To PPF or not to PPF my M3P

[TMThree]

I am aware that ceramic coating is very thin (1 micron) but at the very least it keeps the car looking good and makes it much easier to clean.

people over think it. you are too if you're quoting coating depth. Just think of it as a longer lasting wax. You wouldn't expect a wax to protect from rock chips, and neither will ceramic coat.

It will help with bug guts, tree sap to some degree. Chemical damage.

 

[TheFuturist]

people over think it. you are too if you're quoting coating depth. Just think of it as a longer lasting wax. You wouldn't expect a wax to protect from rock chips, and neither will ceramic coat.

It will help with bug guts, tree sap to some degree. Chemical damage.

I am definitely overthinking this. I have a DA machine polisher, maybe I just polish and wax it regularly myself.....

 

[TheFuturist]

OoOo Meguiars Hybrid Ceramic Liquid Wax looks promising

 

[AnthonyLR]

I intend to own my M3 for a decade (maybe longer if I can send it out to work as a robotaxi!) I took it to Azuri car care in Stevenage to have a partial PPF and a ceramic coat. The ceramic coat saves me waxing it and makes it really shiny when I clean it, but I have to clean it myself as I need to know it is being cleaned with gentle pH neutral detergents that won't damage the ceramic coating or PPF.

My logic is it will keep it looking nicer for longer.

Graham at Azuri said he thought the paint job from Tesla (white like yours) was a good one.

 

[Durzel]

It helps that white hides pretty much all flaws really.

 

[Lucanesque]

I live in Brighton, salty greasy gunk and seagull blessings are a regular feature of owning a car down here.

I got an extended front XPEL PPF plus ceramic coating on all paint and glass done at Venom Wraps in Sussex. For a white car it definitely stays an awful lot cleaner and the water / muck just rolls off. I’m really pleased I had it done.

On the subject of Insurance, I know people have had different experiences. Mine was a good one with Churchill, I told them about PPF when I was collecting quotes, made it crystal clear it wasn’t a vinyl wrap and just a clear film on the front and sills to prevent stone damage. They were fine with that and noted it on my file, although other people I know with the same insurer have had a different experience.

 

[AnthonyLR]

It helps that white hides pretty much all flaws really.

Yes, that's why Elon was talked into making white the free colour even though at that point I think it was a high cost paint option.

 

[Zakalwe]

For the £4.5k cost you could have a complete respray done in a colour of your choice in a few years.

£4.5k is crazy price for what you are getting. Love or hate it, but a car is something you buy, you use and then you replace.

 

[m3gt2]

For the £4.5k cost you could have a complete respray done in a colour of your choice in a few years.

£4.5k is crazy price for what you are getting. Love or hate it, but a car is something you buy, you use and then you replace.

I agree, £4.5k or 10% of purchase cost (roughly) is never for protecting the value of the car, if you are keeping it for a short period it's pointless IMO but if you want to run the car for years until it's scrap then it will help keeping it looking good. That's assuming the PPF will be ok for all that time and not discolour or start peeling away, I've not looked into either as I wouldn't keep a car long enough and when I do change it's pretty much worthless due to the very high mileage.

 

[Bernard_S]

Hi all,

So owing to the paint quality we have come to expect with Tesla’s (some of which I have read on this forum with Model 3s) I am seriously considering getting full PPF (Xpel) done on the vehicle.

I have been quoted £3650+Vat for the full vehicle which includes full detail and ceramic coating on top from a retailer based in London.

Keen to get some views on this? It’s a pearl white M3P due to collect next month.

Do you think it’s a excessive or a worthy investment? Would be interested to hear from those that have also done it.

Thanks!

Sounds ludicrously expensive to me. You could probably get the car resprayed twice for that.

 

[Kenners]

I had ceramic coat and it looks great, sort of justify a cost as they also did paint correction and dealt with a load of crap Tesla came covered in from the factory, for £500. And then got mudguards!

Unless I had a supercar can’t see PPF being worth it. Seems to be marketed in a FOMO basis.

 

[Arran]

Just to flip it to the interior, and ceramic coating. What are peoples opinions on Ceramic Coating, or products like Gyeon Leather Shield on the White Interior. Is it necessary?

 

[TMThree]

I am definitely overthinking this. I have a DA machine polisher, maybe I just polish and wax it regularly myself.....

polish it, then ceramic coat it. It's no more difficult than applying wax. You just need to make sure you wipe off all of it or you can make high spots. But those high spots can be buffed out and you can ceramic coat the area again, so not that big a deal if you already have the hardware. Just try to do it where you can leave the car garaged for 1-2 days so it can completely cure (unless you have a UV machine to speed it up)

This is the stuff I used: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D4NM5XM/r

If you search online, you'll see its one of the best, with a guy going on over 2 years with a product comparison where this is still leading against everything else tested.

 

[TMThree]

Unless I had a supercar can’t see PPF being worth it. Seems to be marketed in a FOMO basis.

Depends if you care about rock chips. On the model 3 especially, the low hood and wide bumper without grill means you will get a lot compared to every other car out there.

 

[TheFuturist]

polish it, then ceramic coat it. It's no more difficult than applying wax. You just need to make sure you wipe off all of it or you can make high spots. But those high spots can be buffed out and you can ceramic coat the area again, so not that big a deal if you already have the hardware. Just try to do it where you can leave the car garaged for 1-2 days so it can completely cure (unless you have a UV machine to speed it up)

This is the stuff I used: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D4NM5XM/r

If you search online, you'll see its one of the best, with a guy going on over 2 years with a product comparison where this is still leading against everything else tested.

thanks, the link you’ve posted just redirects to the Amazon home page. Can you share the link again?

 

[TMThree]

thanks, the link you’ve posted just redirects to the Amazon home page. Can you share the link again?

search for

CarPro CQuartz UK 3.0_30ml Kit w/Reload

$66

 

[Kenners]

Depends if you care about rock chips. On the model 3 especially, the low hood and wide bumper without grill means you will get a lot compared to every other car out there.

You could just do that bit then!

 

[tess19]

I had ceramic coat and it looks great, sort of justify a cost as they also did paint correction and dealt with a load of crap Tesla came covered in from the factory, for £500. And then got mudguards!

Unless I had a supercar can’t see PPF being worth it. Seems to be marketed in a FOMO basis.

Done the same as you. If you are willing to spend a bit more and do lots of motorway driving, consider ppf the front bumper as that is a chip magnet.

 

[TMThree]

You could just do that bit then!

Right. PPF really only makes sense on the front of the vehicle. No reason for it on the sides or rear unless you're changing the color of the vehicle / making it matte / etc.

Here's my car. hood, bumper, front fenders, side view mirrors, kicker panels, mudguard area, headlights, a pillers have ppf installed.

Then I ceramic coated my car with carpro ccquartz 2.0. Let the car cure for 2 days in the garage. Ceramic coat is still 100% 2 years later.

After I wash the car, I use a gloss spray that contains carnauba wax for extra shine. The wax obviously doesn't last that long.

This is the factory paint, I haven't polished anything.

 

[TMThree]

I used a matte ppf on the interior.