This article is provided by EVANNEX, the company that manufactures and sells Tesla aftermarket accessories. The opinions expressed are not necessarily our opinions in InsideEVs, and we are not paid by EVANNEX to publish these articles. We found the company's perspective as a Tesla aftermarket supplier very interesting and would be happy to share its content for free. enjoy!
Published in EVANNEX on December 14, 2021, by Matt Pressman
After driving Tesla's white "Stormtrooper" Model X for three years, we think it's time to change the color. For starters, there are two ways to change the color of Tesla. The first-custom paint job-is very expensive and permanent. The second type-vinyl wrap-is much cheaper, the color options and styles provided are difficult to achieve with paint, and costly, if you decide to change the color of the vehicle in the future, you can remove it. For us, vinyl packaging is obvious.
Usually, we will go to the friends of Signature Custom Wraps and let them use professional vinyl packaging skills to turn our white stormtrooper into something more, um...heaven...er...blue. But our founder Roger Pressman decided to accept the challenge and do it himself. After fifty working hours (in the 8 weeks of evenings and weekends) and after several redoing, you can see the results in the video and photo gallery below.
Above: Take a look at the new Tesla Model X package installed (YouTube: EVANNEX)
We asked Roger a few questions about the packaging experience:
Some people don't know what "packaging" is. Can you provide a quick explanation?
Of course. The vinyl wrap covers all exterior surfaces of Tesla with vinyl film, usually 3 to 4 mils thick. There are thousands of colors and styles of wrappers. The vinyl film is supported by a special adhesive that can hold the vinyl in place-which is very important-and can be removed and reapplied while you are working. Over time, the adhesive will become stronger, but if you decide to change the color, you can always remove the packaging. Vinyl can be heated to make it more flexible and remove wrinkles and other defects.
Do you recommend DIY car packaging for Tesla owners who want unique colors?
Generally speaking-no. You will need to spend some time learning how to pack a car. Although there are YouTube tutorials, most of the good tutorials are done by professionals who make the packaging look easy. no.
How did you choose the package?
Blue is a very popular color for cars, so I think I will develop towards that color. I want something that is neither matte nor shiny, high-gloss. It must have a metallic feel, change color under different lights, and it must be suitable for Model X. I bought at least eight different vinyl samples in the blue series, tried them in the sun, in the shade and in the car at night and decided that Oracal "Jet Stream Blue" would work for me. The vinyl is of high quality and is a bit difficult to process, but it has the right tone and color feel for Model X.
Which part of the car did you start?
I started with the vertical part of the rear hatch and wanted to improve my technique on a relatively small panel. I first placed an "inlay" in the license plate area, and then used something called knifeless tape to cut the smooth edges. After removing all the badges, I completed the rear hatch area. By the way, to say the least, wrapping the upper part of the hatch is challenging. Then I continued to wrap the rear bumper.
What is the hardest part of a car to pack?
The front bumper is very hard-there are a lot of grooves and compound curves.
Haha...it's not easy, but the least resistance part is the door and the front quarter panel.
Did you make a lot of mistakes?
a lot of. This is my first time trying to wrap a car, and nothing can replace experience. Some of my errors can be fixed, other errors require removing the entire panel and doing it again, and I only endure very few.
Did you remove the headlights, taillights or other parts?
I did remove some things, but not the headlights or taillights. Disassembly is a lot of extra work, which is really not necessary for Model X. The gap between the body panel and most parts is large enough to wrap OEM parts in place. Having said that, most specialty packaging stores will remove parts. It does make packaging work easier.
I saw that you also did a chrome delete.
The new Tesla now comes standard with chrome delete, so I think I should make the appearance of Model X keep up with the times. I used 3M 2080 satin black vinyl and it looks very good [this is the vinyl used by EVANNEX for its Model 3 chrome removal kit]. The Model X mirror is the hardest part. To be honest, vinyl does not work well. So...I removed the vinyl from the mirror and used the spray Plasti-DipTM to get the chrome removal effect on them. Before you start spraying, make sure to cover the car very carefully.
How did you remove the cool chrome on the rear hatch panel, which allows the TESLA letters to appear in the chrome. Did you do it in the car?
not completely. I removed the chrome accent piece. It is connected using standard OEM clamps and a small amount of adhesive cut with fishing line. Then I took it apart. There is a YouTube video that shows you how to do it. After applying satin black vinyl on the flat base of the accent piece, I reinserted the chrome letters into the piece and reconnected. I like this look.
Have you done other unique things?
To pay tribute to Porsche, I made my own version of Taycan with color wheels. If you look closely, you will see matching Jet Stream Blue color bars on the inside edge of the 22-inch Tesla turbine rim. Most people like it.
What advice do you have for Tesla owners who want to try this on their own?
First, learn patience, and then learn the basics of packaging. YouTube is a great resource. You absolutely must work on a clean car surface-wipe the clean surface with 70% isopropyl alcohol before wrapping anything. You will need the right tools. For example, you might think that the role of a hair dryer is the same as that of a heat gun, but this is not the case. By the way, be careful with the heat gun. Use a retractable knife with a 60-degree breaking blade and change the leading edge frequently. Use squeegees of different sizes, and be sure to buy some wrapped gloves-they are very valuable when you work.
When you stretch the vinyl-stretch it in a way that removes any tension on the edge of the panel. If you don't do this, the vinyl will retract and cause problems. Also be careful not to let the two sticky surfaces touch each other-sometimes easier said than done, because the large vinyl sheet can fold on its own while you work. If this happens, it may tear the vinyl and ruin your work.
Would you still do it?
I don't think so, but I never say "never". I have been doing DIY projects all my life, and I have to say that this is one of the most challenging projects. This is a time-consuming and sometimes frustrating and exhausting job. This is definitely not for everyone. But... if you can accept the challenge, it will be very satisfying when you finally complete it.
Source: Ivana; Photos by Casey Murphy