Work on lighting lift gate appliqué begins

[artsci]

Here's the latest list of those who've want this modification when it's available. Again, if I've left you off please post on this thread.

NoMoGas

suprkar

swegman

FLDarren

Btrflyl8e

AMPUP

Zax123

kseitzberg

Shumdit

NJ Plugin

Jason

Aaron

kseitzberg

JPP

Denarius

DavidB

Brightonuk

Zextraterrestrial

Danal

Doug Darby

Jhall118

artsci najeeb delanman

 

[swegman]

artsci, NoMoGas is listed twice. Or is he getting two appliques?

 

[Jason]

Don't forget me!
-Jason

 

[artsci]

artsci, NoMoGas is listed twice. Or is he getting two appliques?

My mistake. I'll correct and add Jason presently.

 

[Najeeb]

Don't forget me.

 

[artsci]

Don't forget me.

Done

 

[artsci]

Checked out the beta letter inserts for the lighted applique this morning at PCS Engineering, the firm doing the work. They had to print the letters in 3D several times to get a perfect fit. The T and E are finished and the others will be completed today. Each letter has a thin flat back, as show in the photo below. This will lock them in place and prevent water incursion. The letters also replicate the raised effect on the original applique. While it’s not a great photo (taken with my phone) one of the photos shows the dimensionality of the letters from the surface of the applique.

We won’t be producing the production letters via 3D printing. Instead PCS will use the final 3D printed letters to make a mold for casting the letters in acrylic resin. This will make the letters more durable and less expensive. It will also make it possible to cast them in different colors.

Our plan is to cast them in clear with a sandblasted surface, which will diffuse the light and reduce pixilation effects from the LED neopixels. For those who may want it (and consistent with our original concept) we’ll also offer an option for casting them in translucent red.

By the end of next week we should have 20 sets of letters cast in clear and 5 sets in red. This will enable us to meet initial production demand. Another 12 appliques go to the shop next week for the letters to be cut out.

So while we’re a little behind schedule, all the necessary steps leading up to full production should be completed with 2 weeks. I couldn’t be more pleased with the recent progress and where we are with the quality and features of the final product.

 

[zax123]

This is insanely cool! Where do you find these places??? Thanks for all your hard work on this!

 

[artsci]

This is insanely cool! Where do you find these places??? Thanks for all your hard work on this!

Good luck and the Internet PCS is in an office park two miles from my home. Found them on the web. LAI is in Maryland, about a 45 minute drive away. PCS recommended them for the letter cut outs.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

Looking good

I just realized that if I get one of these I should upgrade my Blackvue dash cam to a dual camera so I can get video of people behind my car checking the supercool letters!

BTW if you ever find a need for laser welding anything small (any metal to any metal!)...let me know:wink:

 

[Danal]

Those look great! I'm eagerly looking forward to the first prototypes so that I can finalize the NeoPixel mounting.

 

[JPP]

Looking good

I just realized that if I get one of these I should upgrade my Blackvue dash cam to a dual camera so I can get video of people behind my car checking the supercool letters!

...and while you have the trim deinstalled from the rear hatch it would be a good time to run the rear coax/power cable for the rear Blackvue dash cam...

 

[Btrflyl8e]

 

[Lloyd]

You forgot me. I had sent PM.

 

[artsci]

Here's a copy of the latest list of those interested in buying the applique:

NoMoGas

suprkar

swegman

FLDarren

Btrflyl8e

AMPUP

Zax123

kseitzberg

Shumdit

NJ Plugin

Jason

Aaron

kseitzberg

JPP

Denarius

DavidB

Brightonuk

Zextraterrestrial

Danal

Doug Darby

Jhall118

artsci

Lloyd

najeeb

delanman

Mackgoo

 

[zax123]

I just noticed that the appliqué is made in Canada judging from zooming into one of your pictures. Cool!

 

[artsci]

All of the letters have now been made and successfully test fitted. The molds will be made tomorrow or Wednesday and castings of the letters ready by the end of the week, so I should have two completed appliqués to ship to Danal over the weekend. He'll do his neopixel magic with them and hopefully produce two fully functional prototypes next week for installation on his and my cars. We're very close:biggrin:

 

[Doug Darby]

When this program is flowing is it going to be an "exchange" program where you send in your applique to be converted or send it back after the new one comes? Or... you just end up with a spare Stock applique?
just curious...

 

[artsci]

When this program is flowing is it going to be an "exchange" program where you send in your applique to be converted or send it back after the new one comes? Or... you just end up with a spare Stock applique?
just curious...

Yes, the plan is to do an exchange. You buy for the full price and get a rebate when you return your stock appliqué in like-new condition. The appliqué is about $150 from Tesla so that will be its exchange value (less the cost of replacement double-sided tape -- about $10), again assuming it's in like-new condition. This will substantially reduce the number of new appliqués that we have to acquire from Tesla.

 

[Doug Darby]

Thanks....
Great Plan...