PPF over a wrap. Couple of questions

[Johnstac]

I asked the company that is going to do the wrap, how long to wait after delivery of car. He said there is no wait?? My first Model 3 required a couple of weeks before PPF. Is the timing different if you use a wrap first? I got a quote of $3900 for the wrap. I figure the PPF will cost around 4-5K. Does that sound about right? Any suggestions?

 

[bpobill]

I asked the company that is going to do the wrap, how long to wait after delivery of car. He said there is no wait?? My first Model 3 required a couple of weeks before PPF. Is the timing different if you use a wrap first? I got a quote of $3900 for the wrap. I figure the PPF will cost around 4-5K. Does that sound about right? Any suggestions?

you want to spend $8k-$9k on a $50k car to wrap and ppf? I swore I was in the Lamborghini forums for a sec...

tesla owners are insane with spending money on wraps, ppf, and ceramic coatings. Wrap I can understand since it’s a color change.

Let me give you some advice. Take that $8-$9k and save or invest it. You won’t ever get that money back and it makes your car with no more and probably less tbh. This is especially true if you are not paying cash for your car. Ppf is a giant waste of money. You could have your car professionally painted for $9k with money left over. Hey it’s your money and I’m a stranger online. After modding 15+ cars in my lifetime I’ve been there and done that. Maybe not $9k on wrap and ppf but some dumb mods none the less.

 

[UncertainTimes]

you want to spend $8k-$9k on a $50k car to wrap and ppf? I swore I was in the Lamborghini forums for a sec...

tesla owners are insane with spending money on wraps, ppf, and ceramic coatings. Wrap I can understand since it’s a color change.

Let me give you some advice. Take that $8-$9k and save or invest it. You won’t ever get that money back and it makes your car with no more and probably less tbh. This is especially true if you are not paying cash for your car. Ppf is a giant waste of money. You could have your car professionally painted for $9k with money left over. Hey it’s your money and I’m a stranger online. After modding 15+ cars in my lifetime I’ve been there and done that. Maybe not $9k on wrap and ppf but some dumb mods none the less.

Agree. I skipped any kind of paint correction/protection. Spent thousands on my last car only to sell it to a dealer who didn’t care less that it had PPF. None of that stuff matters at auction.

 

[XLR82XS]

You can wrap only the forward facing and debris-effected panels for much less and protect that soft Tesla paint. $1-2K.
There's no way I'd rock a new vehicle without PPF - especially a Tesla. I'm protecting my expensive investments.

 

[Johnstac]

PPF isn’t to increase your cars value. It simply protects the paint (or wrap or whatever) I did full PPF on my 2018 and never got a scratch to the paint. Plenty of scrapes to the film though. I never used it before but I’m absolutely sold on it now. If I was going to spend money to paint it, I would most certainly protect that paint after. I get that its not for everyone. All I was asking was whether the price was the going rate out there and if it requires that the paint cure when new.

 

[JetJock3315]

Previous 2012 Audi A6 had entire front end PPF with a partial replacement after 4 years and the car still looked new the day I sold it for my 2020 Tesla. I chose just to color wrap but also did ceramic coat to help keep the car clean, especially bugs on the nose. Maybe I'll need to replace just some color pieces on the nose at some point in the future. But I didn't really see the value in PPF over the color.

 

[bpobill]

You can wrap only the forward facing and debris-effected panels for much less and protect that soft Tesla paint. $1-2K.
There's no way I'd rock a new vehicle without PPF - especially a Tesla. I'm protecting my expensive investments.

investments make you money, not depreciate. You are throwing money at a depreciating asset.

 

[UncertainTimes]

investments make you money, not depreciate. You are throwing money at a depreciating asset.

Just buy FSD before selling the car. Instant appreciation.

 

[Johnstac]

investments make you money, not depreciate. You are throwing money at a depreciating asset.

While technically true, it’s less an investment and more an asset. If it protects your asset, it also protects the resale value by maintaining the original paint.

 

[Johnstac]

Just buy FSD before selling the car. Instant appreciation.

I bought FSD the first time around. I will not make that mistake again. If Tesla navigates all the requirements to get FSD approved, I’ll buy it then; even if it’s at an increased cost. Fool me once shame on me, etc. this time around it’s 8K. I’ll use those fund’s elsewhere for the car.

 

[logan]

While technically true, it’s less an investment and more an asset. If it protects your asset, it also protects the resale value by maintaining the original paint.

A $300 - $500 paint correction before selling is going to have the same impact, and even that is largely negligible.

 

[scarpiamod3]

Just get a roll of clear 3m, watch some yt videos, and do the nose of the car if you drive a lot, $200 bucks done, good enough.

 

[HenryFi]

Agree. I skipped any kind of paint correction/protection.

One of these things is not like the other. I was debating on PPF but I have not had any on any other cars either, so I did correction and ceramic coating. It's way easier to clean, and gets less dirty in the first place. Cost me a couple hundred, well worth it.

 

[jerry33]

Wrap changes the colour, PPF provides protection, nice if you keep the car for a long time. The way I value any additions is that if they are less then sales tax, they are worth considering, above sales tax they are too expensive. The price difference is about right because PPF needs to have a much better level of installation expertise and the film is a lot more expensive. I had PPF on the S for seven years and was very pleased with the results. Now have it on the X.

 

[bpobill]

While technically true, it’s less an investment and more an asset. If it protects your asset, it also protects the resale value by maintaining the original paint.

you think his car will be worth several thousand more than mine? Or any other equal model 3? As sleepy joe would say “cmon man!”

I went diy front ppf. $200 looks fine and does it’s job. Cheapest pro was $1,100 locally. Even without it resale value will be negligible or $0. You can’t justify the cost of ppf on an entire car anyway you slice it. Stupid way to spend money. It’s not a Bugatti. Take the money and invest it or save for a rainy day.

 

[Burrito]

What color wrap are you looking at. I know some of the people getting chrome wraps then wrap over with ppf since chrome wraps are delicate. I have ppf in my bumper. Recently wrapped my car and left the ppf under.

 

[jerry33]

you think his car will be worth several thousand more than mine? Or any other equal model 3? As sleepy joe would say “cmon man!”

I went diy front ppf. $200 looks fine and does it’s job. Cheapest pro was $1,100 locally. Even without it resale value will be negligible or $0. You can’t justify the cost of ppf on an entire car anyway you slice it. Stupid way to spend money. It’s not a Bugatti. Take the money and invest it or save for a rainy day.

This is a somewhat silly argument because a car is an expense, not an investment. If you keep your car for a long time and want it too look nice with a minimum amount of effort on your part, PPF is a good way to achieve this. If you just want to change the colour, then a wrap is the way to go. Except for collector type cars, all cars are worth practically zero after a few years. Lowest cost is to keep the car for a long time--especially true for electric cars because there is less to go wrong and replacing parts tends to bring them back to as new levels of performance and reliability--not so with ICE cars because it very much depends on the ability of the rebuilder.

 

[bpobill]

PPF isn’t to increase your cars value. It simply protects the paint (or wrap or whatever) I did full PPF on my 2018 and never got a scratch to the paint. Plenty of scrapes to the film though. I never used it before but I’m absolutely sold on it now. If I was going to spend money to paint it, I would most certainly protect that paint after. I get that its not for everyone. All I was asking was whether the price was the going rate out there and if it requires that the paint cure when new.

the point we are trying to make is you are spending 1/5 your brand new cars value on something that doesn’t add value and only offers protection. Your car with scrapes will be worth about the same as a clean one. Not even close to justifying the cost difference. Hey it’s your money though. Later on in life you will wish you were smarter with it. I regret some of my mods from back in the day. Not $9k regret but $1k-$2k for sure.

This is a somewhat silly argument because a car is an expense, not an investment. If you keep your car for a long time and want it too look nice with a minimum amount of effort on your part, PPF is a good way to achieve this. If you just want to change the colour, then a wrap is the way to go. Except for collector type cars, all cars are worth practically zero after a few years. Lowest cost is to keep the car for a long time--especially true for electric cars because there is less to go wrong and replacing parts tends to bring them back to as new levels of performance and reliability--not so with ICE cars because it very much depends on the ability of the rebuilder.

he’s talking about spending several thousand dollars on a $50k car. It’s stupid anyway you try to justify it. You can repaint a car for less. Or you can just take care of it and not let it go to *sugar*. Do you see 10 year old cars on the road that still look great? I do. There is nothing that can be said to justify the cost.

 

[jerry33]

he’s talking about spending several thousand dollars on a $50k car. It’s stupid anyway you try to justify it. You can repaint a car for less. Or you can just take care of it and not let it go to *sugar*. Do you see 10 year old cars on the road that still look great? I do. There is nothing that can be said to justify the cost.

In an earlier post I said that my touch point was that if it was less than sales tax, it was worth considering. More or equal to sales tax is way too much. FWIW, the first new vehicle I purchased, I drove from 1972 to 1991.

 

[KyleM3]

investments make you money, not depreciate. You are throwing money at a depreciating asset.

I love when people make these kinds of comments when the very thing we’re talking about (a vehicle) is known as one of the worst purchases one can make.

For everyone that says PPF is a waste, this mod is a waste, etc. are you driving a 10K car that gets you from point A to point B? No. If you’re here, you likely own a Tesla. That’s you saying you’re willing to “waste” your money on features, looks, and more that are nothing more candy on top. The end goal is still getting us from point A to point B. Otherwise, why not save the 30-40K difference and invest that? It’s just a car, ain’t it?

Now sure, I understand the “you don’t get your money back from that.” But, that’s a very blanketed statement. If your car looks like dog poop in terms of scratches, chips, etc. a buyer is more likely to buy mine that looks show room vs. yours that’s more, let’s say, “used”. In that sense, it does reward your expense. I also have gotten the impression since joining this community that many buyers intend on keeping this car for a long time. If I have it 10 years from now and my paint still looks phenomenal than that is worth every penny.