Model S Exterior: Paint Armor

[shokunin]

I had this installer call his distributor and they said they didn't have an ETA on the larger films (60" is needed). Would you wait then so they are all same material or does it matter?

If you have a Sig White Pearl or silver, I'd probably wait as the 3M could visibly yellow more than the Nano over time. Otherwise I would go with what your installer is more comfortable working with. With the top films, I'd say installation will play a far greater role in the end quality and result rather than the brand of film. Historically there's been quite a mish-mash of brands on the same car when doing full hoods, as not many PPF film makers were producing 60" rolls due to complexity and quality issues.

With 60" film, there's lots of QA issues that a good installer will search for before the film is applied. Other places simply cut and install even though their might be a few tiny defects here and there on the film since the cost to junk that section of film is expensive. A good installer will know their time is more costly than the film and would want to ensure proper adhesion and consistent quality throughout that section of film.

Since you already have the factory kit, it wouldn't be that bad to wait out for the larger rolls to become more widely available.

As for any film, don't use cleaning products and waxes with lots of solvents like Naptha in it. The solvents will soften and start to yellow the film over time.

 

[dsm363]

Thanks. He actually prefers the Avery Nano film and works with both but said he couldn't get the Avery film in 60" rolls. I might wait until the end of the year and check again. If it's not out by then, I'll just get the 3M. Hopefully no nick crop up before then.

 

[Schlermie]

Are the scratches on the painted side or the armored side?

In that photo, the scratches are on the armored side.

 

[shokunin]

Was that on a Model S? If that's the Avery Nano armor then it's going to need some TLC to keep it look clean and mar free, which is kind of surprising.

 

[Schlermie]

Yes, that's from a Model S. That picture was taken during the middle of the Get Amped tour on a car that was supposedly fresh off the production line; however, at that period, they were probably still using the 3M paint armor. Here are a couple more photos from the same car:

I've posted the most offending pictures, mainly to illustrate Tommy's comment, but I also have some photos from that same car where the armor looks crystal clear, such as this one:

Here are some from the side of the car. There are some armor strips along the front & rear wheel wells, door edge guards, door sills, and rear door panel, but they're invisible.

 

[dsm363]

Schlermie: Would you wait for the Avery Nano then? It sounds like the 60" should be out soon but they don't have a definitive date so could be a long time.

 

[shokunin]

Thanks for the pictures Schlermie! That paint armor sure got ugly quick and it's not like the get amp cars ever got seriously dirty. 3M makes lots of film, so who knows which exact model was used. Regardless, I'm glad they switched over to something that should be more durable.

Even the 2mo old blue Performance model's painted hood got ugly quick. This photo below came from MikeK (I believe). I'm still in the camp of having the PPF protect the hood. You can polish out the scratches and swirls on paint, but there's only so much clear on the paint. Too much paint correction (compounding & polishing) will eat through the clear if done too often.

 

[kevincwelch]

Post deleted.

 

[StephRob]

I picked up my car on 10/30 at the factory and the only hiccup (though it was hardly a hiccup) was that they had installed paint armor and I hadn't ordered it. So, free paint armor! My car is Sig Red. I have to say that I think it is quite noticeable. It's only a matter of time before we have it removed I think. LOVE the car though. Love, love, LOVE the car!! View attachment 11238View attachment 11239

Here are quick shots of the armor on the hood and on the rear.

 

[ckessel]

I walked by a car in my parking garage that had the 1/2 hood paint armor. The car was a bit dirty, standard here in the rainy season, and the line was strikingly noticeable. It definitely reinforced for me that I wouldn't want paint armor without whole hood coverage.

 

[Robert.Boston]

At a Boston-area TMC party, we had two Model Ss, one with and one without the paint armor. The silver had paint armor, and the edges were very visible. What bothered me most was not the half-hood line (clearly visible in the right light), but the numerous unwrapped edges. My experience with my BMW's similar paint armor is less than good: these unwrapped edges are the place where the armor is starting to pull up.

Also at the party was a gorgeous metallic orange Lambo, that was completely wrapped by a very skilled installer. Every edge was wrapped, so the paint armor was completely unnoticeable. The installer was there, and he's waiting on getting exact templates before he can quote a price; he expects that it will be under $3000 for a similar full-body wrap. I am strongly considering the $2k upgrade.

 

[ModelS1079]

Upgrading may be the way to go as per Robert, above. I ordered it only b/c the Tesla Armor is inexpensive, easy (done before arrival), and I was thinking - prior to the post above - the only to hood line would really be an issue, which I can certainly live with or certainly re-wrap as full hood down the line. The edge-issue above may be a key reason to hold off unless the value of the factory armor is compelling.

 

[spatterso911]

In the end, that may be the best way to go. Get the Tesla factory paint armor and have the hood redone in the aftermarket.

 

[Odenator]

I'm gonna pick up my Model S in a couple of months in Portland. I spoke to Highline Customs about doing a full wrap on the Model S. They said they would go to the Washington Square store to take measurements and get me a quote for their Suntek film. They also offer Ventureshield and 3M but they prefer Suntek since it doesn't orange peel and resists chemical solvents. I'll post their quote when I get it.

 

[ModelS1079]

Thanks.

 

[KangarooAustralia]

It would be interesting to hear the experiences, over time, of Model S owners who opt not to have the Paint Armour regarding scratches and chips etc under normal day to day operating environment. Is the Paint Armour really worth it?

 

[dsm363]

It would be interesting to hear the experiences, over time, of Model S owners who opt not to have the Paint Armour regarding scratches and chips etc under normal day to day operating environment. Is the Paint Armour really worth it?

I just got my car and already have a rock that hit the frunk/hood about 8 inches up on the right and took out a very small gash of the paint armor leaving a very tiny scratch underneath but it would have been worse if the paint armor were not there. I think it is worth it.

 

[SCW-Greg]

I walked by a car in my parking garage that had the 1/2 hood paint armor. The car was a bit dirty, standard here in the rainy season, and the line was strikingly noticeable. It definitely reinforced for me that I wouldn't want paint armor without whole hood coverage.

Yes, in weathered country - like the Northwest - I've seen what Chris is talking about. Here at our Tesla garage...

I't a catch twenty-two because here more than anywhere else you really need it. They don't salt roads in the winter, they gravel them! If you go this route, the best solution is full hood protection anyway, as I've had chips further up than the line here.

Edit: Tried to correct the upside down image issues, but then the images multiplied with no way to make them go away. Hmmm.

 

[ChadS]

Yes, in weathered country - like the Northwest - I've seen what Chris is talking about. Here at our Tesla garage...

Hey - is that my car? That is indeed what it looks like when it's dirty. Sometimes when it's clean the line is invisible; it all depends on the light. It's definitely visible when dirty - much more so than on my yellow Roadster. Though frankly with dirt streaks all over, I think the dirt is doing more to make it look bad than the armor. Clearly, as has been mentioned before, full-hood coverage would help.

No damage to the S yet, but I have had rocks hit the armor on my Roadster a few times, and I'm glad I had the armor as I'd rather have armor replaced than try to fix paint dings. But I know some people here have said they don't think fixing paint dings is a big deal. So clearly the question of whether to get the armor or not will vary by person. I'm happy with mine (aside from a bit of orange peel on the hood - not visible in these pictures - that I've talked to Tesla about).

 

[jandkw]

I am new to the forum. Since I am waiting for the Model S, I went to the local Tinted Shop to get some information about the car tinting along with the clear bra/film installation. The guy was very knowledgeable and he showed me how he does the work, very impressive. He also did a demo using 3 sample sheets, 3M, Avery Nano Fusion and XPEL. The 3M product (used in Model S) shows some yellowing which he does not recommend. Both Nano and XPEL look good and XPEL in particular can do "self healing" which he scratched the sample surface and then poured some hot water over it, the scratches are gone. Amazing product. Unfortunately, he looked up the computer and Model S is not one of the supported kits but he will call XPEL if I'm interested. I wonder if anyone has any experience on XPEL that you can comment.