What teenager who bought Tesla Model 3 for $15K but got a shock when retrieving data stored on built-in computer actually saw
- This teenager wanted to fix up a Tesla for his family
- He paid $15,000 for a wrecked Model 3 from a wrecking yard
- It soon became apparent that this car had a surprise lurking inside it
Published on Feb 18, 2025 at 6:51 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Feb 19, 2025 at 11:20 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
This teenager picked himself up a Tesla Model 3 for $15,000, but that wasn’t the most surprising thing about it.
Winston snagged the deal from a wrecking yard and set about rebuilding it.
During the restoration process, he plugged in a USB drive to retrieve data from the built-in computer.
What he saw left him stunned.
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A totaled Tesla Model 3 with a surprise
Winston’s passion for Teslas had been building for a long while, as he was a fan of YouTuber Rich Rebuilds.
When his parents encouraged him to restore one for family use, the teen stepped up to the plate.
Heading to a wrecking yard, he found a wrecked Model 3 and decided that would be his project.
It had been in a car accident and been declared a loss.
He set aside three months to dedicate to rebuilding the Model 3.
But when it came time to retrieve data from the built-in computer, he found something quite surprising.
It was footage of the crash that landed the Tesla in a wrecking yard to begin with.
The video showed the moment the car was struck in a T-bone collision.
The camera showed another car driving out in front and the Model 3 subsequently smashing into its side.
It’s no wonder the front bumper ended up looking like it did.
How did the restored car turn out and how much did this teenager spend?
Regardless of how it ended up looking crumpled, Winston had a job on his hands.
It wasn’t as big a challenge as restoring this Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye, but it was still no small feat.
All in all, about $25,000 was spent on the restoration project, with $9,000 going onto parts and $1,000 on taxes.
But once it was finished, his family had a new car.
He’s even applied for a job with Tesla.
The company’s cars can always find new ways to surprise us – an Idaho farmer recently demonstrated how a Cybertruck could help his buddy with welding.
And then there’s this handy little safety feature that you likely haven’t heard of before.
We can’t say how much this would have helped the Model 3 in its T-bone collision, but it’s the thought that counts.
To see the shocking footage for yourself, head over to Wham Bam Teslacam‘s YouTube channel.
