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Tech. Sustainable transport. Travel.

Aug 27, 2023, 11 tweets

🧵: The @Tesla Model 3/Y Accessories / Mods I Use Myself and Recommend!

The @Tesla accessory world is full of a lot of quality, useful products but also full of a lot of overpriced junk. I've had my Model Y for 2 months now and spent a lot of time in it (nearly 9k miles!). For many of the types of products, I actually purchased multiple options to test and find the best option which is why I've taken so long to pull together a thread or video (that'll come) with all my recommendations.

A few notes before digging into the accessories:
- These have been tested / used on my 2023 Model AWD 5 seat - some of these may be specific to this configuration and I recommend asking or doublechecking whether your car (especially if Model 3, Model Y 7 seat or older 3/Y) may need a different variant of specific items
- Some of the items will have affiliate links and / or discount codes - these help support making more content by providing a commission to me but do not cost you anything additional.

Let's start with some external style items!
- Wrap / PPF: @stekofficial DYNOprism installed by Tint Pros / Platinum Auto Wraps in Minneapolis (clear PPF used on lights):
- Tint: @SuntekFilm CIR (ceramic) tint also installed by Tint Pros - 70% windshield, 25% front side windows, 50% (on top of factory tint) rear windows
- Wheel covers / hub caps: Tempest 19" wheel covers from EVBase (use "brandenf" for 15% off):
- Center caps for the wheel covers (only blank ones are included) from EVBase - I went with white (use "brandenf" for 15% off):
- Carbon fiber spoiler from EVBase (matte is OEM style, but not $800 like OEM) - (use "brandenf" for 15% off):
- Rear badge: @Abstract_Ocean Performance Emblem in Satin White (use "NOMAD" for 10% off):
- License plate frame: @Tesla official Model Y frame:

🧵: The @Tesla Model 3/Y Accessories / Mods I Use Myself and Recommend! - Exterior Protection

- Mud Flaps / Splash Guards: @RallyArmor Mud Flaps: I like these because they don't wrap back onto the plastic molding (or paint on Model 3) and trap dirt / moisture - I went with Dark Grey lettering, but the lettering can be removed if desired. (Use "MUSKBUCKS" for $20 off at @evannex_com) -
- Rocker / Rear Door PPF: My Model Y has full vehicle PPF, but if you don't have that, I highly recommend doing PPF on the rear doors at a minimum or in front of the rear wheels will end up sandblasted:
- Front Grille Screen: Can barely tell this screen is installed unlike many of them that are 2 piece or honeycomb. This prevents leaves, bugs, etc from building up on the radiator/condenser and degrading cooling performance. You may want to remove it (I elected not to use the adhesive and its secure with just the clips) every once in a while to clean it depending on your environment:
- Ceramic Coating: I made a DIY video about this, but I used the @AdamsPolishes Graphene Ceramic Spray coating to coat my car for under $100 all-in.
Video:
Coating:
Surface prep:

🧵: The @Tesla Model 3/Y Accessories / Mods I Use Myself and Recommend! - Interior Protection

- Floor Mats: @3DMatsUSA Kagu Floor Liners - I've used these in multiple vehicles now and they're super durable, fit great and clean up well. Make sure to select 5 or 7 seat (or other car) accordingly! (Use code: FLASCH3D10 for discount):
Carpet variant:
- Trunk liner: @3DMatsUSA (Use code: FLASCH3D10 for discount):
- Seatback cover: @3DMatsUSA (Use code: FLASCH3D10 for discount):
- Frunk liner: @3DMatsUSA (Use code: FLASCH3D10 for discount):
- Rear subtrunk liner:@3DMatsUSA (Use code: FLASCH3D10 for discount):
- Seat coating: This coating makes it easier to clean the vegan leather seats and less susceptible to staining whether you have white or black seats:
- Screen protector: I'm a huge fan of matte screen protectors in vehicles for reducing reflections and visibility of finger prints - this @SpigenWorld one is super easy to install:
- Rear floor vent screens: This one seems silly, but on my prior Model S, I actually had a small pebble end up in the under seat rear vent and I had to take apart half the interior to get it out and stop the annoying rolling sound - these prevent things from getting into those vents (especially recommend if you have kids):

🧵: The @Tesla Model 3/Y Accessories / Mods I Use Myself and Recommend! - Phone Mounts / Charging

- Screen-mount MagSafe mount/charger: The MagSafe portion of this is the same that I used in my Rivian, but this @SpigenWorld mount uses 3M adhesive to the corner / back of the center screen to attach and has an arm that can go on the top or side of the screen depending on if you want your phone vertical (good for maps) or horizontal (good for filming):
- USB-C extension needed to reach console: See photo 2, but I have the cable routed behind the screen and along / behind the passenger side console trim - in order to reach the under-armrest console, you'll need an extension (1.5ft was too short - get the 3ft):
- Non-charging variant: Same mount as above, but without charging:
- Vent mount / instrument cluster style: This is a clever mount that attaches by clamping onto the lower vent holes on the 3/Y dash. Stable mount, can be moved across the dash as needed and has a good range of motion. I like that the MagSafe portion is open so that if needed, you can direct the AC vents onto your phone to keep it cool and actually have it reach your phone. This is non-charging.
- Console cable pass-through: This is such a simple accessory, but one of my favorites - it's just a bar with holes so your cables for wired charging can pass through rather than have the console close on them and look messy - I use it with Apple Lightning cables:
- USB-A to USB-C & USB-C to USB-A adapters: Not a required bit, but handy if you have friends/family in your car that may bring their own charging cable and want to plug in:
- 12V splitter: Allows you to use the single outlet under the armrest to power more than one item. In my case, I have my radar detector, the below 120W USB-C charger and another USB charger plugged in:
- 120W 12V USB-C charger: I use this to power my 14" MacBook Pro when working from the car:

Note: You'll want a bare iPhone, MagSafe case or adhesive MagSafe ring for the MagSafe mounts to be effective

🧵: The @Tesla Model 3/Y Accessories / Mods I Use Myself and Recommend! - Radar Detector / Mounting

Radar detectors may be a bit controversial, but they are legal in 48 US states (all but Virginia and DC) and IMO they're a good idea to have if you drive a lot, even if you don't speed a lot.

- Radar detector I have (@Uniden_America R7):
- Newer version of radar detector I have (Uniden R8): (well-recommended by @BLKMDL3 - probably not worth upgrading if you have an R7, but if you're starting fresh - get this):
- Video on how mine is mounted from @TeslaBlaine: At least on my car, I didn't need to take the console apart this much - I peeled back the trim starting in the rear with a trim tool and pulled it back enough to get to where I needed the wires to cross from being tucked along the bottom of the trim and up into the armrest console:
- Mount: You'll use an included MagSafe adhesive ring on the bottom of your radar detector to use this mount and have it above the screen. Be mindful to leave a slight gap between the detector and the screen or you'll likely end up with an annoying rattle on bumps like I did at first.
- Cable: This cable is long enough that you can route it along / behind the passenger side console trim (like the phone mount cable on previous tweet in thread) and have it hard-wired-ish without actually cutting or messing with wiring:

🧵: The @Tesla Model 3/Y Accessories / Mods I Use Myself and Recommend! - Interior Lighting

- Front footwell lighting / puddle lights / glovebox: (Use code "NOMAD" for 10% off): @Abstract_Ocean Ultra-Bright Light Bundle (can also get individually - I went with all white for a clean and bright look):
- Rear footwell lighting: Install these at the same time as the front lights or you'll have to do more work. Model 3/Y do not have rear footwell lights from the factory so these are a nice addition. @Abstract_Ocean Premium Rear Footwell Lights: (Use code "NOMAD" for 10% off)
- Trunk lighting: This replaces the factory light and is a slightly more involved install requiring the trunk interior panel to be removed, but adds a ton of light to the trunk area. @Abstract_Ocean Mega-Bright Trunk Light (Use code "NOMAD" for 10% off):
- Illuminated Door Sills: I'd probably skip these at $250, but if you have @Tesla referral points, they are quite nice.

🧵: The @Tesla Model 3/Y Accessories / Mods I Use Myself and Recommend! - Interior Storage

- Center console sliding tray: I tried 4 different trays before deciding this was the one I was keeping - it has a useful layout, nice lip to grab it and slides easily. Wish it was just plain black rather than with the fake carbon accent, but it's subtle enough that it's fine. @SpigenWorld Console Organizer Tray:
- Under-armrest console tray: I don't actually have this in my car because my under-armrest console is too full with my hotspot and such (this won't work with the 12V splitter in a previous tweet of the thread), but I know many people are not me, so this is a nice tray from @SpigenWorld:
- Under-armrest "hidden" storage: I tried 2 other options that both felt flimsy and cheap, but this one is nice with a press release rather than a sliding door. With this, you can use space that's otherwise unusable: @SpigenWorld Hidden Storage box:
- Under-seat bins: These are clutch look factory - they add additional driver and/or passenger accessible storage into the forward cabin. You can even get a second set if you really want to and put them in back too:
- Glovebox hooks: These hooks from @JowuaLife are slick - I'd be careful not to put too much weight on them, but they're great for grocery bags, a woman's (smaller) purse, etc. I also appreciate that they even have foam on the backside to not damage your glovebox. (be mindful that there are 2 variants depending on the year of your 3/Y as the thickness of the glovebox door changed):
- Cupholder stabilizer: If you've been in a Model 3/Y, you understand why this is necessary, but if not - the cupholders are too big and drinks flop around. This adds an actual divider between the 2 positions and adds spring-loaded "wings" to stabilize the items in the cupholders. I tried 6 different cupholder inserts, but they all made the cupholders too small to fit 20oz Gatorades without taking the liner out when removing the bottle, so I settled for the stabilizer. I would prefer a basic thin liner to use with this if possible for easier cupholder cleaning, but this will do for now:
- Forward sub-trunk access strap: This is for 5 seat Model Y only, but if you've tried to access the forward section of the Model Y sub trunk, you'll know why this is needed - it's very difficult to actually lift that panel for access, so this is a simple velcro strap from @Abstract_Ocean to make it easier to lift: (Use code "NOMAD" for 10% off)
- SSD for Dashcam / Sentry Mode (storage in a different sense šŸ˜…) - Realistically, this is overkill for dash cam / Sentry duty, but reasonably priced and way more storage and should be more durable than the included flash drive:

🧵: The @Tesla Model 3/Y Accessories / Mods I Use Myself and Recommend! - Tire Repair Products

Below are some items that I recommend keeping in any car, EV or not so that you don't end up stranded or needing a tow truck for something simple like a flat tire due to a nail.

Video I made about preparing for a road trip:

- Battery tire inflator: This is a reasonably priced battery-powered, USB-C charging air compressor. Topping off all 4 tires didn't even use one bar of battery.
- Tire puncture repair kit: I've used these kits 4+ times to do parking lot or even interstate-side tire repairs for screw/nail punctures and it does the job every time. There are fancier kits, but realistically this is all you need and I generally view these as one-time-use anyway as once you open the rubber cement, it'll likely be dried out by the time you need to use it again anyway, so better to just always have a fresh kit you can count on, especially when they're only $6:
- Tire pressure gauge: This particular Longacre gauge is totally overkill for most people, but I've had it for years - the more important bit is that I recommend using a gauge separate from whatever you're using to inflate the tires to get a more accurate reading. I usually overinflate the tires slightly from the recommended pressure and then use this to bleed out a bit to get them all even.
- Gloves: You'll want some gloves in your car if you have to use the tire repair kit unless you want to get rubber cement and plug goop on your hands. Any gloves will do, but here are some decent nitrile gloves - can also use these for the detailing supplies in the next tweet:

🧵: The @Tesla Model 3/Y Accessories / Mods I Use Myself and Recommend! - On The Go Detailing Supplies

Left to Right (+2 more):
- Gyeon LeatherShield: As mentioned in the interior protection tweet of this thread, this helps protect the white or black interior from staining and make it easier to clean (yes, it's already stain resistant and easy to clean, but this adds to it):
- Bug Off: This is a concentrate that you dilute and put into a secondary bottle (below) and I spray it onto a buggy front end surfaces before using a touchless car wash to help get the bugs off (hence the name šŸ˜‰):
- Secondary bottle for Bug Off: Spray bottle to use to mix / dilute the concentrate above - any bottle will do, but make sure it's actually intended for use with chemicals:
- Sprayway Glass Cleaner: This can be purchased pretty much anywhere, but this is a great foaming glass cleaner that I've been using for years. I don't even bother with squeegees in the rare times they're available - I just use this and a microfiber on road trips:
- CarPro Inside: This is a bit pricey, but it smells good and works great (has enzymes to help with body oils, etc) on any and all interior surfaces without leaving any sheen or residue - I use this with a microfiber on the seats, dash, door panels, etc:
- @AdamsPolishes Graphene Detail Spray: I use this when wiping down the car following a touchless wash to refresh the coating (as mentioned in the prior exterior protection tweet):
- 303 Aerospace Protectant: I use this in place of tire shine (leaves the tires looking clean, but not overly shiny), in the wheel wells, on the plastic exterior trim - adds UV protection and nice sheen but not a slimy shine:
- Costco Microfiber towels: Microfibers from Costco are a heck of a deal at ~$16 for 36, but if you're not a Costco member, here's an alternative:
- Detailing brush: This is super helpful with CarPro inside for getting dust from the tight areas like window switches:
- Gloves: I recommend wearing gloves with these products to either keep your hands clean or for sake of keeping the chemicals off your skin - any will do:

🧵: The @Tesla Model 3/Y Accessories / Mods I Use Myself and Recommend! - On The Go Charging

- Tesla J1772 to Tesla/NACS Adapter: This is included with every new Tesla sold (the only piece of charging equipment included), but if you lost it, replace it with a Tesla one (don't bother with aftermarket). This is handy for public charging:
- J1772 Adapter Interlock: This is what @teslaflexx likes to call the "Karen Lock" but it prevents people from unplugging you when using the J1772 adapter (the adapter will remain locked to the car if not using this) by covering the release latch on the J1772 handle until you unplug the whole assembly from your car:
- CCS to Tesla/NACS Adapter: This one is fairly self-explanatory, but it allow you to use CCS stations with your Tesla - many won't need this, but it never hurts to have more charging options when on a road trip. I could make an affiliate commission putting an aftermarket option here, but don't bother with the aftermarket ones that have questionable safety and just get the Tesla one. Additionally, many CPOs have banned aftermarket adapters from their networks as reported by @tommolog:
Adapter:
- Tesla/NACS extension: This one is a bit of a gray area in the questionable safety of aftermarket adapters - an extension like this from Lectron can be very handy, but I would use caution and be sure to follow the 48A rating as the cable will not stop you from exceeding it, nor do I know if there is a temperature safety switch in it. It will let you use it for DCFC, but do NOT use it for that. Use with caution. (Use code "BrandenFlasch7" for 7% off)

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