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XPEL Ultimate, OptiCoat Pro, cQuartz, Oh My!

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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:
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​

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.
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?​

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...
Would you use it again?
Would you use XPEL instead on your next expensive car?

Thanks in advance!
Peter+
 
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Reactions: TesTaipei
No Tesla experience yet. I have had Opti-coat on my Lexus and BMW for 2-3 years. They are garaged. It has held up exceptionally well and makes keeping them clean much easier. I will absolutely have my MX done as soon as I get it. I will be leasing mine, so won't invest in Xpel, but definitely will Opti-coat. The secret with any of these paint protection systems is to use a qualified detailer who knows how to do the paint correction before the product is applied.
 
I'm into my second winter with cQuartz and am still very happy. I can't say if it has protected my S from any scratches or other damage but it certainly makes washing the car much easier. Water is still beading up on the hood nicely. This car is my daily driver and sees a generous amount of freeway driving. My next Tesla will be treated to cQuartz asap following delivery (this car had a year on the road before the coating was applied).
 
CQuartz Finest here. Have had it on for about 16 months. It does not protect against dings. But it does help to significantly reduce the hologramming and hazing from washing. The car is a total breeze to clean and I am very happy with it. The finish continues to be as smooth as glass. I would have done a wrap. But the $$$ weren't in the cards after dropping so much on my girl. Perhaps one day I'll do it.
 
on my Model S I went with front and rear XPEL and CQuartz Finest. Like CHG-ON said, the car is as smooth as glass and a breeze to wash. CQuartz Finest also brings out a superior shine and water beads off nicely. I will, without a doubt, do XPEL and CQuartz Finest on my next new vehicle purchase. If you do go with XPEL or CQuartz Finest make sure you do paint correct first.
 
I'm into my second winter with cQuartz and am still very happy. I can't say if it has protected my S from any scratches or other damage but it certainly makes washing the car much easier. Water is still beading up on the hood nicely. This car is my daily driver and sees a generous amount of freeway driving. My next Tesla will be treated to cQuartz asap following delivery (this car had a year on the road before the coating was applied).

Hey Forty Creek, I'm just down the road from you. Curious where you got your cQuartz done and ballpark cost. Thanks in advance!
 
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:
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​

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.
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?​

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...
Would you use it again?
Would you use XPEL instead on your next expensive car?

Thanks in advance!
Peter+

You need expert advice. Maybe talk with Joe T. at OCDetailing in Walnut Creek. He has worked on maybe 600 Model S and is working on at least 2 X that I know about even as we speak. He knows all of the products, benefits, downsides, etc.

I'm a happy customer since 2013--he has done both of our Ses (OptiCoat Pro on my MC Red S85, cQuartz on my wife's Obsidian Black S70D).
 
You need expert advice. Maybe talk with Joe T. at OCDetailing in Walnut Creek. He has worked on maybe 600 Model S and is working on at least 2 X that I know about even as we speak. He knows all of the products, benefits, downsides, etc.

I'm a happy customer since 2013--he has done both of our Ses (OptiCoat Pro on my MC Red S85, cQuartz on my wife's Obsidian Black S70D).

+1 for Joe...he's a wealth of knowledge and you'll be in great hands.
 
+1 for expert advice. I drove 75 miles to a quality detailer who explained all the options including various nano-coatings.

I went with XPel on the front (fascia, headlights, hood, fenders, mirror backs) and opticoat over all. The Xpel did its job 2 weeks ago when something hit the hood and put a 4" square rash all the way through the film. Seriously, there were tiny spots that went all the way through to the paint. Fortunately, the paint was not damaged and for $450 the film was replaced and looks like new again.

Regardless of what you choose, please do something with the front fascia. That nose on the X is going to be a bug magnet and not cheap to replace.
 
Hey Forty Creek, I'm just down the road from you. Curious where you got your cQuartz done and ballpark cost. Thanks in advance!
I had Kevin at GTA in Detail apply the coating. Kevin is very knowledgeable and had already worked on over 30 Teslas when he did mine over a year ago. He is located at 1075 Meyerside Dr Mississauga. It cost about $1000. It is less if the car is new but Kevin really does a lot of great prep work to correct your paint and buff out any swirls or minor scratches before applying the cQuartz. Since mine had been driven a year 'unprotected' it was a little more work (and cost).
 
Not exactly on topic, but here goes, this is my Model S P85 (2013) with Ceramic Pro protection. This was shot after aprox 50.000km of driving after treatment.

Needless to say, I'm still quite pleased with it!

(PS! I'm very sorry for the lack of HD video.)
 
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