It's Time to Build Your Model S

[ggr]

I am getting my car painted by Tesla, and yes, it's a premium.

Really? We were very vocal about not wanting any of the colors for our Sig, and they basically said "not at any price". Who told you, so we can talk to them...

[smoothoperator]

Interesting, roblab. So, what color are you going with then?

<conspiracy-theory>
I wonder if Tesla secretly banked on some Sig res holders grudgingly (or not) forking out another $12K for a custom paint job?! Otherwise, if they have other paints available for such custom jobs and which they know will work with aluminium, is it so hard to program the robots themselves to do the job?!
</conspiracy-theory>

Problem is perfecting the colors, Tesla already has their plate full trying to keep the quality up on the Model S. They probably want to have a small sample size of paint colors to ensure that the paint quality is up to par. Expanding the early Model S' out to the whole palette, would create a complexity that probably is not necessary at this point in the Model S life cycle.

[ElSupreme]

<conspiracy-theory>
I wonder if Tesla secretly banked on some Sig res holders grudgingly (or not) forking out another $12K for a custom paint job?! Otherwise, if they have other paints available for such custom jobs and which they know will work with aluminium, is it so hard to program the robots themselves to do the job?!
</conspiracy-theory>

The first thing that came to my mind is change-over time. I can't imagine it is easy or cheap to change a color in their paint booths. The other factor is maybe the paint type doesn't go into their paint robots easily. And would require a new sprayer costing even more, and causing even more change-over time.

Hopefully my Vegas weekend pans out and I can spring for a Very Orange S when the time arrives!

[strider]

Really? We were very vocal about not wanting any of the colors for our Sig, and they basically said "not at any price". Who told you, so we can talk to them...

One of the reps at the Santana Row store. They told me that the guy who's getting Sig #1 (an investor whose name escapes me, who brought in their $40k deposit to Menlo in cash) is getting a custom color. Rep said that they'd do any color for $12k. Not sure if it's Sig only or they'll do it for anyone. To ES's question, maybe the pace will be slow enough during Sig production that they can switch without much disruption? Maybe the paint booth guys are getting cocky?

[AnOutsider]

I am getting my car painted by Tesla, and yes, it's a premium.

The difference as I see it is that when a repaint shop does the work they have to destroy glass, High center stop light, chrome, take a huge amount of time taking apart doors (that recessed back piece must come out), and they can never get in all the nooks and crannies or under glass that is not removed, not counting that it is a lot of work and some paints are a thousand or more. With factory job, they pull your body off the line, paint it just as if it was done by robots (well...), and put it back on the line for complete factory assembly, no destruction or waste.

Joost tells me they are not ready to get into this yet in any big way, not for a few months, but there are a very few who are being the early paint adopters: I know of only 3. I was not able to get brown on a Sig, and would rather have a special color that I can see every day than a high performance version that I can't see except on a track or, well somewhere, I suppose. I have enough trouble with excess tickets as it is.

I was working with Geo Arth and Sons in Oakland. With all the extra labor and Tesla pricing on parts, it was not going to be "$5000" by a long shot.

Are you going with Brown then?

[Todd Burch]

They told me that the guy who's getting Sig #1 (an investor whose name escapes me

Sounds like Steve Jurvetson.

[Laurent]

Well, it sounds like the cat is out of the bag. I am getting a custom color too and it is indeed a $12k option, due upfront.

[dsm363]

Hmm. It's something they didn't even offer me but I didn't ask. I wouldn't have gone for it anyway but maybe they were trying to keep the numbers down.

[strider]

Sounds like Steve Jurvetson.

Yes, that's who it is.

[engle]

E-mail for #182 received at 9:18 am; quote & agreement signed, sealed & delivered by 12:21pm today!
Vehicle to Be Delivered On or About "September 2012".
Sig Performance+Black Ext.+Black Int+Carbon Fiber+21" Carbon Grey wheels+Pano roof=one badass machine!!

Congrats -- Definitely will look badass!! I have a black ext/int car right now that is too hot for even NorCal when parked outdoors for awhile. You can see the hot-as-h*ll heat distorting light that passes through it on the hood rising. That's why I'm going for (non-sig) Pearl White Perf. plus the rest of your config. Also, helps to get my wife's buy-in, who loves *everything* in white: cars, kitchen cabinetry (yuck), etc. etc. Stuck with the black car until 12/2012 because Benz didn't have one with our config. in Western US and we couldn't wait to order it. Love fact that *all* S' are build-to-order for the early adopters.