Model Y PPF and window tinting options in AZ

[spbond0079]

I recently took delivery of white MY. Just like every other tesla owner I decided to look up PPF and Tint options. On my quest for a straightforward solution, to my surprise (may be not), I slid down the rabbit hole and came up with more questions than answers. I hope someone can help me find relatively simple, if not the best, solution.

Just to give you some background as far as use of my car / ? SUV and my budget. Even though being in AZ, it's going to spend most of the time either in a home garage or in a shaded parking area. Only times it won't be shaded is on non-work related runs eg. grocery run, child's swim class, etc. I am not looking to spend a ton of money on this as I don't think spending close to 10% of the car value on protecting the paint/tinting is going to hold its resale value 5-7 years down the road; and it wouldn't break my heart/wallet to replace it down the road if necessary.

Questions:
Which PPF brand to choose from? 3M vs. Xpel vs. SunTek. Seems like every brand has its own patent/history on something or the other.

Does Suntek's "Hydrophobic" technology for PPF make a difference or is it one of those marketing gimmick that sounds cool but offers the same tech as other manufactures (Case in point, "Super Retina" technology instead of industry standard OLED technology). If it does work well then wouldn't that be an obvious choice and avoid spending more on ceramic coating?

Is it worth getting entire care PPF vs only the front section of the car?

Is 3M truly superior for window tinting compared to other brands or have I fallen prey to targeted advertising?

Also any recommendations, regarding shops in AZ particularly in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Chandler area, would be appreciated.

 

[bacevedo]

I can't answer a lot of your questions, but I can recommend a good place in Tempe that did the window tint on my Y (I'm in Chandler).

It's Dynamic Tint, right near the Tempe Service Center. They do great work and have all kinds of options for window tint, ppf, paint correction, and ceramic coating. Tyler is the owner and he's great to work with and happy to answer questions.

 

[fireball08]

BeauMoto in PHX area for PPF. He comes to you. Did the front for me and excellent job.

 

[Ampre Sand]

Cactus Tint on Raintree in Scottsdale, right across from a Tesla service center did a great job on my 3. I had full front PPF, but no tint since I’m not in AZ during the summers. They use XPEL. It seems to have a hydrophobic finish and I’ve been able to use a heat gun to take out scratches from accidentally using a contaminated wash rag on the front bumper. The gloss finish of the PPF film perfectly matches the sheen of the factory clear coat.

Tint is very popular in AZ, even the windshield. Downside of tinting the windshield is replacement cost. AZ is second in the US only to CO for windshield cracks. I just use a nice custom cut folding windshield sun shade from AutoHeatShield. That, combined with cabin overheat protection / pre-conditioning works for me.

 

[Cp1484]

Magic bus in Tempe. Hands down

 

[AZMurph]

I used Cactus Tint on Raintree in Scottsdale for two cars for 3M tint and Suntek PPF only on front to mirrors. They’re straight forward and can advise you and do nice work. I also recently did tint and PPF on a newer Y at Bulldog Detail in Scottsdale because I was also doing brake caliper painting and ceramic. They also did a great job and answered all of my questions ahead of time, but they used some different tint products. So, I recommend reading some Yelp reviews for those and others mentioned here and calling a few to make the choice right for you. If you’re doing clear PPF, doing the front only is most common.

 

[theluckeys]

I recently took delivery of white MY. Just like every other tesla owner I decided to look up PPF and Tint options. On my quest for a straightforward solution, to my surprise (may be not), I slid down the rabbit hole and came up with more questions than answers. I hope someone can help me find relatively simple, if not the best, solution.

Just to give you some background as far as use of my car / ? SUV and my budget. Even though being in AZ, it's going to spend most of the time either in a home garage or in a shaded parking area. Only times it won't be shaded is on non-work related runs eg. grocery run, child's swim class, etc. I am not looking to spend a ton of money on this as I don't think spending close to 10% of the car value on protecting the paint/tinting is going to hold its resale value 5-7 years down the road; and it wouldn't break my heart/wallet to replace it down the road if necessary.

Questions:
Which PPF brand to choose from? 3M vs. Xpel vs. SunTek. Seems like every brand has its own patent/history on something or the other.

Does Suntek's "Hydrophobic" technology for PPF make a difference or is it one of those marketing gimmick that sounds cool but offers the same tech as other manufactures (Case in point, "Super Retina" technology instead of industry standard OLED technology). If it does work well then wouldn't that be an obvious choice and avoid spending more on ceramic coating?

Is it worth getting entire care PPF vs only the front section of the car?

Is 3M truly superior for window tinting compared to other brands or have I fallen prey to targeted advertising?

Also any recommendations, regarding shops in AZ particularly in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Chandler area, would be appreciated.

Not sure if you pulled the trigger yet, but we have a thread on AZ shops for both PPF and Tint:

Phoenix detailing/wraps

Wanted to start a thread specific to the Phoenix area with discussions about local installers and to share experiences, advice and of course - pictures. We are going to color change our Model Y with 3M matte metallic blue and currently getting quotes from around the Valley.

teslamotorsclub.com

I personally went with both Xpel PPF and Tint. I could not find one negative review and liked their 10-year warranty the best

 

[Dennisis]

Downside of tinting the windshield is replacement cost. AZ is second in the US only to CO for windshield cracks

Not sure of other insurance company's but USAA covered windshield re-tint for me. Windshield is definitely a must-do IMO. Also recommend getting the roof tinted and using a sunshade during the hottest months.

 

[pushra]

Not sure of other insurance company's but USAA covered windshield re-tint for me. Windshield is definitely a must-do IMO. Also recommend getting the roof tinted and using a sunshade during the hottest months.

I talked to AZ Auto Aesthetics (https://wedetailaz.com/) and they advised against roof tinting. In their experience, it causes cracks because the tint film catches the heat and causes the glass to expand. I am not an expert and am about to get the wrap and tint done, so I'm just gathering information.

 

[theluckeys]

I talked to AZ Auto Aesthetics (https://wedetailaz.com/) and they advised against roof tinting. In their experience, it causes cracks because the tint film catches the heat and causes the glass to expand. I am not an expert and am about to get the wrap and tint done, so I'm just gathering information.

AZ Auto Aesthetics are the same folks that told me that too, but Xpel (the actual company) disagrees. There is a good thread on it when they replied to me directly:

20% XPEL XR Black roof

For anyone wondering, this is what the roof looks like with 20% tint applied.

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[Dennisis]

AZ Auto Aesthetics are the same folks that told me that too, but Xpel (the actual company) disagrees. There is a good thread on it when they replied to me directly:

20% XPEL XR Black roof

For anyone wondering, this is what the roof looks like with 20% tint applied.

teslamotorsclub.com

Yeah The Specialists here in Tucson did mine no issues. It comes down to whatever you're comfortable with though...

 

[spbond0079]

Not sure if you pulled the trigger yet, but we have a thread on AZ shops for both PPF and Tint:

Phoenix detailing/wraps

Wanted to start a thread specific to the Phoenix area with discussions about local installers and to share experiences, advice and of course - pictures. We are going to color change our Model Y with 3M matte metallic blue and currently getting quotes from around the Valley.

teslamotorsclub.com

I personally went with both Xpel PPF and Tint. I could not find one negative review and liked their 10-year warranty the best

Thank you for your reply.

I got tinting done with Hyer Quality Detail in Tempe, AZ a few months ago.

I had a good experience with them. Owner and their staff are very helpful and answered all the questions in detail. They seem to have a lot of experience. When I went to check out the place they were working on cars way above my price point, so I figured it might be worth giving them my business. I am glad I went with them.

 

[spbond0079]

Not sure of other insurance company's but USAA covered windshield re-tint for me. Windshield is definitely a must-do IMO. Also recommend getting the roof tinted and using a sunshade during the hottest months.

I got tinting done in Tempe, AZ.

They do have a affiliated shop that replaces windshield and that is covered with the insurance. Since it's an affiliate of the detailing/wrapping company they do cover re-tinting of the windshield for free as part of their services. So I should be covered with that. I haven't inquired with insurance if re-tinting is covered with them or not.

I talked to AZ Auto Aesthetics (https://wedetailaz.com/) and they advised against roof tinting. In their experience, it causes cracks because the tint film catches the heat and causes the glass to expand. I am not an expert and am about to get the wrap and tint done, so I'm just gathering information.

I didn't cover the roof for various reasons, first I did read quite a bit about issues with possibility of cracking the roof with AZ heat.
Also, my car is in the shade when parked. Tinting all the other glasses made enough difference for me to comfortably enjoy the daily drive.

As it is roof has UV protection already from the factory so I don't think spending extra on the roof is worth it. For now the car is more of a daily commute, when we plan on taking long road trips then I might look into getting a screen which will be ideal for longer trips.

 

[Mitch994]

I picked up my MS LR 10 days ago. After reading a bunch of reviews I took it to Detail Boss in Scottsdale. They did full frontal ppf, interior window tinting and full ceramic coating for under 4K. Owners spent a lot of time on the phone with me answering my questions prior to job. Great guys and result was excellent.