Refresh Skin thinner?

[whitex]

So this was the first time I hand waxed the 2017 MS and one of the things that jumped out at me was the fact that the hood seems so much thinner. The metal gives really easily when pushing with even light force. Compared to the the 2015 (parked right next to it, so immediate comparison) and 2015 the good is sturdy, 2017 seems very thin. Sides also seem thinner but not as evident as the hood, so cannot be 100% sure. Did this change with the front refresh, or earlier? Or is it like the windshield metalized coating, varies with production date?

PS> as much as I prefer the old 19" wheel look, I must say the "hub-cap" look new ones do clean much faster (for one, you don't have to clean inside the wheels as that is all covered).

 

[agloutney]

I've noticed the exact same thing. Same situation. 2014 S and 2017 S. Not only does the upper half buckle when you apply pressure, it distorts when it heats up in the sun. At least on my black one. Other colors might not be as bad.

 

[LoL Rick]

I'm thinking it has to do with the plastic covering on the inside of the old hood. Maybe that adds some stiffness.

 

[croman]

New ones don't crease and are lighter. I wouldn't slam them though.

 

[whitex]

New ones don't crease and are lighter. I wouldn't slam them though.

Is it in writing anywhere (i.e. covered under warranty)? The new hood feels more fragile. I used to use my 2013 frunk all the time. Then with 2015 the frunk shrunk (D), and it seemed less fortified so using it less. With 2017 further shrink of the frunk (BDM), and the hood feels even more likely to crease.

 

[chillaban]

You certainly should not slam or press down in the center of the hood, even if someone says it doesn't crease. Officially in the manual it still says to use a two handed off-center technique. And regardless, most of the times body damage / wear-and-tear caused by your usage of the car is unlikely to fall under warranty.

 

[whitex]

You certainly should not slam or press down in the center of the hood, even if someone says it doesn't crease. Officially in the manual it still says to use a two handed off-center technique. And regardless, most of the times body damage / wear-and-tear caused by your usage of the car is unlikely to fall under warranty.

I know, I was wondering about croman's statement about new ones not creasing, whether it was something Tesla said or just a speculation, and if the latter, why would a thinner hood crease less. If I had more time on my hands, I would definitely make an automatic frunk closer for both our cars. I used to love using the frunk on 2013. Even with its current size, the frunk would work well for my laptop backpack, it's just the thought of having to deal with this fragile mechanism makes me never use it. It would be more convenient too as I usually back into parking spots, so front is often much more accessible. Any aftermarket solutions out there maybe?

 

[croman]

Is it in writing anywhere (i.e. covered under warranty)? The new hood feels more fragile. I used to use my 2013 frunk all the time. Then with 2015 the frunk shrunk (D), and it seemed less fortified so using it less. With 2017 further shrink of the frunk (BDM), and the hood feels even more likely to crease.

Heard from service about it. They mentioned a new latch mechanism but I'm no expert but I also don't see as many help my frunk hood creased posts from new owners.