Xpel Stealth on new MSM is paint correction necessary?

[Dsewell10]

I ordered my M3P with the new grey wheels in midnight silver on 11/21 and have started getting quotes for a full wrap, window tinting, chrome delete. I have read a bunch of threads but hoping to get a fresh conversation and take in account of the new grey wheels on the M3P.

I like the matte look of xpel stealth and is likely what I will be getting. While talking to the installers they brought up paint correction before the wrap? Is paint correction necessary for a brand new car? It’s a matte finish so won’t that likely cover small imperfections? Ceramic on top of the wrap? I plan to keep the car a while and want it looking it’s best.

I know these are all subjection but just looking for suggestions from experience or what you’ve seen finished vs looking at individual samples and also hope to get some pics.

Open to recommendations and pictures if possible of what finish on a black chrome delete to go with the xpel stealth. Satin, matte, glossy

Is xpel window tint worth the premium price for the Xr? What tint for minimal impact to visibility on the front windshield?

I have 5% around the sides now and love how dark it looks on a black car but difficult to see at night and considering getting 20%. Will it be significantly lighter looking into the car from the outside?

 

[Glamisduner]

I just did as very light buff myself before taking the car in for ppf. Probably not even necessary if your going with stealth wrap.

Others will have different opinions.

 

[640k]

I ordered my M3P with the new grey wheels in midnight silver on 11/21 and have started getting quotes for a full wrap, window tinting, chrome delete. I have read a bunch of threads but hoping to get a fresh conversation and take in account of the new grey wheels on the M3P.

I like the matte look of xpel stealth and is likely what I will be getting. While talking to the installers they brought up paint correction before the wrap? Is paint correction necessary for a brand new car? It’s a matte finish so won’t that likely cover small imperfections? Ceramic on top of the wrap? I plan to keep the car a while and want it looking it’s best.

I know these are all subjection but just looking for suggestions from experience or what you’ve seen finished vs looking at individual samples and also hope to get some pics.

Open to recommendations and pictures if possible of what finish on a black chrome delete to go with the xpel stealth. Satin, matte, glossy

Is xpel window tint worth the premium price for the Xr? What tint for minimal impact to visibility on the front windshield?

I have 5% around the sides now and love how dark it looks on a black car but difficult to see at night and considering getting 20%. Will it be significantly lighter looking into the car from the outside?

the paint correction is only truly necessary if you have those nibs everyone complains about. the MSM has less nibs than any other color, with blue and red being the highest occurrence with color crossover issues. paint correction won't matter much if your paint is within 100 miles of delivery (least likely of blemishes from road debris, etc) but every installer should be doing a thorough cleanup/detail before they install any type of wrap/film.

BTW the ceramic on top of the wrap/film isn't going to make a difference to your underlying paint. it's just a "cheat" used by some installers to hopefully prolong the life of the film. IMO, it's not necessary to do a ceramic after a film application.

 

[R1Fast]

I voted 'yes for sure' but only with caveat 640k alluded to. E.g. only if you have serious paint flaws to correct (nibs). Those dimples will be noticeable on a stealth wrap if they are severe enough (and depending on the brand of film).

With minor nibs and other flaws only, I'd say a good clay and IPA bath should be more than enough. Adhesion is the key to a long lasting wrap.

AFA ceramic over stealth, I don't really think it's going to help and if anything, could make it much more difficult to maintain or remove. Ceramics are really designed to fill in microscopic pores on a perfectly flat surface. Stealth wraps are literally the opposite of this definition (e.g. it's the millions of micro-level pores that dull the sheen of the finish). IMO ceramic is very beneficial on traditional PPF but might be a waste of money on a stealth wrap.

 

[Hoilui]

How much are you getting quoted to do the paint correction? How about the PPF?

 

[jkoya]

While talking to the installers they brought up paint correction before the wrap? Is paint correction necessary for a brand new car?

I got 4 quotes in Northern CA for full exterior PPF and all the quotes included some level of paint correction in the package price. Curious how much you are being quoted for the paint correction...

 

[Dsewell10]

I got 4 quotes in Northern CA for full exterior PPF and all the quotes included some level of paint correction in the package price. Curious how much you are being quoted for the paint correction...

$6k for Xpel stealth
$1k for paint correction and ceramic 9 yr warranty I’m not sure the cost for ceramic without doing the paint perfection but it sounded like a minimal difference.

 

[Dsewell10]

How much are you getting quoted to do the paint correction? How about the PPF?

$1000 ceramic coating plus paint correction. $6000 for the ppf. What prices are you getting?

 

[vaizard14]

Where in northern CA? Bay Area?

 

[GregD60]

Whether or not to do paint correction is dependent on how good your paint job is. It's not as critical with the stealth film as with a glossy film, but larger imperfections, especially bumps will show through. The paint on my MSM was pretty good, so they just did a good detail before applying the Xpel Stealth. Here's a few pictures.

 

[GregD60]

One more.

 

[Dsewell10]

Where in northern CA? Bay Area?

I’m in South Carolina.

 

[Dsewell10]

Whether or not to do paint correction is dependent on how good your paint job is. It's not as critical with the stealth film as with a glossy film, but larger imperfections, especially bumps will show through. The paint on my MSM was pretty good, so they just did a good detail before applying the Xpel Stealth. Here's a few pictures.

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Looks clean man. Any plans to do a chrome delete too? I think I’m going stealth on the wrap and glossy black on the chrome delete then keeping the front and back Tesla logo the way it comes to have a few pieces to contrast the stealth.

 

[jkoya]

$6k for Xpel stealth
$1k for paint correction and ceramic 9 yr warranty I’m not sure the cost for ceramic without doing the paint perfection but it sounded like a minimal difference.

Those prices are in the ballpark of what I was quoted in northern CA...

 

[GregD60]

Looks clean man. Any plans to do a chrome delete too? I think I’m going stealth on the wrap and glossy black on the chrome delete then keeping the front and back Tesla logo the way it comes to have a few pieces to contrast the stealth.

What I'd like is black chrome but all the black chrome wraps just don't look like real black chrome, and actually taking all the chrome pieces off to have the black chromed would be very pricey, if it can even be done.