My Tesla Model S Plaid

[Excaliber]

Should have bought a new one. You missed some nice upgrades since 2021.

A new one is about 135k
I typically buy a 2 year old car because of the depreciation.
This one has the optional 21" wheels that are a 4800.00 option and full
autopilot.
I will never use the autopilot or even cruise or any other Nanny features since I want to drive the car not have it drive me.
It looks like it has bigger sized brakes than stock.
The back ones look a lot bigger.
I'm happy paying 76k and all I really wanted was the 0-60 in 2 seconds and 9.4 on the 1/4 @ 151 mph.
The stereo is really good just needs the Sub that I'm adding to make it a Thumper.

 

[Yelobird]

A new one is about 135k
I typically buy a 2 year old car because of the depreciation.
This one has the optional 21" wheels that are a 4800.00 option and full
autopilot.
I will never use the autopilot or even cruise or any other Nanny features since I want to drive the car not have it drive me.
It looks like it has bigger sized brakes than stock.
The back ones look a lot bigger.
I'm happy paying 76k and all I really wanted was the 0-60 in 2 seconds and 9.4 on the 1/4 @ 151 mph.
The stereo is really good just needs the Sub that I'm adding to make it a Thumper.

Not sure where you got 135k. I picked up a 2023 Plaid custom color, 21”wheels, white interior with 12 miles from Tesla for 106k. I agree since “money is no issue” new would have been the smart play.

 

[Excaliber]

Not sure where you got 135k. I picked up a 2023 Plaid custom color, 21”wheels, white interior with 12 miles from Tesla for 106k. I agree since “money is no issue” new would have been the smart play.

It's good you can afford losing the depreciation on a new car.
To each his own.

This is what I came up on a search

How much is a 2023 Model S Plaid fully loaded?

How Much Does a Fully Loaded 2023 Tesla Model S Cost?

The 2023 Tesla Model S and its Plaid trim could tick every box from practicality to performance. However, Tesla's luxury EV sedan doesn't come cheap.

www.motorbiscuit.com

$133,240

The tri-motor Model S Plaid starts out at an MSRP of $108,490 with zero upgrades. All-in, however, you're looking at a purchase price of $133,240, including those same Arachnid wheels that again sacrifice a bit of range (~48 miles).Aug 16, 2023

This car has the Full Self Driving that although I will probably never use adds to it's resale value.
Cars depreciate most in their first 2 years.
I also got Carmax's extended to 75k mile warranty.
Plus after 2 years any Lemon issues will have come up.

Also from the Tesla site about trade ins

Do aftermarket modifications affect trade in valuations?

Aftermarket vehicle modifications typically have a negative effect on trade-in valuations. It is best for trade-in vehicles to be in ‘stock’ or original state

My Jeep SRT was extensively modified.
It was painless trading the SRT in at Carmax.

But congratulations on your purchase since you got a good price.
I specifically didn't want the white or tan interior.

 

[Excaliber]

So I downloaded the latest software and got my phone working as a key.
The batteries for my fob are coming today.
Further to trading in a modified vehicle to Tesla,
My Jeep was a forged Prochargered Arrington 426 Hemi with long tube headers, a Comp Cam and an HP Tuners tune dynoed by Modern Muscle to 646 awhp.
It was a lot of fun but was a thirsty beast that got 11-14 mpg on premium fuel.
I was spending 5-600.00 a month for gas.
It also had a 2500 watt rms stereo that I didn't feel like removing.
I have amps and components coming out of my ears so I just put some old and cheaper amps in for the trade.
Someone will get a real nice stereo.
I also let the AL Priority Laser Jammer go since I didn't want to remove the front nose and buy new grilles.
I'll just spend some of my money and get new components to go with the parts I have left over from having AL jammers in 3 cars.

 

[Yelobird]

It's good you can afford losing the depreciation on a new car.
To each his own.

This is what I came up on a search

How much is a 2023 Model S Plaid fully loaded?

How Much Does a Fully Loaded 2023 Tesla Model S Cost?

The 2023 Tesla Model S and its Plaid trim could tick every box from practicality to performance. However, Tesla's luxury EV sedan doesn't come cheap.

www.motorbiscuit.com

$133,240

The tri-motor Model S Plaid starts out at an MSRP of $108,490 with zero upgrades. All-in, however, you're looking at a purchase price of $133,240, including those same Arachnid wheels that again sacrifice a bit of range (~48 miles).Aug 16, 2023

This car has the Full Self Driving that although I will probably never use adds to it's resale value.
Cars depreciate most in their first 2 years.
I also got Carmax's extended to 75k mile warranty.
Plus after 2 years any Lemon issues will have come up.

Also from the Tesla site about trade ins

Do aftermarket modifications affect trade in valuations?

Aftermarket vehicle modifications typically have a negative effect on trade-in valuations. It is best for trade-in vehicles to be in ‘stock’ or original state

My Jeep SRT was extensively modified.
It was painless trading the SRT in at Carmax.

But congratulations on your purchase since you got a good price.
I specifically didn't want the white or tan interior.

Sorry still have no clue what you’re saying. As pointed out simply going to the Tesla site and viewing inventory there are Many 2023 new Plaid models around 104k. Second, You were the one bragging about how much money you make and money is not a concern nor needing “fully loaded” which is with FSD which you didn’t want. Finally, not sure that anyone has interest in your Jeep but after seeing how much you hacked it up with unnecessary mods and knobs I’m not really surprised by your low value trade offer. Nobody wants a hacked used car ever!

 

[Excaliber]

Sorry still have no clue what you’re saying. As pointed out simply going to the Tesla site and viewing inventory there are Many 2023 new Plaid models around 104k. Second, You were the one bragging about how much money you make and money is not a concern nor needing “fully loaded” which is with FSD which you didn’t want. Finally, not sure that anyone has interest in your Jeep but after seeing how much you hacked it up with unnecessary mods and knobs I’m not really surprised by your low value trade offer. Nobody wants a hacked used car ever!

Well whatever
Dealers typically only offer 2/3 retail value on a trade in.
Modding cars is a hobby of mine.
I'm glad you are pleased with your purchase.

 

[TLLMRRJ]

So you spent $76K to save $500-600/month in gasoline?

 

[Excaliber]

So you spent $76K to save $500-600/month in gasoline?

No
I had my fun with it and was tired of my SRT and wanted the world's fastest production EV.
I could easily afford the gas.
I had a Jeep Trackhawk with the 707 hp Hellcat engine that got written off
I also have a BMW EV iX M60 SUV

 

[Yelobird]

So you spent $76K to save $500-600/month in gasoline?

Last comment on this train wreck. Actually after cutting up the truck, gluing a key fob with dead batteries, and soon to be added radio shack knobs everywhere the car will be worth 40k If he can find desperate buyer lol.

 

[Excaliber]

Sorry still have no clue what you’re saying. As pointed out simply going to the Tesla site and viewing inventory there are Many 2023 new Plaid models around 104k. Second, You were the one bragging about how much money you make and money is not a concern nor needing “fully loaded” which is with FSD which you didn’t want. Finally, not sure that anyone has interest in your Jeep but after seeing how much you hacked it up with unnecessary mods and knobs I’m not really surprised by your low value trade offer. Nobody wants a hacked used car ever!

This is a friendly site and so far everybody has been helpful.
I think we are getting off track here.
This is my thread and I had my reasons for buying a slightly used Plaid.
Primarily I wanted to get rid of my SRT as painlessly as possible.
Tesla doesn't want modified cars as trade ins but CarMax had no problem with it and personally inspected it before giving me an offer.
The knobs you called useless are for adjusting the sub and tweeter levels, a kill switch for the laser jammers and a button for the backup camera squirter I added.
It's retail value was about 36-40k but I didn't want to sell it retail.
Now it's gone and I don't have to worry about the person I sold it to blowing it up.
I've only had the Plaid less than a week and so far have added a sunglass holder, V1 Radar detector, seatbelt extender and built a sub box..
I also have some side skirts and front and rear spoilers in Carbon Fiber that I'm going to install.
I like these things and can do what I want with my car.
Modding cars is a big hobby.
There are websites for the SRT and Trackhawk and the M6 Corvette I had where people post about their mods to make them faster etc.
There aren't any mods to do to EVs other than cosmetic and comfort mods and maybe big brake kits for the Plaid.

So despite your sarcasms let's be friends as others have been helpful and I don't have any unkind words for anyone.

 

[Excaliber]

Last comment on this train wreck. Actually after cutting up the truck, gluing a key fob with dead batteries, and soon to be added radio shack knobs everywhere the car will be worth 40k If he can find desperate buyer lol.

I'm only adding 1 knob for sub level control and a switch for the laser jammer I'm going to add and I ordered a fob holder that someone helpfully recommended.

 

[Yelobird]

This is a friendly site and so far everybody has been helpful.
I think we are getting off track here.
This is my thread and I had my reasons for buying a slightly used Plaid.
Primarily I wanted to get rid of my SRT as painlessly as possible.
Tesla doesn't want modified cars as trade ins but CarMax had no problem with it and personally inspected it before giving me an offer.
The knobs you called useless are for adjusting the sub and tweeter levels, a kill switch for the laser jammers and a button for the backup camera squirter I added.
It's retail value was about 36-40k but I didn't want to sell it retail.
Now it's gone and I don't have to worry about the person I sold it to blowing it up.
I've only had the Plaid less than a week and so far have added a sunglass holder, V1 Radar detector, seatbelt extender and built a sub box..
I also have some side skirts and front and rear spoilers in Carbon Fiber that I'm going to install.
I like these things and can do what I want with my car.
Modding cars is a big hobby.
There are websites for the SRT and Trackhawk and the M6 Corvette I had where people post about their mods to make them faster etc.
There aren't any mods to do to EVs other than cosmetic and comfort mods and maybe big brake kits for the Plaid.

So despite your sarcasms let's be friends as others have been helpful and I don't have any unkind words for anyone.

Your car your decision no question. Just know as an open forum some may disagree with your decisions which is a fair counterpoint. You do realize Carmax would buy your car with or without a purchase for the same value. Which is why several have questioned why you didn’t just buy new.

 

[Excaliber]

Your car your decision no question. Just know as an open forum some may disagree with your decisions which is a fair counterpoint. You do realize Carmax would buy your car with or without a purchase for the same value. Which is why several have questioned why you didn’t just buy new.

Well maybe I should have considered it but I haven't eaten all the brains so what's done has been done.
I think Carmax would have offered me less if I wasn't buying a car from them especially since it's modified.

Friends?

 

[Yelobird]

Well maybe I should have considered it but I haven't eaten all the brains so what's done has been done.
I think Carmax would have offered me less if I wasn't buying a car from them especially since it's modified.

Friends?

 

[PR0FESSOR]

@Excaliber, the combination of being new, posting images that show modifications of low quality, and expounding on your account balances may come across as abrasive to some. My advice would be to cut out the account balance discussions in your future posts, use the search feature extensively, and refrain from incongruous posts as much as possible.

Joe

 

[Excaliber]

@Excaliber, the combination of being new, posting images that show modifications of low quality, and expounding on your account balances may come across as abrasive to some. My advice would be to cut out the account balance discussions in your future posts, use the search feature extensively, and refrain from incongruous posts as much as possible.

Joe

I thank you for your critisism and I'll take it under advisement.

I apologize for posting about my balances in polite company which have come across as rude.
I have taken my lumps for that and I won't mention them again.
I don't think my sun glass holder or V1 Radar Detector mods are of low quality.
These are small things.
My sub box fits perfectly in the trunk and all my questions have been answered.
A Car Audio store will finish hooking up my sub and adding a level control.
I ordered the floor and trunk mats and a fob holder from Tesla.
My fob mod will do until the holder arrives later on in the week as Tesla has already
sent me a UPS tracking #
Today I found a second fob that had fallen under the driver floor carpet.
My Jeep is gone and I only posted about it because I used it as a trade in so I won't mention it again.
Beyond that I've mostly figured out the car and all that's left is installing my skirts
and spoilers which I think I'm going to paint black instead of leaving them Carbon Fiber.
The car came with a rear spoiler but I got one I like better.
In the future I'll use the search feature if I have any more questions.

Regards Dan

 

[emailforbrett]

I say to each their own and the man is proud of his car—as he should be. It’s a Plaid. Good on him for making it the way he likes it. I recall some dude on here a couple of years ago who made his Plaid entirely, well, plaid. Inside and out. Not my cup of tea and I’m sure he will take it in the shorts when it comes time to sell/trade, but I’d never criticize someone else for doing something that makes them happy.

Welcome to the Tesla forum my friend and enjoy the myriad of keyboard warriors this place has to offer!

 

[Plaidness]

I thought for sure this thread was a joke, but it seems the OP is nice guy, who, like he says, (didn't get) all the brains.

My advice, since it looks like you don't really know what you're doing, is to have any mods done by professionals. This car is different than some, and may not take well to some of the things you're changing.

It's obviously your car and you can do whatever you want. But most would consider those mods to be low quality at best, but more in the "Are you serious?" range. The idea of taking the high-tech fob for a car that is $100K+ and taping a part of a throwaway key onto it, without even understanding what each part of the fob does, is really strange to me and honestly looks ridiculous, but at least you're getting the right part to fix the situation.

Next, the dead pedal is not supposed to go over the floor mat. You've effectively bolted the very dirty floor mat to the body now, which will make it very difficult to clean, which seems like it will be needed frequently since you apparently spend a lot of time walking in mud. There's SO. MUCH. MUD. My advice would be to get an all-weather floor mat set that can be cleaned easily. It looks like you'll need it.

Next, a "thumper box" is not on the the list of mods of most Plaid owners as far as I know, especially not a home made one, but be careful with electrical wiring on this car, because it can cause problems if you tap into the wrong wire. Again, I'd let someone with experience handle this. Also, I'm not sure why the trunk is also covered in mud now unless either you're building the thumper box out of adobe, which is possible, or you were on all fours in the mud, but besides the look, that seems like a recipe for disaster with mud mixed in to the electrical wiring. Not to mention that it just doesn't look very good.

Even the radar detector hardwire is a no-go from my understanding on this car because of the way the wiring is set up. The sunglass holder is odd to me, but to each his/her own. There's adequate storage in the car and the door panel has a nice place for a sunglass case, or even a sunglass clip on the sunvisor would all have been better IMO. Also the blindspot mirrors seem completely unnecessary on this car which both shows you on the dash where the cars are around you, and pops up a camera view when you use the turn signal. You can even keep the cameras up full time if you want. The Pep Boys mirror things, which I honestly didn't know they still made, look very, very low rent.

I'm surprised you got that much for the Jeep, but congrats. The mods look homemade and the car isn't very well maintained, and I'm surprised that they weren't concerned that the supercharger might not be installed properly, but that's their problem now. Of note, your Jeep's seat is also covered in mud. Is your name Pigpen by any chance? Even your iX is all covered in mud on the inside.

I'm trying to understand what you did to your iX, but I can't. It looks like it will never be the same, though.

By the way, if you're going to get a Tesla wall connector, please, please leave it to the professionals to install. Otherwise we may be reading about you on the news.

I'm not trying to be mean, I'm honestly trying to provide some helpful advice for your safety and for the safety of those around you. Remember that permanent changes, especially ones that are done badly, can void your warranty and also lead to safety issues, and dramatically decrease the value of your car. Good luck.

 

[Unclepaul]

Sounds like OP is living the good life. Believe that after a short introductory period he will enjoy the hell out of his new PLAID!

 

[Excaliber]

I thought for sure this thread was a joke, but it seems the OP is nice guy, who, like he says, (didn't get) all the brains.

My advice, since it looks like you don't really know what you're doing, is to have any mods done by professionals. This car is different than some, and may not take well to some of the things you're changing.

It's obviously your car and you can do whatever you want. But most would consider those mods to be low quality at best, but more in the "Are you serious?" range. The idea of taking the high-tech fob for a car that is $100K+ and taping a part of a throwaway key onto it, without even understanding what each part of the fob does, is really strange to me and honestly looks ridiculous, but at least you're getting the right part to fix the situation.

Next, the dead pedal is not supposed to go over the floor mat. You've effectively bolted the very dirty floor mat to the body now, which will make it very difficult to clean, which seems like it will be needed frequently since you apparently spend a lot of time walking in mud. There's SO. MUCH. MUD. My advice would be to get an all-weather floor mat set that can be cleaned easily. It looks like you'll need it.

Next, a "thumper box" is not on the the list of mods of most Plaid owners as far as I know, especially not a home made one, but be careful with electrical wiring on this car, because it can cause problems if you tap into the wrong wire. Again, I'd let someone with experience handle this. Also, I'm not sure why the trunk is also covered in mud now unless either you're building the thumper box out of adobe, which is possible, or you were on all fours in the mud, but besides the look, that seems like a recipe for disaster with mud mixed in to the electrical wiring. Not to mention that it just doesn't look very good.

Even the radar detector hardwire is a no-go from my understanding on this car because of the way the wiring is set up. The sunglass holder is odd to me, but to each his/her own. There's adequate storage in the car and the door panel has a nice place for a sunglass case, or even a sunglass clip on the sunvisor would all have been better IMO. Also the blindspot mirrors seem completely unnecessary on this car which both shows you on the dash where the cars are around you, and pops up a camera view when you use the turn signal. You can even keep the cameras up full time if you want. The Pep Boys mirror things, which I honestly didn't know they still made, look very, very low rent.

I'm surprised you got that much for the Jeep, but congrats. The mods look homemade and the car isn't very well maintained, and I'm surprised that they weren't concerned that the supercharger might not be installed properly, but that's their problem now. Of note, your Jeep's seat is also covered in mud. Is your name Pigpen by any chance? Even your iX is all covered in mud on the inside.

I'm trying to understand what you did to your iX, but I can't. It looks like it will never be the same, though.

By the way, if you're going to get a Tesla wall connector, please, please leave it to the professionals to install. Otherwise we may be reading about you on the news.

I'm not trying to be mean, I'm honestly trying to provide some helpful advice for your safety and for the safety of those around you. Remember that permanent changes, especially ones that are done badly, can void your warranty and also lead to safety issues, and dramatically decrease the value of your car. Good luck.

Well I thank you for your concerns but I'm pretty well done with this thread.

The fob had a dead battery which I replaced and it all works now.
The sunglass holder is only held on with 2 way tape and I like not having to reach into the console or use a visor sunglass holder.
Companies make sub kits for Teslas and I'm having it wired in by a Car Audio shop that has done many Teslas and know what they are doing.



The V1 Radar detector is plugged into the accesory port using a 12 ft cable specifically for radar detectors and works fine.
I put it out of range of the side curtain airbags
I like my blindspot mirrors better than the Tesla cameras.
I've been using blindspot mirrors for 45 years..
There;s no point in putting a dead pedal cover under the carpet and I didn't feel like cutting it.
I have the Tesla floor mats coming.
The BMW I didn't like the big huge fugly grill and made a removable cover.


It can be removed without a trace.
I have a Chargepoint Level 2 charger for the BMW that was professionally installed and I use a Tesla adapter that works fine.
The Procharger on the Jeep was professionally installed and Tuned by Modern Muscle and has been working fine for 32k miles.
I gave Carmax all the paperwork.