Probably like you, I had to pay for everything when I was kid except for housing, food and clothes but only those my mother deemed "appropriate".
All my parents gave me for HS graduation was a six pack (illegally I might add) and a ride to college in the fall.
For getting his license we gave our son my wife's old Corsica, but it came with him paying for the insurance increase, fuel and service and learning how to do maintenance or paying for service.
I can say it helped him understand the meaning of financial responsibility something many of his classmates have learned the hard way after having everything handed to them.
Living where he has the use of public transportation, he knows it's far cheaper to rent a vehicle when the need so arises than the expense to purchase/lease and maintain one.

 

Thank you!

 

I've always gotten Xpel done on my cars and have had great luck and protection. Not sure how it compares to 3M, but both are quality products. I've done my own ceramic coatings and there are plenty of high quality ones out there. I have used CarPro's CQuartz UK, Fictech and Kamikaze Miyabi. All are well regarded and fair

 

Dang, those are the exact coatings I have used. Any car I own/lease gets the full detail when new - foam wash, Iron-X, clay, polish, wipe down, and coating. Xpel on bought cars, not on leased cars. Maintained with either a 2 bucket wash, waterless wash or rinseless wash. Shine/depth and beads water quite well. Not for everybody, but works for me.

 

Thanks! I was seriously thinking about the PFF thing, but it can run into the thousands, and good detailing once a year works much better for me!

 

The issue is, detailing doesn't prevent the chips and other damage on the front of the car. PPF is a wonder for this.

 

Oh, dear. I am a bit unsure about having the dealer put this on. Does it make any difference if the car is 18 mos old? Very low mileage. And would you go to an outside detailer? I had some kind of coating on my Hyundai put on my car and the color and lack of scratches stayed true for 13 years.

 

The age or use does not matter as long as the installer has some training like 3 m offers?

As for any liquid not film protect there has NEVER been anything offered that can protect from scratches and paint fade can only be compared to area's not exposed to the environment like the door jams and under the hood if they were clear coated at the auto manufacture which not all are. as you claimed?
However if there was a clear coat added correctly which is very expensive on a factory painted vehicle after the fact. and still will not last 13 years of normal daily driving. Maybe if the vehicle was a garage queen

I know Concord very well I lived in Vallejo (12 years) and many would crise downtown on Friday and Saturday nights. When cruisen there was KOOL. lol
back in the day. LOL

 

Hmm...I just remember when I bought the car the dealer wanted to put on some kind of paint protection, and it cost $500 ( a fortune back then ). But I swear that car's paint looked almost new when I sold it - and it did have to spend some time on the driveway, not in the garage. Which is why I'm trying to see if it makes sense now.

 

That was when the "NEW" liquid" protectant was being pushed on the internet and paid advertising. So many bought into it as a wonder liquid and dealers and many detail shop took advantage of that. I am a #m installer back in the late 1990's and early 20's and we tested a few of the top line liquid protectants. let me just say with the top brand cost of 150 bucks for a 3 oz bottle it was a joke to all whom bought into that well placed and thought of ad campaign. LOL

As for you car I am will to suggest that although it may be in great paint condition if you go to a better-quality paint and body shop when they see the age and milage ( and I did not even ask if your car has a dark or a multiple color mix lol ) the first thing they are going to tell you it will be a close match to the original color but not perfect. !3 years is a long time for paint not to have some normal age fade, scratching and such when it is a daily driver.