Paint Protection, Film, and Coatings

[Robert Pickel]

How many will be having an after-market paint protectant product applied to your new Model 3 immediately upon delivery? If so, which product? Will you have it professionally applied by a detailer, or will you do it yourself? How much do you estimate this will cost?

If not using a protectant, why not?

Thanks.

 

[Andreas Stephens]

I will.

Spoke to a driver of a luxury car hire company that exclusively has Model S cars, while waiting to register. All their cars looked stunning and they used professional paint protection.

One of the drivers wanted to register for a Model 3 for himself and he said that he would definitely get professional paint protection for his own car.

That was enough to convince me to get it done properly. Not sure about exact cost.

 

[AEDennis]

How many will be having an after-market paint protectant product applied to your new Model 3 immediately upon delivery? If so, which product? Will you have it professionally applied by a detailer, or will you do it yourself? How much do you estimate this will cost?

If not using a protectant, why not?

Thanks.

Since Tesla's factory is in California, it is subject to certain environmental restrictions. As a result, it's been reported that the paint on Tesla Vehicles are "soft" and tends to degrade easier than other vehicles.

To combat this, many Tesla owners wrap their car in protective covering.

I will.

Spoke to a driver of a luxury car hire company that exclusively has Model S cars, while waiting to register. All their cars looked stunning and they used professional paint protection.

One of the drivers wanted to register for a Model 3 for himself and he said that he would definitely get professional paint protection for his own car.

That was enough to convince me to get it done properly. Not sure about exact cost.

We have wrapped both of our Teslas. The Model S has a write up of the Xpel Ultimate that we've had done since 2013.

We had the Roadster done as well, but that write up has been in draft form since then as well.

 

[Skione65]

Since Tesla's factory is in California, it is subject to certain environmental restrictions. As a result, it's been reported that the paint on Tesla Vehicles are "soft" and tends to degrade easier than other vehicles.

To combat this, many Tesla owners wrap their car in protective covering.



We have wrapped both of our Teslas. The Model S has a write up of the Xpel Ultimate that we've had done since 2013.

We had the Roadster done as well, but that write up has been in draft form since then as well.

AEDennis,

Absolutely incredible!!! Looks amazing. Moe did a stellar job. It's too bad GP is way out in Orange County. Almost makes me want to fly out to Fremont to take delivery and drive it back east! That'd be a heck of a drive though. I wonder if there are comparable companies out here that take as much pride and attention to detail as GP has with yours. They obviously treat each car like their own 'Baby'!

Ski

 

[Skione65]

How many will be having an after-market paint protectant product applied to your new Model 3 immediately upon delivery? If so, which product? Will you have it professionally applied by a detailer, or will you do it yourself? How much do you estimate this will cost?

If not using a protectant, why not?

Thanks.

Robert,

Excellent question! Thanks for posting it. Very informative answer as well AEDennis.

Ski

 

[Gman]

Since Tesla's factory is in California, it is subject to certain environmental restrictions. As a result, it's been reported that the paint on Tesla Vehicles are "soft" and tends to degrade easier than other vehicles.

To combat this, many Tesla owners wrap their car in protective covering.



We have wrapped both of our Teslas. The Model S has a write up of the Xpel Ultimate that we've had done since 2013.

We had the Roadster done as well, but that write up has been in draft form since then as well.

AEDennis, what's the ball park cost to do this work?

 

[Skione65]

Wow,

After looking at the Expel and Nano OptiCoat costs for a full wrap....I'm in sticker shock. I could see it on a $120,000 Tesla but not sure I'd drop the cost on an M3.....though I'd love the protection. Is anyone planning to do this on their Model 3 after pickup/delivery?

Ski

 

[AEDennis]

AEDennis, what's the ball park cost to do this work?

I believe (on a Model S full wrap) that Moe now charges close to $12-14k (not sure what exact amount now). I got a slight discount because we had both the Roadster and Model S and we were the first ones to do a full wrap through him.

Wow,

After looking at the Expel and Nano OptiCoat costs for a full wrap....I'm in sticker shock. I could see it on a $120,000 Tesla but not sure I'd drop the cost on an M3.....though I'd love the protection. Is anyone planning to do this on their Model 3 after pickup/delivery?

Ski

Moe at Glistening Perfection is the best and is not the cheapest. I have had quotes when I first looked for the work on the S as low as half his cost for the S.

You bring up a good point as for the "value" of the Model 3 (and we do have 2 on order) whether we will have either 3 wrapped, or to the extent that we will have it wrapped.

 

[Gman]

I believe (on a Model S full wrap) that Moe now charges close to $12-14k (not sure what exact amount now). I got a slight discount because we had both the Roadster and Model S and we were the first ones to do a full wrap through him.



Moe at Glistening Perfection is the best and is not the cheapest. I have had quotes when I first looked for the work on the S as low as half his cost for the S.

You bring up a good point as for the "value" of the Model 3 (and we do have 2 on order) whether we will have either 3 wrapped, or to the extent that we will have it wrapped.

Thanks Dennis.... I'll save my $ for other Tesla options
Nice job on your Model S!! Thanks for sharing.

 

[garsh]

Looks very nice. But at those prices, I think I'd lean towards getting the whole car repainted after 5 years instead if I was intent on keeping it much longer.

 

[Skione65]

I haven't seen this brought up anywhere on our forum. Mainly because I think it's probably cost prohibitive for most Model 3 reservationists as for many it's a stretch to even afford or purchase this car in and of itself. To then spend (depending on level of protection-wrap and coating, partial wrap, just coating etc) the amount of money that coatings and wraps involve is just out of the realm of possibility for many 3 owners as opposed to most S Owners that have done it straight from Showroom pickup. I've read numerous threads on TMC and other tesla forums addressing PPF, Wrapping, Expel, OptiCoat, CQuartz etc., costs involved, pros and cons of each. Including the proposed 'softness' of Tesla paint due to California laws and restrictions ( I hope this is not new news to some Model 3 reservationists because sadly (lol) it will be an eye opener to the costs involved to PPF on top of the already expensive car cost). And to most, myself included probably not feasible and will therefore have to just be ultra careful and ultimately 'baby' and treat with 'kid gloves' this paint and finish.
My question is, is anyone who has a Model 3 reservation considering or going to Wrap or use some type of PPF?

(P.S. I had wanted to Poll this with a 'yes'/'no' type of basic poll but forgot to add it....i.e.
"Will you Wrap/PPF your new Model 3"??? Yes/No"). Maybe MelV or TrevP you could add this to the top before the thread content so we can get percentages.....I think I know the answer and numbers.

Ski

 

[MelindaV]

I would not wrap (mostly because I don't like the plastic look), but have done a dealer installed PPF sealant on my Ford and liked it's result. I likely will do a DIY version of that.

Also to touch on the comments of the California auto paint finishes being somewhat tender, a co-worker of mine has a 2 month old Subaru that was shipped from Japan and he was just showing me the multiple surface scratches and how disappointing it is. Literally, the rear door, that has been opened 2 or 3 times, is covered in scratches/scuffs behind the handle. Not to mention areas like the driver door, lift gate, gas door and rear door her kids gets in.

 

[Skione65]

I would not wrap (mostly because I don't like the plastic look), but have done a dealer installed PPF sealant on my Ford and liked it's result. I likely will do a DIY version of that.

Also to touch on the comments of the California auto paint finishes being somewhat tender, a co-worker of mine has a 2 month old Subaru that was shipped from Japan and he was just showing me the multiple surface scratches and how disappointing it is. Literally, the rear door, that has been opened 2 or 3 times, is covered in scratches/scuffs behind the handle. Not to mention areas like the driver door, lift gate, gas door and rear door her kids gets in.

@MelindaV,

Thanks M~! I can't argue there....however....let me caveat this by saying I've yet to actually see a Model S in person that has been Expel Wrapped and OptiCoated 'in person'. With that said.....EVERY photo I've looked at and seen online has been Amazing (re: before and after photos) and I myself and the owners involved say you can't really tell that it's been wrapped and doesn't have that 'plastic' appearance...I'd tend to agree by the photos but again haven't seen them in person so can't say....maybe some owners can chime in here.
What they do show is an incredible look to the finish and no swirl marks and much better protectant. I won't get into the pros, cons etc as there are many, many threads already on this in TMC and others.

Ski

 

[TrevP]

California's emissions laws make Tesla paint, while expertly applied, a bit "soft" and prone to easy damage. Highly recommended to apply Opti-Coat or some kind of paint film protector. In my case I plan on investigating OptiCoat for our 3.

I hate wraps and those silly "plasti-dip" cars that are all the rage with the ricers even more. They look like rat-mobiles but I guess that's the look they're going for?

 

[Skione65]

California's emissions laws make Tesla paint, while expertly applied, a bit "soft" and prone to easy damage. Highly recommended to apply Opti-Coat or some kind of paint film protector. In my case I plan on investigating OptiCoat for our 3.

I hate wraps and those silly "plasti-dip" cars that are all the rage with the ricers even more. They look like rat-mobiles but I guess that's the look they're going for?

@TrevP,

If you just plan on going the OptiCoat or CQuartz Finest route that is definitely cheaper than a clear wrap....it will be considerably 'easier' on the wallet and will probably be the route that I go just due to 'cost', however I haven't decided yet. I DO have 'alittle' time on my hands to decide! I do feel that Opticoating or the like is definitely better than nothing, or just 'hoping' the paint will fair well over time.

Ski

 

[MelindaV]

There are a ton of cars around here that have the partial wraps or clear bra wraps and to me, it looks worse than a couple rock chips would. just my opinion... and the full wrap seems a bit excessive, especially the price.

ETA: also, when I was at the local Tesla store a while back, I looked pretty closely both at the showroom cars and the test driver cars for any paint scuffs/scratches and didn't see anything - and that was after I witnessed another potential buyer set a coat and purse on the hood of one of the showroom cars while leaning against the fender.

 

[AZ Desert Driver]

California's emissions laws make Tesla paint, while expertly applied, a bit "soft" and prone to easy damage. Highly recommended to apply Opti-Coat or some kind of paint film protector. In my case I plan on investigating OptiCoat for our 3.

I hate wraps and those silly "plasti-dip" cars that are all the rage with the ricers even more. They look like rat-mobiles but I guess that's the look they're going for?

Not to be argumentative - but "highly recommended" by who? detailers? show car buffs? run-of-the-mill users?
I've washed and waxed my cars the old fashioned way for decades. New paint - paint coatings...all new stuff. Is a $1,000 opti-coat really going to make parking lot dings less annoying?
Perhaps I should buy opt-coat for my 4-runner to see if my "Arizona pin striping" goes away. [thats the long scratches along the doors from pushing mesquite branches back and having those wonderful spines leave their signature]

 

[AEDennis]

Not to be argumentative - but "highly recommended" by who? detailers? show car buffs? run-of-the-mill users?
I've washed and waxed my cars the old fashioned way for decades. New paint - paint coatings...all new stuff. Is a $1,000 opti-coat really going to make parking lot dings less annoying?
Perhaps I should buy opt-coat for my 4-runner to see if my "Arizona pin striping" goes away. [thats the long scratches along the doors from pushing mesquite branches back and having those wonderful spines leave their signature]

Granted those of us who have taken delivery of our Tesla vehicles at this point have spent a pretty penny for our vehicles.

As such, many of us want to make sure that the vehicles look "showroom" fresh for as long as we've kept our cars.

In my wife and my case, that's a LONG time. So, we figured to wrap both the Roadster (re-wrap in that case, and a post on this has been in my draft for several years) and the Model S (here's the post on the wrap on my blog.) The wrap has protected both vehicles as it's meant to do.

However, there's a big (read at least $50k) difference between our Model 3s that are on order and our Model S or Roadster. As a result, will we be wrapping the car? Probably not. But then again... we've done crazier things. Granted our selected vendor is really meticulous and handles supercars as well as our Teslas, so he is quite pricey. So, if we do decide to wrap the Model 3, perhaps we'll go to someone that is less expensive.

However, at this time, we're leaning toward skipping the wrap for the two Model 3s that are on order.

 

[AZ Desert Driver]

Granted those of us who have taken delivery of our Tesla vehicles at this point have spent a pretty penny for our vehicles.

As such, many of us want to make sure that the vehicles look "showroom" fresh for as long as we've kept our cars.

In my wife and my case, that's a LONG time. So, we figured to wrap both the Roadster (re-wrap in that case, and a post on this has been in my draft for several years) and the Model S (here's the post on the wrap on my blog.) The wrap has protected both vehicles as it's meant to do.

However, there's a big (read at least $50k) difference between our Model 3s that are on order and our Model S or Roadster. As a result, will we be wrapping the car? Probably not. But then again... we've done crazier things. Granted our selected vendor is really meticulous and handles supercars as well as our Teslas, so he is quite pricey. So, if we do decide to wrap the Model 3, perhaps we'll go to someone that is less expensive.

However, at this time, we're leaning toward skipping the wrap for the two Model 3s that are on order.

You sound like a sane fellow - I just perused your blog and saw the intimate detail that your installer went through (actually, I remember pawing through that series a month ago).
I too would spend a bunch to protect the most valuable asset...and be protective but not overprotective of the little fellow.
You did not share your thoughts on Opti-Coat. got any?

 

[AEDennis]

You sound like a sane fellow - I just perused your blog and saw the intimate detail that your installer went through (actually, I remember pawing through that series a month ago).
I too would spend a bunch to protect the most valuable asset...and be protective but not overprotective of the little fellow.
You did not share your thoughts on Opti-Coat. got any?

I might do the Opti-Coat, but tend to keep vehicles "for a while". Our sole ICE left in our garage is a 2001 BMW X5...

I know of many that are very happy with it.

So, I might still do the "permanent" install of XPel... But it has to be at "the right price". However, I know that my guy, Moe at Glistening Perfection, is great, but pricey.