There are basically two classes of paint protection- one is a "wrap," and the others are applied as liquids and they "cure" or "harden." I'm oversimplifying but they essentially act as a semi permanent "wax,' with some (Modesta) claiming 10 years of life. The ceramic or liquid type protection can run up to 2K but is usually less. Obviously they are not waxlike, they are more glass like and they have far better protective qualities than wax. There are, as I said, tons of threads.
The wraps are applied with an adhesive, and provide extensive protection from chipping paint, minor collisions, vandalism (keying) etc. Xpel is one of several and considered the top of the line. Features are described in detail at the xpel website. 3M and others make wraps as well.
For the best protection, many here wrap and then apply the ceramic coat. That's what I'm doing. . .
As for saying goodbye after hello, I completely get it, made me sick also. I gave my car up for a week after having it for 48 hours. (Picking up tomorrow).
I believe you should consider some paint protection. . . Here are some considerations:
- Tesla paint is considered "soft," which means it can be easily damaged, even by improper washing let alone road damage.
- A car is the worst investment we make in our lifetime. . . Cars depreciate immediately. I am therefore planning on owning this thing until I'm "right side up" which will essentially be when it's paid off. That will take a while, so I am doing all that I can to treat the car like an asset and protect the hell out of it.
- If you lease, I would not wrap it at all, since that can be 3 to 6K depending where you are and how much of the car you cover. You're going to turn it in and get nada return on that investment. Because of the lease structure it will not make economic sense for you to buy the leased vehicle for the residual. It will be far less expensive to get out of your car, and buy a CPO vehicle with the same attributes. If you need financial details as to why, I can help.
- If you lease, I would consider one of the mid level coats, but would not spend more than 1 grand or so for reasons stated above. The more expensive coatings last 5 to 10 years. The less expensive ones will last for about the length of your lease. . . Hint hint. . .
- If you own, I would at least wrap the front. There is a package deal that covers front bumper, hood, fenders, mirrors and rockers. I would also suggest doing the rear bumper. Once you've wrapped the front, I would recommend getting a ceramic coat on the entire car. That will ensure even gloss and ensure that the wrapped section doesn't look different from the unwrapped section.
- If you own, I recommend you wrap the whole enchilada and then coat it. I know. . . you just spent a fortune on your car, and now you're going to spend a fortune on a bunch of stuff to keep it clean before it needs to be maintained . . Can run 7 or 8 K depending on where you are. If you do, your resale value will be higher due to both the investment and the condition, and your car will look new, pretty much every morning when you get in it for years to come.
So, what did I do? Last bullet. I did a lot of research and I'm doing xpel on the whole thing, Cquartz finest is the coating I'm putting over it, and I'm going to pay cash and put the pain behind me.
Happy to answer any questions having recently done hours of research on this stuff.
Good luck.
