Already done. Anyone have Progressive? The lady on the phone said I would have to add the car with coverage effective today.
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n2mb_racing
Active Member
Yeah, I had no trouble removing the front plate on my Plaid. Heat gun to warm it up, some fishing line, and a little polish. It was maybe 20 minutes. Super easy and the paint was fine underneath.
Forecast is for sun. Hopefully the front will be pointed southish so it's already warm as I don't intend to accept the car until inspect the entire bumper.
They're not going to remove it without you accepting delivery. Well they won't remove it at all, but they're certainly not going to remove or allow you to remove it until you formally take ownership.
Yea, no. I'm going to remove it. I get to inspect the bumper before accepting delivery and that includes the paint that will be showing when I own it as there will NOT be a license plate on the front. There won't be anyone out there when I do it but if there is and they try and stop me, that will be the end of that and I will not be owning another S.
empiredown
Member
Going to attempt to modify a car before you even accept/pay for it, then getting indignant about it when they try and stop you...
Please video tape this or have someone else do it for us.
Please video tape this or have someone else do it for us.
That's a really bad idea. I had a heat gun and spent about 30 minutes in my garage to get the front plate off my 22 MSLR and I totally messed up the paint on the bumper. I read online that it was easy, then watched a few videos of people popping them off and just gave it a shot. I tried to heat, but it's on there really good. I saw another poster mention fishing line, I didn't try that, but did use a screwdriver with a microfiber towel to protect, but it really messed up the paint. I should have been more careful, not sure how careful you'll be able to be in the Tesla parking lot hoping the sun heats it.
Best of luck.
SucreTease
Teslarian
The Model S has always been delivered with the license-plate holder factory installed and the sales centers have always declined to remove them for the customer. Nothing new here.... and completely bonkers to cancel an order over this.
Second, there is an urban legend—a myth—often repeated that one cannot install PPF (or remove a license-plate holder) on "fresh" paint. Think for a moment about all those vehicle manufacturers (including Tesla) that install PPF on portions of the vehicle in the factory. How long do you believe they waited to install that PPF after the paint was dry?
If they waited even a single day while producing 1000 vehicles/day, they would have to have to store 1000 vehicles somewhere (it would have to be outside). Then, they would have to wash all of the vehicles again before installed the PPF pieces. There is no way that any manufacturer could do that. It is installed on the vehicle before it ever leaves the manufacturing line, at which point the car is done (unless they find a problem during inspection).
I have been reading the TMC forums for 7 years now and never once read that someone had peeled off paint or clear-coat when removing the license-plate holder after delivery.
Tesla has to have it on there because it was crash tested in place. The story widely reported is the crash testing requirements only allow for a certain dollar value of damage ($800?) and the Model S hood kept getting damaged in the low-speed test without the bracket there. So they MUST sell it to you on there. They cannot remove it by law. If you don't buy the car, they must have it on there for the ultimate buyer. It's akin to the little ugly black rubber bumperettes Porsche installed on the '80s 911's to get it to pass. Thankfully, Tesla didn't put screws through the bumper.
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My previous two tesla deliveries were both at the factory. They've only been installing the front plate on the refresh S from 2021 onwards. Model X's STILL don't have the front plate holder installed.
On your second point, see my follow up post you didn't read first.
n2mb_racing
Active Member
Pretty sure the S always had the front plate holder installed. X,Y, and 3 never did.
That jives with the story the DS told me that they only do it for the S and only since 2021. I won't remove it until I'm ready to accept it with the exception of removing the holder as the final check. My PPF guy won't do it with the plate holder installed.
My last S did not have it installed. In fact, seeing any model S with a front license plate holder in California is very rare even though we're technically required to have it.
I think they are going to make you buy the car before you modify it, and rightly so.
I spent 2 hours inspecting my MXP. Not a single person came by the entire time let alone someone who actually worked there. It's a huge lot. There won't be anyone around. They also never stopped me from removing the rear license plate holder to inspect the paint underneath either.
de Vere
Member
Perhaps you shouldn’t plan on driving anywhere near Los Angeles. You may get a ticket for that even if legally parked at a meter on the street. Ask my wife. After the second one she put the front plate on.
SucreTease
Teslarian
The DS is just flat out wrong. My 2017 Model S was delivered with it installed and I remember clearly how TMS forum discussions back then were clear that every Model S came with it installed and no SC would remove it for a customer.
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