FULL FRONT-END PPF
We recently received a brand new Black Tesla Model Y into the shop in La Habra CA for a full front end Paint Protection Film (PPF). The customer has been reading that Tesla’s paint is sub-par and wanted to protect his new electric vehicle.
Black-painted cars are hard to keep new. After a few washes, customers generally notice a lot of swirl marks on the paint. The customer also uses his Tesla daily and the Southern California freeways are notorious for damaging paint. PPF is a great way to protect his paint and also has self-healing properties that can keep his Tesla looking new.
The customer was based in the Inland Empire and decided to go with Zero2Sixty AutoLab because of our extensive experience working with Teslas. We are your PPF specialist when it comes to Teslas. We are conveniently located off the 57 freeway in Orange County.
The customer from the Inland Empire went with our Full Front PPF package. This will protect his fenders, hood, front bumper, headlights, and windshield. He felt that this PPF option was the best for him and his budget.
We used a mix of precut and bulk methods while applying the PPF to his Model Y. We believe that this is the best solution for Teslas.
All our precuts are manually adjusted to fit our needs. We extended the PPF where needed for maximum coverage. The fenders, hood, and front bumpers are all extended for maximum coverage.
We know that some shops do a 1-piece bumper but we feel that a 2-piece bumper is a lot more advantageous. The bottom of the bumper is a high-impact area that will take a lot of abuse from the road. Being that it is a 2-piece, this part can easily be removed and replaced if need be and is cost effective for the customer. If the bumper was done in a 1-piece, the entire front bumper would have needed to be replaced if the bottom part of the bumper was damaged.
With the Tesla in the shop, we first start to decontaminate the paint. This involves a two-step wash, clay bar, removing ferrous metals and any residue on the paint.
Ferrous metals are contaminants that stick to the paint from the environment. Some of these include brake dust, road debris and other materials made of iron.
We paid extra attention of all the edges as these areas are important for PPF. We also removed the Tesla badge and will re-apply it after the PPF has been installed.
Once the car was fully prepared for PPF, we started to lay the PPF. This process generally takes a day to complete. All best PPF practice was followed for minimal contamination and longevity of the film. All our work is covered by a five-year warranty.
In addition to installing the PPF on the Tesla Model Y, we also applied a ceramic coat topper which creates an additional layer for ease of cleaning and maintenance.
Unlike most shops, we encourage a second visit a week or two after the PPF has been installed so we can do any additional corrections if needed. This generally takes around 30 minutes which includes a car wash.
This was the customer’s first time getting PPF so here are some tips to help the customer and the readers of this:
#1: PPF CURING TIME
Just like tint, PPF takes time to cure. You will initially notice water spots (bubbles) and some haziness. This will dissipate over time. We generally let it sit for two weeks before we do another inspection. This is dependent on the weather. In warmer climates, the curing time is reduced.
#2: WASHING & MAINTANCE OF PPF
We will recommend you do not wash your car the first week. After that, we recommend you hand washing the car. Try to avoid going to “automatic” car washes as it can damage the PPF. If you are using a pressure washer, hold the nozzle at least 3 feet away from the PPF.
Keep in mind that PPF is just like paint. If you do not maintain the car, environmental contaminants can damage the top layer of the PPF. So if you do notice animal droppings or debris, try to remove it as soon as possible.
