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ArtInCT
Always Learning
Cannot tell you the exact vin but this change from the older Dolphin Grey to the new Grey which was darker and eventually became named Midnight Silver Metallic was done on or about the late June to July time frame... of 2014 so somewhere in the mid to upper 043000 range I suspect... If you go to the Delivery Sticky and into the Order tracking spreadsheets and look at the VIN numbers for that time period you can kind of ascertain what the VIN range could be in the late June to July time frame. Bear in mind that Tesla does and did not build to VIN number sequence for the most part. If you ordered a car for delayed shipment your vin would be lower than others built in that time period.
ArtInCT
Always Learning
Who can explain that.... not I... however please check out this thread which documents the color change quite well...->> #1
Perhaps when you think your car was built and its actual build date are in question?
Example,.... configured in May, confirmed in May and then eventually built in October due to requested delayed shipment by original owner.
If you look at the order tracking spreadsheets in the Model S forum you may find out something about the build date of your car.
Also your Service Center manager can shed quite a bit of light on the matter, they can tell you some things based on the last 6 of the VIN.
For example, when the Green Metallic paint was discontinued, a few Green Metallic cars were built way after the color was gone from the design studio, same went for the Brown and even silver.
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I bought my car used, but only 9mos old. So I didn't order it. The build sheet says "grey". I asked at the SC, what is the official color of my car? (VIN is 61,8XX), and they said it is officially "Grey". Not midnight grey, or sexy silver metallic, or Dolphin Grey or even Grey Metallic. It's...just...grey. July 2014 was the change. VINs in the 40,000 range.
ArtInCT
Always Learning
JeffS this is VERY puzzling to me... I have NOT heard about a simple GREY.... can you please ask for your paint color code next time you are at the SC?
As far as I know there are only 2 grey paint color codes.... (for the body).
Metallic Grey aka original grey or later called by some Dolphin Grey is paint code = PMTG
the newer Midnight Silver Grey is paint code PMNG (note NG stands for New Grey).
BTW, PMNG is not so new any more and Tesla still does not make any touchup paint for the PMNG paint.
BTW, as an aside, paint color is really NOT my domain as I am color challenged... sigh....
I totally agree...baffling. Next time I have a chance I will ask for a code. This is my car. Built Dec 2014. So its absolutely not Dolphin Grey. But its very much not Midnight Grey either.
Didn't think of asking for the code at my annual service last month. Just asked about the words. Next time... I will ask the better question. No touch up paint??? Seriously???
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Better photo with better light.
Jeffs, that looks like my car's color. I have a white sticker on the base below the driver's seat that lists the paint as well as build date. My paint code is PMNG and the build date is 10/14. VIN is P26060, which obviously is way out of sequence for a P85 with AP (told by Tesla there were only 375 built).
ETA: The Monroney sticker for my car says "Grey Paint." The MVPA I signed upon delivery says "Midnight Silver Metallic Paint."
ETA: The Monroney sticker for my car says "Grey Paint." The MVPA I signed upon delivery says "Midnight Silver Metallic Paint."
ArtInCT
Always Learning
Jeff great photos.... you have Midnight Silver Metallic, that is NOT the older grey... It looks great BTW!
And NC thanks for that tip on the sticker... can you snap a picture of that sticker location please?
I am sure others here would like to know where to look.... thanks NC!
And NC thanks for that tip on the sticker... can you snap a picture of that sticker location please?
I am sure others here would like to know where to look.... thanks NC!
Look directly under the seat adjustment levers on the driver's side - that is where mine is. Don't confuse it with a yellow, black and white sticker on the door post that has the tire information.
BoldSharpe
Member
I was going to say your car looked way lighter than my March 2015 build Grey Metallic. My code is PMNG.
ArtInCT
Always Learning
As a color blind guy, I am the last to question color... however being so handicapped I really do focus in on contrast and the New Grey has really
quite a variance of looks or appearances based upon the reflective aspect of the photo and the overall lighting. As the lighting becomes long in the
latter part of the day, the New Grey becomes quite darker in hue.
This changing color phenomenon is one of the many things I like about my car. Kind of like getting OTA updates daily :smile:
ArtInCT
Always Learning
Quite true, when the sun is directly overhead (not too common here in CT this time of year), the color is more uni-chromatic and then when reflections of near white happen when the surface shows a reflection then that changes everything.
Now, I once did a test on just how various surface waxes and coatings effect the reflection. There are a few waxes and surface treatments that are supposed to be black enhancing. I am not sure if that is true and how it would work with the Grey?
thecloud
As rhythm raced inside, the ship came alive
As you say, there is no exact VIN range that marks the cutoff. It comes down to when the car was ordered and its place in the build queue, not when it was actually built. Timeframe for the color change was late July 2014.
My car (VIN 0555xx) was ordered in early July 2014 with the original "dolphin" grey paint. That color continued to be offered on the design studio until August. I had heard rumors about the upcoming new grey, and since I would have preferred a darker grey if it had been offered at the time, I got hold of my DS on July 23rd (before Tesla had publicly made the change.) He said that cars originally ordered with the old grey would still get that grey, but the switchover was imminent and I had to decide that week whether I wanted to change my color to the new "steel" grey. (I did, and they confirmed the change on August 4th.)
ArtInCT
Always Learning
Well you know there are so called "batches" of paint and it sounds like your car was one of the first with the new grey. Since then do you think the paint formula or vendor has changed? Is the grey different now vs then? I suppose you would have to bring your car next to a newer car to see first hand...
thecloud
As rhythm raced inside, the ship came alive
Here's a picture that shows Dolphin Grey (pre-July 2014) on the car in the background, with Steel Grey (post-July 2014) on the car in the foreground. This was taken in July 2014 at the Sunnyvale SC:
Pictures of my car are over in this thread: Model S Shows Its True Colors (Photos). It was indeed part of the first batch to get Steel Grey.
I don't know if there's as big a difference between "Steel Grey" and "Midnight Silver Metallic". Will have to see if I can find a photo of a recently built car.
Jeff's car does look like Dolphin Grey. I'd speculate this is because it was originally ordered prior to the cutoff (late July 2014) with the old grey paint code, but for whatever reason (perhaps some other configuration options or location which delayed it), it didn't get built until December 2014.
Clearly, having cars which were delayed in the build queue until September 2014 or later turned out to be a very good thing because we got AP.
