Today's Roadster Orphan

[Dudeapa]

2008 Tesla Roadster Convertible - Excellent Condition
2008 Tesla Roadster
VIN: 136
Mileage: 22,8000
Price: $55,000
Craigslist lists limited details including: Original owner, soft top and CF hard top (not color matched), and "Just installed re-engineered battery with 1 year warranty"

I would verify the battery warranty claim. It sounds like they have been pushing 3.0s instead of fixing the legacy packs lately. The rally interior is also visible, but some ripples in the door panel are visible.

 

[Roadster]

2010 Roadster Sport
VIN: #580 (US)
Mileage: 5,956
Price: $80,000
Arctic White 2.0 Sport for sale Winchester, VA. Black forged rims, ext CF kit, int CF kit, clear(?) CF top, xenons, sound reduction kit, SMC, HPC.

 

[Roadster]

2011 Roadster Sport
VIN: #1171 (US)
Mileage: 15,915
Price: $63,888
Thunder Gray 2.5 Sport being offered for sale by Auto Republic in Orange, CA. Silver forged rims, xenons, infotainment system, Exec. Black/Black interior.

@TEG, it might be time for you to finally pull the trigger as you'll be hard pressed to find another Sport in your fav color at this price

 

[TEG]

Thanks for thinking of me. It looks like my savings are going towards a Model 3 rather than a Roadster...

That one had been sold at auction recently. Something seems off with the rear bumper...
2011 Tesla ROADSTER 2.5 SPORT / 5YJRE1A37B1001171

 

[TigaFF]

TEG - Do you have any other information related to the auction? I like the specification and color but the transfer process sounds worrisome? Obviously the local Tesla service center would need close look at this one.Any thoughts.

 

[TEG]

I think it previously sold at semi-private auction... Usually a place for dealers to exchange vehicles. So it is no longer being auctioned.

 

[Roadster]

+1 to what TEG said. The car is available for sale by the dealer below who, presumably purchased it from the auction. Here's the link to the vehicle detail page on their website and here's their location and contact info:

Auto Republic
1138 W Chapman Ave, Orange, CA 92868, United StatesSales: (714) 202-5727
Sales Hours
Monday – Friday: 9:00AM – 8:00PM
Saturday: 8:30AM – 7:00PM
Sunday: 9:00AM – 6:00PM

 

[Indian Steve]

Hey guys, I've been lurking around for a few weeks and I think I might take the plunge on a Roadster. I just sold my 2013 P85 and I am looking to daily a Roadster about 100 miles. The 2 I am looking at are 1042 out in Georgia and 874 which is local to me here in Denver. I see that both are posted in here and any insight on either one would be great! Thanks in advance!

 

[Roadster]

Welcome to TMC! Between the two, if the price points are the same, I'd go for #1042 since it's a 2.5 and, IMHO, has a more desirable color combination.

#1042 = 2.5 Base, Fusion Red with a black interior, 31,647 miles, $49,999
#0874 = 2.0 Base, Glacier Blue with a beige interior, 28,000 miles, $TBD (auction)

Good luck with your Roadster hunt!

 

[TEG]

2010 Tesla Roadster 2dr Conv For Sale in Marrieta, GA | TrueCar

2010 Tesla Roadster | eBay

 

[Indian Steve]

Thanks for the welcome and the reply! I've chatted with the owner of 874 and it seems pretty well maintained and 1042 has been at a dealer so it's limited record other than it had some cosmetic damage fixed is all that I have to go on.

The first website I saw 1042 on made the car look more orange and I really liked that color. I've never been a fan of red cars but like my P85 which was brown, these cars look great in any color even if it's not my favorite. I do like the interior with the dash and the headlights/front fascia better also.

It's the maintenance/history on 874 which intrigues me. Also, judging by where it ended on the last auction, might be 5-8k or so cheaper. If it comes in much cheaper, which one would you go with?

 

[Indian Steve]

There is also this one which has pretty low mileage.

Used 2010 Tesla Roadster in Richland, WA 99354 - 465778981 - Autotrader

From what I can tell, it is similar to 874 except color and comes with a hardtop and an extra charger. I have a 240 installed in my garage from the last Tesla but I've seen Henry's CAN and so I'm not sure the difference of going to a newer style HPC with that or the older one?

Sorry for all of the questions! I feel like I had better knowledge of the P85 when I bought it but these are a whole new ball game for me!

 

[Roadster]

Vehicle maintenance history is everything with a Roadster purchase. That, combined with a proper PPI and recent annual service from a Tesla SC that has technicians on staff who know their way around these unique cars is also highly recommended. Neither is a guarantee you'll get a perfect car but should at least help weed out any bad apples.

RE: your existing L2 EVSE, does it have a Tesla MS/MX/M☰ connector or J1772? @hcsharp's CAN-SR can be used for the prior and his CAN-JR for the latter. Pick up both when you have a chance or, better yet, find a car for sale that includes both.

#521 is being offered by TMC user @rdstr as posted here. Along with the factory hardtop (plus bag) and softtop, it has a very rare Taylor Mesh Top which is an extremely cool (literally and figuratively) accessory to have. The 120V and 240V connectors mentioned in the ad are probably the factory Standard Mobile Connector (SMC) and Universal Mobile Connector (UMC) which both have the Roadster-specific Amphenol port connections.

 

[snd92]

Welcome to TMC! Between the two, if the price points are the same, I'd go for #1042 since it's a 2.5 and, IMHO, has a more desirable color combination.

Is it just me? I like the older 2.0 front/rear. Agreed on the color selection though

@Indian Steve, Welcome to the forum

 

[Indian Steve]

Thanks for warm welcome! I have had a Subaru for the past 15 years and poured a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into it and been on many forums because of it. I will say, the welcome there isn't as pleasant when asking newbie questions so I appreciate you guys!

Maintenance history seems to be the big thing so I am glad you confirmed that. I looked briefly for Roadsters on here but I must have missed that one that I posted and I will contact him today. I am really fighting the urge on 1042 because there is no maintenance history and I don't want to end up with a really expensive lemon... I already have one of those with my Subaru!

 

[gregd]

Besides the repair history, see if you can access to the car's logs. All it takes is a USB stick and the VMSParser.exe program to decypher it (search for VMSParser on this forum). That will tell you what the battery's capacity is, a history of alerts the car has logged, and also give you some insight into how it was charged and driven. After buying my 2010 Roadster, I started poking around the logs and discovered an instance the prior year where the battery had been drained to zero. One near-death experience didn't seem to hurt it much (it was charged very soon after, so somebody was watching), but if there were multiple ones, or a lot of unexplained alerts, it might prompt you for further questioning. I'm not sure the dealer will cooperate in this regard, the local car should be fair game.

Also, see if you can get a list of what upgrades have been done, especially HID headlights, the PEM Fan, and any aftermarket brakes or suspension changes. I got lucky and my car already had the first two done, and am on the list for the next group buy on upgraded brake pads & rotors.

Good luck with your purchase, and welcome! You will find that every Roadster has its own unique personality, so take a little time and find one that is right for you.

 

[Indian Steve]

Good insight for sure. I will text the guy over there and see if he can help me out with some of that info. I am still chatting with the locals which all have been very helpful and informative as they both are members of here so I am not surprised by the great amount of help they have been!

 

[Indian Steve]

Well I won the bid on 874 and got a message that it wasn't the 60k that he wanted so he is canceling the sale.

So it leaves me with these 3, please tell me your thoughts/concerns/recommendations.
1042-$49k - 31k, 2.5 red/black nav/backup minor damage fixed
521-$52k - 12k, 2.0 blue/black "near mint" hard/soft/mesh top
265-$50k - 44k, 1.5 blue/tan hard/soft top lots of chargers

Thanks in advance!

 

[TEG]

2008 Roadster #265 for sale

 

[Roadster]

2011 Roadster Sport
VIN: #1187 (US)
Mileage: 20,820
Price: $72,900
Electric Blue 2.5 Sport for sale by Nuccio Auto Group in Addison, IL. Silver forged rims, paint armor, Exec Dark Gray / Light Gray Rally Two interior, infotainment group, SMC, UMC + bag. Previously posted here as a private party sale on AutoTrader.