Buying info

[jaygatz4213]

hi all. First time poster, long time lurker. Looking to get into Tesla’s with a roadster purchase. Pretty new with the ins and out. I want a 1.5 for low vin, collectibility, and price.

How are so absolute must check out before purchasing a 2008 Roadster?
Ie battery CAC ?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jaygatz4213]

Hi all. First time poster, long time lurker. Looking to get into Tesla’s with a roadster purchase. Pretty new with the ins and out. I want a 1.5 for low vin, collectibility, and price.

What are some absolute must check out items before purchasing a 2008 Roadster?
Ie battery CAC ?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Corrected for spelling

 

[gregd]

Battery CAC is probably the #1 item, but best is to have the car checked out by a Tesla Service Center. Specifically ask them for the battery CAC (not just "good"), and also for any errors that show up in the logs. Decoder is here: Roadster VDS Messages It won't be a free service, but the peace of mind will be worth it. This can be a problem if the car is with a used car dealer; a private sale will be better, in that the owner needs to be the one dealing with Tesla (for privacy reasons).

You can also grab the logs yourself with a USB stick (4gb or less). Put a directory at the top level named "VehicleLogs" (case is important), and insert it into the USB outlet under the center console . Make sure the car is off and not charging. The download takes about 15 minutes or so. The decoders for the log file are available on the web: VMS Log Parser for Tesla Roadster

Don't forget the usual used car stuff - brakes, tires, lights, suspension, body, and interior stuff. Also have patience in your search. It may take some time for the right car to become available.

Good luck, and welcome!

 

[Roadster]

Welcome to TMC, @jaygatz4213. From your search criteria it seems you’re interested in either a Founders' or Signature series Roadster. They’re out there but very rarely come up for sale. Sig #35 was discussed here and still appears to be for sale @ Shift.com. Founders #16 was offered for sale last year here but I believe has since found a new home.

ESS health, PEM condition and service records will get you most of the info you need. IMHO, if you can find a car being offered by any of the active Roadster members here, you could check off all those at the same time. A couple to look at (though neither are Founders' or Sig) would be @Msjulie's and @dhrivnak's which have both received 3.0 "R80" upgrades:

2008 Roadster
Tesla Roadster 1.5/3.0 for Sale $87,499