As requested, here are the results of the DIY chrome delete. More in comments.
imgur.com/a/330471IPosted Aug 18, 2019, 3:57 PM UTC
7835
imgur.com
Same boat. Almost done with my Kenriko satin diy kit. Taking longer then expected but results are looking great. May need one replacement window part as I had trouble with the back V piece tucking into the rubber.
My wife can't understand why I'm putting stickers all over my $60K car as she puts it lol
5
PM me for that extra piece.
Edit: Oh and tell your wife that the raw material for these stickers costs more per Sq/ft then a lot of flooring! 😂
3
I may have fixed that piece but will do.
Material is great very resilient but my wife could care less. Just another project for my car she'd say haha
1
Not sure that will help the argument :)
1
I'd love to see it when you finish.
2
Just finished. Have to run errands and wash it. Hopefully will get some pics later
1
Very detailed post thank you! What lesson did you learn from the mirror cap to avoid breaking a clip off do you know?
4
Thanks! Unfortunately I'm not sure what broke the clip. I used the same methods for both sides and the other was fine. I'm not entirely sure I was the one to break it, vs it happening during assembly. The piece is so small and weak I think it's for alignment more than affixing.
2
Thanks for posting! Looks great!
2
Thank you!
1
Looks great and thanks for the write up!!
Does anyone know whether this would come off after 5 years? I will lease my Model 3 and will need to return it in original state..
2
Yes, as far as I know, vinyl made for vehicles, particularly the dry application ones like these are fully removable. A heat gun would help loosen the material. I wouldn't worry about it, but you could also check the manufactures websites (Oracal 970 in this case) for material specs.
1
Yes it'll come off but it'll be slightly more difficult the more years it's on there.
1
Thanks!
1
Nicely done, the contrasting blue side cameras are 👌🏻
2
Thanks! 👍
1
Looks great! I would pay you to chrome delete my M3! The shop I got my tints, rims and break calipers done from gave me an estimate of $600 for the chrome deletes.
2
Ha! Well my hourly rate is good, but I bill in two days increments.
How much were your brake caliper? I'm thinking of doing that, but with a custom color so DIY might not be easy.
1
Break calipers were $400 for all 4 and another shop gave me a price of $600.
1
Thanks, good to know
1
Fantastic job! I am contemplating having the chrome delete done but by a professional as I don't have the nerve or the patience do do the whole job. I wonder how much they would charge to install if I bring them the Kenriko Chrome delete kit?
@Kenriko makes great stuff and is incredibly supportive and responsive to questions and issues. I wrapped my center console with his carbon fiber kit and it came out incredible.
1
[deleted]
-7
Why so cynical?
I did not have anything to do with the creation of this thread I don’t even know which of my customers OP is.
And of course I’m going to reply to a thread about a product that we spent a long time developing and was just released. 🧐
Spending time advertising a product that is supply constrained is silly and counterproductive.
Enjoy your day and try to view the world with a more positive tilt.
8
[deleted]
-5
?
I paid for the product. I was excited for the product. I shared my experience of the product. I get no kickback or payment of any sort.
He personally engages with his users.
Where is the problem? How would you rather this happen?
3
As shown in my post a couple days ago, I received the Kenriko Chrome delete kit in satin black. Many asked for a follow up, so here you go.
TL;DR Very happy with it. The kit is excellent. Would choose to do it again, but glad its done
As you likely noticed from the images, I also did some other personalizing with color accents and embossing.
The side camera wrap and “T” logo wrap are custom order from EV wraps. The color is 3M Matte Riviera Blue. The embossed “E” / old 3 logo are a custom order from StickerFule. I went with 3/4" tall. I loove how they look and feel.
My past experience doing vinyl wraps is limited to just a few other small projects including Kenrikos console wrap and some small trim on other vehicles. This full chrome delete is the biggest one I’d done so far.
At the time of install, the instruction video for the door trim hadn’t been uploaded yet, but I was impatient and went ahead anyway.
Overall it went great, and I’m happy with the results. First pass on the mirror was a steep learning curve. The second mirror went so much better and I think I’ll redo the first just because I know I can make it better now.
Time taken
Total time on chrome delete wrap 6 h 50 m.
Then throw in..
All-in it took the better part of a day (over 2 days). Was it worth DIY vs the $500+ for a shop to do it? lol Depends if how you value your time. I enjoyed the hands on project and learning some new skills. Throw in some some favorite music and a good drink or 3 and it was a great time. You probably already know if this kind of thing is going to frustrate and stress you out or not. You have to strike a balance of being enough of a perfectionist to put in the time and effort, but not so anal about it you stress over something that nobody is going to notice.
Other notes, tips and tricks...
Removing the mirror caps (which, BTW, are interestingly labeled as skull caps) takes a disconcerting amount of force. I even managed to break off one of the small plastic guide fins. Luckily it seems to be redundant and have no ill effects.
I think skipping the clay bar cleaning would be a mistake. Even after a very good cleaning including 2 rounds with a high pressure washer, there was still grime in the channels where the edge of the trim goes.
I’d suggest the following installation order. Door handles, side cameras, mirrors, door trim. The door handles are easiest, with side cameras close behind. It gives you experience in aligning edges, and smoothing wrinkles over curves. The mirror is most challenging with its complex shapes and cramped space. Luckily you have an extra 2 spares if you mess up. Door trim is easier but you have no spares.
Door trim pieces need tucking under rubber seals. You can kinda inch along with a squeegee or something, but try using fingernails (or maybe the spudger if your a nail biter) wrapped in a microfiber towel. You can then easily slide your nails along the trim in the groove in one motion. Works soo much faster and cleaner! .
Take your time using the heat gun to get rid of tiny puckers on curved edges. You can smooth them out completely
Be sure when using Kenrikos folded paper trick to press the vinyl down under the mirror joint all the way around. I did on the sides and it looked smooth but then after a few mirror folds a pucker appeared near the leading edge.. In trying to flatten it and work it out with the heat gun, I marred the surface and will need to replace it. Also cleaning under the edge with a microfiber towel may help. Just don't overdo it and damage the felt gasket.
Careful if heating and stretching. The tip of my T3 piece wasn't sticking, probably from my tugging and touching it too much. I decided to heat the vinyl and stretch it to a sticker section. It worked but left a slight discoloration in some lighting. I did the same on the other side even after being more cautious. This time it was because of tighter tolerances. Getting it under the gasket left a slight sliver of chrome on the bottom edge. I stretched it gently with less heat and still had some slight markings.
Since the mirror pieces have overlapping seams, you can see the lines of the first layer under the second. If it is wavy from being stretched or something, use an exacto knife to very lightly score and trim the vinyl into a less noticeable straight line.
Also, with a little force the mirror can be popped out of joint beyond its extended position. It pops right back into place with no issue. I suspect this is by design as a relief instead of breaking, but I can't say for sure that it should be done. Still, it was helpful in getting extra wiggle room for tight fits.
Thanks for reading, good luck!
Install looks great. Very through write up.
This type of project will be stressful for some people and for others be relaxing I’d recommend deciding which camp you’re in before going the DIY approach.
Thanks, and well done with the kit. Any plans to do a dash wrap?
The dash is easier to wrap by just using a bigger piece of material heating in place and then trimming the edge with a NT Cutter. I’m not sure I have a lot more add other then just providing the material and tools.
We'd buy it just to eliminate the need to figure out what we need.
Yeah, that makes sense. I did plan to do that and bought a whole roll of vvivid dark grey vintage wood, but the color was more brown than grey and not what I was seeking. Might just go with matrix black.
Hmm I wonder how it would look if you wrapped the spokes of your aero caps in that same 3M blue and maybe the bigger sections in a matte black.
That would be interesting. I've seen some spokes done in red, or white or silver and I think its a bit too stark for me. Plus, I think I prefer to keep the accent color fairly minimal.
Thanks for taking the time to write this up! There were some good tips that I’ll be considering when it’s time for me to apply