Paint Protection Films

[C141medic]

I researched PPF and have read reviews in that they do a great job of protecting the vehicle from scratches, chips, etc. I was wondering if anyone plans on installing Paint Protection Film (PPF) from 3M and other brands and if anyone has had positive or negative results with installations on other vehicles?

 

[Sportstick]

I researched PPF and have read reviews in that they do a great job of protecting the vehicle from scratches, chips, etc. I was wondering if anyone plans on installing Paint Protection Film (PPF) from 3M and other brands and if anyone has had positive or negative results with installations on other vehicles?

I have had excellent results from Xpel Ultimate film. The film has twice the warranty length of 3M - 10 years versus 5 (unless that has changed recently) and is more colorless without any hints of yellowish tint. It is also self-healing. I've had two cars done and would use them again.

 

[ManTownMedia]

I am considering the XPEL but got a quote of $ 1400 - anyone else think this is high? This is full frontal - hood, front bumper.

 

[Sportstick]

I am considering the XPEL but got a quote of $ 1400 - anyone else think this is high? This is full frontal - hood, front bumper.

I paid $1100 for half hood and matching half front fenders, full fascia, headlamps, foglamps, and mirror caps.

 

[Neo_fd3s]

When I do put an order in for my model 3, I'm definitely doing this paint protection. Canadian weather is brutal on bare paint. Especially if the car has to sit outside exposed all the time.
I'll be doing the entire car. Not enough to get only the front facing parts. You drive the car in the rain or snow and inevitably debris gets kicked up.
The upside, washing the car stops being a chore.

 

[Tiger]

I am considering the XPEL but got a quote of $ 1400 - anyone else think this is high? This is full frontal - hood, front bumper.

I think this is too high. I'd rather just repaint the whole car every 10 years (in reality I would probably upgrade to a new car every so-and-so years that's an additional reason why I wouldn't worry about the paint). You will not get your money back when selling the car.

 

[jmm3]

If you do any amount of highway driving front bumper, lights, partial hood/front fendor and side mirrors are necessary. I have a SunTek PPF that is doing well no fade in socal. Also should consider Opticoat or CQuartz paint protective coating upon delievery to preserve the paint.

 

[Thomas Edison]

I was going to get this stuff. It's a lot cheaper than those other brands and gets the job done. Only about $200 for the whole car.

 

[Az_Rael]

I have had excellent results from Xpel Ultimate film. The film has twice the warranty length of 3M - 10 years versus 5 (unless that has changed recently) and is more colorless without any hints of yellowish tint. It is also self-healing. I've had two cars done and would use them again.

I just got my car back from a wrap shop. 3M and Xpel have equal warranties now.


As far as my experiences for the OP: totally worth it. I bought the car with an existing wrap. Tesla removed the hood portion during the CPO process and a few other bits had been trimmed, etc. just a few days after buying the car, someone left a nice scuff mark in my rear quarter panel at my work parking lot. I examined it very closely and it was only in the wrap! Saved the day for me. So I took it in to get the missing pieces done and replaced that scuffed piece. It looks amazing now!


However they are not cheap. To do a full body custom (wrapped edges) Xpel or 3M for my S with paint correction is $6k from this shop. I am sure there are cheaper places, but in So Cal it seems like they run at least $3-$4k minimum. I stick with my shop despite the price because they are very good, and they know Teslas. They even have a Model 3 on order for a loaner car (currently they have an electric Fiat)!

 

[alseTrick]

There's Stek Dyno that does PPF and is a vendor on this site. There's also AutoFlex SprayShield, a spray on PPF (not plastidip).

Just other options.

 

[alseTrick]

View attachment 240583

I was going to get this stuff. It's a lot cheaper than those other brands and gets the job done. Only about $200 for the whole car.

That's actually pretty awesome.

 

[trm2]

I've had great experiences with Xpel Ultimate as well. With the front of the Model 3 being as flat as it is, it will be a rock magnet, I consider Xpel a must.

 

[aronth5]

Since this topic has been covered many times before here are some links to similiar threads. The 3rd thread is one of the more extensive.

XPel or 3M or other?
How much paint protection is too much?
To Wrap or not wrap your Model X

 

[pkalhan]

I will also be getting Xpel Ultimate for the front of the car and then have Opticoat applied to the entire car to give it a nice shine. Hopefully, it will not be too much.

 

[XPEL]

First off, we would like to thank all those that use our film.

Our film has a 10 year warranty that covers yellowing, staining, delaminating, hazing, blistering , and more. It was the first film in the industry to have a self healing feature. If you do happen to get a scratch on the film, simply just let it sit out in the sun or pour some hot water on it and watch it disappear. As far as coverage we recommend all the high impact areas which include full hood and fenders, bumper, mirrors, and headlights. Another great area to protect are the rocker panels and the rear quarters. Many owners that do a lot of highway driving will choose this option as debris likes to fly up at high speed. If anybody has any more questions feel free to reach out and let us know.

 

[C141medic]

First off, we would like to thank all those that use our film.

Our film has a 10 year warranty that covers yellowing, staining, delaminating, hazing, blistering , and more. It was the first film in the industry to have a self healing feature. If you do happen to get a scratch on the film, simply just let it sit out in the sun or pour some hot water on it and watch it disappear. As far as coverage we recommend all the high impact areas which include full hood and fenders, bumper, mirrors, and headlights. Another great area to protect are the rocker panels and the rear quarters. Many owners that do a lot of highway driving will choose this option as debris likes to fly up at high speed. If anybody has any more questions feel free to reach out and let us know.

Thanks for the info. Have read a lot of great reviews about your film. Can you tell us when the Model 3 will be added to your configurator on your site so we can price different options?

 

[Mokuzai]

I ended up going with an XPEL custom wrap on every painted surface besides the A-C pillar and the trunk lid on my Model S. They also did the front lighting surfaces. As Az_Rael mentioned custom means they wrap around the edges of the panels so you cannot see the edge line. If you go with a kit they will not wrap around and the edges can collect dirt.

Personally I love it, and even at the $4k it cost me I feel it's totally worth it. I took delivery of the car and basically drove it straight to the installation place. I know I've taken rocks to the front and it still looks as new as the day I picked it up. I've had people try and guess which panels are covered and they cannot tell. Even looking at the trunk lid next to the rear quarter panel it's near impossible to tell the difference. I'd totally recommend getting it and can also recommend my install place if anybody in the northern Los Angeles area is looking to get this done (not sure if putting their name on here would be considered advertising but send me a pm and I can provide their info).

 

[reynirb]

I researched PPF and have read reviews in that they do a great job of protecting the vehicle from scratches, chips, etc. I was wondering if anyone plans on installing Paint Protection Film (PPF) from 3M and other brands and if anyone has had positive or negative results with installations on other vehicles?

I had the Kamikaze coating put on my car. It is supposed to last a couple of years. The guy hand polishes the whole car to a mirror finish and then applies a special glass coating to protect the paint.

With the coating on, it really doesn't get dirty anymore. When it gets dust and dirt, when it rains, it looks like I just washed the car.

I chose that option over putting any plastic film or wrap on the car, and it was well under $1000 to get it done.

I have seen cars with different films on it. The films I have seen Yellow over time (maybe some do and some don't), and the other issue with the film is that it is UV blocking.

This means over time, especially on colors other than White or Black, your car will fade differently and you will end up with a two tone paint with the covered area with a different colors vs the faded rest of the car.

So, there are definitely pros and cons to each method in protecting your paint.

 

[thebigbobowski]

First off, we would like to thank all those that use our film.

Our film has a 10 year warranty that covers yellowing, staining, delaminating, hazing, blistering , and more. It was the first film in the industry to have a self healing feature. If you do happen to get a scratch on the film, simply just let it sit out in the sun or pour some hot water on it and watch it disappear. As far as coverage we recommend all the high impact areas which include full hood and fenders, bumper, mirrors, and headlights. Another great area to protect are the rocker panels and the rear quarters. Many owners that do a lot of highway driving will choose this option as debris likes to fly up at high speed. If anybody has any more questions feel free to reach out and let us know.

Since you're here in this thread, I have a question: There are three XPEL installers in my area. One is platinum certified, one is gold, and one is PPF factory trained but has no certification. Can you tell me what the platinum and gold certifications are? The non-certified is the least expensive of the bunch and I'd like to use them for my Model 3 unless there is a good reason not to. Thanks!

 

[trm2]

I will also be getting Xpel Ultimate for the front of the car and then have Opticoat applied to the entire car to give it a nice shine. Hopefully, it will not be too much.

You can learn to install coatings yourself and save a lot of money. I will certainly coat my Model 3, wheels, trim, paint and even the Xpel.