New member- Bunch of stuff wanted to clear up

[Tesluh]

hey guys, not a Tesla driver yet or should I say driver and passenger lol but very interested in getting an ev.

first, would anyone here give me thoughts and opinions on a couple Tesla 3s that were at copart here in Houston past few weeks. One has front end damage (which is normally not what you want in an ICE vehicle) , looks like the bumper and headlight possibly some suspension stuff and has a buy it now for 20k. I don’t have the link right now but if they are still there just search copart Houston location telsa. There were a few of them. Basically I am still not clear on what the deal is with regards to :

*if a car has been salvaged , does that means Tesla no longer honors the battery warranty?
*is a salvage 3 worth 20K with about as many miles (assuming the battery is good)?
*how can one tell if the battery is still good at an auction site?

I saw yet another video today of Tesla swapped batteries into an ICE vehicle and I wanted to ask it seems all or most of the swaps are Tesla , at the least the ones on you tube, if anyone knows if going with Tesla batteries Is the way to go on a conversion or what’s the deal as far as cost, range and performance versus other makers batteries in terms of doing a conversion.

Thanks

 

[RScottyL]

So, you don't say what your whole goal is!

If I understand correctly, you are looking to buy one of the salvage model 3's and use the parts to convert an ICE vehicle to an electric vehicle?

If you are looking to get the Tesla fixed up and repaired, I believe you will need to go through a recertification process for them to give you any remaining warranty on the vehicles.

 

[davewill]

... If you are looking to get the Tesla fixed up and repaired, I believe you will need to go through a recertification process for them to give you any remaining warranty on the vehicles.

My understanding is that if it's been salvaged, the warranty is history. The recert process is just to get Tesla to be willing to do service, and to maybe get Supercharging turned back on.

 

[Dana1]

hey guys, not a Tesla driver yet or should I say driver and passenger lol but very interested in getting an ev.

first, would anyone here give me thoughts and opinions on a couple Tesla 3s that were at copart here in Houston past few weeks. One has front end damage (which is normally not what you want in an ICE vehicle) , looks like the bumper and headlight possibly some suspension stuff and has a buy it now for 20k. I don’t have the link right now but if they are still there just search copart Houston location telsa. There were a few of them. Basically I am still not clear on what the deal is with regards to :

*if a car has been salvaged , does that means Tesla no longer honors the battery warranty?
*is a salvage 3 worth 20K with about as many miles (assuming the battery is good)?
*how can one tell if the battery is still good at an auction site?

I saw yet another video today of Tesla swapped batteries into an ICE vehicle and I wanted to ask it seems all or most of the swaps are Tesla , at the least the ones on you tube, if anyone knows if going with Tesla batteries Is the way to go on a conversion or what’s the deal as far as cost, range and performance versus other makers batteries in terms of doing a conversion.

Thanks

Tesla will not allow a salvaged vehicle to supercharge. Parts can be expensive & time consuming, if the point is to have a Tesla I’d (personally) avoid a damaged vehicle. You can’t tell if it’s good at auction site. You might get a little info from energy consumption graph and charging page but I wouldn’t think it’d have significant value. You can try taking VIN to Service Center but hit or miss if they’ll give you info.

If you’re thinking to swap the battery into another vehicle this will be expensive unless you have the skills and shop to do it yourself. The fact that you’re here implies to me that you don’t. It’s probably easier to take an intact Tesla chassis, remove the body, and install a classic car body with similar wheelbase on top. Still won’t be cheap.

 

[hugh_jassol]

I suggest you check out the youtube channel of "Rich Rebuilds" as he does exactly this - buys salvaged Teslas and fixes them.

 

[Tam]

...*if a car has been salvaged , does that means Tesla no longer honors the battery warranty?

Correct. That what salvage title for. Tesla is off the hook.

...*is a salvage 3 worth 20K with about as many miles (assuming the battery is good)?...

Have no idea. You can disassemble it and sell the modules or individual cells.

If you are not in the business, profit is hard to come by.

...*how can one tell if the battery is still good at an auction site?...

If you can charge it up and it stills reads out about 310 miles.

...if going with Tesla batteries Is the way to go on a conversion...

For a beginner, I am not sure Tesla batteries is the way to go because it involves liquid cooling system while older Leaf doesn't need it.

 

[jjrandorin]

My advice on this type of stuff is pretty simple. If you have post and ask questions about "how" then you are not the right person to buy that car from auction.

Doing it that way its highly likely your "cheap" tesla will end up costing almost as much as a new one eventually, but with a LOT more pain and suffering to get there, if you ever do.

You would know if you were the right person for it already... you work in a body shop etc or some other car related field, have done several rebuilds of other cars and have access to the supply chain for cheap parts etc.

 

[Tesluh]

Thanks for all the reply’s.

Basically want to get into a Tesla or conversion ev at the lowest possible cost. Rich rebuilds says it cost less than 10k for his model s, though I think he did some work himself and sold a donor car. Say the copart vehicle is all good and just needs a bumper and headlight. the process is it to get recertified, figure out about the supercharging and then your good to go? There have been a few model s here for around 30k which have been tempting but the battery is only covered for few years at this point. Would you go with that or take a shot with a copart 3? Wanted to get your thoughts and opinions

Also what’s the deal with used model s pricing as in I read here that people were getting low offers selling back to Tesla yet I don’t see any model s for sale at a price higher than what Tesla is offering but lower than I can get from a used dealer around 30k?

 

[WarpedOne]

Basically want to get into a Tesla or conversion ev at the lowest possible cost.

Lease or buy a CPO Tesla.
Anything and everything else is a gamble that will in 1% of cases turn into news-articles and in 99% into tears.
At the end of the day there is no free lunch. If you do not pay with money, you pay with your health.

 

[forkee]

you might get it cheap at the beginning but will only run into headaches and more expenses just to get it into "acceptable" category. i wouldn't take this risk even if it meant possibly getting it 50% off. It's just not worth it.

Look on facebook marketplace or check out the groups on there for teslas for sale. good deals pop up all the time from private sellers just looking to upgrade or sell theirs. That's where I ended up selling my 3 for a good price. You just need to have patience

 

[timk225]

For a beginner, I am not sure Tesla batteries is the way to go because it involves liquid cooling system while older Leaf doesn't need it.

It's not that the Leaf doesn't NEED it, it is that the Leaf doesn't HAVE it. Inferior design compared to Tesla.

Don't bother trying to get a wrecked Tesla cheap and fix it, it'll be a lot of work, nothing will be cheap, and even if you do succeed, Tesla will not support the car with any warranty and maybe not supercharging.

 

[ckoval7]

Say the copart vehicle is all good and just needs a bumper and headlight. the process is it to get recertified, figure out about the supercharging and then your good to go?

Remember, the reason it's in there is because an insurance company determined it wasn't worth the money to fix it and they just wrote it off instead. If your goal is to save money, this might not be the place to look. If your goal is to learn how to rebuild cars and can spend the money on tools, parts, and probably time off from work, then definitely go for it.

 

[Rocky_H]

Basically want to get into a Tesla or conversion ev at the lowest possible cost.

Then that is exactly the opposite and wrong reason for trying to do this. The type of person who can do this already has the skills and experience and knowledge of auto body work, engineering skills, electrical knowledge, a very complete workshop and tool set, etc. and they get to apply all of that set of things they already have and end up with a cheaper car as a side bonus.

You are trying to buy the car cheap and then figure out how to acquire all of those capabilities/skills/assets/knowledge to make it work. That is not realistic.

 

[dk10438]

i3
it's cheap

 

[Wennfred]

You don’t know if the battery leaked and there are other issues that will come up later.

Wait for the lease returns

Fred

 

[darth_vad3r]

Basically want to get into a Tesla or conversion ev at the lowest possible cost. Rich rebuilds says it cost less than 10k for his model s, though I think he did some work himself and sold a donor car

Rich probably didn’t include the cost of his tools, shop time, and labour. Do you have all of the tools, shop space, and his experience? If yes, you could replicate his experience possibly. If no, you need to acquire tools, space, and knowledge first, then donate your own time for free. It will cost a lot (and be risky).

Say the copart vehicle is all good and just needs a bumper and headlight

If it just needed a bumper and a headlight don’t you think the insurance company would have had it repaired?