Refresh Model S Tint / PPF / Ceramic Photos & Info

[gerald325i]

Here in San Diego Full Xpel Ultimate Plus PPF $6500. Full front $1950

$4900 out-the-door (aka including takes) in Tampa, FL for the same. But I had to shop around to get it this low from a reputable place.

 

[mspohr]

Maybe I'm way off but $6500 for PPF is a boatload of cash that in reality, isn't going to protect from any road debris bigger than
some stone chips?

I don't understand spending a lot of money on plastic wrap. Only protects against minor damage. You can get a nice paint job for less than that if your car gets scratched up.

 

[VolcanoTacos]

I don't understand spending a lot of money on plastic wrap. Only protects against minor damage. You can get a nice paint job for less than that if your car gets scratched up.

I agree, the economics don’t really make sense and often what happens is you still get rock chips but everything is held in place with the wrap until it’s removed then all the lose paint goes with it. PPF also can present its own issues too like dirt build up on edges, yellowing etc.

 

[DBV1]

I don't understand spending a lot of money on plastic wrap. Only protects against minor damage. You can get a nice paint job for less than that if your car gets scratched up.

Totally agree with you. Seems like Tesla owners do it more than any other brand, but I have been mostly BMW and Mercedes and never read about it on those forums.

 

[MEL-22]

$4900 out-the-door (aka including takes) in Tampa, FL for the same. But I had to shop around to get it this low from a reputable pl

$4900 out-the-door (aka including takes) in Tampa, FL for the same. But I had to shop around to get it this low from a reputable place.

I'm in Tampa...who do you use? I'm looking at The EV Studio for various Tesla work...

The EV Studio
12911 N Nebraska Avenue
Tampa, FL 33612
The EV Studio | Tesla Clear Bra, Window Tint, and Ceramic Coating
813-846-3891

 

[mikeymoves]

On the topic of XPEL prices, I am a little overwhelmed by options by my local guy. Here’s the options and I’m just unsure what to do! It looks like a FULL xpel coverage would be $7345. That seems pretty steep, no?

Coverage diagrams are here. We offer Xpel's Ultimate Plus and Stealth lines of film. Prices include prep, materials and labor but not sales tax.
Coverage diagrams are here. We offer Xpel's Ultimate Plus and Stealth lines of film. Prices include prep, materials and labor but not sales tax.

P8201AZ - Front bumper - $635
P8201AW - Full hood, full front fenders and mirrors - $1,325
H8201B - Headlights and foglights - $110
P8201BC - Rear bumper - $650
P8201BB - Rockers, lower doors and rear bumper sides - $585
P8201AX - Partial hood, fenders and mirrors (straight cut) - $370
P8201AY - Partial hood, fenders and mirrors (curved cut) - $350
P8201D - Roof and a-pillars - $200
P8201J - Luggage area - $120
P8201G - Doors (4) - $1,100
P8201H - Full rear fenders and full a-pillars (both sides) - $1,250
P8201AE - Trunk lid - $650

We perform a thorough prep before installation. Steps for the areas to be covered in film include a wash, decontamination using IronX, clay and bug and tar removal if needed then a final rinse. The last step is a skim polish before film is installed.

We offer Gtechniq pro series and Xpel Fusionsceramic coatings. We're authorized and factory certified for both. In addition to ceramic coatings for the paint we offer products to protect the glass, trim, dash and interior fabrics.

We start with one pass of correction then one pass of polish. In some cases two passes of correction are required but the average newer vehicle only needs one (there is an additional fee for a second pass of correction). The polishing residue is cleaned using a panel prep solution and then all painted surfaces plus the wheel faces and top surface of the film (if paint protection is being installed) are coated. If you would like more info/pricing on glass or interior protection let me know.

Gtechniq (9 year warranty - excludes EXO)
EXO Hydrophobic coating only - $1,100
Crystal Serum Ultra - $1,850
Crystal Serum Ultra topped with EXO Hydrophobic coating - $2,100

Xpel (4 year warranty)
Fusions Plus - $1,650

For tint we offer Xpel Prime XR. It is a ceramic infrared blocking film that significantly reduce heat at all shades. The Prime XR is available in 5, 15, 20, 30, 35, 45, 55 and 70%. To tint everything except the front windshield and pano roof it's $550. Just the two front doors are $160 for the pair. You can mix percentages as you like. The material is backed by a transferable lifetime warranty

 

[mspohr]

Could we please move this off-topic PPF discussion to a different thread and leave this thread for "Delivery Tracking" ?

 

[Bayern55]

Isn’t this the PPF forum?

 

[cwanja]

Could we please move this off-topic PPF discussion to a different thread and leave this thread for "Delivery Tracking" ?

Isn’t this the PPF forum?

Someone moved these to this thread due to them being "off topic", including my post in the LR thread that linked to this thread (which was nonsensical to move considering I was pointing to the thread where the topic should be, but ok). At this point, @mspohr post probably can be deleted.

 

[WiLz]

Maybe I'm way off but $6500 for PPF is a boatload of cash that in reality, isn't going to protect from any road debris bigger than
some stone chips?

I don't understand spending a lot of money on plastic wrap. Only protects against minor damage. You can get a nice paint job for less than that if your car gets scratched up.

I agree, the economics don’t really make sense and often what happens is you still get rock chips but everything is held in place with the wrap until it’s removed then all the lose paint goes with it. PPF also can present its own issues too like dirt build up on edges, yellowing etc.

Most people aren't getting PPF to retain resale value. There are many benefits of PPF that make it worth the price for some people:

• Low maintenance - PPF makes the car much easier to wash, and you don't have to worry about swirls (which will eventually happen on a non-PPF car no matter how careful you are). I can do a quick wipe down or a no-rinse wash whenever I want, and not have to worry about causing swirls. It's also easier to clean off bird droppings & tree sap, etc. The time and trouble I save over the life of the car is worth it to me.
• Reduced rock chips - PPF will reduce rock chips by a significant amount. I plan on keeping the car long term (>5 years), and don't want the front end looking like the photo below in a few years. Yes, larger rocks will still cause damage, but you can always remove and replace just one section of PPF for damage that doesn't go through to the paint, which is usually cheaper and easier than repainting.
• Protect against door dings and damage caused by other people - With PPF on the whole car, you don't have to worry as much about people accidentally hitting your car when they open their door in parking lots, or a runaway shopping cart hitting your car, or someone scratching their purse/keys/other items against your paint when they walk by.
• Original paint is better than repaint - People often use the argument that you can repaint your whole car for the price of PPF, so just let the scratches/chips/paint damage happen, and repaint it in a few years. However, repainting is never going to be the same as the original paint. For one, if you want a factory quality repaint, that means taking bumpers/panels/trim off, sanding down the factory paint before priming and applying a new coat - for a good quality paint job with the proper prep, you are likely looking at prices beyond PPF costs. If you opt to go the cheaper route and just prime and paint over the original paint, then you can easily tell the car has been repainted, and you are also adding extra weight to the vehicle (if you ever lifted a repainted hood, you would be able to feel the increased weight compared to before; and imagine that extra weight on the entire car). Also when you sell your car, a repainted car actually takes a hit in value.
• The current generation of PPF really doesn't yellow (unless you totally neglect it). And dirt build-up on edges shouldn't be an issue with a good install and just basic maintenance. Most installers also guarantee their work, and will replace any film that is lifting at edges or collecting dirt.

In the end it is a personal decision. To many people, they don't care about the chips, minor scratches, swirls; or they would rather fix them as they come up. For me, I want the paint to look good for as much of the time as possible, so the benefits of PPF were worth the price, and I would definitely do it again.

 

[MarcG]

The current generation of PPF really doesn't yellow (unless you totally neglect it). And dirt build-up on edges shouldn't be an issue with a good install and just basic maintenance

Thanks for your detailed input! Could you please expand on what “neglect” means, and what “basic maintenance “ entails exactly?

 

[BobbyRitz]

Here in San Diego Full Xpel Ultimate Plus PPF $6500. Full front $1950

Different market, for sure, but I was offered $6,500 for full XPEL Ultimate Plus PPF, Prime XR tint and one coat of GTechniq crystal serum light. I'm in MD.

 

[WiLz]

Thanks for your detailed input! Could you please expand on what “neglect” means, and what “basic maintenance “ entails exactly?

You’re probably not going to see yellowing within the warranty period unless you never wash the car, let bird droppings/stains sit on it for months, and leave it baking in the sun all the time.

Basic maintenance would just be regular washing, and getting any flipped up edges fixed/replaced before you have significant buildup under the film (which probably shouldn’t happen to begin with if the install was good).

 

[Woodchuck]

i just got my S tinted! for those wondering or looking for reference:

• XPEL XR PRIME PLUS for all sides and rear @ 20%
• XPEL XR PRIME PLUS for windshield @ 70%

20% was boarderline too dark for my personal taste, but it looks amazing. don't regret the 20% tho. didn't go with 30% because the XPEL XR PRIME PLUS had way too much of a blue tint.

it works well for heat reduction... but now i'm thinking of adding a film 70% or 90% to the panoramic roof because i still feel some heat. any experience whether thats worth it?

have not added any PPF or ceramic coating yet... still deciding whether or not its worth the cost.
anways here are some pics i took earlier today!

View attachment 698927View attachment 698918View attachment 698917View attachment 698926

She’s sexy

 

[SgtPepper67]

How bout them apples! Sold!

 

[GatorPigDog]

LR is headed in tomorrow morning for:

Paint Correction
Modesta Exterior Glass Coating (Windshield)
Gtechniq G1 ClearVision Smart Glass (Roof)
Modesta BC-06 Wheel Coating
XPEL - Full Front + A-Pillars, Rocker Panels
XPEL Smoke - Headlights
Modesta BC-05 over PPF and balance of paint
Chrome Delete
XPEL XR Black 30 window tint

Should have some progress photos later in the week.

 

[planetary]

Chrome Delete

Which parts?

 

[BobbyRitz]

Which parts?

I would have to think front and rear Tesla badges. I plan to do the same.

 

[KZ-CLT]

Front emblem: https://www.amazon.com/CoolKo-Patte...la+model+s+front+emblem&qid=1628295890&sr=8-5

Rear emblem is from eBay, search item number: 333805200162

Front emblem fits very well, and is good quality (make sure you have the torx bit to change out the emblem, there are 2 screws from the top, and one behind that needs a 90-degree wrench to reach more easily).

Rear emblem curve doesn't exactly match the curve of the trunk, so the very bottom doesn't sit completely flush (you can see if you zoom in on my photo above).

I ordered and installed this front emblem. REALLY happy with it. Thanks for posting the info!

 

[planetary]

I ordered and installed this front emblem. REALLY happy with it. Thanks for posting the info!

Is this available in "chrome delete" black instead of CF?