Welcome back to the channel! This week’s episode features a private repair on the lower portion of a Tesla Model Y tailgate. If you want to see new Tesla repairs every Friday, make sure to hit that subscribe button in the upper right-hand corner.
The repair process begins with prepping the repair area for a glue pull using Kiko tabs. After cleaning the panel, the repair area is warmed up with a heat gun, and hot glue is applied to a pulling tab and stuck to the panel. The pulling bridge slides over the top, and pulling pressure is applied by turning the knob on the bridge. With the pressure applied, the high spots can be tapped down on both sides of the crease.
After the first glue pull, the panel is cleaned with a release agent to remove the tabs. A second glue pull is done to remove as much of the deep crease as possible. With some practice, the repair technician was able to relieve the high spots and achieve a 50 percent reduction in the deep crease.
Next, all the paint in the repair area is cleaned off using a dual-action sander and a paint stripper. Sprayable Geico is used to show all the low and high spots before using a damp puller to pull off the low spots.
The panelbeater marks are then ground down using an 80-grit grinding disc, and the panel is sanded with a dual-action sander. A plastic razor blade and spider cutting line are used to remove the dual motor emblem, and any leftover adhesive is cleaned off with an eraser wheel.
A second coat of sprayable Geico is applied to show any remaining imperfections in the metal work. The dent puller is used once more to pull off the remaining low spots.
Platinum Plus filler mixed with supercharger is applied to the repair area and rough sanded with 80 grit on two different sanding blocks. After achieving the rough shape, black powder Geico is applied to the panel, and sanding with 120 grit is done to show any low or high spots.
The body line is taped off with masking tape and sanded on both sides with 180 grit to achieve a sharp body line. The repair is feather edged using 180 grit on a dual-action sander and sprayed with wax and grease remover to check for any imperfections.
After the vehicle is painted, the tailgate is assembled starting with the liftgate handle, license plate lights, license plate bracket, tailgate lights, and bumper cover. Cavity wax is sprayed on the backside of the repair as a rust prevention measure.
Finally, the upper and lower tailgate trim panels are installed, followed by the installation of the remaining trim pieces to finish the interior. The vehicle is now ready for the detail department, where the dual motor emblem will be installed.
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