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PPF or no PPF
- Thread starter ExpatPR
- Start date
Hey, like I said. What others do with their money is 100% their business. My experience with my 2017 S and my wifes y with over 18k miles on it, have had a much different experience than you. Ive owned many, many cars over the years, and when its been resale time...never had anything beyond (at most) "normal wear and tear). Even on my S (and other non Tesla cars), any road chips from thousands of miles, was on the front bumper cover. Worst case scenario, after many years and many many miles, and right before sale, I'd get the front bumper cover repainted if I needed to. (actually did that with a BMW 5 series bumper cover a couple years back via Maaco right before I sold the car. Had a lot of scrapes from curbs and 100k miles of nicks. $350 for a perfectly painted cover. )
But as always, to each his own. For me, the current cost of getting PPF on the car is simply prohibitive for me.
How does it look when you only do partial? Can you tell where the PPF stop? Any chance of the edges separating and leering dirt underneath?Hey guys
If you just want to do the impact areas PPF, you can check out my products here (I am the vendor, I designed them, I manufacture them and I ship them). I work with XPEL both Ultimate Plus (8mil) and Ultimate Plus 10 (10 mil):
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All of these are for the new (2021/2022) Model S
I did the full front on my MY. I also added along the lower doors where there is a crease line. I also had the car ceramic coated afterwards to minimize any dirt along exposed edges.
Given the S has wider hips and a big contact area in front of the doors, I am going full PPF for a few other reasons. One is I don't have to worry about car washes. I always hand washed my Y and I don't have that kind of time or as good of a place to wash. I can just run it through a car wash and have no issues. I probably would have gone full PPF but it was absurdly priced.
Then I moved to Dallas and it was worse. So tried to get more people together and setup sort of a group buy. Now the price definitely worth doing it. I will skip the ceramic coating this time. Seems like overkill with the PPF.
I would also factor in car color. Red really shows the stone chips. I saw a MY in red just before I bought my car and it looked like a teenager with an acne breakout on the front of the car. I don't think it had many miles on it by looking at the tires. Looked like some base color or body color was showing up as little (or big) zits. It was at the moment I decided to at least do the front.
Given how soft Tesla pain is, you need to do something to help it survive. Or plan on repainting. I had a great guy where I lived who did concours cars, exotics and other car body work and painting. He said he'd do the front bumper on my Y for about $750. So it was a tough choice as that was a very good price and amazing quality of his work but I went with the PPF so I just wouldn't have to deal with touch ups or paint work down the road.
Given the S has wider hips and a big contact area in front of the doors, I am going full PPF for a few other reasons. One is I don't have to worry about car washes. I always hand washed my Y and I don't have that kind of time or as good of a place to wash. I can just run it through a car wash and have no issues. I probably would have gone full PPF but it was absurdly priced.
Then I moved to Dallas and it was worse. So tried to get more people together and setup sort of a group buy. Now the price definitely worth doing it. I will skip the ceramic coating this time. Seems like overkill with the PPF.
I would also factor in car color. Red really shows the stone chips. I saw a MY in red just before I bought my car and it looked like a teenager with an acne breakout on the front of the car. I don't think it had many miles on it by looking at the tires. Looked like some base color or body color was showing up as little (or big) zits. It was at the moment I decided to at least do the front.
Given how soft Tesla pain is, you need to do something to help it survive. Or plan on repainting. I had a great guy where I lived who did concours cars, exotics and other car body work and painting. He said he'd do the front bumper on my Y for about $750. So it was a tough choice as that was a very good price and amazing quality of his work but I went with the PPF so I just wouldn't have to deal with touch ups or paint work down the road.
For kicks, I called around to a couple of body shops in virginia to just ask how much for a complete repaint of a Model S in the original color (which would mean no labor associated with painting door jambs and such.) Quotes ranged from ~$3900 to $5800 total if no body work was needed. Just basic but complete prep and shoot paint. high end Private shops not Maaco/Chains.
I mean, for that price, one could get a complete respray in a few years and come out with a brand new looking car for cheaper than PPF wrap. (Also, as someone who had PPF on a bumper before, PPF can get nicks over time. Not 100% of all PPF nicks "self heal" perfectly. So you end up with visual imperfections along the way. Now admittedly those nicks may not make it through to the paint, but still, you are looking at them..and unlike a small stone chip in paint, you cant touch up small nicks in PPF..
Many years ago I had an older car (BMW) fully repainted in factory OEM color. Was a really good job. When I went to sell it? Got top dollar. No one even asked (nor cared) if it had been repainted. Maybe because it was an original BMW color/the original color.. (as an FYI, its the only car I've ever had fully repainted. All of my other cars I simply clean up really well, take great (if flattering) pics, and sell myself. Not a single buyer ever raised a concern over small stone chips. And Ive always gotten top dollar)
I mean, for that price, one could get a complete respray in a few years and come out with a brand new looking car for cheaper than PPF wrap. (Also, as someone who had PPF on a bumper before, PPF can get nicks over time. Not 100% of all PPF nicks "self heal" perfectly. So you end up with visual imperfections along the way. Now admittedly those nicks may not make it through to the paint, but still, you are looking at them..and unlike a small stone chip in paint, you cant touch up small nicks in PPF..
Many years ago I had an older car (BMW) fully repainted in factory OEM color. Was a really good job. When I went to sell it? Got top dollar. No one even asked (nor cared) if it had been repainted. Maybe because it was an original BMW color/the original color.. (as an FYI, its the only car I've ever had fully repainted. All of my other cars I simply clean up really well, take great (if flattering) pics, and sell myself. Not a single buyer ever raised a concern over small stone chips. And Ive always gotten top dollar)
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No one should be getting ppf because of resale value. Much like most household renovations never pay off, ppf will never pay for itself at resale. It can help, yes, but that’s it.
That said repaints reduce resale value. Any knowledgeable buyer will use a paint gauge to check. The reason they check is that most repaints don’t hold up over time. It’s just the reality of trying to properly prep and paint a car. Even multimillion collector cars that undergo bare metal repaints see those repaints degrade over time as often as not.
Pragmatically repaints deliver more comparative value than ppf at resale though. A $350 repaint can drastically improve the appearance of the car and pay for itself in resale value.
Two cars with identical condition, however, the repainted car will be valued lower. You can get one over on an uneducated retail buyer but not any buyer who knows better.
Original paint > repaint > bad paint, always.
You get PPF because you want to not repaint, you want minimal rock chips, etc. Those have more to do with personal preference than financial value.
That said repaints reduce resale value. Any knowledgeable buyer will use a paint gauge to check. The reason they check is that most repaints don’t hold up over time. It’s just the reality of trying to properly prep and paint a car. Even multimillion collector cars that undergo bare metal repaints see those repaints degrade over time as often as not.
Pragmatically repaints deliver more comparative value than ppf at resale though. A $350 repaint can drastically improve the appearance of the car and pay for itself in resale value.
Two cars with identical condition, however, the repainted car will be valued lower. You can get one over on an uneducated retail buyer but not any buyer who knows better.
Original paint > repaint > bad paint, always.
You get PPF because you want to not repaint, you want minimal rock chips, etc. Those have more to do with personal preference than financial value.
Loved my PPF for $1700 to cover the front and make it pop. The dealer buying my Y also said it was a plus and gave me $8000 over what I had paid for the MY a year earlier (16k miles). NO CHIPS, NO RUNS, NO ERRORS Car wash once a week and NO SWIRL. Love it!
I will get my MYP in for PPF as soon as I get it.
I will get my MYP in for PPF as soon as I get it.
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cmarshack
Member
For a guy who keeps saying "Its's your money, do what you want" and "to each his own" you are going really far out of your way to convince people they don't need PPF.
I will be clear. Tesla paint is softer than any other car on the market today. It WILL have more paint chips than any other car after a year. Does it effect resale, 100% yes. If i am selling my car and you are selling yours, the buyer will choose the one with PPF every time. Will you get your money back, no you will not recoup the cost of PPF, but you will sell your car faster.
My 2020 Model S was not PPF'd and I was very disappointed with the number of rock chips, not so much in the bumper, but on the hood and rocker panels. Did it effect resale, no. I was able to get $5k more than I paid for the car new 1.5 years later and 27k miles. But we cannot expect the used car market to remain like this forever, so I plan to protect my investment this time around.
Please stop bringing up your BMW. This thread is about Teslas, Tesla paint and if you should PPF a Tesla.
This!
The time between the initial awareness of visible chip(s) in the paint --> to a repaint: posit that to an OCD person, and see how long they stay sane!
Look for a Dynoshield dealer. Half the price. Twice the protection with ceramic built into final layer.
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I had a friend once who rubbed his new running shoes in the dirt, so they wouldn't look new. I parallel that to a Tesla without PPF! To each their own.
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I had a friend once who rubbed his new running shoes in the dirt, so they wouldn't look new. I parallel that to a Tesla without PPF! To each their own.
I’m new here and this is my first post, so Hi everybody! I’m adding to the post because I’ve had several cars with a 3M bra (just the front bumper area and headlights) and lots of cars without it. And in that area, the PPF makes a HUGE difference over the years. The rocks, dirt, bugs and whatever else that that hit the front of the car just destroys the look of the car, making it look old. I used to struggle with touch up paint trying to keep the front of my cars looking nice. The first time I had a clear bra installed it was a revelation.
My Model Y delivery is the 11th, so I’m looking into this myself right now.
I’m with the others who say that it’s cheaper to repaint than to cover the whole car in PPF. I was quoted $7k for the full car and for me, that’s not worth it. But the bra area is $1,100 and although I’m sure that area could also be repainted for less than $1,100, I know from experience that a clear bra will mean there’s no need to bother and my car will continue to look great with little effort for many years. And who wants to repaint every 5 or so years? None of the clear bra’s I’ve had have ever yellowed after many many years, but I do keep my cars in a garage when they’re at home.
So, all that is to say, there is a lot of value in just doing the bra area. If you don’t want to spend the money to do the whole car, then just do the bra, that’s where 95% of the wear and tear occurs.
My Model Y delivery is the 11th, so I’m looking into this myself right now.
I’m with the others who say that it’s cheaper to repaint than to cover the whole car in PPF. I was quoted $7k for the full car and for me, that’s not worth it. But the bra area is $1,100 and although I’m sure that area could also be repainted for less than $1,100, I know from experience that a clear bra will mean there’s no need to bother and my car will continue to look great with little effort for many years. And who wants to repaint every 5 or so years? None of the clear bra’s I’ve had have ever yellowed after many many years, but I do keep my cars in a garage when they’re at home.
So, all that is to say, there is a lot of value in just doing the bra area. If you don’t want to spend the money to do the whole car, then just do the bra, that’s where 95% of the wear and tear occurs.
I don't remember what thread it was in, but it was someone on this forum who had a lot of issues from the factory that required painting areas to make the car acceptable. When he went to trade in the car later, the main wholesalers such as Carmax and Carvana were knocking down the value 6-8k. It wasn't as if the entire car had been sprayed either.
On the more expensive cars I've checked about trading in recently to Carmax, they actually checked the paint with a paint gauge to see if it had any paintwork done. Given how shitty the Tesla paint is, if you had more than a light dusting of paint, it likely has been repainted.
They Y has such a big fat nose it really needs it done at a minimum at least until we see if Giga Texas has better paint than California.
Given the cost of the S, it was a smaller percentage of the cars cost to PPF than if I had fully done our Y. The PPF group buy I setup when I just took delivery of the S made it definitely more cost effective to do it.
On the more expensive cars I've checked about trading in recently to Carmax, they actually checked the paint with a paint gauge to see if it had any paintwork done. Given how shitty the Tesla paint is, if you had more than a light dusting of paint, it likely has been repainted.
They Y has such a big fat nose it really needs it done at a minimum at least until we see if Giga Texas has better paint than California.Given the cost of the S, it was a smaller percentage of the cars cost to PPF than if I had fully done our Y. The PPF group buy I setup when I just took delivery of the S made it definitely more cost effective to do it.
Last summer I sold my 2017 Model S on Ebay within 5 days. Sight unseen. Halfway across country from me is where the buyer was. Sold it for thousands more than carmax/carvana/vroom offered. No PPF. Based on your logic, if I had spent thousands on PPF, I could have sold it in 3 days? Ok. LOL
And no, PPF does not add value. Rarely does any form of aftermarket addition (window Tint, aftermarket wheels, etc) add any actual resale market value.
Ive sold all of my cars (several BMW's, Mercedes, and Tesla) privately for top KBB private party value for the last 20 years. None have had PPF.
but to each his own who value PPF.
And you have stranger sex without protection too. Your choice. You get what you pay for.
Then again, you may keep it parked in the garage alot. I use my vehicle and don't have to worry where I park it.
PPF - Personal Performance Preference
BTW: I sold my 2019 Blue Raven Model X advertising it for $89,500. When the buyer found out it had PPF, he just wrote the check for $90,000. Just sayin'
Agreed on the first bolded part. Regarding the second? Thats me. When I buy used cars (routinely), I have a paint thickness guage/meter. When its time to sell? By far (and I do mean by far) most potential buyers? Arent "knowledgeable". In my experience, they focus on the Carfax (which you and I know, wont cover 100% of all prior damage), the photos I've presented in the ads (which often include maintenance/repair work I've personally done), and overall condition of the car/how it drives. Thats at best.
My last two sales? Cars were bought sight unseen, and only via pics via ebay ads.
Trust me..most private sale buyers? Clueless about the details that car enthusiasts care about.
cmarshack
Member
Why are you trying SO hard to convince everyone not to PPF their car?
By the way, EVERYONE made out like bandits over the past year selling used cars, so I would not brag about selling a car sight unseen for more than Carmax, we all did that. I will agree with you that PPF does not matter in a market like we have right now. If you think these market conditions are going to last forever you are delusional.
If you ready my posts related to this (and I know you did because you responded to them) you will know that I had a 2020 Model S LR+ that I sold for a profit last summer as well ($5k more that I originally paid brand new from Tesla). You should also note that I was very disappointed in the softness of the paint and how many rock chips I had after only 27K miles. This was night and day worse than my 2013 P85 that I put over 100k miles on. Neither of these cars had PPF, but the 2020 looked like it had more miles than the 2013 when I sold it because Tesla had to change their paint due to changes in California regulations.
My point is simple, Tesla paint is now softer than any other auto brand and if you want to refute that fact, please come with data. Otherwise we will take that as a given so if you want to keep your $100K+ car looking nice, without a ton of rock chips you have two choices, 1.Don't daily drive it 2. Protect the paint.
Do what ever you want, but please stop wasting everyone's time by saying "to each his own" and then continually coming back with the same exact justification trying to convince everyone that you don't need PPF.
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