Vendor Instructions for facelift bumper/fascia installation on nosecone Model S

[artsci]

The fi

Interesting to note that the aftermarket kits never post a side view ...

Behind the scenes at Unplugged Performance, a Tesla tuner challenging the status quo

View attachment 217552

View attachment 217553

You're first photo is a 3/4 view. Do have and can you post a true side view -- 90 degrees from the center plane of the car?

 

[Kenriko]

The fi


You're first photo is a 3/4 view. Do have and can you post a true side view -- 90 degrees from the center plane of the car?

The photos are interesting because you can see what they did to merge the gap. The moved the top arch back ~1/2 and they also moved the T back. I'm thinking they avoided chrome not to highlight the depth change.

 

[FlatSix911]

You're first photo is a 3/4 view. Do have and can you post a true side view -- 90 degrees from the center plane of the car?

The photos are from the website ... Unplugged Performance Refresh Front Fascia System for Tesla Model S

The photos are interesting because you can see what they did to merge the gap.
They moved the top arch back ~1/2 and they also moved the T back.
I'm thinking they avoided chrome not to highlight the depth change.

Agree ... it looks like a solution to merge the gap with the aftermarket kit.

 

[artsci]

And the thickness of the black support/frame for the T is about double that of Tesla's

 

[Gouldness]

+1

If you build it I will buy it.

 

[Gurujeff03]

Does the circled chrome piece fasten on to the bumper or does it need the support that is above it? What I'm thinking is that you keep all of the interior frunk panels. get the new bumper, brackets, circled chrome piece. Then design up a new T badge holder and fasten a new T to it similar to the piece from the after market kits. This minimizes the number of "new" pieces which should keep the cost down to invest and come up with the missing part. Problem is this is a large missing piece. Injection mold cost would be high, you could 3d print and paint but that would clash with the hood I think. It needs a textured black finish like the unplugged piece. Unplugged didn't even use the chrome piece. They just made 1 filler piece to hold the T and fill the gap (I think that is the cleanest design)

 

[artsci]

The chrome piece snap fits on the black T-frame below it in the photo.

Just talked to the shop -- they'll have all of the needed parts from Tesla on Friday so I'm expecting all of the work to be finished by the end of next week.

Just so every one knows, installing the new hood (facelift version) creates other problems. The latch may have to be upgraded and the nozzles for the front window washers (which are on the nosecone version hood but have been relocated to the windshield cowl on the facelift model) may require an upograde to the new cowl.

So bottom line is that unless you want to through all of the hassle I've experienced and spend as much as the aftermarket solutions cost, I'd recommend you go with the Unplugged version or the Karstyle version (if they ever get their act together). Otherwise you'll spend about $3,000, be without your car for 2-3 weeks, and have to work with the shop doing the install to rig solutions for things like the change in the frunk trim panels. It's my nature to see these things as a challenge to be overcome, but if it's not yours, save yourself some major time and trouble and go with Unplugged or other aftermarket options (please also note that Unpluggged is the only one that's actually being delivered and installed). The others appear to be vaporware, at least for now.

At the outset of this project I thought it would be much less expensive and easier than it turned out to be. I was wrong, and if my posts misled anyone, I apologize for that. Reality sometimes has a way of biting back.

When the work has been completed, I'll post a final list of the necessary parts, costs, problems, and steps for the masochicists among us

 

[Naonak]

The chrome piece snap fits on the black T-frame below it in the photo.

Just talked to the shop -- they'll have all of the needed parts from Tesla on Friday so I'm expecting all of the work to be finished by the end of next week.

Just so every one knows, installing the new hood (facelift version) creates other problems. The latch may have to be upgraded and the nozzles for the front window washers (which are on the nosecone version hood but have been relocated to the windshield cowl on the facelift model) may require an upograde to the new cowl.

So bottom line is that unless you want to through all of the hassle I've experienced and spend as much as the aftermarket solutions cost, I'd recommend you go with the Unplugged version or the Karstyle version (if they ever get their act together). Otherwise you'll spend about $3,000, be without your car for 2-3 weeks, and have to work with the shop doing the install to rig solutions for things like the change in the frunk trim panels. It's my nature to see these things as a challenge to be overcome, but if it's not yours, save yourself some major time and trouble and go with Unplugged or other aftermarket options (please also note that Unpluggged is the only one that's actually being delivered and installed). The others appear to be vaporware, at least for now.

At the outset of this project I thought it would be much less expensive and easier than it turned out to be. I was wrong, and if my posts misled anyone, I apologize for that. Reality sometimes has a way of biting back.

When the work has been completed, I'll post a final list of the necessary parts, costs, problems, and steps for the masochicists among us

No need to apologize, we really appreciate you being the Guinea pig for a project like this. They may not always work out, but the process is worth the effort, especially if someone else is going through all the pain!

That said, I have contacts in China that can make plastic molded stuff fairly cheap (I know, that's a relative term), but if all that was holding something like this back was some plastic molding that looked good, I'd be willing to work on that side of things if there's enough interest in making the mold. Ironically enough, it's often times cheaper to do something like this in Carbon Fiber for low volume items like this. I'm currently going through this process right now with creating a helmet - for low volume, the helmet ends up being cheaper per unit in CF than it does in plastic for the shell. Very strange.

 

[Kenriko]

No need to apologize, we really appreciate you being the Guinea pig for a project like this. They may not always work out, but the process is worth the effort, especially if someone else is going through all the pain!

That said, I have contacts in China that can make plastic molded stuff fairly cheap (I know, that's a relative term), but if all that was holding something like this back was some plastic molding that looked good, I'd be willing to work on that side of things if there's enough interest in making the mold. Ironically enough, it's often times cheaper to do something like this in Carbon Fiber for low volume items like this. I'm currently going through this process right now with creating a helmet - for low volume, the helmet ends up being cheaper per unit in CF than it does in plastic for the shell. Very strange.

Yes please. I will buy one.

 

[artsci]

No need to apologize, we really appreciate you being the Guinea pig for a project like this. They may not always work out, but the process is worth the effort, especially if someone else is going through all the pain!

That said, I have contacts in China that can make plastic molded stuff fairly cheap (I know, that's a relative term), but if all that was holding something like this back was some plastic molding that looked good, I'd be willing to work on that side of things if there's enough interest in making the mold. Ironically enough, it's often times cheaper to do something like this in Carbon Fiber for low volume items like this. I'm currently going through this process right now with creating a helmet - for low volume, the helmet ends up being cheaper per unit in CF than it does in plastic for the shell. Very strange.

I'm inclined to take you up on this offer. All that's necessary is to change the upper arc of the T frame holder to match the arch of the nosecone hood and modify the underside attachment points.

But I can't devote any time to this until the install is finished. Please PM me so we can make direct contact.

 

[Gurujeff03]

I'm inclined to take you up on this offer. All that's necessary is to change the upper arc of the T frame holder to match the arch of the nosecone hood and modify the underside attachment points.

But I can't devote any time to this until the install is finished. Please PM me so we can make direct contact.

That is exactly what I was saying we need a modified piece that matches the hood. I'd be curious how much CF would cost. maybe a vacuum formed piece. I wouldn't mind designing this up but I would need to mock up the bumper and location of the T holder to get the right shape.

 

[FlatSix911]

No need to apologize, we really appreciate you being the Guinea pig for a project like this. They may not always work out, but the process is worth the effort, especially if someone else is going through all the pain!

That said, I have contacts in China that can make plastic molded stuff fairly cheap (I know, that's a relative term), but if all that was holding something like this back was some plastic molding that looked good, I'd be willing to work on that side of things if there's enough interest in making the mold. Ironically enough, it's often times cheaper to do something like this in Carbon Fiber for low volume items like this. I'm currently going through this process right now with creating a helmet - for low volume, the helmet ends up being cheaper per unit in CF than it does in plastic for the shell. Very strange.

Agreed ... I am all in for a Carbon Fiber Tesla T frame!

 

[omarsultan]

Definitely no reason to apologize--its always fun to go on these adventures with you. Thanks for being the trailblazer.

 

[Naonak]

The primary thing I'd need to get this started would be a 3D model with proper dimensions for the part or detailed drawings. I'm terrible at making the kind of curves we'd need for this in 3D modeling, so it would have to be someone that is competent in their modeler of choice. Or an engineering artist to make the drawings would work as well... I am headed to Shenzhen in a couple months for a different project, so I could take this along with me and get the ball rolling while I'm there and working with the R&D engineers.

I would love to get me some facelift Tesla nosecone on both of my pre-facelift MS's! My wife hates the new nose, though Don't care ... getting me one anyway.

 

[s-hysteria]

I would think you get the most accurate mould by @artsci re-asselbing the car to the point where the gap is visible again and then make a physical mould. I'm not sure this can be done solely virtually without having actual Tesla CAD data.

I would hope whatever comes out of this is better quality than the Unplugged part which frankly, doesn't ooze quality. I would not spend $3K on this, even if it included all other Tesla parts.

The weird thing is that I am glued to this thread, this is my first forum post and still, I don't know if I prefer the old or the new front. The honest answer is likely, despite the fact that I love Tesla and can't wait to take delivery of my CPO 2015 S85 with AP1 end of March, the front isn't great looking in either case.

 

[artsci]

If you had the following would it do?

TESLA BADGE 'T'-FRONT SUPPORT for the facelift Model S
Undrehood Apron for the Nosecone Model S

You'd have to mold the topside of the former (with a higher radius arc for the nosecone hood) and the bottom side of the latter (so that it snaps in properly over the top of the nosecone assembly) and combine them into one piece.

 

[artsci]

As the installation should be completed this week I'm now thinking about another challenge. How do I get an image of the facelift model on my mobile app and touchscreen? I think a nosecone P85 with a OEM Tesla facelift fascia and hood will be unique, at least for now.

Do I ask my service center to do this? As I've told them about it and ordered most of the parts from them, they know I'm doing this conversion. Maybe I should ask them. Or do I go to Tesla tech support. Maybe it's not even possible. Advice would be appreciated.

 

[Spyder14]

I read somewhere in the forum that the SC changed car image (color & red brake calipers) on an owners car while getting service. Maybe this was a top-notch service person & maybe not all will do it but he/she posted a photo of it maybe as long as a year ago.

 

[NJ Plugin]

Back in 2014 when I switched to black aftermarket TSP Sportline wheels, I asked my service center, and they were able to switch the wheel colors on the touchscreen. I am not sure if they have a option on the nose cone/front design. Worth a shot at asking them.

 

[Bheuring]

Have u took any pics off the project as you were doing it could you post them if you have.
Thanks