Paintwork protection

[nexsuperne101]

Hello,

I currently drive a Nissan Leaf, and like all Nissan's, I think they have possibly the thinnest coats of paint on a car that they could get away with. Needless to say, that even the tiniest scratches have gone straight through to the undercoat, and when the undercoat is white on a Metallic red car, it REALLY notices.

What's the paint job like on a Tesla? Is it thick enough to buff back if needed, or should I get it clear wrapped on delivery?

Thanks

 

[eliassorensen]

It's like you would expect from Tesla. High quality (at least on the S and X).

The first thing I'm going to do is to get it Opti-Coated. It gives an extra protection, and dirt doesn't stick that easy.

 

[Philcasi]

It's like you would expect from Tesla. High quality (at least on the S and X).

The first thing I'm going to do is to get it Opti-Coated. It gives an extra protection, and dirt doesn't stick that easy.

That's the first thing I get done on my new cars besides tint

 

[Steve3008]

Hi, how much should I expect to pay for opti coat?

 

[MTN Ranger]

I have had good experience with Xpel on the front bumper and lower hood of a previous car. It lasted almost ten years and kept most rock chips away.

View media item 114959View media item 114958

 

[Dan Detweiler]

I am also very interested in clear coating my car when it is delivered but I am completely ignorant. How much should I expect to pay for the entire car and about how long does it last?

Thanks,

Dan

 

[Socom]

I plan on having mine done in Xpel Ultimate, that usually runs $2000 ish for the front clip of the car, so I would expect at least 4k for a full wrap (although not necessary).

 

[juanmedina]

I plan on having mine done in Xpel Ultimate, that usually runs $2000 ish for the front clip of the car, so I would expect at least 4k for a full wrap (although not necessary).

That's insanely expensive, you can get the entire car vinyl wrap a different color for $2000 at a local shop that works on Lamborghini's and Ferrari's.

I hope we get option of having a clear bra installed at the factory.

 

[Booga]

I don't plan on using anything. It's a car and I'm going to use it to perform a function - if it was for show purposes, that might be different, but given how I use it, I expect the paint to get chipped in areas with rocks or whatever due to highway driving.

 

[eisbock]

I don't plan on using anything. It's a car and I'm going to use it to perform a function - if it was for show purposes, that might be different, but given how I use it, I expect the paint to get chipped in areas with rocks or whatever due to highway driving.

Yeah, at some point you just gotta let it go. It's a car. Its purpose is to literally hurtle you through the elements at high speeds. The world is a harsh place and the environment (including people) will nick and ding your car over time. It's just what happens.

Those who do everything in their power to stop this are just burning money and fighting a losing battle. And for what? Not many people except you are going to notice that little scratch on your bumper from that rock on the highway. It's a car, not a trophy. It can be a trophy, but then you wouldn't be driving it every day.

Sure, when the car is new, you want it to look nice because you spent a lot of money on it, but stressing about it is, well, stressful! Eventually you'll be relieved when minor cosmetic damage occurs because it means you can stop being so meticulous about the car's appearance.

 

[JeffK]

Even those the S and the X are out these are still going to be hot little cars that everyone is going to ask about ... I mean there are still people asking "What are those T cars?"

Don't be delusional... your Model 3 is going to be a show car whether you like it or not

 

[tomas]

There are a ton of threads here in the Model S forum regarding paint protection. Because the cars are painted in California where there are some specific restrictions on paint content (low VOC), the paint is softer than many automotive paints. So it is prone to scratches and swirls.

Many, many Model S buyers have done paint correction and either partial or full clear wrap. Many have done opti-coat. Some (including me) have done both (opticoat over suntek wrap), which I unfortunately did 2 years after delivery... wish I had done immediately.

These two types of paint correction perform very different functions. Film protects the finish from scrapes, dings, flying pebbles, etc. Opticoat serves same function as wax - keeping it looking great, and protecting from substances like sap, bird waste, etc. To me, Opticoat is just cheaper and less trouble than waxing. One time paint correction/opticoat at a price of around $800 eliminates need to wax for at least 5 years. If you wax twice a year, it offsets 10+ wax jobs. If you wax 4 times a year, that's 20+.

Now, a 35k car may not deserve as much, and a $35k buyer may not have the disposable income. But I will say this: I never did any of this stuff with a prior car, and going forward, I will ALWAYS use AT LEAST opti-coat, and maybe film on all future cars I buy (but not if I lease).

 

[Tes LA]

Depending on the color options Tesla offers, I may opt for a plain white car and just wrap it or paint it the color I want. It's not a bad idea to protect the paint but I won't lose sleep over it.

 

[Jayc]

I am going for this:

Crystal Serum | Gtechniq.com

Seems decent enough and relatively inexpensive. Requires application by trained people so not a DIY job.

 

[Dan Detweiler]

There are a ton of threads here in the Model S forum regarding paint protection. Because the cars are painted in California where there are some specific restrictions on paint content (low VOC), the paint is softer than many automotive paints. So it is prone to scratches and swirls.

Many, many Model S buyers have done paint correction and either partial or full clear wrap. Many have done opti-coat. Some (including me) have done both (opticoat over suntek wrap), which I unfortunately did 2 years after delivery... wish I had done immediately.

These two types of paint correction perform very different functions. Film protects the finish from scrapes, dings, flying pebbles, etc. Opticoat serves same function as wax - keeping it looking great, and protecting from substances like sap, bird waste, etc. To me, Opticoat is just cheaper and less trouble than waxing. One time paint correction/opticoat at a price of around $800 eliminates need to wax for at least 5 years. If you wax twice a year, it offsets 10+ wax jobs. If you wax 4 times a year, that's 20+.

Now, a 35k car may not deserve as much, and a $35k buyer may not have the disposable income. But I will say this: I never did any of this stuff with a prior car, and going forward, I will ALWAYS use AT LEAST opti-coat, and maybe film on all future cars I buy (but not if I lease).

How much did you pay for your treatments?

Dan

 

[JeffK]

I wonder how long it's going to take Xpel to have cutouts available for the Model 3. Do dealers cut custom panels or do they always rely on Xpels model measurements?

 

[tomas]

How much did you pay for your treatments?

Dan

I paid 4,000 for paint correction and full body wrap and 800 for buff and opticoat. I'm guessing I paid about 800 extra by doing way after purchase and by doing at separate times, so I believe if you shop you could get both for around 4K. Many people just get partial wrap, and that's about half the price.

When I purchased the car, it came with partial wrap as option. I had incident with landscaping wall that scraped up my front fender. Was about to get it fixed when I thought to tear off film to see extent of damage. None. The film was a mess but paint underneath perfect. So, I started considering full wrap since I plan to keep car 10+ years. Unfortunately, got egged before I wrapped it, which caused scars that touch up could not completely fix. Wrapped it, and promptly got tree sap which had to be buffed out of wrap. So, got opticoat over wrap. Long story, sorry. Wish I had done it all at delivery.

 

[Dan Detweiler]

I paid 4,000 for paint correction and full body wrap and 800 for buff and opticoat. I'm guessing I paid about 800 extra by doing way after purchase and by doing at separate times, so I believe if you shop you could get both for around 4K. Many people just get partial wrap, and that's about half the price.

When I purchased the car, it came with partial wrap as option. I had incident with landscaping wall that scraped up my front fender. Was about to get it fixed when I thought to tear off film to see extent of damage. None. The film was a mess but paint underneath perfect. So, I started considering full wrap since I plan to keep car 10+ years. Unfortunately, got egged before I wrapped it, which caused scars that touch up could not completely fix. Wrapped it, and promptly got tree sap which had to be buffed out of wrap. So, got opticoat over wrap. Long story, sorry. Wish I had done it all at delivery.

Ouch, that's a chunk of change! I'm sure worth it but it would still mean leaving off a potential $4000 in upgrades to the car. Definitely something to think about though. Thanks for the info.

Dan

 

[tomas]

Ouch, that's a chunk of change! I'm sure worth it but it would still mean leaving off a potential $4000 in upgrades to the car. Definitely something to think about though. Thanks for the info.

Dan

It is. That's why the 2 Model 3s I'm buying may only get opticoat. But for 100k car I'm keeping for 10+ years, worth it.

 

[Petra]

It's like you would expect from Tesla. High quality (at least on the S and X)

As a model S owner, I'm going to have to disagree. While the paint is better than what Nissan does for the Leaf (OP, as a former owner of a 2012 red Leaf, I know your pain), it's not what I would consider a high quality paint job. The paint on the Model S is very easily marred and scratched, peering into panel gaps (e.g. A-pillar to quarter panel) can reveal a lack of paint coverage (protective coating only), and bug hits etch almost immediately.

That said, I don't go in for expensive paint treatments or clear bra stuff. I do what I can to keep the S looking nice with minor correction (since the clear is somewhere in the 2.5-3 thou ballpark, I prefer avoiding using products with any meaningful cut), generally sticking with chemical polishes like Klasse AIO, followed by Klasse sealant glaze for long term paint protection (usually good for up to a year). If I feel like burning an afternoon, I'll put a layer of a carnauba wax on top of the Klasse glaze for a bit of extra shine (usually P21S). The car's paint is going to get damaged over time by rocks and such, so my plan is to enjoy the nice blue color for a long as possible, then maybe vinyl wrap the car once it's looking too worn.

I plan on taking the same approach with the Model 3.