A Tesla First -- My Model S Backed Into by a Previa?

[ElectricFarmBoy]

Hi Forum,

This wasn't the first I was hoping to get, but I suspect I may have an unchallenged claim to being the first Model S backed into by a Previa. My friends' actually! On their driveway.

Thankfully, the damage couldn't be more minor, some scratches on the passenger rear bumper panel behind the wheel. A bit of dustup on the paint armor that sadly didn't go quite far enough back. And a tiny chip of missing paint. Size of 2 pinheads.

I believe that the scratches will be able to be buffed out (they disappear when the panel is wet, so I think the paint is okay). Since I live in Vancouver I have several months until anyone could notice, so I will make an arrangement with my car detailer friend to get that done.

But the chip of paint missing -- how does one come up with a vial of touchup paint? For Sig Red? I called Tesla today in Toronto and they thought they might have seen a box of black touchup paint here, but no Sig Red. Is someone out there that got a white production hoarding up all the sig red and is going to do their own upgrade??? Or is there just no supply to be had?

I've read that nothing bad will happen to the exposed aluminum so I probably don't need to be in a hurry, but I'm curious if anyone out there has any info on touchup paint.

Ironically, my previous car came with some that I never ever needed to use in the 8 years I had it. Model S lasted only 5 weeks But if it needed its first scrape to happen, this is one I wanted.

Thanks.

[stephenpace]

You can order Sig Red touchup paint--it comes in tubes a bit larger than the ones you can get from Toyota / Lexus. I asked Service to order me some, but I'm not sure I will use it in the end (I have a similar small pinhole on the driver side rear fender, and am worried that the touchup will make it more noticable--it is almost invisible now after the bodyshop cleaned it up).

- - - Updated - - -

You can order Sig Red touchup paint--it comes in tubes a bit larger than the ones you can get from Toyota / Lexus. I asked Service to order me some, but I'm not sure I will use it in the end (I have a similar small pinhole on the driver side rear fender, and am worried that the touchup will make it more noticable--it is almost invisible now after the bodyshop cleaned it up).

[brianman]

@stephenpace - What price and ETA were you quoted on the Sig Red touch-up tube?

[kinddog]

what have you done, Junebug? Did you hit someone with the Previa?

[Doug_G]

I wouldn't leave the aluminum exposed if there is any salt being spread on the roads. Aluminum won't corrode in air and water, but salt eats it.

[mknox]

I wouldn't leave the aluminum exposed if there is any salt being spread on the roads. Aluminum won't corrode in air and water, but salt eats it.

Is this going to be a problem for exposed areas that get chipped by road debris? Like the frunk lid or components under the car? Years ago, I had a car with a chrome plated aluminum bumper. Salt got in somehow and the aluminum turned to white powder. The bumper ended up looking like leftovers wrapped in tin foil!

[ElectricFarmBoy]

Well, my research has come up a bit dry with respect to getting the real touchup paint (at least in Canada it seems this is no go), but I was able to get a friend to buff out the sorrow and dab a bit of redness on the marks and I'll hobble along with that until the vials of red matter become available. See the Before/After pics below.

[K Hall]

It looks great. Nice interim solution.