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So glad I had my Model 3 wrapped!

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Az_Rael

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
Jan 26, 2016
5,684
9,005
Palmdale, CA
We had a NASTY windstorm last week. Sustained winds of 35mph and gusts up to 50mph that lasted all day. I could hear my car getting absolutely sand-blasted both to and from work. I was hearing pretty good sized pebbles hit my car as I drove through the various sand clouds. Ugh.

Finally had time to wash her up today and not a single chip or scratch or anything after I was done! My windshield is starting to get etched, but that is pretty unavoidable out here in the desert, unfortunately.

I am very happy with the $$ I spent on that wrap. It is a full body Suntek one. I am using the green Optimum no-rinse and the two bucket method to keep her clean - nothing fancy.

Before - yikes!
LRM_EXPORT_20180414_130736.jpg


Halfway done:
LRM_EXPORT_20180414_130620.jpg


All pretty again!!
LRM_EXPORT_20180414_130522.jpg
 
We had a NASTY windstorm last week. Sustained winds of 35mph and gusts up to 50mph that lasted all day. I could hear my car getting absolutely sand-blasted both to and from work. I was hearing pretty good sized pebbles hit my car as I drove through the various sand clouds. Ugh.

Finally had time to wash her up today and not a single chip or scratch or anything after I was done! My windshield is starting to get etched, but that is pretty unavoidable out here in the desert, unfortunately.

I am very happy with the $$ I spent on that wrap. It is a full body Suntek one. I am using the green Optimum no-rinse and the two bucket method to keep her clean - nothing fancy.

Before - yikes!
View attachment 294273

Halfway done:
View attachment 294274

All pretty again!!
View attachment 294275

If you have a pressure washer I can’t recommend getting a foam lance enough.

Foam lance and chemical brothers honeydew soap. You’ll never use anything else!
 
How much did you spend to get it wrapped?

I think it was like $6k, which included 3M Crystalline 70 tint all the way around with a 1 piece rear window. The wrap was a custom, meaning all my edges are wrapped vs having kit trimmed pieces where you can see the edges. So it was a lot. I had a kit wrap on my prior S (bought it that way), and I like the look of the no edges a lot better.

I am hoping to keep my 3 for a looooong time.

@Az_Rael, thanks for sharing those photos it really shows how good the car still looks dirty, only to become amazing when cleaned! You did a full wrap, correct?


Yep, full body wrap.

If you have a pressure washer I can’t recommend getting a foam lance enough.

Foam lance and chemical brothers honeydew soap. You’ll never use anything else!

I do not have a pressure washer, but I have considered getting one. Looking up that soap, I am very tempted to invest in one. We have a lot of water restrictions here, though, so it might be problematic to wash my car with that much water regularly.
 
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If you go the pressure washer route, read the exterior cleaning cautions in the manual on using those.

Car looks fabulous. We did a full body custom wrap on our MS and don't regret it. Always looks fabulous after a wash too. I bet you were anxious the whole way home during the windstorm. We had small hail out here a few weeks ago when a cold front moved in, nothing to dent the car, but glad to see it looked fine after it was over.
 
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please describe "foam lance" and how to use it. thanks

Just a heads up, if you don’t quote my post I get zero notification about your post asking a question. I happened to see this as Azreal had quoted my post.

Foam lance hooks up to pressure washer and uses highly concentrated soap to squirt a thick foam onto the car. It’s what most professional detailers use.

I have the MTM foam lance was about $75.

 
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We btw go to Eco Green Auto Clean in our area and have their products for use at home. Eco Green Auto Clean Very happy with cleaning our car this route and like the fact that it hardly uses water and looks great afterwards. How to video on their website.

I know there are other "waterless car washes" down in Southern California, think I found one for someone in the Glendale area. From typing in Palmdale and waterless car wash into google I see AV Car Wash and Auto Spa says they do waterless at the bottom of their webpage, although I would still call and ask if you were interested in trying them out.
 
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Regarding the foam lance: you can get them that hook up to regular hoses as well if you don't go the pressure washer route. Here is the one I got, and I really like it: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XTH1GY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The pressure washer looks to give you a finer foam though (less water used so maybe a better option for you).

That's actually an important point. If you use a pressure washer than you are using relatively little water when using a foam lance type set up. The foam lance uses highly concentrated soap, you put about a tablespoon or two into the reservoir after topping it off with water (you don't add soap first or else it will start foaming inside the container.

Basically I use my pressure washer to give the car a quick spray, then I use the foam lance to soak it. I then shut the pressure washer off and I give the car a quick once over with a bucket and clean microfiber wash mitt.

Then I give the car one more rinse and I'm done using water.

I don't know how many gallons I use but I know it's less than I would use if I was doing the "garden hose with a spray nozzle" route.
 
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Basically I use my pressure washer to give the car a quick spray, then I use the foam lance to soak it. I then shut the pressure washer off and I give the car a quick once over with a bucket and clean microfiber wash mitt.

Then I give the car one more rinse and I'm done using water.
I have the MTM Hydro Professional Adjustable Foam Cannon I grabbed from Amazon back in 2014 and I use the same process you do. Since I live in a hard water area I have an outdoor spigot with softened water to only be used for cleaning cars. Since I don't want massive runoff into the grass I use this method. I have another outdoor spigot where the water is not softened for watering plants.

I plan on going with Xpel film since it has exceeded my expectations from a number of severe rock strikes from Ohio truck drivers.
 
I'm just north of you in the high(er) desert and don't have a commute, so I think I'm gonna' throw caution to the wind and save a considerable bundle. I can only imagine the satisfaction of having a "new" look after every wash, however.

Yeah, if I wasn’t driving 80 miles round trip daily and having to leave my car parked in a crowded parking lot all day (read: door scuffs galore), I probably wouldn’t have paid the extra $$.
 
My M3 LLumar PPF wrap was totally worth it especially considering the harsh winters/road debris in Chicago...also did a 30% tint for all windows except for the windshield.
 

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Funny, I was just looking at the foam lance on amazon the other day and was debating about it. Guess I am getting it now!! ;)

I also had my 2013 Model S fully wrapped. I unfortunately had the pre-cut film applied. Didn't do my proper research on who could do it better. Still glad I got it. It has saved me on multiple occasions so already worth the money.
 
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I pulled the trigger on a light duty electric pressure washer, a MTM foam lance, and some Chemical Guys Honeydew soap after seeing the recommendation in this thread. Looking forward to trying it out once everything arrives!

Will be interested in what you think, looking forward to your comments on this setup!

Remember with the honeydew, put water in the reservoir THEN add the soap. You don't need much, an ounce or two max will be plenty.