Teen bought wrecked Tesla Model 3 for $15k and was staggered by what video was stored on built-in computer
Published on Jun 18, 2025 at 4:55 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Jun 18, 2025 at 1:59 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
An American teen who bought a wrecked Tesla Model 3 for $15,000 was shocked by what he saw on the EV’s built-in camera.
Winston was just 18 when he decided to drop $15,000 on the badly damaged Model 3.
The teen quickly got to work rebuilding the vehicle and documented the restoration online.
Along the way, he hit several snags and uncovered some surprises, including how the car ended up wrecked in the first place.
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Restoring any wrecked car is a mammoth task, just ask the UK mechanic who spent months rebuilding this abandoned and wrecked Ferrari F340, or the guy who repaired and restored this destroyed Audi R8 using carbon and performance parts.
However, there’s something especially impressive when a teenager takes on the challenge.
Winston, from the Winston’s Garage YouTube channel, snapped up what he reckoned was the cheapest Tesla Model 3 out there.
But of course, its low $15,000 price was with good reason.
The EV had been wrecked in an accident and would require a thorough repair and restoration job to get it back on the road.
Undeterred by the huge task in front of him, Winston got stuck in but met more than his fair share of problems on the way.
Even after getting the car going again, Winston discovered that it was somehow detecting other vehicles, even after unplugging its ultrasonic sensors.
Then he was given the news that his local Tesla service center ‘couldn’t find’ the replacement hood he ordered.
But one of the Model 3’s biggest surprises came after Winston plugged in a USB pen drive and retrieved the footage stored on the car’s computer.
The video he downloaded was able to show him how the car came to be damaged and why it was in such a sorry state.
In the clip, the poor old Tesla Model 3 was driving along when a car suddenly appeared from the right, giving the driver no chance to avoid it.
The Model 3 T-boned the other car and was left bashed and smashed by the crash.
However, Winston poured hours of work into the car and was able to get it looking as good as new and running like a dream.
Impressive stuff.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
