Holding on to your Roadster. . .

[shrink]

I don’t think category 2 will ever be a meaningful demographic. Tesla intends to be a mass market car company and the current customers are chasing the latest and greatest.

Maybe, maybe not.

Apple is pretty mass market and their early computers have been quite valuable. Heck, I’d love to have a mint condition 1st gen iPod to keep as a collectibe right now (and I do not).

Getting back to cars, some Ford and Chevy models are collectibles. They’re as mass market as they come.

I think the Roadster as a collectible is a reasonable bet, but clearly no sure thing.

It’s like a horse race, I guess. Decent odds, but anything can happen.

Funny, in that Green Car Reports article I linked earlier, I’ve actually owned/currently own all 3 of those cars. The LEAF was a POS, especially living in a desert. I love my Roadster, but due to practical concerns (small size, limited storage, 2-seater, maintenance challenges, etc.) I’ve considered selling but just can’t pull the trigger to date. My 6-year old Signature Model S is fantastic; while no longer the latest and greatest it was well ahead of its time and still a great car. I’m content with the Sig MS and in no rush to upgrade to an AP Model right now.

I can easily see why the S could be a future collectible, but I’d personally bet on the Roadster.

 

[djf]

The lasting iconic beauty of the Roadster can be seen in today's (August 5, 2018) posting on Tesla's financials (below). Whilst the company's fate rests on the Model 3 and other 'in-the-pipeline' models (semis, etc), it is the beauteous old Roadster that gets the spotlight in the infographic below. Yes, it has the Lotus Elise's aesthetic pedigree, and it is now generations behind and utterly 'primitive'. But still it radiates iconic Tesla beauty and tech - timelessly. My hope is that the vehicle (mine looks exactly like the one pictured) can be physically maintained, as more than an iconic graphic!

 

[slcasner]

That is one of the earliest marketing photos of EP2 from 2006. That photo, rotated 90 degrees clockwise, has been my computer wallpaper since it was released. It is exactly the same as my car, too.

 

[plundy]

VERY well said. I think that category 2 will eventually become quite a large group. I think there are already quite a few of them out there, who cycle through Tesla's pretty quickly (P85-->P85+-->P85D-->P85DL-->P90D-->P100D) because they always want to experience the latest and greatest. If you have the money to get a new Tesla every year and you're interested in doing so, eventually your interest will hark back to something that is limited edition and no longer in production. Roadster fits that bill (as does perhaps a P85+ w/ AP1 in green w/ a grey interior and rear facing seats)

I'm not sure how big group 3 will be, but Roadster fits the bill here perfectly:
- First highway legal EV in the modern EV era
- First EV w/ >200 miles of range
- Longest range EV (2008-2012) & single charge EV record holder (301 miles), subsequently broken in 2012/2013
- Fastest EV (2008-2014)
- First car in space (2018)
Also, at just 2500 total production, they are quite rare. For perspective, Lamborghini made more Murcielago's (4100) than Roadsters.

@ecarfan you still have Roadster 425?

I bought that lovely Very Orange #425 Roadster from @ecarfan and am loving it. Best damn sports car. Little interior amenities and instant speed make it drivers car.@ecarfan also was meticulous in keeping the car in perfect (for ten years old) condition.

 

[backmost]

Even if the Roadsters don't become crazy valued classics, I don't see the prices going too much lower than they're at right now.

Upper $40k for a 1.5 seems about as low as it'll get.

 

[bart513]

There are a few nice roadsters for sale that aren’t moving. It gives me pause to put mine up for sale.

 

[shrink]

Unscientific poll results:

Which modern electric car will be the first classic? Twitter poll results

 

[shrink]

One more thought - I just realized tomorrow is my 5-year anniversary of Roadster ownership. I did hand wash it over the weekend and it's really hard to believe the car is 8-years old. I feel compelled to share a post-wash picture.

The car still looks stunning.

While I still might sell in the coming months, it's really, really hard for me to do so...

 

[bart513]

One more thought - I just realized tomorrow is my 5-year anniversary of Roadster ownership. I did hand wash it over the weekend and it's really hard to believe the car is 8-years old. I feel compelled to share a post-wash picture.

The car still looks stunning.

While I still might sell in the coming months, it's really, really hard for me to do so...

View attachment 324283

It looks awesome @shrink !!

 

[Roadster]

@shrink FTW w/that ClipperCreek post mounted HPC tho...!

 

[dhrivnak]

@shrink FTW w/that Clipper Creek post mounted HPC tho...!

That is the original charger that was sold for 70 amp charging on the Roadster. I too have one of those classic chargers.

 

[Roadster]

Most are normally wall mounted. Seeing one on the ClipperCreek commercial post mount for residential use is splendid.

 

[Mike75d]

I was interested to read through this thread. When we think of people like us who are EV enthusiasts, the Roadster is the only real classic. As more and more people turn to EVs and more and more away from ICE cars, which is inevitable, the Roadster will be the most sought after classic as there are no other real options. Given the fact that it was designed by Elon Musk and built with carbon fiber in limited numbers, it is a rare Tesla as well as a rare Lotus. I wouldn't be surprised to see McLaren F1 type growth on the rare build Roadsters. The 1990s McLaren F1 sold for around $1m and now goes for $12 to18m per unit. I know even the F1 growth is pretty standard when compared to real estate or stocks. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see $1m Roadsters in 20 years from now.

 

[tvuolo]

By then mine should have 300,000 miles on it.

 

[DeedWest]

By then mine should have 300,000 miles on it.

I'll race you!!!

 

[X.l.r.8]

In that case I’m going to keep driving

 

[AtAge19]

With the 3.0 battery, my Roadster will take me pretty much anywhere I would want to drive to on my own. Beyond that, I'd fly, take the train, or travel with family members in a larger car. I also have no desire to race or track the cars; 1.9 seconds may rarely get exercised, but for the most part, 3.9 seconds is nearly as effective in real life; going over, say, 80mph, probably never (at least not with witnesses).

@gregd,

Based on your extensive in-depth knowledge as well as past experiences, in which manner, if any, may you correlate the chance of unexpectedly replacing your Tesla Roadster’s P.E.M. to the miles driven? How may one decrease the chance of P.E.M. failure? How may one increase the chance of P.E.M. failure?

Feel free to P.M.,

Thanks In Advance,

Hope to hear from you soon,

Sincerely,

- P.

 

[im4uttx]

What a great "old" thread...even found another current roadster owner in Austin area (started conversation).

As far as future value of the Roadster, I'm not sure anyone should be "investing" in it for retirement or to sell for cash towards another vehicle in the future. Just too many ways it can go, well, 3 to be exact, down, stable or up...but 2 of those won't help to get into another car.

As for me, I read a couple posts similar to my thoughts...I bought it because it really fits me AND my driving...that is besides the other reasons that is truly is fun to drive and looks great on the road or sitting still.

As long as I'm still driving, I will own this car. I've only put 1700 miles on it in just under 4 months, but those are some of the hottest months in Texas history. I'll be driving it as often as the weather allows me this fall/winter/spring. It really makes me want to find things to drive to, and find time to drive it more often, even if it's just to the grocery store.

Anyone who buys one for future value (or keeps one as a garage queen) is wasting an opportunity to have fun. It MAY go up in value eventually, and only putting 1000 miles on it over the course of many years may help the value a little, but driving it seems to be worth a lot more than some $ years down the road (just fell into that one).

Sure, there are maintenance issues we'll all be working our way through. Perhaps LARGE issues take away from the thrill, especially when the issues prevent us from driving it, and if the enjoyment is no longer there, then it will be time to find another source of enjoyment.

My wife said I have a different "smile" when I'm driving it compared to my other car...it's true.

 

[gregd]

@gregd,

Based on your extensive in-depth knowledge as well as past experiences, in which manner, if any, may you correlate the chance of unexpectedly replacing your Tesla Roadster’s P.E.M. to the miles driven? How may one decrease the chance of P.E.M. failure? How may one increase the chance of P.E.M. failure?

Feel free to P.M.,

Thanks In Advance,

Hope to hear from you soon,

Sincerely,

- P.

So, I have no more depth in knowledge than most in this regard, but based on discussions here I think the major factors in PEM life is probably heat and time. The PEM Fan connector is a "wear item", in that every time the PEM is taken off and cleaned we wear a bit of the metal away from the contacts, and that's bad. But if you don't clean it about every year or so, the junk we vacuum up from the road gets packed into the PEM and motor, causing them to overheat. The 1.5's appear to be a bit better in this regard than the 2.x, both in terms of the connector, and the air path, but it's a weak spot in the design of both cars. I can't imagine why they didn't put a filter on it, and some have figured out a retrofit to do that.

Best idea is to keep a watch on things and I recommend grabbing the car's logs every month to check for diagnostic alerts that might not be shown in the cabin. 1146, in particular, is a warning that the PEM Fan connector may be having some trouble. The alerts are also captured by the OVMSv3 module if you have one.

 

[thefortunes]

@gregd,

Based on your extensive in-depth knowledge as well as past experiences, in which manner, if any, may you correlate the chance of unexpectedly replacing your Tesla Roadster’s P.E.M. to the miles driven? How may one decrease the chance of P.E.M. failure? How may one increase the chance of P.E.M. failure?

Feel free to P.M.,

Thanks In Advance,

Hope to hear from you soon,

Sincerely,

- P.

Question wasn't addressed to me, but I will still respond...

If you clean your PEM annually (dependent on your driving conditions) or have it cleaned AND REPLACE YOUR INSULATION before it totally degrades causing a short in the PEM, I do not believe you will have a problem.