Xpel - worth it?

I would not pay 10k. But people always complain i'm cheap.

Contact Evan Rowe, Auto Armour, in San Diego. You can do a search on TMC for great reviews of his work including mine

https://www.facebook.com/AutoArmour

I would just wrap the front of the car (nose, fenders, full hood) and leave it at that.

ecarfan said:

I would just wrap the front of the car (nose, fenders, full hood) and leave it at that.

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Ecarfan is right, wrapping the whole car is a waste... Id do the full rear bumper, pillars and top part of the roof too.. that should run you 2800-3000.

You should consider Suntek film on the hood (has less orange peel) and Xpel on the rest of the car.
Use some of the money you save on nice Laser jammer/radar detector setup.

Try Sticker City in Van Nuys - they quoted A LOT less than that for the Xpel (full car). Still too much for me.

Also got a quote for Opticoat from Mitch that was a cheaper - I read about him in the forum here, lots of good feedback.
https://www.facebook.com/EcoShineAuto

I think a full wrap is worth it, but it's an individual choice and a lot depends on just how much things bother you and how long you plan to keep, and how you think of the particular car. Not to mention some colors show the inevitable pint damage more than others.

The price you were quoted is on the high end, imo, but installer experience and the details of the install are everything in terms of making it perfect. Make sure you know the details of where seams are and why, and talk to another trusted installer too if you have questions. If you're positive of the installer quality, I'd not be one to say it was necessarily too high for SoCal, but I'd make sure I sanity checked vs. some known good quantities and make sure of my installer choice. I can say I got a full wrap from Evan, mentioned above, edges wrapped, though some seams are visible if you are searching for them in a few specific areas. I thought he did good work and has been great at handling anything additional after the wrap. It cost somewhat less than your quote, and was done end of last year. I don't know if material costs have changed, or it just reflects slightly different markets, experience, or busy/lean times. If I were in the Orange, LA area, I'd be sure to contact Moe Mistry, just based on what I've seen from his work and helpfulness on these forums. I'd not be surprised if he's on the higher cost side too - it seems like his work takes the extra time and attention required.

Lots of other threads about this stuff with referrals and advice, and discussion of wrap vs. coat vs. both. Worth reading if you haven't vs rehashing and only getting a subset of answers.

I agree, full wrap is the only way to go. I've already had door scrapes (on the XPEL) on the back and front quarter panels which were so severe, the XPEL was damaged, but luckily the paint wasn't. I just had to have the XPEL on the quarter panels replaced and we're as good as new, no paint damages.

So do you still wax or polish the wrap, or how do you maintain XPEL? Is it as glossy as a freshly detailed vehicle?

Have not wrapped any of my cars- never regretted. But I am not keeping them longer than 5 years.

fieldalias, $7800 for a full Xpel wrap is about right(prices vary from region to region) for a high caliber clear bra wrap. A full wrap will give the best peace of mind possible in terms of protection. I'd say better than half of our Tesla clients have us wrap the full car. Of those, a number have come back to have us inspect or replace clear bra from panels all over the car when damaged. That is damage that would have driven them crazy. Some don't have a piece replaced due to a small damaged area in the film(would have otherwise been the paint!) but knowing the paint is safe allows them to keep their love for their car. A full body clear bra wrap is not for everyone. If you're not particularly worried about scratches, dings or paint chips, a full body wrap will not have as much value to you. If you want the best protection possible, wrap it up!

Coating the paint instead of having clear bra wrapped will not be the same, or close to the same protection. Coatings are about chemical resistance, not impact protection. Some coatings are also highly regarded for their aesthetic appeal.

To learn more about clear bra, read an article I wrote, check this out: Clear Bra: Is It a Good Fit For You? | Ask a Pro Blog
For an on-tap question/answer for Tesla specific clear bra content, check here: Ask a professional car detailer, clear bra and coatings installation expert

drive it to the east cost, they'll do it for 1/3rd of the price, lol. YES IT'S WORTH IT (but not for 8k, maybe 2k-3k depending on how much you're getting wrapped). if you leave it unprotected it'll be swirls and paint chips and pits galore. (it will look really really REALLY bad over time).

Just did the full wrap with Xpel Ultimate in Sherman Oaks at a good place. Was closer to $5k. Check around, there are all different price levels. Mine was done in about 3 days. Some quoted as much as a week or more. Overall happy I did it since I have a black car and always want it clean. With the wrap I don't think twice about wiping it down with detailing wipe as much as needed. Actually only washed the car once in 2 months because of this ability.
The finish on the wrap is not exactly like a gloss paint finish. It has more orange peel and to my eye I can tell there is a wrap on it. On the plus side, that same toned down finish doesn't show any spider web and swirl effect. If I had a white or silver car I wouldn't bother with a wrap, but with dark colors it is very much worth it.
I don't understand the approach of putting opticoat or the like on top as all you are doing is putting that shiny fragile finish back on top and eliminating the self healing finish of the wrap.

Yes I would highly recommend a full wrap. I did mine last year. $3600 total. $8K is a complete rip-off.

I just did the hood, front quarterpanels, fronts of mirrors and trunk ledge at Auto Obsessionz in Oxnard. Good guys and fair price. I protect the sides by not parking in "high risk" spots, although I did that at work (a spot with no cars next to it) and a co-worker backed in to my baby! Didn't even scratch the paint but made a dent.

Asking if $8K for a full wrap is too much, is like saying is Tesla Model S worth $140K, or should I get a Chevy Volt for less than half the price? Both are cars, both are electric, and both will get you around.

Clear bra installations are so widespread and there seems to be an installer for every budget point. It all comes down to YOUR level of OCD, not someone else's.

It's no surprise, if you search out installers in SoCal, we are on the higher end. We do offer our "moderate" installations which are semi-custom for the more budget/value-minded enthusiast. But our flagship is our Advanced, or custom, installations.

The reason for our success is simple; we're not here to install a commodity. When it comes to clear bra, we are detailers/artisans doing PPF. This means, the attention to detail throughout the ENTIRE process is second to none. From the moment your Tesla arrives, from it's first bath, first paint correction, first tint job, etc., everything is done with the highest level of attention addressing things you may never even notice. To some, this is VALUE and what they've been looking for. They like the attention to detail, they like the full-service attention, and they want the assurance of one place taking care of things from start-finish, then holding their hand throughout the ownership experience should anything be needed.

Can that level of work be done for $3K-7K...who knows. IMHO, Going to a particular shop is like matching your personality with the guys running the shop. Another unique thing about how we do things at GP, we're in constant pursuit of perfection. Perfection is an illusion some of us blessed/cursed enough to chase. I personally push the envelope with every installation. Can I make that one cut even better or less noticeable? Can I wrap that edge that shouldn't be because others say it cannot be done? Can we make the film look more like the paint? These are some of the questions that I ponder daily and am never quite satisfied with everything. But guess what...in the end, that's what makes our work and passion differ from others. As much as these questions can be a real bother sometimes where it makes me want to pull my hair out, it's also the same questions that fuels our passion and pushes us to push the work we all do here at GP.

Sorry for the long rant...it's just I wanted some of you to "get" where guys like me come from. We don't do it for the money, well, a little since we all have families to care for and a future to build. We do it for the passion and a sense of self-fulfillment. When we did our first Tesla rear hatch, it took me several full pieces to get it right. The first Porsche Macan took us almost an entire roll of film and two full days to "figure" out. That's thousands of dollars of material and man hours before we got to a place we were happy with and deemed "GP Certified". It's that kind of R&D that is built into our cost structure. We make our dreams, and yours, materialize. That takes time and patience. And that costs money. But the result....well, hopefully you can see for yourself, whether you're fortunate enough to have used us, or know someone that has.

If you pan on keeping the car for years, purchased it, and find rock chips or paint scuffs and scrapes will make you lose sleep at night, you're a candidate for clear bra. I highly recommend PPF for the full front at a bare minimum. Coatings alone, won't protect you against rock chips.

Lots of great installers here in SoCal...just do some homework and find a good fit for YOU. In the end, your expectations should MATCH the installer and the shop you go to. And only YOU can make that decision.

I have/had both Xpel and 3M and SunTek (all full wraps) on my Teslas and can honestly tell you that a full wrap gives me peace of mind that any nicks or dings will not hurt the paint. Also, I can go through any car wash now without worry. I would shop around for a better price. $8k for a wrap job is way pricey. Depending on the shop that does it and the belief in how superior their service is really why it can be so much. I had a full Xpel ultimate wrap on my P85D for about $4k in Portland, OR (no sales tax) by one of the better shops. The shops in Seattle wanted $7-8k. No way, thank you very much. In terms of Xpel vs others films, IIRC Xpel is slightly thinner than the others and therefore maybe easier to to wrap around the car edges. If no lines around the edges is important to you, this may be a reason to select Xpel over the others. However, I would not say it is impossible to wrap a thicker film around edges if done by an experienced tech. I would interview a few shops in your area, ask to see some of their work before dropping several thousand dollars on film.

fieldalias said:

So this might be an opinionated question, but I just had a detail place send me a quote to xpel ultimate wrap my 90D (getting it on wed!).
They quote $7,800 for the wrap for a car w/ a pano and ~$1,100 for opticoat pro (with the polish)

Which would put me at just shy of $9k to protect the paint? Wouldn't it be easier to just have the car occasionally waxed and fix chips when they happen?

Also told me it would take 5-6 days. I'm just trying to see if the cost is justifiable. Right now i'm more incline to just get the tint done.

Lastly, I could just to the opticoat by itself?

Thanks for your help!

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Really comes down to your personal budget and standards. There are 2 companies we recommend:

1. Bhane Mendoza (he does a lot of work for the Socal community - detailers and others that use his svc, but claim its their own) - 310-613-3978
2. Extreme Autowerks (they are also one of only 3 Spectra PhotoSync Dealers in Southern California and they have done a lot of Teslas) - Extreme Autowerks

Most important, as we have preached this since we have been in business since 1997, is to look at the work in person. This will be the best way to determine if the installers' work matches your standards.

MoeMistry said:

Asking if $8K for a full wrap is too much, is like saying is Tesla Model S worth $140K, or should I get a Chevy Volt for less than half the price? Both are cars, both are electric, and both will get you around.

Clear bra installations are so widespread and there seems to be an installer for every budget point. It all comes down to YOUR level of OCD, not someone else's.

It's no surprise, if you search out installers in SoCal, we are on the higher end. We do offer our "moderate" installations which are semi-custom for the more budget/value-minded enthusiast. But our flagship is our Advanced, or custom, installations.

The reason for our success is simple; we're not here to install a commodity. When it comes to clear bra, we are detailers/artisans doing PPF. This means, the attention to detail throughout the ENTIRE process is second to none. From the moment your Tesla arrives, from it's first bath, first paint correction, first tint job, etc., everything is done with the highest level of attention addressing things you may never even notice. To some, this is VALUE and what they've been looking for. They like the attention to detail, they like the full-service attention, and they want the assurance of one place taking care of things from start-finish, then holding their hand throughout the ownership experience should anything be needed.

Can that level of work be done for $3K-7K...who knows. IMHO, Going to a particular shop is like matching your personality with the guys running the shop. Another unique thing about how we do things at GP, we're in constant pursuit of perfection. Perfection is an illusion some of us blessed/cursed enough to chase. I personally push the envelope with every installation. Can I make that one cut even better or less noticeable? Can I wrap that edge that shouldn't be because others say it cannot be done? Can we make the film look more like the paint? These are some of the questions that I ponder daily and am never quite satisfied with everything. But guess what...in the end, that's what makes our work and passion differ from others. As much as these questions can be a real bother sometimes where it makes me want to pull my hair out, it's also the same questions that fuels our passion and pushes us to push the work we all do here at GP.

Sorry for the long rant...it's just I wanted some of you to "get" where guys like me come from. We don't do it for the money, well, a little since we all have families to care for and a future to build. We do it for the passion and a sense of self-fulfillment. When we did our first Tesla rear hatch, it took me several full pieces to get it right. The first Porsche Macan took us almost an entire roll of film and two full days to "figure" out. That's thousands of dollars of material and man hours before we got to a place we were happy with and deemed "GP Certified". It's that kind of R&D that is built into our cost structure. We make our dreams, and yours, materialize. That takes time and patience. And that costs money. But the result....well, hopefully you can see for yourself, whether you're fortunate enough to have used us, or know someone that has.

Click to expand...

I know your trying to justify your price but we get the same very very high end quality and perfection from custom shops that work on all sorts of 100k-1mil cars doing full wraps (not prefabs or machine cuts) for less than half the price out here on the east, and they have families too.