DIY Model S Chrome Delete?

[Fragger]

Hi Guys,

Got a 2016.5 Model S that I'd like a chrome delete on. The cheapest quote I've gotten on this in TX is $1100+!

Call me cheap or insert any other derogatory adjective here if you like, but I wonder, have you guys used any of these pre-cut kits like Tesbros?:

Complete Chrome Delete Kit for Model S

Transform your Tesla Model S with our Chrome Delete Kit, tailored for 2013-2020 models. Easy DIY application, durable 3M vinyl for a sleek look. Includes full coverage for trims, handles, logos, and more. Made in the USA for assured quality.

tesbros.com

If so, I have a couple of questions:

1. If you did it, is the final outcome so horrible that you regret it and be willing to pay $1000 to get it done professionally?
2. If you did it, did you have any experience with work like this? If yes or no, how would you describe it? Steep learning curve? I would describe myself as very patient and if I do one trim piece a day, I don't care, as long as I do it right .
3. Did you do it in a clean, absolutely dust free garage? If not, how bad was it? I intend to do a wash and then an alcohol swipe on each piece before installing.
4. Anything else you'd advise?
5. What kit did you use, link?
6. Can you share any pictures?

Appreciate your inputs!

 

[Ostrichsak]

I've done about half-a-dozen Model S's using kits from Nikola Pros who have since shut down, sadly. I'd say to watch whatever resources are available (the Nikola Pros YouTube videos worked great for me) take your time and make sure you're not pulling it too much if it's warm or it can distort the pieces making things more challenging.

I typically would run the car through the car wash and then, using isopropyl alcohol, I would wipe each piece of trim with a paper towel before applying. I didn't take any extra efforts to clean my garage than normal and I think if you're cleaning each piece of trim before applying the vinyl you'll be good. Just don't rush things and don't expect perfection and keep in mind that it's ultimately only a couple hundred bucks and your time. View your final results through that prism and you should be happy.

A couple hundred bucks and a few days working here and there as you get time is much better than a thousand bucks. To be fair, that professional job will be better w/o seems and solid panels but that's a pretty healthy premium to pay for it too. Most vinyl installers don't like doing it so they quote it high because if they're going to end up doing it, they might as well make better profit margins.

 

[krsgio]

1. I helped a friend install her tesbro kit. I'd never pay $1k and easily think this kit should meet 90% of even the most OCD peoples needs. Did my moms Model 3 with another precut kit as well. Think hers was nikola pros.
2. I've wrapped cars and installed my own chrome delete with a vinyl roll vs precut. It's not hard, just time consuming. Just finding the desired pieces and matching to which panel it should cover kinda takes some time. Mirrors and applique are the most difficult. Kit comes essentially for 2 cars so if you mess up you have extras. But vinyl is very forgivable as long as you dont get it dirty and have a heat gun.
3. Installed in my garage. Def wash and clean the panels as best as you can. Clean each one prior to install and make sure you get all the contact edges.
Only thing I didn't love was how not generous they are with some of the material cuts or just all the extra seams. Even being experienced with vinyl I found getting full coverage of some the chrome edges rather difficult but just depends how OCD/anal you are if some chrome might peak thru at certain angles or not. Some examples are the rear window trim pieces. It will easily take you 6+ hrs I'd guess for your first time. I'd recommend getting a heat gun if the kit doesn't include it get harbor freight special.

For me I like having single non seamed piece over the windows and ensuring I had full coverage of chrome by cutting my own pieces but def longer process and more involved for the DIY'er and the precut stuff works for most people and prob cheaper too.

pic from recently after I redid my ceramic coating. as you can tell since I originally did the chrome delete the front end chrome pieces has rock chips with some chrome showing and such and could prob use a refresh.

 

[Fragger]

I've done about half-a-dozen Model S's using kits from Nikola Pros who have since shut down, sadly. I'd say to watch whatever resources are available (the Nikola Pros YouTube videos worked great for me) take your time and make sure you're not pulling it too much if it's warm or it can distort the pieces making things more challenging.

I typically would run the car through the car wash and then, using isopropyl alcohol, I would wipe each piece of trim with a paper towel before applying. I didn't take any extra efforts to clean my garage than normal and I think if you're cleaning each piece of trim before applying the vinyl you'll be good. Just don't rush things and don't expect perfection and keep in mind that it's ultimately only a couple hundred bucks and your time. View your final results through that prism and you should be happy.

A couple hundred bucks and a few days working here and there as you get time is much better than a thousand bucks. To be fair, that professional job will be better w/o seems and solid panels but that's a pretty healthy premium to pay for it too. Most vinyl installers don't like doing it so they quote it high because if they're going to end up doing it, they might as well make better profit margins.

1. I helped a friend install her tesbro kit. I'd never pay $1k and easily think this kit should meet 90% of even the most OCD peoples needs. Did my moms Model 3 with another precut kit as well. Think hers was nikola pros.
2. I've wrapped cars and installed my own chrome delete with a vinyl roll vs precut. It's not hard, just time consuming. Just finding the desired pieces and matching to which panel it should cover kinda takes some time. Mirrors and applique are the most difficult. Kit comes essentially for 2 cars so if you mess up you have extras. But vinyl is very forgivable as long as you dont get it dirty and have a heat gun.
3. Installed in my garage. Def wash and clean the panels as best as you can. Clean each one prior to install and make sure you get all the contact edges.
Only thing I didn't love was how not generous they are with some of the material cuts or just all the extra seams. Even being experienced with vinyl I found getting full coverage of some the chrome edges rather difficult but just depends how OCD/anal you are if some chrome might peak thru at certain angles or not. Some examples are the rear window trim pieces. It will easily take you 6+ hrs I'd guess for your first time. I'd recommend getting a heat gun if the kit doesn't include it get harbor freight special.

For me I like having single non seamed piece over the windows and ensuring I had full coverage of chrome by cutting my own pieces but def longer process and more involved for the DIY'er and the precut stuff works for most people and prob cheaper too.

pic from recently after I redid my ceramic coating. as you can tell since I originally did the chrome delete the front end chrome pieces has rock chips with some chrome showing and such and could prob use a refresh.

Thank you, to the both of you, very sound and helpful advice! My only hesitation is that Nikola has gone out of business (it seems?) which I think, the both of you used and have heard great things about.

I was hoping more people would chime in on which kit they used. Tesbros seems like a reasonable option.

I assume everyone uses the "satin black" option to be closest to factory, correct?

Thanks!

 

[Thunderbird 2]

I used the Tesbros chrome delete kit on my 2015 MS and I highly recommend it. Their YouTube channel has short videos on how to install each piece. I like that they give you a spare of each piece in case you mess up (like I did with two of the pieces). It took longer than I thought to do, but maybe it was the first time I ever did anything like this. One tip: be careful about applying the pieces in hot weather as the vinyl easily stretches. I also deleted the rear “Model S” and “70D” badges to replicate the new MS look.

 

[Fragger]

I used the Tesbros chrome delete kit on my 2015 MS and I highly recommend it. Their YouTube channel has short videos on how to install each piece. I like that they give you a spare of each piece in case you mess up (like I did with two of the pieces). It took longer than I thought to do, but maybe it was the first time I ever did anything like this. One tip: be careful about applying the pieces in hot weather as the vinyl easily stretches. I also deleted the rear “Model S” and “70D” badges to replicate the new MS look.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I see that you had the nosecone version, which might be easier?

Can you speak to any downsides of the kit? I'll probably debadge too... any tips ?

Thanks for posting!

 

[dustinfl]

I've had the Tesbros kit for almost three years. It's holding up nicely.

• I gave myself an entire weekend, and I recommend anyone else do the same. Your patience will be rewarded.
• You get two of everything, in case you mess up.
• I wouldn't call it a steep learning curve, you just have to get the hang of it.
• I suggest starting with the bottom window trim pieces. They're simple and each door has one, so its a good place to learn.
• If you misalign something and peel it off to try again, it can stretch the wrap, so definitely take your time and try to avoid doing that.
• For the top door/window trim, I used two or three pieces of masking tape to "stage" the wrap over the trim to make it easier to align, as well as keep the wrap from folding onto itself. (If I still have my second trim, I'll post a pic tomorrow to show what I mean).
• You'll be fine in a garage. It doesn't have to be dust free, or even closed. Just make sure your surfaces are clean, and no one's doing yard work or something nearby lol.
• The applique (for me) didn't cover the inner area around the reverse lights, so I cut some discarded vinyl to cover it.
• The logo on the front is easy to remove, so I suggest removing it so that it's easier to do the front upper grille. It's one of the places I messed up.
• I touch up damage / wear with a black paint pen.

I've only wrapped my phones and laptops with dBrand skins in the past, so I wasn't intimidated but I knew I had to give myself plenty of time.

 

[dustinfl]

• For the top door/window trim, I used two or three pieces of masking tape to "stage" the wrap over the trim to make it easier to align, as well as keep the wrap from folding onto itself. (If I still have my second trim, I'll post a pic tomorrow to show what I mean).

My bad, I meant to say second wrap - not trim. Anyway, here's what I was talking about

 

[Yelobird]

I've had the Tesbros kit for almost three years. It's holding up nicely.

• I gave myself an entire weekend, and I recommend anyone else do the same. Your patience will be rewarded.
• You get two of everything, in case you mess up.
• I wouldn't call it a steep learning curve, you just have to get the hang of it.
• I suggest starting with the bottom window trim pieces. They're simple and each door has one, so its a good place to learn.
• If you misalign something and peel it off to try again, it can stretch the wrap, so definitely take your time and try to avoid doing that.
• For the top door/window trim, I used two or three pieces of masking tape to "stage" the wrap over the trim to make it easier to align, as well as keep the wrap from folding onto itself. (If I still have my second trim, I'll post a pic tomorrow to show what I mean).
• You'll be fine in a garage. It doesn't have to be dust free, or even closed. Just make sure your surfaces are clean, and no one's doing yard work or something nearby lol.
• The applique (for me) didn't cover the inner area around the reverse lights, so I cut some discarded vinyl to cover it.
• The logo on the front is easy to remove, so I suggest removing it so that it's easier to do the front upper grille. It's one of the places I messed up.
• I touch up damage / wear with a black paint pen.

I've only wrapped my phones and laptops with dBrand skins in the past, so I wasn't intimidated but I knew I had to give myself plenty of time.

Great write up thank you. Have you or anyone tried using a wet approach like water/soap or windex to allow more positioning time similar to PPF installation? Always worked for Moto decals so seems doable in this application.

 

[dustinfl]

Great write up thank you. Have you or anyone tried using a wet approach like water/soap or windex to allow more positioning time similar to PPF installation? Always worked for Moto decals so seems doable in this application.

I didn't try that, but I also didn't have much trouble with positioning or lining things up. The edges mostly get tucked in.

That piece in the pic was just clumsy to work with, and the paper was coming off easier than I expected. I taped it so I could focus on following the directions, and avoid frustration or any mishaps with the paper accidentally coming off.

Honestly, the video instructions are excellent, and I couldn't have done it without them. But I never once felt like I was in over my head, or like I needed a better solution. The main thing for me was just giving myself enough time to, well... take my time.

 

[Fragger]

I've had the Tesbros kit for almost three years. It's holding up nicely.

• I gave myself an entire weekend, and I recommend anyone else do the same. Your patience will be rewarded.
• You get two of everything, in case you mess up.
• I wouldn't call it a steep learning curve, you just have to get the hang of it.
• I suggest starting with the bottom window trim pieces. They're simple and each door has one, so its a good place to learn.
• If you misalign something and peel it off to try again, it can stretch the wrap, so definitely take your time and try to avoid doing that.
• For the top door/window trim, I used two or three pieces of masking tape to "stage" the wrap over the trim to make it easier to align, as well as keep the wrap from folding onto itself. (If I still have my second trim, I'll post a pic tomorrow to show what I mean).
• You'll be fine in a garage. It doesn't have to be dust free, or even closed. Just make sure your surfaces are clean, and no one's doing yard work or something nearby lol.
• The applique (for me) didn't cover the inner area around the reverse lights, so I cut some discarded vinyl to cover it.
• The logo on the front is easy to remove, so I suggest removing it so that it's easier to do the front upper grille. It's one of the places I messed up.
• I touch up damage / wear with a black paint pen.

I've only wrapped my phones and laptops with dBrand skins in the past, so I wasn't intimidated but I knew I had to give myself plenty of time.

You're an asset to this thread and topic. Thank you so much for your detailed tips, notes and then sharing them as well! We all appreciate you!

 

[spata]

1. I helped a friend install her tesbro kit. I'd never pay $1k and easily think this kit should meet 90% of even the most OCD peoples needs. Did my moms Model 3 with another precut kit as well. Think hers was nikola pros.
2. I've wrapped cars and installed my own chrome delete with a vinyl roll vs precut. It's not hard, just time consuming. Just finding the desired pieces and matching to which panel it should cover kinda takes some time. Mirrors and applique are the most difficult. Kit comes essentially for 2 cars so if you mess up you have extras. But vinyl is very forgivable as long as you dont get it dirty and have a heat gun.
3. Installed in my garage. Def wash and clean the panels as best as you can. Clean each one prior to install and make sure you get all the contact edges.
Only thing I didn't love was how not generous they are with some of the material cuts or just all the extra seams. Even being experienced with vinyl I found getting full coverage of some the chrome edges rather difficult but just depends how OCD/anal you are if some chrome might peak thru at certain angles or not. Some examples are the rear window trim pieces. It will easily take you 6+ hrs I'd guess for your first time. I'd recommend getting a heat gun if the kit doesn't include it get harbor freight special.

For me I like having single non seamed piece over the windows and ensuring I had full coverage of chrome by cutting my own pieces but def longer process and more involved for the DIY'er and the precut stuff works for most people and prob cheaper too.

pic from recently after I redid my ceramic coating. as you can tell since I originally did the chrome delete the front end chrome pieces has rock chips with some chrome showing and such and could prob use a refresh.

What wheels are these?

 

[BrianS85]

I just did mine this weekend with the tesbros kit. It took about 5 hours over the course of two days and I have zero experience with vinyl. I’m pretty happy with the result considering the cost but I’m also not a perfectionist. You don’t need a dust free garage. I didn’t even wash my car, I just cleaned the chrome parts really well. I recommend cleaning all the chrome with rubbing alcohol just before applying the vinyl. I watched all the videos on the site and referenced them a bunch of times during the install.

I also had the same issue with the rear appliqué where the inside of the reverse lights is still chrome. I’m going to try to remedy this tomorrow.

 

[IchDochNicht]

I also used the Tesbros kit. It's pretty good overall, and a great starting point. Their customer service is second to none. However, there are a few things to consider:

1. The mirror base and lower mirror cap are complex shapes that require multiple pieces of vinyl. This makes for lots of seams and possible misalignments. In my case, the lower mirror housing didn't look good, so I bought some fresh vinyl and redid them in one piece (which is tricky). Ideally, bot the mirror base and lower mirror cap should be removed and done with larger sheets of vinyl. However, that requires more advanced skills.

2. The pieces for the rocker panel trim only cover the outward facing area. Once you open the door, you see the chrome again. I am in the process of redoing these with 2" wide vinyl I bought on eBay.

3. I didn't do the moustache and rear applique. Instead, I had those pieces painted in body color (and the TESLA letters in black).

 

[BrianS85]

I also used the Tesbros kit. It's pretty good overall, and a great starting point. Their customer service is second to none. However, there are a few things to consider:

1. The mirror base and lower mirror cap are complex shapes that require multiple pieces of vinyl. This makes for lots of seams and possible misalignments. In my case, the lower mirror housing didn't look good, so I bought some fresh vinyl and redid them in one piece (which is tricky). Ideally, bot the mirror base and lower mirror cap should be removed and done with larger sheets of vinyl. However, that requires more advanced skills.

2. The pieces for the rocker panel trim only cover the outward facing area. Once you open the door, you see the chrome again. I am in the process of redoing these with 2" wide vinyl I bought on eBay.

3. I didn't do the moustache and rear applique. Instead, I had those pieces painted in body color (and the TESLA letters in black).

Did you have a body shop paint those pieces or was that DIY? I’m interested in painting the door handles to match the body.

 

[krsgio]

What wheels are these?

BC Forged RZ21

 

[spata]

BC Forged RZ21