Model 3 UK Radio

[BubblegumPete]

Another note on the Premium Connectivity Package - Tesla rep said that they're looking to make that an annual subscription at some point over here, quite soon. I believe it's $100 pa in the US, but haven't confirmed.

Is that going to be for existing owners as well or just new ones?

 

[BubblegumPete]

I'd just been in and had a look (this-morning) before I spotted your post here.. I work next door to them

Wow, small world! I'm guessing you work for the rental company opposite? I'm picking the car up Friday around 5ish so if you're about then I could take you for a quick drive?

 

[ProfessorK]

Is that going to be for existing owners as well or just new ones?

I believe I saw something that the Full Premium guys get an year's connectivity included with their car, so I'm guessing everyone will have to sub? It's not a big deal for me - tbh, I don't care about the satellite image or playing spotify directly via the car - can just hook up my phone.

 

[kevuwk]

I believe I saw something that the Full Premium guys get an year's connectivity included with their car, so I'm guessing everyone will have to sub? It's not a big deal for me - tbh, I don't care about the satellite image or playing spotify directly via the car - can just hook up my phone.

I've read that as well but they haven't sorted out the billing to start charging people yet. I've gone with the SR+ anyway and will bluetooth spotify from my phone like I do with my current car but would be tempted by the convenience of directly streaming spotify from the car if they allow the upgrade from an SR+ once they start charging for premium connectivity.

 

[dan223]

Is that going to be for existing owners as well or just new ones?

Anyone that purchased after the end of June 2018, this was in there FAQ's, but they haven't implemented it yet for the USA yet either, most likely when V10 comes along, which is due out this/next month + Elon time.

 

[Roy W.]

Hi Rajanm. I'm getting the whole car wrapped in clear PPF which I think is a good idea as I already have a very small chip in the lower front door. They use Xpel which apparently is the best on the market...although I guess they're going to say that. But I think Creative FX are one of the best car protection firms in Kent so I don't think they'd use shoddy materials.

Total cost excluding VAT is going to be £2550 but if you just want front end: Bumpers, bonnet, wings, mirrors, lights and pillars it's £1150 excluding VAT. Or they can do front end and sides for £1950

That seems seriously cheap! I presume it is the place in Bromley?

I asked my two local Xpel approved detailers for quotes on the M3, and for a full body clear wrap they quoted me £4800 and £5000 including VAT, as opposed to your £3060! Does your price include paint correction as required? At that price I can see a trip to Kent coming on. Do they offer you a courtesy car do you know, as I assume it’s a few days job?

I was interested in a wrap, but must admit to being a little put off by the folks saying insurance can be a problem. How do you find that?

 

[dst87]

That seems seriously cheap!

That's in the same ball-park as I was quoted from a place in Stirling. I think it was about £3,600 for the full kit. I think I'm going to pop up and see them as they have some cars which have been wrapped sitting there. I got a bit scared as he sent a fairly significant disclaimer when I asked for a quote:

When we have been speaking to potential customers recently many are under the impression that the installed film will be completely invisible even under close inspection in terms clarity and contamination. Whilst we strive to install the film to the very best of our ability there are times that some contamination might get under the film and in some cases it is better for us to leave it than try and remove it as this will actually make the film look worse. The film may also have a slight orange peel effect to it. Where this is certainly better than it used to be it is not as clear as freshly detailed paintwork.

Whilst on the training course the instructors told us that it is impossible to get a 100% clean install. The target that they feel is acceptable is about 85% - 95% clean install, as creases, contamination, dry spots, bubbles, lift lines these will be prevalent in every installation.. If you can imagine installing a cover on your phone and how difficult that can be!

PPF is a sacrificial layer added to your paint it is not paint enhancement film, the primary purpose of PPF is to protect your paintwork from scratches, swirl marks and light scuffs and maintaining the original paint condition throughout the 10 year warranty. If your paintwork is already chipped the film will not hide these marks.

The film can also take up to four weeks (especially in Scotland) to completely dry out so when you see the film for the first time there may well be sections that have not dried fully, during this period the film is curing and you will notice some bubbles or a slight haze in the film but that is nothing to worry about as the moisture will evaporate through the pores of the film in the next 3-4 weeks. Bubbles can appear and disappear due to the wet method of installation.

 

[Roy W.]

That's in the same ball-park as I was quoted from a place in Stirling. I think it was about £3,600 for the full kit. I think I'm going to pop up and see them as they have some cars which have been wrapped sitting there. I got a bit scared as he sent a fairly significant disclaimer when I asked for a quote:

Mm, that is quite scary! I didn’t get anything like that with my two quotes. Perhaps a get-out clause for potential poor workmanship?

 

[dst87]

Mm, that is quite scary! I didn’t get anything like that with my two quotes. Perhaps a get-out clause for potential poor workmanship?

That's my concern too. I did ask about it and they said that the warning was realistically over the top, but they don't want to have folks disappointed if they have too high expectations. They did say they always have a number of vehicles that they've wrapped and we're always welcome to pop in and chat to them and see the exacted results for ourselves (which we'll definitely do).

I've also emailed Xpel to ask them if their statement seems fair or not. I guess we'll see! I'm thinking about either a full coverage, or the 'track pack' which seems to protect the vulnerable areas - any thoughts?

 

[Roy W.]

That's my concern too. I did ask about it and they said that the warning was realistically over the top, but they don't want to have folks disappointed if they have too high expectations. They did say they always have a number of vehicles that they've wrapped and we're always welcome to pop in and chat to them and see the exacted results for ourselves (which we'll definitely do).

I've also emailed Xpel to ask them if their statement seems fair or not. I guess we'll see! I'm thinking about either a full coverage, or the 'track pack' which seems to protect the vulnerable areas - any thoughts?

Certainly worth looking at a few cars they’ve done.

I’m certainly considering a full wrap. The £3k at Bromley is roughly what my locals were quoting just for the bra wrap.

I’ve still got misgivings about insurance though. What are your thoughts on that?

 

[dst87]

I’ve still got misgivings about insurance though. What are your thoughts on that?

I'm not sure - I hadn't even considered it would be a problem. I'm currently with Direct Line so I'll call them and find out before doing anything.

Honestly I'm not _that_ bothered about PPF at all, but the thread about thin paint, and salt / grit just stripping paint away around the sills has made me worry, especially as we'll be keeping this car for quite some time. Question is, would a possible paint correct end up costing less than the PPF if we required in the future?

 

[Grymbok]

What's making you look at PPF over ceramic?

 

[ProfessorK]

What's making you look at PPF over ceramic?

PPF and then Ceramic seems to be the holy grail. Engineering Explained did a good video!

I'm getting a lease, so will see how much a ceramic coating costs, but won't fork out to get it wrapped...

 

[dst87]

What's making you look at PPF over ceramic?

I get the impression (though my research is limited) that ceramic won’t give the abrasion protection I want for the side sills. It also doesn’t protect against stone chips etc.

I thought ceramic was more about protecting against environmental contaminants and making the car a little easier to wash?

Please correct me if I’m wrong. I’m still learning and new to this stuff.

 

[Grymbok]

I get the impression (though my research is limited) that ceramic won’t give the abrasion protection I want for the side sills. It also doesn’t protect against stone chips etc.

I thought ceramic was more about protecting against environmental contaminants and making the car a little easier to wash?

Please correct me if I’m wrong. I’m still learning and new to this stuff.

I'm totally new to it too, I was hoping you were going to educate me to be honest I had Autoglym protect applied by the dealer to my last car and that's as far as I've gone with it before.

Given how much I'm spending on this car I am tempted to get a proper Gtechniq ceramic coating, which looks to be about £750 after VAT locally.

I asked the question really as you said you weren't that bothered about PPF, so I was wondering why you'd discounted ceramic, which seems to me to be the "I'd like some protection but not crazy money" option!

 

[dst87]

I'm totally new to it too, I was hoping you were going to educate me to be honest I had Autoglym protect applied by the dealer to my last car and that's as far as I've gone with it before.

Given how much I'm spending on this car I am tempted to get a proper Gtechniq ceramic coating, which looks to be about £750 after VAT locally.

I asked the question really as you said you weren't that bothered about PPF, so I was wondering why you'd discounted ceramic, which seems to me to be the "I'd like some protection but not crazy money" option!

Ah! Fair enough then. I’d considered the ceramic for sure, and I think it makes the car look much better too. I’m just less concerned about that than the possibility of grit and sand stripping the paint during the winter.

It may be that the problem has been overstated, but I’ll be super sad if my beautiful red car gets destroyed this winter.

 

[jimmymc]

Wow, small world! I'm guessing you work for the rental company opposite? I'm picking the car up Friday around 5ish so if you're about then I could take you for a quick drive?

No, even closer (they moved a few months ago, thankfully Thanks for the offer but I'm not around.. and even then - I want to experience it in my own when the time (finally, whenever that may be) comes..!

Good to know there's a Bromley contingent!

 

[Peteski]

I thought ceramic was more about protecting against environmental contaminants and making the car a little easier to wash?

That's about right. Think of it as an alternative to regular waxing. Ceramic coatings typically last from 2-5 years depending on quality and preparation. I had my X done from new at a cost of £450 and it's still working as expected after 18 months i.e. water beads off like a freshly waxed car and it's definitely a little easier to clean, although you still get insects stuck on the front!

I'll definitely get my M3 ceramic coated and I might consider partial ppf to protect the lower sills. But it's easy to get carried away with this stuff when it rarely makes any difference to resale value after 3-5 years.

 

[dst87]

That's about right. Think of it as an alternative to regular waxing. Ceramic coatings typically last from 2-5 years depending on quality and preparation. I had my X done from new at a cost of £450 and it's still working as expected after 18 months i.e. water beads off like a freshly waxed car and it's definitely a little easier to clean, although you still get insects stuck on the front!

I'll definitely get my M3 ceramic coated and I might consider partial ppf to protect the lower sills. But it's easy to get carried away with this stuff when it rarely makes any difference to resale value after 3-5 years.

The PPF I’m considering literally because of this one thread on here talking about paint wearing off / sandblasting on the rocker panels and lower doors. I don’t care too much about the odd stone chip really, and otherwise I’m not aware that PPF makes the care look any better - it just offers this protection. What’s your take on that thread?

As for ceramic, this actually appeals to me as I think it make the car look nicer and stay cleaner which I like. If this sandblasting thing wasn’t an issue I would consider ceramic but likely not PPF (I’ve had neither on any previous car).

 

[Yev000]

What's making you look at PPF over ceramic?

2 different things

PPF is like your screen protector on the phone. Ceramic is basically the same as wax but more permanent.

I applied ceramic to my VW Sharan by myself a few days ago, it's pretty good and even made some scuffs disappear.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0758GZX2R/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Cleaned the car as best I could.

It has a lot of warnings about keeping the car dry, yada yada... It actually rained when i was applying it on the roof. Stopped 30 min later. I just dried the car off and re-applied. You go panel; by panel and buff off with a cloth and it's very easy. Trick is not to let it dry completely.

The car is still clean after a bunch of rain. The paint feels a lot smoother to the touch. Some top (clear coat) scratches vanished. It also applies on top of anything, paint, glass, plastic... So not sure how it "bonds".

Yet to see how durable it is VS wax of course. Took about 40 min (first time I did it) and honestly don't see myself paying £500 for a "professional install"

Had about 10% left after doing the Sharan.

PPF will basically a plastic coat on top of the paint to prevent stone chips and dings at the supermarket (not stuff that dents the actual metal of course). You can put ceramic on top of PPF to make it easier to clean.


Hey just a thought, you can probably apply the ceramic coat to your smartphone screen protector to make it repel fingerprints, I should probably try that....