A Tesla Model 3 Performance with 223,000 miles on the clock isn’t most people’s idea of a good investment, but Tim Aylen from ChargeheadsUK isn’t most people.
When he spotted the cheap example at auction earlier this year, he didn’t just take a look, he took it home.
The car, nicknamed ‘Lucky,’ had already lived a long, hard life. Battery tests, heater system failures, rusty sills – the works.
Months later, after a string of fixes and some creative budgeting, Tim finally got his answer to the question we’re all asking: was it worth it?
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The Tesla Model 3 was a high-mileage gamble
Tim picked up Lucky in March and it was the cheapest Model 3 Performance he could find anywhere.
It was a big gamble. This wasn’t just high mileage, it was Everest-level mileage for a Tesla.
The list of issues was long: a skid plate with holes in it, a dead heater system, rusty sills, and tires that were hanging on by the last tread.
He sourced the new skid plate from China, slapped on a set of Kumho PS71s recommended at a Tesla show, and took Lucky to RS Repairs for $270 worth of rust surgery.
He even tried to fit a set of bargain mud flaps from AliExpress but they wouldn’t stay put.
Other jobs included swapping the steering wheel for roughly $100, fitting a new protection plate for $70, repairing underbody damage and replacing air filters for $420, plus sorting a suspension bush and the entire AC system for another $660.
The only thing he didn’t fix? A front-end knock as funds were already earmarked for his other money pit, an EV-swapped TVR.
By the time the dust settled, Tim’s spend came in just under his £12,100 estimate (roughly $16,200), thanks partly to Tesla referral credits.
Sure, the car had lost about 30 percent of its battery capacity, but Tim and his wife still loved it.
Upgrade tips for the Tesla project
Viewers were turning up in the comments.
Some even bought high-mileage Teslas themselves, inspired by Tim’s videos, like one who scored a 97k-mile red M3P and said he saved thousands.
Others dropped upgrade tips, from Teslaunch and EVbase mud flaps to AliExpress clips, while a few urged, ‘Let’s mod this ride to the max!’
Praise for the bargain was loud with people saying it was an ‘insane car for not much cash,’ and ‘the best car out there’ if you can handle the miles.
Even the EV-vs-gas longevity debate popped up, with some saying a million-mile Tesla was possible if battery swaps get cheaper.
High-mileage EVs are still a gamble, but Tim Aylen’s 223k-mile Model 3 Performance proves you can win if you buy smart and spend carefully.
Subscribe to Tim on YouTube here, or watch the full video below:
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