Vinyl Door Handle Trims for Deep Metallic Blue

[Siromnom]

I'm considering "wrapping" the door handles of my blue Model 3 (white interior for completeness sake) so the chrome does melt our hands in the Texas heat/sun. At present I'm not planning on doing a car-wide chrome delete. I guess I haven't caught the chrome-phobia bug yet.

Was hoping other Deep Metallic Blue owners who have done the same could give some advice about color selection. It seems the blue options from popular places like Abstract Ocean do not perfectly match. It looks good from afar but up close it stands out.

Thanks!

 

[kev1n]

the vinyl wont help to keep the handles cool fyi. even in CA, when its hot out, the handles are hot

 

[jjrandorin]

What @kev1n said.... wont help very much with temperature, its more for looks. I have mine done in matte black, but I also have a chrome delete in the same color, and carbon fiber wrap mirror caps. (my car is deep blue).

I didnt even try body color, because things that "almost" match but "not quite" bug the heck out of me. Some sort of contrast is better imo, which is why they are chrome in the first place and not body color.

I wouldnt attempt to do them any color other than black. Even white would look funny on the outside of your car because nothing else would be white.

If you find a color that is a perfect body color match in wrap, let us know.... but that would make the handles even harder for passengers to see than they already are. Right now, they know where the handles are, but are usually confused at how to use them until you say something.

 

[Siromnom]

If you find a color that is a perfect body color match in wrap, let us know.... but that would make the handles even harder for passengers to see than they already are. Right now, they know where the handles are, but are usually confused at how to use them until you say something.

I do agree, even if the match was better it probably wasn't going to be our first choice. Thanks for the tip on the black. I wasn't sure which version of black would be a good fit vs the rest of the chrome and aero covers.

I did recently see a white Model 3 with a white wrap on the handles that actually looked pretty slick.

And thanks for the comments about the temperature! Honestly, the biggest other reason to me to get them was a little extra protection and blocking the finger prints.

 

[jsmay311]

I'm late to this thread, and I can't comment specifically on colored vinyl wraps, but I wanted to share that I installed clear PPF wraps on my Model 3's chrome door handles, and it did make a big difference in how hot they felt while in the sun. (I got mine from RPMTesla, but there are also other options out there.)

 

[fortunex]

Blue vinyl handles also help with heat from sunlight.

Regarding users above questioning how the blue doesn't match the paint, it looks great, imo. Looking straight on at 90 degrees, it matches. But the paint under the clear coat is metallic and shifts spectrum towards dark violet when viewing at angles.

This results in the color blending in well when looking at the car straight on from the side at short and long distances. The handles look slightly more primary blue (relatively) when viewing from a diagonal at short and mid distances. At range, the color is indistinguishable. Gloss also helps it blend in. There is a visible black space around any M3 handle. Therefore, guests can always see it (operating it is another story...).

Overall, the handle is camouflaged and blends in while still being visible upon closer inspection - - just like all camouflage. It doesn't irritate me that it's slightly off, it's not off that far or in that way. It looks better than black handles on black or white on white, imo.

YMMV

 

[graphic]

If you find a color that is a perfect body color match in wrap, let us know.... but that would make the handles even harder for passengers to see than they already are. Right now, they know where the handles are, but are usually confused at how to use them until you say something.

I searched for the perfect color for my red M3 handles, and if you really want the perfect match go to ColorMatchWrap they will match your vinyl color based on the color code found on your driver inside door panel. I ordered a 2ft square to match my Multi-coat red and it cost me $178.99 with shipping.

I wrapped my own handles with a full wrap template I made for my first red Model 3, it works perfect (see attached pdf). I also made a new template that covers the exposed ends of the handles. Both work perfectly. You just print on the back of your vinyl, then cut it out. Use a heat gun or hair dryer. Here is a video of how to do it.

I will post pictures after I redo my new M3.

Have fun...