PPF Priorities?

[Myselfnjit]

Hi all!

New Model 3 owner in upstate NY. (Snow + Salt/sand)

Ordering mud flaps and considering a little ppf.

Got a quote on rockers (front to back: $400) or rockers + 12" up the doors ($600). Self healing 10 yr warranty. Thoughts on what I should do? Should I look into the front bumper also/instead?

Not looking for a show car, just want to keep it rust free. Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[ColoradoMike]

It all depends on what you want from your car. Here in Colorado, crap simply comes and hits any car daily, due to the things on the roads that CDOT puts down...gravel mix in our area.

We elected to take our 2022 M3LR to our go to shop to get PPF and Tint done. While it is expensive...for us it is well worth it. We did the full front, rockers, door sills etc. Is it worth it? For us it is.

Rust is probably not an issue....aesthetics may be.

 

[KenC]

It won't rust, but the paint can get chipped. Rockers +12" is a good idea if you live in an area that gets sand put on the roads in winter. Otherwise, mudflaps can be a cheaper solution.

But, the primary location people use PPF is for the hood and front bumper/fender, since that's where pebbles will most likely hit.

Personally, I had never done PPF before, but I decided to DIY the hood/bumper/fender, the doors and the rockers. I think it was worth it.

 

[Myselfnjit]

Thanks for the thoughts! Upstate NY is definitely salt &sand country. I just got a quote on the front and it is just too much for me at this time. I might just go rockers and partial doors with mud flaps. I would DIY, as I always have, but I don't have a garage and am worried wind and dust will be a problem...

 

[GtiMart]

The minimum is the rockers, but ideally the whole bottom part of both sides. Especially right in front of the rear wheel where it flares out. That gets hit by a lot of crap thrown from the front wheels. I strongly suggest good mud flaps too, like EVMudflaps. I did a half ppf which includes the whole front too but that does cost quite a bit.
EDIT: people that don't have any protection are still complaining about paint chipping, that problem has not gone away.

 

[Myselfnjit]

Well then I think I'm sold. I'll do rockers plus 12" and flaps. I will go Tesla flaps with splash guards as they are a good deal more affordable than EV, unless someone here says they don't offer good enough protection.

 

[Park2670]

I did the entire front end, the rockers, and up to the line on the doors.

I wanted to do the entire car, but couldnt pay that much.

 

[chuckecheeseli]

I also did entire front-facing surfaces, rockers, and bottoms of doors.

Thousands of freeway miles has left many dings in my front-facing PPF, particularly bumper. My car is white and this would have resulted in numerous ugly paint defects that reveal the black plastic underneath. If your car is black, this may not be as much of an issue, however the paint defects that reveal the aluminum of the hood or steel(?) of the fenders would be very noticeable.

Good decision to do flaps, rockers and bottoms of doors. I've lost a LOT of paint (prior to PPF) in those areas from driving through mountain roads and kicking stuff up.

FWIW I got my flaps from rally armor. Probably the most expensive option but seemed durable, gave me adjustment options on how much coverage I wanted, and doesn't wear away the fender paint unlike many others.

 

[GtiMart]

The Tesla flaps leave a hole unplugged where dirt and grime accumulates, with humidity. Not sure that is a good idea. Also, they don't provide the thin ppf that should be applied on the paint before the flap is installed. Even if you have ppf installed, you should check that it completely covers that paint area before installing the mudflaps. EV come with all of that. They don't look great but they protect well.

 

[Myselfnjit]

Just figured I would update...
I ended up installing the rocker and lower door PPF kit from Tesbros. It was totally a doable DIY.
I also put on some Rokblokz rally mud flaps. Now it is just time to drive and enjoy! Thanks for all of the thoughts here.