Man spent $60,000 on four Teslas at once sight unseen and then attempted to start them all
- An American YouTuber has bought four flood-damaged Teslas for around $60k
- The video shows his efforts in trying to revive them, with some very mixed results
- Each Tesla has varying levels of flood damage, ranging from light to severe
Published on Feb 09, 2025 at 10:00 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Feb 06, 2025 at 1:50 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
American YouTuber B is for Build has spent over $60,000 buying four Tesla EVs that were sight-unseen at an auction after being damaged in a flood.
All four Teslas were flood-damaged to varying degrees, so it was a lottery whether any of them would work.
The YouTuber explains that the Teslas were flooded during Hurricane Ian a couple of years ago.
This is the same hurricane that famously drowned a McLaren P1 that fellow American YouTuber Tavarish is restoring.
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All four Teslas had differing battery capacities
B is for Build walks through the four Teslas and explains which of the EVs is which.
The four are a 2018 Model S (100kWh, dual-motor, non-performance), Model 3 (85kWh, dual-motor, performance), Model S (85kWh, dual-motor, non-performance), and an Early Model S (85kWh, single motor, RWD, non-performance).
A mechanic helped the American inspect the cars – however, due to Tesla’s policy on salvaged vehicles, he chose not to show him in the video.
Unsurprisingly, all the EVs had dead 12-volt batteries, meaning that even their basic functions would not work.
Jumpstarting the Teslas led to mixed results
Following this, the YouTuber and his team attempt to jump-start the Teslas.
On the first Model S, jump-starting it led to a very nasty and dangerous sulfur smell, hinting at further electrical faults.
Given the seriousness of the issue, the $11,000 flood-damaged Model S would now be stripped of all salvageable parts.
The second Model S fared much better.
The YouTuber is seen getting the dual-motor vehicle to power on; however, a battery-isolation fault occurs, indicating a faulty cell.
At best, the high-voltage battery will be salvageable.
The Tesla Model 3 was brought back to life
Remarkably, the following vehicle the YouTuber went to look at was a big success story.
This was the Model 3, a dual-motor performance version, and luckily, the flooding only went up to door level.
This was the most expensive of the quartet, costing $32,000 and an additional $2,000 for shipping.
The final car, the Model S with a 100 kWh battery and dual motor, was completely dead.
While B is for Build had intended to just salvage the packs and motors for future EV conversions, there is the potential to fully revive the Model 3 and even sell it as a functioning vehicle.
Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a leading heritage steam railway in England.
