Wrapping, Coating, etc - investment or waste?

[dimsumx]

I've gotten enough dings in other cars that I find PPF, at least the front end, is worth it. I didn't pull the trigger on the ceramic but I've found that something less permanent like Opti-seal is definitely something to consider every 4 or 5 months.

 

[R1Fast]

I am picking up on 9/25 and personally dropping my car with my wrap guy 2 blocks from the SC the same day.

For wrap in general, I think a big factor is where you live and the condition of the roads. Up in the PNW we have a ton of rain and road erosion is common, so flying debris is as well. I couldn't imagine not wrapping at least the front in this region. Even with a partial front wrap on my current car I still have a few small rock chips above the wrap line on the hood and my windshield looks like it was hit with a sandblaster in the right sunlight. Anyway, being the front of the M3 is a small billboard, I am definitely doing a full front wrap the day I pick it up.

I am a big believer in ceramic as well, after 5 years of it on my STi and the exterior still looking nearly new. But you also have to change your washing habits with ceramic for it to last and really be worth the cost (at least IMO).

 

[busaman]

the way i see it my model s cost me £112,000 after 3 years il be lucky to get £60,000 and after 5 years prob arround £35,000 so it deprieciates faster than any paint job is going to ever cost soooooo dont wast your money if you want to keep it like new dont drive it.

 

[Shock-On-T]

Total waste of money.

 

[2much3time]

I’m having my car wrapped with a full body PPF and ceramic coating now.

It is a TERRIBLE investment.

So why am I doing it? I wash my cars every other weekend and ceramic coatings are straight up magic. I have it on my wife’s car and I can seriously spray it down with a hose and drive around the block and it looks exactly the same as when I used to spend half of my Saturday morning detailing it. Plus it takes nearly a month to get as dirty as it used to in 3 days.

I’m getting the PPF because I don’t want rock chips or scratches on my car. I want it keep it looking nice for my own personal pleasure.

Yes it is expensive and you will never recoup the cost of having it installed. If your car looking like new for years to come is worth the extremely high cost to you personally, then do it. If not, don’t.

 

[KenF]

It is absolutely not worth it as any kind of “investment.”

It may be worth it if you will be annoyed by rock chips and scratches on front of your car, which you WILL get without PPF. PPF will prevent most if not all of these scratches.

 

[SteveD]

It is absolutely not worth it as any kind of “investment.”

It may be worth it if you will be annoyed by rock chips and scratches on front of your car, which you WILL get without PPF. PPF will prevent most if not all of these scratches.

I don't think the high cost of PPF and Ceramic coating are going to do much to increase the value of your car. Definitely not an investment per se. However if protection from paint chips and having a car that looks great is important to you, then the investment may be worth it from that standpoint. Return on investment is personal satisfaction versus a monetary reward where you car will be worth X number of dollars more when you sell it. I'm having my car detailed now with PPF, window tinting and Ceramic coat. Time will tell if the investment is worth it. I personally tend to keep me cars a long time, up to 10 years. And I like it looking nice and shiny.

 

[R1Fast]

It is absolutely not worth it as any kind of “investment.”

It may be worth it if you will be annoyed by rock chips and scratches on front of your car, which you WILL get without PPF. PPF will prevent most if not all of these scratches.

Yep - There is absolutely no tangible return at resale with either a wrap or ceramic, aside from possibly bumping the overall condition from good to excellent, for example. But that too is subjective; I don't feel I made a dollar more back on my last car with PPF/ceramic (vs. not) when all was said and done.

"Investment" argument aside, a.f.a. paint protection there is no question PPF does help so I wouldn't consider it a waste either. I'll have my M3 for 10+ years - resale makes little difference but maintenance and cosmetic upkeep makes it worth every penny.

Same goes for ceramic, plus there are benefits besides a nice shine like UV/oxidation/chemical etching protection. I also find cleaning is much easier, less frequent and the results are as good if not better in half the time. And as they say, time is money!

 

[Dutchie]

Love it XPel saved a lot of headache and money

 

[hashraf]

Has anyone just done the front bumper pff? It seems that the bumper is the most exposed in terms of rock chips, etc and if somebody doesnt want to spend north of 500 perhaps just doing the bumper is a good idea? What are people paying just for bumper and / or partial front wrap?

 

[Dnssup]

Has anyone just done the front bumper pff? It seems that the bumper is the most exposed in terms of rock chips, etc and if somebody doesnt want to spend north of 500 perhaps just doing the bumper is a good idea? What are people paying just for bumper and / or partial front wrap?

I’ve been quoted $600s for bumper only and 1100 for partial hood, fenders, and mirrors. I, too would like to know this since the bumper seems ultra exposed.

 

[mswlogo]

I’d be curious of more ballpark prices.

Front Bumper
Front
Full wrap

It bugs me they need to remove and replace emblems etc.

Can anyone recommend someone in the Northeast?

Also how long does ceramic coating last?

 

[cheungus87]

I’d be curious of more ballpark prices.

Front Bumper
Front
Full wrap

It bugs me they need to remove and replace emblems etc.

Can anyone recommend someone in the Northeast?

Also how long does ceramic coating last?

The lowest I was quoted was 3995 for full wrap, 1499 for ceramic coat. Ceramic coat was more but they took off 400 because they don't need to prep twice. I'm booked with Northeast Auto Salon in Oct. and those appointments are booking fast but it's better that they are already familiar with the model 3. Other places quoted 5-6k for full wrap (Andover, Salem NH, Natick). You can ask them about rentals from enterprise if you need something else.

 

[R1Fast]

I’d be curious of more ballpark prices.

Front Bumper
Front
Full wrap

It bugs me they need to remove and replace emblems etc.

Can anyone recommend someone in the Northeast?

Also how long does ceramic coating last?

I just went through the exercise with 8-10 installers in the PNW for reference.

Front Bumper only (unknown, I asked for partial and full front pricing only): would guess $500-700 based on 2 quotes for the rear bumper being that much.

Partial front (half hood, half fender): $1100-1700

Full front (full hood, full fender): $1400-2500

Full wrap: $6400-$9000

Ceramic: $1200-2200 depending on # of layers

I heard anything from 1-5 years for ceramic longevity, although there were 2 quotes that gave a lifetime warranty on their 'upgraded package' if I came back annually for a $150 re-conditioning. Price was on the higher end of course ($1900, $2200) but honestly, if they honor that warranty for 10+ years it seems worth it. Both are reputable shops.

 

[Crispix]

I just started using a synthetic wax, sometimes called a "sealant". Way less expensive than ceramic, and pretty easy to apply myself (wash, clay, seal). It's supposed to last a few months. I've put it on three cars so far, and two weeks later I can already tell it's holding up much better than carnauba wax. I'm just wiping down the cars with a detailing spray and they look shiny new again.

We'll see how long it holds up. I already like it much better than traditional wax. Sure, I'm still susceptible to rock chips, but I've also had good success with drcolorchip touch-ups.

 

[R1Fast]

...Sure, I'm still susceptible to rock chips, but I've also had good success with drcolorchip touch-ups.

How is the viscosity of Dr Colorchip? And same question for Tesla's touch-up paint? With my Subaru, the OEM touch-up is way too thick and doesn't sit in the chip crater very well.

 

[provence]

I just started using a synthetic wax, sometimes called a "sealant". Way less expensive than ceramic, and pretty easy to apply myself (wash, clay, seal). It's supposed to last a few months. I've put it on three cars so far, and two weeks later I can already tell it's holding up much better than carnauba wax. I'm just wiping down the cars with a detailing spray and they look shiny new again.

We'll see how long it holds up. I already like it much better than traditional wax. Sure, I'm still susceptible to rock chips, but I've also had good success with drcolorchip touch-ups.

The cars get painted at the factory, assembled, and a while later we take delivery. When we wash the car the water beads really well off the glass and the paint. After a while it seems to fade. So my question is: does Tesla apply a sealant over the whole car, and if so what is it ?

 

[Bebop]

100% absolutely worth it. After 1 year of ownership and a full frontal clear bra, it has saved the front end of my car. Without it, it would’ve been trashed from dings/rocks/debris. Granted I’ve done a lot of highway driving.

 

[Metropolitan Detail]

Do you put a case or a wrap on your cell phone? Obviously a cell phone is a lot cheaper than a car but some iphones are over 1k and they get a lot wear and tear hanging around in your pocket but not as much as driving 70 mph. A lot of us keep our phones a year but our cars for multiple. If you can't stand looking at a cracked or scratched phone screen, you should probably have a wrap.

 

[cab]

How is the viscosity of Dr Colorchip? And same question for Tesla's touch-up paint? With my Subaru, the OEM touch-up is way too thick and doesn't sit in the chip crater very well.

I have used Dr. Colorchip on several of our cars now (Model S, Volt, M5, XC60, 530i, Focus, etc.). It is thin and is designed to essentially "color" the chips the same color as the rest of the paint. it has almost no filling properties. It basically just makes it very hard to see the chips (which are typically lighter in color than the paint...so this works really well on darker paints as it makes the chips "disappear" at a glance). It works really good on fine road rash. My M5 post here: Dr. Colorchip paint touch-up results - BMW M5 Forum and M6 Forums

Having said all that, I might consider a DIY bumper wrap on my next car as bumpers really do take the brunt of the damage...