OK. This car is about 4-5x what I've paid for any other car, I'm willing to do that because:
This is a small way to make a difference in our future, US oil dependency, etc. blah, blah
It's COOL
It's Quick
I expect it to be my second-to-last, if not my last car ever. Barring some future Sprinter-size BEV...
I can
That said, it's still a lot of money and I'd like to protect my investment as much as I can so, I'm pondering all these various after-market paint protection things. I've read a bunch of the threads over on the Model S side about these systems, I've done google searches, etc...
Here's what I *think* I understand:
XPEL:
OptiCoat Pro/cQuartz:
Do I have the above basic facts right?
Does anyone have long-term experience with XPEL Ultimate on ANY car?
For someone who just went with Opticoat Pro or cQuartz:
Thanks in advance!
Peter+
This is a small way to make a difference in our future, US oil dependency, etc. blah, blah
It's COOL
It's Quick
I expect it to be my second-to-last, if not my last car ever. Barring some future Sprinter-size BEV...
I can
That said, it's still a lot of money and I'd like to protect my investment as much as I can so, I'm pondering all these various after-market paint protection things. I've read a bunch of the threads over on the Model S side about these systems, I've done google searches, etc...
Here's what I *think* I understand:
XPEL:
effectively a "sacrificial layer" it's ~50x thicker than the others
some scratches just magically disappear as the semi-liquid base reflows over time to heal the scratches
deeper scratches obviously have potential to do real damage to the underlying car, but if that happens very likely you would have had worse damage without it
some bugs have acidic guts which can potentially damage the XPEL where the paint itself would not have been damaged; if that happens though, and I'm REAL unhappy, I can have that XPEL panel replaced
It's possible to put something like Opticoat Pro ON TOP of XPEL, mitigating the bug juice problem a bit
Expen$ive. Based on prices I've seen discussed on the Model S forum, I'd guess $5K+ to do a full job on the Model X
some scratches just magically disappear as the semi-liquid base reflows over time to heal the scratches
deeper scratches obviously have potential to do real damage to the underlying car, but if that happens very likely you would have had worse damage without it
some bugs have acidic guts which can potentially damage the XPEL where the paint itself would not have been damaged; if that happens though, and I'm REAL unhappy, I can have that XPEL panel replaced
It's possible to put something like Opticoat Pro ON TOP of XPEL, mitigating the bug juice problem a bit
Expen$ive. Based on prices I've seen discussed on the Model S forum, I'd guess $5K+ to do a full job on the Model X
OptiCoat Pro/cQuartz:
These are competing "nano" polishes. They last far longer than the typical wax job
Dirt, water, etc. are much less likely to adhere to the surface than with the factory paint, theoretically keeping the car clean-looking longer and easier to clean
You still need to wash the car regularly (as is also true with XPEL)
Since this really "bonds" to the paint, it's not exactly a sacrificial layer, damage to the nano coat is likely damage to the underlying paint, but if it's not, then it would be possible for a detailer to buff away the nano coat and reapply.
Dirt, water, etc. are much less likely to adhere to the surface than with the factory paint, theoretically keeping the car clean-looking longer and easier to clean
You still need to wash the car regularly (as is also true with XPEL)
Since this really "bonds" to the paint, it's not exactly a sacrificial layer, damage to the nano coat is likely damage to the underlying paint, but if it's not, then it would be possible for a detailer to buff away the nano coat and reapply.
Much less expensive than XPEL, but still not cheap.
Do I have the above basic facts right?
Does anyone have long-term experience with XPEL Ultimate on ANY car?
Is it possible the paint underneath is compromised in any way? Accelerated fading/peeling/cracking under sun?
Does removal of the XPEL to replace the sacrificial layer cause any damage?
In short, am I paying 5K to replace one problem with an equivalent/worse problem later? I think about people who had the old leather bras that had damage to the paint at the border of bra and rest of hood, or under the bra when bugs/debris got under there and vibrated/pressed into the paint causing scratches, etc.
Did it ever save you from an expensive repair?
Would you do it again?
Does removal of the XPEL to replace the sacrificial layer cause any damage?
In short, am I paying 5K to replace one problem with an equivalent/worse problem later? I think about people who had the old leather bras that had damage to the paint at the border of bra and rest of hood, or under the bra when bugs/debris got under there and vibrated/pressed into the paint causing scratches, etc.
Did it ever save you from an expensive repair?
Would you do it again?
For someone who just went with Opticoat Pro or cQuartz:
Did it ever save you from an expensive repair or did it just stay clean longer and be easier to clean?
Any long-term experience? Did it fade/peel/crack over time? I'm thinking of some of the paints GM cars had in the 80's/early 90's that peeled horribly...
Any long-term experience? Did it fade/peel/crack over time? I'm thinking of some of the paints GM cars had in the 80's/early 90's that peeled horribly...
Would you use it again?
Would you use XPEL instead on your next expensive car?
Would you use XPEL instead on your next expensive car?
Thanks in advance!
Peter+