To Wrap or not wrap your Model X

[jsollender]

Thanks for photo @ecrsail
Did you wipe down the car after the rain? If not, did you have water marks on the finish once dry or did the water "self clear" with driving?

 

[Mclark]

It seems like several receivers of X's have opted to wrap their cars in numerous aftermarket paint/finish protectors while others say it is totally unnecessary.
A couple of us future owners wonder how many current owners have wrapped their MX or MS cars. Why, or why not?
I have also read stuff about the EPA prohibiting certain paint hardening techniques in California manufacturing, and, as a result, the paint is considered "soft". Is this BS or a real factor to consider when deciding how to protect the paint/exterior finish of your car?
Is it really necessary to spend a few to several thousand bucs to protect the car from everyday highway driving or is wrapping the car a waste of money, in your opinion? I thought that a car with a price tag of $100K and north, that the paint/finish would be equally stout. Insights welcome....

I did not wrap my MS and have regretted soon after. I had always thought that I'd repaint the car if it got chipped or was in denial of how much road rash the car can get. After 2+ years, the front end on my MS is pretty thrashed and it gets more annoying seeing new paint chips every time I wash my car. The front end and doors seem to get the most wear on my MS.

In my case, lesson learned..., I will be taking it to Premier Protective Model X Fully Customized Paint Protection Film to the Entire Car for a custom wrap after the Factory Tour next week. I will post pics, a review, and my thoughts after I get this done. So hopefully I can give more insight on this matter after I get my car back. Like others have commented, the whole "wrap or not to wrap" question is a matter of preference and comes down to really how picky you are about your car. I never paid much attention to road rashes on my previous cars so I never thought putting plastic on the car was necessary... On the other hand, I never owned a $100k+ car before the MS, so one can say my care for those previous cars were never as high. One thing I've learned from my research is that if you decide to get this done, get it done right. I researched the hell out of this matter and went to different "reputable" companies in the area to see the work in person. This was the biggest eye opener for me. There is quite a bit of difference in quality from company to company.

 

[ecrsail]

Thanks for photo @ecrsail
Did you wipe down the car after the rain? If not, did you have water marks on the finish once dry or did the water "self clear" with driving?

I did not need to wipe down the X after the rain. As you suggest, driving essentially "self cleared" rain that was sitting atop the BP-04 layer. The front hood and all areas but the lower door were practically spotless, and except for some dirt that had been splashed up from the road (or tires) along the lower side panels, there was really no evidence of yesterday's rain when I examined the vehicle the next day.

 

[Darryl]

Here is a pictured I took after adding the two coats of EXOv2, I even put it on the Windows due to it hydrophobic effect.
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I did the research and decided on the Xpel Coating on the front hood, front fenders, bumper and mirrors. The guy initially ordered the wrong kit and now has to redo it. The Tesla SC even mentioned about the soft paint and that wrapping was a good idea. On the rest of the car I had the Detailer put GTechniq Liquid Crystal and I added two coats of GTechniq EXOv2 myself.

I worried about rocks and debris hitting the soft paint and putting nicks in it. Even if you don't do the film I recommend having a Detailer do a color correction and polish. There is a major difference with a Tesla who has not had this done and one where the owner has paid to have a new car detail.

 

[madodel]

View attachment 171330 Here is a pictured I took after adding the two coats of EXOv2, I even put it on the Windows due to it hydrophobic effect.
______________________________________________
I did the research and decided on the Xpel Coating on the front hood, front fenders, bumper and mirrors. The guy initially ordered the wrong kit and now has to redo it. The Tesla SC even mentioned about the soft paint and that wrapping was a good idea. On the rest of the car I had the Detailer put GTechniq Liquid Crystal and I added two coats of GTechniq EXOv2 myself.

I worried about rocks and debris hitting the soft paint and putting nicks in it. Even if you don't do the film I recommend having a Detailer do a color correction and polish. There is a major difference with a Tesla who has not had this done and one where the owner has paid to have a new car detail.

Beautiful X Darryl.

 

[tonyx]

XPEL Stealth on the seat backs, headrests, and both sets of "X" inlays stepping into the car. Looks amazing and now the kids can do what they do to cars... NW Auto Salon in Lynnwood, Washington did incredible work, very happy with the results! It's wrapped just to the last half mm on the edges which also gives it a great 'piping' look.

 

[itay]

@tonyx would you mind sharing approximately how much it cost?

 

[xkwizit]

Mike of Appearance Solutions in Sacramento https://m.facebook.com/appearancesolutions/did a beautiful job of wrapping my X..front hood, lights, bumper, fenders, all doors, rear bumper, mirrors, seat backs and spoiler plus opti- coat on all glass.

When I went to pick up my X, Mike had six other MXs in various stages. Absolutely recommend this shop for wrapping your MX.

 

[rayng]

paid eliteclearbra in huntington beach to wrap the x in xpel ultimate two weeks ago with seat backs and headlights. great job. coffee, juice, bird droppings and dust come off fast and easy. no regrets and would do it for the other rides in the stable.

now we need to wrap the huge windshield. any leads for one piece wrap in socal area?

 

[paintpolisher]

paid eliteclearbra in huntington beach to wrap the x in xpel ultimate two weeks ago with seat backs and headlights. great job. coffee, juice, bird droppings and dust come off fast and easy. no regrets and would do it for the other rides in the stable.

now we need to wrap the huge windshield. any leads for one piece wrap in socal area?

Clearplex is what you would use to protect the windshield from chips, but from what I understand, they dont make a roll large enough to cover the MX windshield in one piece. Debating here if I just want to do the largest piece available or seam two pieces together.

 

[CitizenKane]

Not wrapping it should mean a budget to fix small scratches etc at a later stage. Sounds wiser to me.

 

[dwebb66]

paid eliteclearbra in huntington beach to wrap the x in xpel ultimate two weeks ago with seat backs and headlights. great job. coffee, juice, bird droppings and dust come off fast and easy. no regrets and would do it for the other rides in the stable.

now we need to wrap the huge windshield. any leads for one piece wrap in socal area?

Talk to @MoeMistry at Glistening Perfection

 

[aesculus]

Mike of Appearance Solutions in Sacramento https://m.facebook.com/appearancesolutions/did a beautiful job of wrapping my X..front hood, lights, bumper, fenders, all doors, rear bumper, mirrors, seat backs and spoiler plus opti- coat on all glass.

When I went to pick up my X, Mike had six other MXs in various stages. Absolutely recommend this shop for wrapping your MX.

He did my Model X too. I opted for the stress areas (I think he calls it Option B?) and then had the entire car Opti-coated. He gives a discount to TMC members too so mention that to him.

 

[CTemp222]

Anyone in the Chicago area know of a good place to wrap my X?

 

[vangogh]

I did a complete custom wrap with ClearGaurdX from Prestige Film Technologies and then a CQuartz coating for UV protection....My only regret is waiting a couple weeks to have it done. It those several hundred miles of driving, I got several paint chips that I will need to live with...The car looks awesome and is so smooth...and easy to clean. Everyone I've shown can not blieve there is a complete wrap on the car....

 

[loganintx]

Everyone I've shown can not blieve there is a complete wrap on the car

Are you sure he put it on?? haha
I always wonder about these clear coatings like OptiCoat, how do you KNOW that it's on there? How do they know that they didn't miss a spot when applying it?

 

[xkwizit]

I did a complete custom wrap with ClearGaurdX from Prestige Film Technologies and then a CQuartz coating for UV protection....My only regret is waiting a couple weeks to have it done. It those several hundred miles of driving, I got several paint chips that I will need to live with...The car looks awesome and is so smooth...and easy to clean. Everyone I've shown can not blieve there is a complete wrap on the car....

View attachment 174180

Looks beautiful and yes that's why when I talked to the guy who did mine, he scheduled me to bring it in right after delivery.

 

[dwebb66]

Looks beautiful and yes that's why when I talked to the guy who did mine, he scheduled me to bring it in right after delivery.

The guy I used gave me a large piece of Xpel to apply myself for the drive from the factory to South Orange County.

Yes, it was a terible job, but it got home without a chip.

Also, the tilt has been resolved.

 

[loganintx]

Also, the tilt has been resolved.

I just thought it was in "wink" mode

 

[DuplexDianne]

How cool would it look to mirror wrap an X???

Wide Body Corvette Vinyl "Wrapped" in HEXIS True MIRROR Chrome Vinyl - Walkaround - YouTube

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