PPF

Bought a self install PPF kit off eBay for under $400. Doesn’t look professional but I don’t care. Already saved me from several potential scuffs and rock chip events.

Only reason I would do PPF would be to give the car a matte finish and protection. I don't think I'd ever bother with just a clear ppf.

I did a full front DIY PPF on my M3. Tedious to install. It's got some ugly divots and tears in the bumper. I do a lot of highway driving, and there is peace of mind when I scrub the shit out of bug guts off the front bumper without fear of scuffing the paint It's not impervious to large rock chips I'd do it again for whatever my next car is

no

Nah dude

My S I bought used came with PPF on entire front. Since purchase I still got rock chips that chipped the PPF and the paint. While I’m sure there’s LESS rock chips with PPF it’s not a guaranteed rock chip protection. It’ll still get PPF punctured by bigger, harder or sharper rocks.

If you are trading in a car every 3-5yrs you are not owning it, you are renting it. If that is the case then you take the hit when you trade/sell it and move on. If you keep a car a long time and enjoy it then it’s worth the cost. I wish I did it for my other car that I’ve owned 20yrs. I did do it on my air-cooled Carrera when I bought it and it has been the best thing ever. I drive it and enjoy it. I don’t worry about chips like you did when you got your new car. You can touch up the PPF to protect the rip and hide it. Over the life of the car it will continue to look as it did when I bought the car. Again I don’t rent cars, I buy, enjoy and maintain them thus why the PPF is a huge value add. Both for protection but also maintaining/cleaning.

Tip, use touch up paint on those rips in the PPF. Use a new razor blade and tweezers to peel the PPF rip/dangle piece. Then add a drop of touch up paint to the rip to cover it and hide the impact. Learned this while hanging out with the PPF installer. You can also do this if you’ve had the PPF installed after getting rock trips. Basically you should be filling the rock chips prior to PPF install. But you’ll still sometimes see small air bubbles in the film. They use a needle to get the air out and the press down on it. And then top with a small drop of touch up paint to cover the bubble if it’s still visible.

PPF might not be worth your hard earned cash, but it is worth my hard earned cash. To each their own. I drive too many trucker routes. When I sold my PPF'd (full front) Lexus last week it looked brand new and they paid accordingly. Pick up my White Pearl Y on the March 5th and PPF is scheduled for the 6th. Almost impossible to match tri-coats with touch up paint.

>If you are trading in a car every 3-5yrs you are not owning it, you are renting it. If that is the case then you take the hit when you trade/sell it and move on. What? If you own the car, you own the car. Your name is on the title, its your property. You're not renting it. If you go to trade in a car you own and it's damaged, it will effect the value of the property you own. There no comparison to it being a rental here. Rental = someone else owns.

Nope, a car is a tool and meant to be used. No reason to stress out over keeping it looking like it isn't.

You obviously don’t get the subtlety of the English language!

I got full PFF and I probably wouldn't do that again, but I'd still get high impact areas on my cars/trucks in the future. I don't trade in cars for the newest version like it's a cell phone though. I keep my cars at least a decade or more before even thinking about getting something new.

I plan to PPF my new Model S Plaid - but thats because I also tend to keep cars for a long time - so for me $5K for PPF on the full car is worth it because it gives me peace of mind. I know its not everyones thing - and for my wifes cars which we lease I would never do it - but for my cars I tend to keep them for 10+ years it's worth it to me.

You obviously don't get the difference between renting and owning.

Ehh I got full front ppf, ceramic coating and window tints for $4K. I love the way my car looks, enjoy driving it every day and have no regrets. Do whatever you want hahaha

I just use ppf because it makes it easier to wash the car

IMO PPF is 💯needed for non-white cars in snowy geographical locations to prevent paint chafing from sand and salt, broken down asphalt. My first winter with my car I didn’t have PPF. My rocker panels got basically sand-blasted in a 6 week period (red M3). Needed to repaint (I got Tesla to cover it under warranty) both sides then got PPF entire front and sides after that.

I think I just bought the same kit lol hope it was good

Happy BUT it looks waaaaay easier on YouTube than in real life.

I’ve been warned by many ppl! It’s making me nervous but I’m just not going to spend 4-7k on this!!!!

Flat surfaces like hood, easy peasy. Absolutely need both the tack and slip fluids. Warm weather helps. All my installs done on 40-50 degree weather :-( One thing I wish I knew on first install, have a heat gun or better yet a steam machine. Cut my time more than 1/2 and results waaaaaaay better.

Thanks for the tips! Texas over here we’re already hitting 80s and it’s not even March

This! I got a full transparent PPF on my white model three performance. Way too expensive to be a rational decision, but I love not worrying about bird poop, etc.

I picked up my stealth grey MY Premium and kept it parked in my garage until my drop off appointment at the PPF wrap shop. I got the matte wrap and it looks awesome against the grey paint.

If you’re gonna plan to keep it…ppf maybe the best money you spend on it, tesla paint is thin and im sure would have had rock chips by now.

I paid $1200 for a DIY full body kit. I know it's not a sensible financial decision, and i could still get some rock chips of something slightly larger strikes it. And the 30ish hours it took me to install is another investment i'll never get back. But I had fun doing it, and I'd do it again. I like the idea that I'm protected from most road debris, and it looks nice. So for me, it was worth it.

PPF + ceramic coating does making washing so much easier. But if you don't care about keeping it clean, I wouldn't worry about it.

I don’t think it’s worth it. I have a M3P that has quite a few chips. So I just got some touch up paint. Looks great. $80. If it was some kind of exotic car I’d do that, but to me it’s more akin to to a Camry.

I mean it’s a great car, but it’s essentially an appliance. The only thing you’re really doing is keeping it nice for the next owner. I could see partial PPF in the front end but doing the whole car for $5000+ is not a good financial decision. I laugh at all the Youtubers that buy their new model 3 and Y and then PPF it. Only to sell it the next year because the new model came out that has a minor upgrade. Then a PPF that one. And of course we’re not even talking about the depreciation of only keeping a Tesla for two years. You lost 40% of the value and you’re trading it on another new car that’s gonna do the same thing.

Went for Ultra Red and really regret not doing it. Paint chips on the front are way too visible for me to not care and the in-laws dragged their feet getting in chipping the paint on the rear door bottom sill.

Looking back, I would have put full PPF on my lease M3P in Ultra red. I just like that perfect clean car look.