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No bra/film wrap regrets?

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I don't plan to wrap my car. For those who didn't wrap it, any regrets not doing it in the first place?

I did not wrap for 2 years (just had the factory bra option for front and a few other places, which I believe is no longer offered). Huge regrets. I just got it paint corrected and wrapped this winter - after 2 years without. Obviously, could not fix every tiny scratch/nick that occurred over 2 years, so really wish I had done immediately.

PS... what prompted me to finally do full wrap: I was backing out of steep driveway near summer house... paying attention to slope behind me, I scraped front driver fender on landscaping wall. Looked horrible, wish I had taken a picture. After a couple of days of researching what body shop to take it to, I decided to go out and peel the film off to see how much damage to underlying paint. turned out NONE! Immediately decided to film whole car rather than just replace the small damaged area.
 
Regret not taking the car straight from delivery to get XPEL'ed, a week after delivery we drove up to Fremont for a tour & a vacation down the coast "unprotected" & sure enough took a big rock hit that detailers & touch up paint couldn't blend in, just last week while parked in front of a friends house someone had thrown an egg that landed on the hood, it was midnight before I could rinse it off & couldn't properly wash until the next day, I am glad XPEL provided that layer of protection.
 
I don't plan to wrap my car.
1. Upfront cost:
Upfront cost to wrap: $1000 to $5000
Upfront cost no wrap: $0
2. If/when get bad scratch/chip:
Replace wrap: ? $500
Repaint panel: $500
3. Profit!

Judging from my experience with prior cars, very few rock chips. A few minor scratches which could be buffed out with rubbing compound.
For instance, I have a 15 year old Land Rover with a high profile which should attract rocks for chips. Nothing significant in 15 years which includes lots of driving on winter sanded roads as well as off road. I finally had the entire car repainted only because in some areas on the roof and hood the clear coat was wearing away. Other cars similar experience... very few chips and I can live with these... no scratches that couldn't be buffed out. (I have had a few door dings which dented panels and didn't damage paint but film won't protect against dents.)

I know everyone wants to keep their car looking like new but the minute you start driving it, it will suffer wear and tear. Body shops and paint are ubiquitous if the damage is severe. Wrap can protect against some minor damage but I just don't think it's worth it.
 
I don't plan to wrap my car.
1. Upfront cost:
Upfront cost to wrap: $1000 to $5000
Upfront cost no wrap: $0
2. If/when get bad scratch/chip:
Replace wrap: ? $500
Repaint panel: $500
3. Profit!

Judging from my experience with prior cars, very few rock chips. A few minor scratches which could be buffed out with rubbing compound.
For instance, I have a 15 year old Land Rover with a high profile which should attract rocks for chips. Nothing significant in 15 years which includes lots of driving on winter sanded roads as well as off road. I finally had the entire car repainted only because in some areas on the roof and hood the clear coat was wearing away. Other cars similar experience... very few chips and I can live with these... no scratches that couldn't be buffed out. (I have had a few door dings which dented panels and didn't damage paint but film won't protect against dents.)

I know everyone wants to keep their car looking like new but the minute you start driving it, it will suffer wear and tear. Body shops and paint are ubiquitous if the damage is severe. Wrap can protect against some minor damage but I just don't think it's worth it.

I certainly understand and appreciate this perspective. That was my feeling when I got car. 2 things you should know: 1) Because Teslas painted in CA, they are required to use VERY low VOC paint that is pretty soft and subject to scratching... even to point of getting visible swirls from any careless wiping at a hand car wash. 2) every time I've ever had panels repainted on prior cars, it has taken days to weeks, and panels never match exactly. correct that replacing film costs the same, but is done in a day (or half a day for single panel sometimes), and there is no color discrepancy. Completely depends on what you value... time vs. money vs. look.
 
I certainly understand and appreciate this perspective. That was my feeling when I got car. 2 things you should know: 1) Because Teslas painted in CA, they are required to use VERY low VOC paint that is pretty soft and subject to scratching... even to point of getting visible swirls from any careless wiping at a hand car wash. 2) every time I've ever had panels repainted on prior cars, it has taken days to weeks, and panels never match exactly. correct that replacing film costs the same, but is done in a day (or half a day for single panel sometimes), and there is no color discrepancy. Completely depends on what you value... time vs. money vs. look.
I've seen this "soft paint" claim from the "experts" here on this forum many times but I've never been able to find anything about soft paint from any other source.
As a refresh, I just did a search for different variations of "soft low voc auto paint" and came up with nothing except this forum. None of the manufacturers or professional auto paint sites mention soft paint as one of the problems of low voc auto paints. I have seen pictures on this forum of the dreaded swirls but this also happens with other paint. Besides, there is auto wax which I have always found to do a great job of putting a beautiful finish on a car.
 
I should start out by saying that my car is fully wrapped. I had a full front and bumper done same day as I picked up the car. Within a week (washed it every other day) I noticed lots of small chips in the quarter panels. So I went ahead and had the rest of the car wrapped.

Ive vey seen cars that don't have any wrap on them at at 6 months from delivery the paint is swirled pretty bad as well as chips from road debris (though on our highways we have a TON of semis and dump trucks that kick stuff out at us small cars)

I've never wrapped any of my other cars, but wanted to protect my investment. (All my previous cars were significantly cheaper) while you might think paint correction is only $500 well what if it's in multiple places which lets face it rocks don't hit he same place twice normally.

If if you're on the fence go to a service center and ask to take a look at one of their loaners and take a look at what 1000-2000 miles unprotected looks like in your area.
 
I've had the dual experience of wrapped and not-wrapped. Immediately after driving off the factory lot I went straight to a shop (a mile away from the factory) to get the front end wrapped. After the paint correction and film application, I picked up the car but less than 48 hours later a service center (and the factory) had to work on it due to a battery issue. They returned the car to me a couple days later with swirls. The front end was fine (although smudged with some fingerprints, easily washed off), but the doors and rear fenders needed to be corrected again. I was not happy.

That's when I decided to get the rest wrapped. I should've done it all from the beginning. I don't mind the slight orange-peel XPEL has, but I can't stand swirls and other paint defects which intrude into an unblemished look.
 
You guys are pushing me further and further into thinking about getting this done. I was going to wrap just the front, but sounds like the rest really needs it. I hate to spend this kind of money on a car and then watch the paint "degrade" from normal day-to-day driving. I found a detailer in NJ that has done a lot of Teslas (And other exotics.) Full wrap on this coast will run about $5k.
 
You guys are pushing me further and further into thinking about getting this done. I was going to wrap just the front, but sounds like the rest really needs it. I hate to spend this kind of money on a car and then watch the paint "degrade" from normal day-to-day driving. I found a detailer in NJ that has done a lot of Teslas (And other exotics.) Full wrap on this coast will run about $5k.

That's about what I spent. I feel better about driving in the winter snow/slush/crud having had it done.
 
If the car is driven with any traffic in front of you, it will get rock chips...and probably a lot. If rock chips bother you, get clear bra. If rock chips do not bother you, do not get it. But no one should think their Model S is impervious to rock chips. They are very prone to chips.

For some people it's a great fit and others, not so much. It's all about how much rock chips bother you.
 
I don't regret not doing it upfront.

The first year I did a great deal of paint correction and applied Gtechniq C1/EXOv2. I babied it and meticulously washed it every weekend. The first winter was unnerving with all the salt and grime and having to be stuck with rinseless washes. I corrected the paint again in the summer and applied 22PLE. Again, I meticulously washed. I don't have any scratches, dents or dings in the car, but there are two very small chips on the hood. These I can correct.

However, maintaining a daily driver in this fashion has gotten to be burdensome.

I will wrap my car this spring/summer with Xpel -- at least the front end, but I'm sure I will change my mind. I'm also going to tint the windows. I just don't have time to be super meticulous any more.
 
I pick mine up in a week or two, and plan to plasti-dip the whole car (flat black) in the first few weeks.

My Dip sprayer comes Friday


DipYourCar.com -Plasti Dip For Your Car - Glossifier Blaze Pearlizer Metalizers Pro Car Kits Peel Coat

seems to hold up well on my other car's rims (09 Tahoe). so... this should protect all the paint, while making it look 15% more bad ass :)
Wow!
Let us know how it goes with pictures... Plastidip is the ultimate bad ass coating!
 
I don't plan to wrap my car. For those who didn't wrap it, any regrets not doing it in the first place?

Short answer: Yes. I was not even aware of these full wraps when I bought my car and only had the Tesla option done where they do 1/3 of the hood, the bumpers, fronts of the mirrors and a couple of other spots. I drive my car year round including some pretty harsh winter conditions with lots of road salt/sand. Next time for sure.
 
If the car is driven with any traffic in front of you, it will get rock chips...and probably a lot. If rock chips bother you, get clear bra. If rock chips do not bother you, do not get it. But no one should think their Model S is impervious to rock chips. They are very prone to chips.

I don't believe the Model S is more chip prone than any other aerodynamic car. (I had my first aero car in the early '70s. It got rock chips too, which kind of puts the lie to "modern paints aren't as protective").
 
The paint on Model S is considered "soft" because of CA OSHA laws requiring it to be more water-based. Try taking a Mercedes S-Class or Porsche Panamera through a car wash and do the same with a Model S....the argument will pretty much end there.

Maintaining a Model S however, that's very easy. Use the right wash mitts and towels, hand wash, rinse mitt and panels after every section of being washed, and you'd be surprised how great the finish will look. Not EVERY Model S needs paint correction, but most do. When we qualify a client to see of they're a good candidate for paint correction, my first question is "how do you plan on maintaining?" If they answer by going to a car wash or having the local wash guy come out at office for $15-20 /wash...well, I tell them to not invest the money as they will be back here in a month or two with new swirls.

Doing a clear bra, say with XPEL Ultimate or Suntek, is more for peace of mind and protecting your car for YOU to enjoy. Your Model S is not an investment, it's not a collector car, and it's not considered a "Supercar". For most owners, it's their daily driver. So, if someone chooses to clear bra their Model S to protect their "investment", it's a good reason, but it shouldn't be the main reason. You're protecting your sanity. As others have mentioned, a dent or scratch in the door, not deep enough to go through the paint, say from a shopping cart at local Costco, can easily be fixed if clear bra is on the paint. You simply:

1. Remove the film
2. Remove dent
3. If there is a scratch, most of the time it's a light one as the clear bra took the brunt of the damage, you polish out scratch
4. Install new film
5. Coat film
6. Send client out same day

So in the end, what's your TIME and SANITY worth? Having clear bra lowers the risk factor of the damage that can be done to painted surfaces. It's like having auto or health insurance. You may not ever use it, but it's comforting to have when you do need it.

Also, clear bra isn't for everyone and you shouldn't FEEL like you HAVE to do it because everyone else does. We have clients that are satisfied with just a simple semi-annual service with us and they don't have clear bra, nano coating, etc. They know what they're up against, and they simply don't mind coming in a few times a year and getting a proper Phase 2 or 3 with us...and honestly, their Model S looks great. A few chips and swirls here and there, but it still looks great.
 
plastic-couch-covers-inspiration-ideas-1.jpg


This is what I think of when I think of plastic car protection.

Never had one. Never will. I'd rather enjoy the car than wrap it up to save it for the next owner. Doesn't hurt that I live in California.