paint.
As a side note, not even California requires the use of a water based clear coat. So only someone who works right on the paint line is going to be able to tell you if the clear is indeed water based. Which can in some cases be not as durable. The clear and the primer could very well be solvent based.
So blaming this on water based clear may be premature.
As a side note, not even California requires the use of a water based clear coat. So only someone who works right on the paint line is going to be able to tell you if the clear is indeed water based. Which can in some cases be not as durable. The clear and the primer could very well be solvent based.
So blaming this on water based clear may be premature.
AustinPowers
Total Smeghead
The paint sure is at least part of the problem. My detailer confirmed that the paint on the Model 3 (he has done several by now, even in Germany) is much thinner and softer than on any other car he has ever had in his workshop.
Normal road conditions are not "sandblasting". Other cars withstand such conditions even without PPF, plus they don't show the effect that the Model 3 does, in that it appears to direct far more debris towards those areas than other cars.
fcharland
Member
Other cars do not send that many sand on the car. My complete PPF got ripped (see previous posts) . And normal paint is not as strong as a PPF.
This is a concerning thread. I took a look at my model 3 and our other cars (drive the same roads) as well as well as other cars on the block and it is amazing the dirt, grime, etc that collects on the model 3 compared to other cars. I can certainly see where the wear will happen (only 500 miles now). Yikes
My Prius never had a paint issue in the Chicago winter and I hardly took care of that car.
My Prius never had a paint issue in the Chicago winter and I hardly took care of that car.
I agree that the paint is terrible -- I have a black Model 3 LR RWD that I've been driving since September 2018 and my front fascia and hood are completely chipped (looks like bug splatter) as well.
29,000km so far, and it's far, far worse than my 125,000k Ford which only shows the occasional rock chip.
And we're not even getting into the paint defects it came with from the factory.
29,000km so far, and it's far, far worse than my 125,000k Ford which only shows the occasional rock chip.
And we're not even getting into the paint defects it came with from the factory.
It’s the aero design that causes the sandblasting. A slab sided vehicle like a Prius, let’s less dirt fly up from the front wheels to pepper the rockers because of the shape of the sides. The Model 3 sides taper inward, better aero, better aesthetics, but way more dirt flies towards the back. Having a flat under tray, just increases the effect, since the debris isn’t peppering the underside, like a normal open bottom car. Instead, more debris gets carried further back to coat the back of the car, etc.
AustinPowers
Total Smeghead
Don't know about 3M. My PPF is Xpel Ultimate Plus, and it's a full wrap including WrapEdge. Will see how well it can protect the paint.
I'd suggest full frontal (bumper, hood, mirror backs, front fenders, headlights, foglights) PLUS rocker panels front to half way up behind the rear door.
I didn't do my rockers as I park the car at first big snowfall. I'm putting on the minimal front guards I recieved from Eric. Not concerned about their minimal aero effect.
The worst effects being reported in Canada seem to be in areas that use extensive sand and salt during the winter.
Thanks! I didn’t get really far with Tesla this week. They re-stayed their ‘Act of God’ clause and said rocks and stones are not their problem. The representative agreed that this was not my fault but they were only passing along the message from what they were told.
I feel like this thread of people need to emerge as ONE and began writing/tweeting Elon to get this resolved. It is an obvious engineering oversight!
If you want to just address the sandblasting issue discussed here, then mudguards, and PPF for the rockers. However if you don't do the mudguards, then you should do the rockers, the doors, and the area behind the front wheel, and the area in front and behind the rear wheel. The front of the rear wheel flares out definitely will be sandblasted.
Now others are mentioning front hood, fenders, mirrors and bumper, but that's for a different issue, dirt, rocks coming from other cars.
Later 6th gen Celicas had sideskirts (and from the factory a thick clear film as well I think)
Photo by Gerald Galvez
from How to install 96+ OEM Sideskirts on a 94-95 6gc - 6G Celicas Forums
(1995 Celica didn't have them, 1998 did)
Photo by Gerald Galvez
from How to install 96+ OEM Sideskirts on a 94-95 6gc - 6G Celicas Forums
(1995 Celica didn't have them, 1998 did)
I and other people have already tried to address this issue.
J Savolainen on Twitter
J Savolainen on Twitter
The question is cost.
High quality epoxy primer and the following color and clear can add to the cost of the car. All car makers have bean counters running the show. Would you be willing to pay more?
I always spray thicker layers of epoxy primer down low and on anything facing forward. This adds to the flexibility in the paint. If you leave some of this in a cup it can dry to a rubbery texture. I won't list what I use because everyone has their own go-to products depending on where they live and the road conditions. Now it's not applied heavily, just enough to allow some give to the color and top coats.
I will say this though. When stripping any modern vehicles you can easily see that factories are using thicker layers of primer on the rockers and door lowers. On some vehicles you can scrape it off in larger pieces. The flexibility of this layer is what gives the top coat a lot of protection from chips.
Also, no amount of wax or paint protection will prevent rock chips.
High quality epoxy primer and the following color and clear can add to the cost of the car. All car makers have bean counters running the show. Would you be willing to pay more?
I always spray thicker layers of epoxy primer down low and on anything facing forward. This adds to the flexibility in the paint. If you leave some of this in a cup it can dry to a rubbery texture. I won't list what I use because everyone has their own go-to products depending on where they live and the road conditions. Now it's not applied heavily, just enough to allow some give to the color and top coats.
I will say this though. When stripping any modern vehicles you can easily see that factories are using thicker layers of primer on the rockers and door lowers. On some vehicles you can scrape it off in larger pieces. The flexibility of this layer is what gives the top coat a lot of protection from chips.
Also, no amount of wax or paint protection will prevent rock chips.
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