Not getting paint protection film for your Model 3?

[svp6]

Just trying to follow the logic....a stone chip on day 1 on the way home from the dealer...not much wear/tear otherwise by then. Chips can happen anytime, so not sure of the connection to the age of the vehicle?

Is the cosmetic aspect of a stone chip worth the cost of wrapping? Will you have to sell the car just after the first stone chip on day 1 (and then worry about the depreciation incurred), or are you going to hang on to it until the lease expires (then you don't care, since that is normal wear and tear) or longer term (after 5-6 years the interior is worn out). I loved my beautiful 650 XI, but one week into ownership someone put a dent by opening the door into it. I survived the heartbreak - and by the time I returned the car there were some other minor blemishes to keep the dent company.

I look at the cars overall, and don't care much for small imperfections. If you are like me, you don't care about a stone chip. Hence not willing to pay for wrapping. The only time I look at my bumper is once a year when I put the Minnesota tax sticker on the license plates. You probably guessed that I am not hand washing the car either.

 

[suwaneedad]

The wrap decision largely depends on the use case for Model 3. In my case, I'm planning to own it 15-20 years, and expect to put ~20k miles per year on it. I'm also annoyed constantly by the chips in the front end of my black 2012 Lexus and my white 2012 Jeep. So for me, XPEL Ultimate it is, even atop the silver paint. Full wrap, because fingernails have trashed the areas around the door handles on the 2012 Lexus and given the Model 3 door handle design I expect fingernails to trash unprotected paint there as well. If I do sell my 3 within the ~10yr life of the XPEL (for example, to upgrade into a Model Y), then I can remove the XPEL and expect to sell the 3 in 'mint' condition. I'll get peace of mind from the XPEL, with the only risk being totaling the car anytime soon and feeling like I wasted that money.

 

[xav-]

The wrap decision largely depends on the use case for Model 3. In my case, I'm planning to own it 15-20 years, and expect to put ~20k miles per year on it. I'm also annoyed constantly by the chips in the front end of my black 2012 Lexus and my white 2012 Jeep. So for me, XPEL Ultimate it is, even atop the silver paint. Full wrap, because fingernails have trashed the areas around the door handles on the 2012 Lexus and given the Model 3 door handle design I expect fingernails to trash unprotected paint there as well. If I do sell my 3 within the ~10yr life of the XPEL (for example, to upgrade into a Model Y), then I can remove the XPEL and expect to sell the 3 in 'mint' condition. I'll get peace of mind from the XPEL, with the only risk being totaling the car anytime soon and feeling like I wasted that money.

I think you are a very, very optimistic person. I really like that.

 

[insaneoctane]

I think you are a very, very optimistic person. I really like that.

I noticed that too... Possibly 400K miles!

 

[suwaneedad]

I think you are a very, very optimistic person. I really like that.

Given that I'm about to retire an 18yr old Ford Expedition, which frankly would happily continue longer...runs as well as it did on Day One somehow, I don't expect 15-20yrs from my Model 3 to be any problem at all particularly with FSD on the way and 8 years of updates keeping the car new til 2026. And, we're hitting empty nest phase when seeing America is going to be a priority for us...thus the miles/yr.

But since you bring it up, I tell people that "optimism is my middle name (but cynicism is my first)."

 

[doubleohwhat]

We're still embarrassed if we show up at a supercharger with a dirty car

Yeah, no. I've seen plenty of dirty Tesla's at superchargers. I actually like seeing well maintained but somewhat dirty Tesla's from time to time. It means that they're getting driven and they don't have to be babied. I'm proud to own and drive one of the first EVs that can be driven like a gasser.

 

[jjh1234]

My opinion is a total wrap would be a waste of $5k. I was in the middle of kicking around having mine wrapped when my hood was struck by a piece of rubber from an RV's bad tire. The gash in my hood was significant enough that the PPF would never have prevented the damage. I thought to myself, "If I had already wrapped this, I would be paying for new wrap on top if the $700 dent repair." Never thought of wrapping it again. Plus, I tend to only keep cars for a few years, so not worth it on that front either.

 

[SesameCrunch]

I did a DIY install of PPF on our red Model 3 when we got it in Feb. I did the front 3/4 of the car fully. Bought a computer cut kit for the front bumper, which is super complicated. The hood, all 4 doors, front quarter panels were done with bulk sheets bought from a SUPER vendor on ebay paintprotectorstore on eBay. The product was SunTek Ultra, which is their premium package.

Total cost of parts was $800. Took me 2 full days of work. I'm very happy with the results. I am no expert or professional at this stuff, just a regular guy. Did view a bunch of videos on YouTube to figure out how to do it. It's not rocket science. It takes patience and time.

For you who are tempted, just do the front hood yourself. That's just a $100 trial. Then you'll get a sense of whether you want to do more. The front and back bumpers are hard, so buy the computer kit.

 

[mako7c4]

I just received a quote for $2500 for the entire frontend, not including any paint correction.... Now I'm leaning towards just the ceramic coating to just make it easier to clean

 

[mjp462]

I just received a quote for $2500 for the entire frontend, not including any paint correction.... Now I'm leaning towards just the ceramic coating to just make it easier to clean

That price is super high, and I live in San Diego. Where do you live?

 

[mjp462]

I'm going to do the full front in Suntek PPF. When I turned in my last lease, there were tons of chips on the hood. I plan to keep my Model 3 for a LONG time. It is worth the money to me. This is a special car for me and I want it to look great for a long time. I will put a CarPro nano-coating on myself over the clear bra.

 

[hrmax]

I'm going to do the full front in Suntek PPF. When I turned in my last lease, there were tons of chips on the hood. I plan to keep my Model 3 for a LONG time. It is worth the money to me. This is a special car for me and I want it to look great for a long time. I will put a CarPro nano-coating on myself over the clear bra.

Where are you taking it in San Diego and how much?

 

[mjp462]

Where are you taking it in San Diego and how much?

I sent you a PM. I just don't want to advertise for a company until I'm a customer. I'll post results and company when the work is done.

 

[CoastalCruiser]

Helpful thread. Paint protection is the single most difficult decision for me. More than color choice. More than options. More than 18" or 19" wheels. I dread buying new cars because they seem magnets for rocks and scratches. My 1.5 year old metallic gray Prius is dotted with gotchas that I notice every time I drive the car (in spite of my advanced double-secret Buddhist Practice+, I wince every time). Conversely, I don't think twice about any goobers on my 20 year old Corolla wagon.

So although I will buying a base white, $35K Model 3 when my number is called -unless I cave on the Midnight Silver- I'm gearing up to immediately purchase some sort of "get out of loss of peace of mind" card in the form of paint protection. Especially since I plan on driving the car into the grave.

Strategy after reading this thread is to do just minimum film on the bumper. But a multi-coat ceramic coating on the entire car. I want an easy to clean car.

Question #1: For someone who would never do DIY job applying film (no aptitude or patience with drawing straight lines or using exacto knives), wondering if I could apply my own ceramic coating. Or does that require a degree too?

Question #2: Is anybody with a ceramic coating taking the car through automatic car washes? The have permanently damaged the paint on my Prius with swirl marks. Can ceramic stand up to these brushy beasts?

 

[SesameCrunch]

Coastal: You should think about PPF for your doors in addition to the front bumper. They'll protect against doors hitting your car in the parking. DIY on the doors is super easy. I did it, looks great, and I don't worry about public parking any more. Will cost about $80 per door.

 

[xav-]

What about just doing ceramic coating? How much is it and is it worth it?

 

[T34ME]

What about just doing ceramic coating? How much is it and is it worth it?

My understanding is that coatings make your car easier to maintain when washing and gives a high gloss. It does not provide protection for rock chips or paint etching from bird droppings or bug spatters. Pricing appears to be dependent on the quality of the product applied, location in the US, and skill of the person doing the application. It is possible to DIY but your results may not be as good as a professional who is skilled at application.

 

[insaneoctane]

Coastal: You should think about PPF for your doors in addition to the front bumper. They'll protect against doors hitting your car in the parking. DIY on the doors is super easy. I did it, looks great, and I don't worry about public parking any more. Will cost about $80 per door.

Sounds like a case of false confidence. You may experience fewer scratches, but PPF is not going to stop a ding/dent. I've seen little kids come out of their suburban SUVs literally swinging by the door....

 

[mjp462]

What about just doing ceramic coating? How much is it and is it worth it?

I'm getting my 3 on Wednesday and will be applying 2 coats of CQUK, over the PPF. The product is about $70, but you will need to but additional products to prep the paint. I'm really looking for the the job and have watched enough youtube videos to make me feel comfortable.

Coatings will not protect paint like a PPF, but it will add a hard layer on top of the paint, the paint will look better, is easier to maintain, and will be hydrophobic.

 

[RyanS]

I agree 100%. I would put 4-5k for wheels and suspension upgrade instead. I saw some people spending $10k or more for a full wrap. Crazy.
Since I plan on driving my M3 as a daily commute car (100miles per day), I am planning on DIY front bumper wrap. It should cost less than $400. I have done similar for my BMW and Model S and it wasn’t that difficult. Weekend job.
2018 Tesla Model 3 3M Scotchgard Pro Series Clear Bra Paint Protection Film Deluxe Kit

Ok. I did it. This was much more difficult than BMW or MS. Other parts were easy, except front bumper. Front bumper required a lot stretching and adjusting. I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it or not. Definitely not for beginners. After 5 hours of labor, everything came out ok fortunately.