So, paint protection film

[Hovean]

Easier still - don't get too obsessive with keeping your car looking immaculate for ever. I sweated over the appearance of my BMW R90/6 motorcycle I bought in 1978. Until I dropped on a gravel road near Tom Price in the Pilbara. Since then it's been kept in sound working order, but only washed every few years with a high pressure cleaner. Like your head, your vehicles should show their age.

 

[Nuclear Fusion]

If you can afford it, get a full PPF. If you must go for the critical areas
I wish i did. But too late to do it now.
Make sure who ever does it does paint correction first.

Paint correction on a brand new car?
Is that par for the course from any manufacturer?

 

[Nuclear Fusion]

Will be getting PPF with 10 year guarantee (eg: Suntek or XPEL) by professional installer & apply 2 coats of ceramic coating on top myself.
Single maintenance ceramic coat annually
If washing the car requires anything more than a soap & rinse from my pressure washer, I’ll be disappointed

 

[PJF000]

Paint correction on a brand new car?
Is that par for the course from any manufacturer?

Depends how fussy you are.
Correction certainly takes out the swirls etc and coating after correcting will look better than not.
Correcting when not brand new will cost more and you will need a higher degree of expertise (subjective)

 

[Nuclear Fusion]

Depends how fussy you are.
Correction certainly takes out the swirls etc and coating after correcting will look better than not.

Cheers for the advice. Gonna grill the installer on this now

 

[PJF000]

Depends how fussy you are.
Correction certainly takes out the swirls etc and coating after correcting will look better than not.
Correcting when not brand new will cost more and you will need a higher degree of expertise (subjective)

The swirls etc may be slightly less noticable when PPF put on but if you want a showroom look, you would do the lot. Watch out for the joins with PPF as they may be visible depending on the installer's template.

 

[PJF000]

a couple of g's seems more like 7-8k in NZ for a full wrap?

In Oz, shopping around, a full wrap should average aroung $4k for a M3 size and if it is not clear wrap then there is probably no point in paint correction etc

 

[paulp]

Depends how fussy you are.
Correction certainly takes out the swirls etc and coating after correcting will look better than not.
Correcting when not brand new will cost more and you will need a higher degree of expertise (subjective)

My experience with tesla is that it definately needs paint correction, especially drivers side. Presumably this is where the dock guys slide alongside your car within the container. If you then watch how the car transport companies clean the car.....broom-bucket-car-concrete hard stand, then repeat for next car, then it all becomes clear that the car may leave the factory perfect, but the idiots that handle it between the factory and you dont care. My last tesla (black) my detailer requested the car not be washed as it makes his work harder. He did his work on the delivery day so still had a nice shiny car on day 1.

 

[Grenadine]

Anyone know a good installer in Brisbane? Been quoted $6.5K and I asked whether that included paint correction and he had no idea what I was talking about - so will not be using them.

 

[Nuclear Fusion]

Will be getting PPF with 10 year guarantee (eg: Suntek or XPEL) by professional installer & apply 2 coats of ceramic coating on top myself.
Single maintenance ceramic coat annually
If washing the car requires anything more than a soap & rinse from my pressure washer, I’ll be disappointed

Unless I am misreading, seems like Suntek Ultra has hydrophobic properties built in. XPEL doesn’t.

 

[Nuclear Fusion]

FYI

 

[Ashleysteadman]

It’s not just for stone chips guys and gals - had PPF put on my Model S in the first week of ownership - less than a year later it’s already saved me from a front bumper re-paint with a careless lady hitting my car in a car park - I tracked down the guilty party and they paid for the film to be re-applied - no paint damage at all.

There’s also the peace of mind and countless stone chips I’ve avoided. First car I’ve ever done it to, but I’ll continue to do it on future cars.

 

[Nuclear Fusion]

It’s not just for stone chips guys and gals - had PPF put on my Model S in the first week of ownership - less than a year later it’s already saved me from a front bumper re-paint with a careless lady hitting my car in a car park - I tracked down the guilty party and they paid for the film to be re-applied - no paint damage at all.

There’s also the peace of mind and countless stone chips I’ve avoided. First car I’ve ever done it to, but I’ll continue to do it on future cars.

Good to hear that it has practical value!
BTW, Suntek USA have released a thicker version called ‘Ultra Defense’
https://teslamotorsclub.com/blog/20...de-for-vulnerable-areas-and-tough-conditions/

 

[stedes]

I find the prices for a full wrap very high. 10-15% of the car purchase price is ridiculous (in my opinion).
I've bought and sold many cars over the past 25 years and most of them I've kept in as near new condition as possible. It has made 0 difference at resale.
I think for me it's about the owner's wants/needs and not the resale or the next owner. As the years and life has progressed I no longer have the time/energy to look after my car as well as I did previously so for me a ceramic coating would work to make the car easier to clean and keep clean - as I understand it and please correct me if I'm wrong as I've never had one done before. I would also think that a paint correction before applying to coating is a good idea.

The other option is to go with @PJF000 suggestion above. Buy the white and then wrap it in the colour you really want.

 

[paulp]

It’s not just for stone chips guys and gals - had PPF put on my Model S in the first week of ownership - less than a year later it’s already saved me from a front bumper re-paint with a careless lady hitting my car in a car park - I tracked down the guilty party and they paid for the film to be re-applied - no paint damage at all.

There’s also the peace of mind and countless stone chips I’ve avoided. First car I’ve ever done it to, but I’ll continue to do it on future cars.

Out of interest, have you priced the difference between a (non insurance) bumper repaint and film? Noting also that the damager paid for the film replacement so would also have paid for a bumper respray.

 

[paulp]

I find the prices for a full wrap very high. 10-15% of the car purchase price is ridiculous (in my opinion).
I've bought and sold many cars over the past 25 years and most of them I've kept in as near new condition as possible. It has made 0 difference at resale.
I think for me it's about the owner's wants/needs and not the resale or the next owner. As the years and life has progressed I no longer have the time/energy to look after my car as well as I did previously so for me a ceramic coating would work to make the car easier to clean and keep clean - as I understand it and please correct me if I'm wrong as I've never had one done before. I would also think that a paint correction before applying to coating is a good idea.

The other option is to go with @PJF000 suggestion above. Buy the white and then wrap it in the colour you really want.

After professional ceramic coating and equipping myself with the right gear as recommended by my detailer, I have model s cleaning down to under 30 minutes, and no surface is wiped with the drying cloth more than once. No wheels are scrubbed, just wiped spotlessly dry.

 

[Ashleysteadman]

Out of interest, have you priced the difference between a (non insurance) bumper repaint and film? Noting also that the damager paid for the film replacement so would also have paid for a bumper respray.

For decent quality paint shop who will match the paint properly? Way more than the $500 it cost for the film on front bumper

Price aside - my car wasn’t off the road for 5 days while they disassembled it, re-painted, then re-assembled it - it was with the PPF guys for 3-4 hours while I was at work (they are round the corner from my office) - that in itself is a selling point for me.

 

[Ashleysteadman]

I find the prices for a full wrap very high. 10-15% of the car purchase price is ridiculous (in my opinion).

Who is paying 10-15% of the cost of a car to wrap it in PPF?! Especially when the average Tesla costs way over $100,000.

Lol either you’re thinking of wrapping cheaper cars, or you’ve been quoted way too much for PPF!

You don’t need to do a full wrap - front bumper and rear bumpers are really all that’s necessary I think - shouldn’t cost more than $900 to $1,000. If you want extra protection for the bonnet and front mirrors/quarter panels then you shouldn’t need to spend more than ~$2,000.

 

[paulp]

For decent quality paint shop who will match the paint properly? Way more than the $500 it cost for the film on front bumper

Price aside - my car wasn’t off the road for 5 days while they disassembled it, re-painted, then re-assembled it - it was with the PPF guys for 3-4 hours while I was at work (they are round the corner from my office).

My wife managed to have her rear quarter panel scratched and dented (wheel arch) by a passing motorist. Mobile panel beater came to home, scanned the paint for the perfect match, bogged, painted, polished and left no evidence of the damage or of the repair. Less than one day in my garage and under $500 as quoted. For small damage traditional crash repairers are not a great option.

 

[Ashleysteadman]

My wife managed to have her rear quarter panel scratched and dented (wheel arch) by a passing motorist. Mobile panel beater came to home, scanned the paint for the perfect match, bogged, painted, polished and left no evidence of the damage or of the repair. Less than one day in my garage and under $500 as quoted. For small damage traditional crash repairers are not a great option.

To each their own... I’ve used those kinds of service before - wouldn’t let any touch my <1 year old Tesla personally.