It’s a great lesson to learn in life. 6 years ago at 24 I bought a brand new F150 and worried about every little detail and now I just accept dings and chips on my car and it’s much less stressful. It’s a tool and we can learn to appreciate the imperfections.
I'm of your philosophy, it's a tool. As long as it runs I'm good. Eventually there will always be dings and if one comes to realize this they will be more happier and less stressed I know I have always been.
That was also always my view on my phones. Even with a case they'll have scratches here or there, especially around the charging port, etc. But I just think "meh this is just the sign it's being used properly - I'll get the 'wow its new'-feel again in some years on the next one.
Yep, I agree. Plus when you get your Vehicle - and especially if its new - I probably will try hard not to Park it near anyone. I'd rather walk the extra mile, lol. So to Speak.
Totally agree. I am a bit of a clean freak and have waxed it twice in 18 months (Turtle Ceramic Graphene paste). Also do the touch up every couple of months. After 28,000km it still looks like new.
I just bought a Model 3 and the first thing I'm doing is adding some speakers and tinting the windows. Drive quality is more important than looks so that's where I'm putting my money first. I think most first-time Tesla owners are so excitied to own a Tesla that they want a wrap to preserve the new look forever, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but I also don't think wraps are worth the money. Most likely you're not going to notice small chips in your unprotected paint, and any rock big enough to cause a chip that you do notice likely wouldn't be stopped by a wrap anyway.
Completely agree with your video. Just to give contents, my last Tesla, add all the bells and whistles with PPF and ceramic coating. After six months, I noticed peeling and tearing on the front bumper. Within that six months, the ceramic coating also wore out I needed another refinishing. I went to a reputable highly reviewed installer in LA County and had this experience. When I traded in my Tesla for a model Y, I decided not to go that route and grateful for saving thousands of dollars. Once your PPF tears, there’s nothing you can do about it and it will tear and cost you money. And have it replaced and removed. If you’re not picky It’s a simple touch up paint fix once every few months. I am not to say PPF is completely not worth it however where it’s needed like side doors your trunks or areas that are known to be prone to get hit. I’m driving and use. And you can install you self and cost you under 50 bucks However, overall, enjoy your car like a good pair of sneakers. They’ll get scuffed, but can take care of them along the way.
I agree with you on PPF. Car is bound to get scratches and other imperfections. Best not to worry too much about it. Think I’m much happier shrugging it off rather than trying to keep it perfect
Like you I didn’t PPF my Tesla Model Y. After 21 Months and 67k miles I do have a rock chips. Now I did my own Ceramic coat. That makes it much easier to clean when I do wash it. Because I do Rideshare on weekends I do a regular visit to a car wash. Even though I use a car wash on regular bases (about 2x a week) other than the few rock chips up front it still looks great. Maybe the Ceramic coat helped with car wash, but I don’t have swirly marks in paint like everyone says you will give if you take it to a car wash.
You can get several stone chips professionally repaired for around E200-£300 so they will be virtually invisible. A lot cheaper than PPF, just do that when you come to sell your vehicle. Just live with a couple of stone chips while you have the car, which probably only you will notice. Paintwork is all so shinier without PPF.
I installed PPF on my MY three weeks ago, which cost $100 in materials for all four doors. DIY saves a ton of money and is definitely worth it. Rock chips can lead to significant rust issues over time, so it's not just about aesthetics-it's also about protecting your car from potential long-term damage.
Not only does PPF cost a chunk of change, but from what I have been reading, you will likely have to redo it every five years. I figure, save the money and if it gets really rough looking, I will get it wrapped to change the look at cover the chips. My hope is to get 10 years out of my 2023 Model 3 RWD. It will not likely be a hot collectible car or worth tens of thousands when I sell it.
I will have my MY in november. It’s a leasing so I’m not so worried about paint chips. Still it would be nice if the leasing company would perform this on my car.
@@TailosiveEV That explains, then I should add, keep right :-) I noticed in many videos from the US that people ted to use left lanes, even being overtaken on the right by faster cars. In Europe it’s forbidden to overtake another vehicle on the right side. So if people are driving slow in the left lane. You flash your headlights or honk at them to move to the right. Anyway love your content, keep up the great work.
I totally agree on all points. If someone wants to go over their car with a microscope, that's ok if it makes them happy but my car looks great even with bug guts on the front. also, insurance rarely pays for wraps or PPF, so your protection actually costs you more after a fender bender. and black paint shows the dirt way more than white. If you want to hide the dirt, get UPS brown. They specifically chose a color that hides the dirt and copyrighted it!
That's why I did a matte ppf, to make it look nicer, not so much to protect the paint. My ppf got damaged early on and it's expensive to keep pristine. Should have saved the money, but it looks really nice. Lol
your “buy and use a car til the wheels fall off” mentality makes your decision to not protect it even more perplexing to me. interesting contradiction.
I’m pretty sure Safelite would fix that rock chip for free. If it’s smaller than a dime or a quarter then I believe it’s free. May be worth looking into!
My black Model 3 doesn’t show bug guts like a white Model 3. It blends in with the black paint. Only thing I’d recommend folks to do to their car is a ceramic coating. This makes wiping off bug guts way easier and keeps your headlights from yellowing.
I have Ceramic Pro and no ppf on my blue Model X. Love it because it’s so easy to keep the car clean with a waterless wash. So, so, so easy and looks great.
I don't even wash my car often. It's just a car. I need it for Transportation. I have a 2013 Model S. I'll drive it until it falls apart and then I repair it.
I think the white paint has a better layer of lacquer and the scratches are not very visible on it. On the gray paint, all the small dents are visible as white dots and it is more noticeable. I have a 20um layer of lacquer. I'm currently considering PPF.
I have done partial PPF on my last two Y's. Detailer called it the "Track Pack", a full front bumper, lights, hood, fenders A-Pillars, door edges, and rear bumper just below the hatch, which came to about $2K which included tinting the front door glass. Now that we are getting ready to buy a new LR S later this fall I'm seriously considering getting some PPF but not as much as the Track Pack. When I traded in my 2020 on my 2022 I got NOTHING for the PPF. So I will limit my PPF to the full front bumper, the hood and the door edges for about $1200 today.
No PPF either on any of my cars. When I bought my MS in 2018, no PPF. Just traded it in for a 2024 MX and no PPF. It's not a show car. I drive it daily and on roadtrips. Cars depreciate as soon as they're driven off the lot.
I purchased my Model Y long range on December 31, 2023. No PPF. I keep the car garaged and hand wash it. I have the same expectations as you about maintain the appearnance of the car. Love the car and its looks. No desire to PPF the car.
It doesn’t last more than a few years and doesn’t guarantee you won’t get chips still. Are you gonna be upset your sweetheart has imperfections when she gets older?
Being able to just accept imperfections in material objects is a huge blessing. Oh I still turn around look at my Teslas and think how awesome it is. Even after multiple years of ownership. It's a weird feeling.
I believe most people who into ppf like me, are just getting color ppf for style, not for the protection. Protection is the second thing we consider. In comparsion, vinyl wrap is just easier to tear, and it is not that cheap either.
My red Model3 came with some paint defects outta factory, been running it with raw paint for 2years+ now, looks decent to me still IMO, if I care about the paint, which I don't, I'd probably get a fresh coat of red much later in the car ownership when more damages accumulated after years of being on the road PPF and wrap while are low maintenance, you'd probably need to get them touch up much earlier than expected, time / money man, better invest them elsewhere
Why my next vehicle will either be silver paint or a cybertruck. Cant stop the chips, but silver seems to hide them better. My Red X shows the solver chips bad
In Florida insurance is required by law to repair or replace a windshield without charge or penalty to the insured up to once per year. Is it not the same in CA?
Not machine washing a car is not washing it at all. A rag is just gonna scratch the paint with dirt. You gotta rinse it first (with a power washer) when you can add soap (power washer or sponge) and then you rinse again. Otherwise you just scratch it, and smear the dirt around.
I completely agree on the PPF issue. I didn’t get it on my MX. I’ve gone almost 50k miles in one year. Yes paint chips, but whatevs. I dont think it’s worth a couple grand for a protection film. If something happens and an accident results, the PPF isn't going to do anything. I’ll just get it repainted at some point if it gets “ugly” lmao.
I have the 2024 Model 3 Performance on Order and I think more about how to Wash it and keep it clean. My OCD is getting the best of me. I like hearing the comments and on your Video about - yeah we're not gonna microscopic every little Dent and Chip. Standing Back like a Normal Person would, the Car looks good. Gotta spend more time appreciating the Amenities of the Vehicle and less time on every little chip, mark or ding or scratch it may get. Good Video - Thanks again.
I’m on the same page here. So many people are clamoring for the PPF, but is it really worth the $2kish we spend? I have the M3P on order too and have been considering for sure. This video helped relax me a bit
Definitely worth getting PPF in my opinion. Cost to repaint cost way more. Now you can get away with it on some colors but other colors show up chips a lot more. I dont have ppf on my white Audi, but I have it on my black tesla. And Tesla has thinner paint from what ive seen. And some folks just dont care as they see it as a tool only which is fine. Some get cars as a toy.
Don’t ever pay full cash for a new vehicle. One key to wealth is leveraging debt to make more money- real estate for example. Cars are a horrible investment.
That depends very much on the finance deal on the car vs whatever else that money could be doing or might be needed for over whatever term you're paying the loan off for. I've done it both ways, being in a position to do that tends to make dealers put a better offer on the table.
