Lifestyle
Repairing a Salvage Tesla Model S Due to Flood Damage
I’m a frequent visitor to the Tesla and TMC forums, and every once in a while I find myself getting sucked into the depths of a captivating story. This was Bonnie’s journey to her #2 Signatures Series Model X a few months back, but more recently it’s a story about a guy attempting to repair a salvage Model S due to flooding.
The thread was fascinating to follow, but what made it even more appealing for me was that the person lived in the same state as me. It’s rare to see any Tesla related news here in New England hence I jumped at the opportunity and decided to reach out to the person.
Rich was his name and he was gracious enough to let me visit him and ask a ton of questions about his project. I’ve outlined some of the feedback that I received from Rich and posted photos that I took of the salvage Model S project car while there. I hope you enjoy the following story as much as I have.
Introduction
Rich, known as Btr_ftw on TMC forums, works in the Information Technology space in Boston, MA by day. By night, in the little spare time he has, he takes vehicles apart and puts them back together again in better shape than they started in. Rich has bought and restored salvage vehicles before and even had a couple of extra engines sitting around in his garage when I visited.
Here’s a list of questions that I asked Rich while I was there, along with a summarized response that I put together based on information that came out of our dialogue together.
Preparing tools and gear for taking apart the flooded Tesla Model S
Do you have an engineering, electrical, computer, or mechanic background?
Being in the Information Technology space, Rich is comfortable around computers and electronics. His prior experience in repairing salvaged vehicles gave him the skills needed to take on this extreme project.
Do you own a model S?
Yes. Rich owns a Model S – the salvage one he is restoring! It’s his first Tesla.
How did you become familiar with Tesla Motors and their cars?
Rich said he heard about a new electric car company years ago through a friend. The friend informed him that the company was producing Roadsters and looking to venture into building sedans.
Rich eventually had the opportunity to test drive his friend’s Model S and quickly fell in love the vehicle’s performance. Despite wanting to own one, Rich couldn’t justify making such an expensive purchase especially since he only had a 2 mile daily commute to the local train station.
Purchasing a Salvage Model S
Example online sale of a flooded Model S
How did you end up purchasing a salvage Tesla Model S?
Rich was looking for his next project. Having heard many great things about the Model S, he took to the internet to find a salvage one.
He eventually found a 2012 Model S 85 online and purchased it for $14,000, including delivery, after having only seen a few pictures of the car. The car was reported as a total loss after having suffered severe flood damage.
Was it difficult to transport the car?
Getting the car delivered to his house was pretty easy, but getting it into his garage was a real bear. The Model S is a very heavy car.
And because the car was salvaged due to flood damage, the emergency brakes were locked so none of the wheels would turn. Imagine trying to move a near 5,000 pound car that has inoperable wheels and, to make matters worse, you are by yourself. Most people would have called for help or given up here, but Rich got creative instead.
One by one, Rich jacked up each wheel and put a wheel dolly beneath each of them. But even with all 4 wheels on dollies, the heavy car wouldn’t budge. Next he took a truck he had rebuilt and positioned it behind the Model S along with a big foam pad nuzzled between the two vehicles and began to slowly push the Model S into his garage. It was a tight fit but he was able to squeeze it into the garage.
Repairing a Flooded Tesla Model S
Were you concerned about not being able to repair it?
You can see the high water mark a few inches above the floor on some parts of the car
Rich has taken on projects like this before and thinks he has a good chance of repairing the Model S, but he also knows that parts for the Model S are hard to come by and very expensive. Above the water line, the parts are in great shape and could be easily sold to recoup his entire investment should he need to resort to that.
In Massachusetts you have the right to request service manuals for the Model S. Did you get access to them? Have they been helpful?
Rich did access the service manuals. The only requirement is that you live in the state of Massachusetts. You have to confirm that and then pay for the access. Payment also includes an address verification check to ensure you do have a mailing address in MA.
Service manual access is time limited. You can get access for a day for $95, but for a years’ worth of access it will set you back about $3,500. Rich has used a few day’s worth of access and has taken copious notes for the tricker parts, but mostly he’s learning through experience and with help from fellow TMC members.
How much information did you have about the salvage car before buying it?
Many of the electronics near the floor were severely damaged by the saltwater
Just 7 pictures and a brief summary that indicated it had flood damage. They left out some really useful information that would have been helpful — like the fact that it was saltwater! Saltwater and electronics do not get along well together.
Do you have any help or contacts at Tesla?
Rich is working by himself on this project but looks forward to the day when he can drive this Model S to a local Tesla Service Center and let them know it was once a salvage.
People following your story are concerned for your safety. What kind of safety precautions are you taking?
Rich confirmed that the main battery pack had shut itself down and disconnected power. He’s since isolated the power cables to ensure things remain that way. Rich is in no hurry to rush through the project and is methodically approaching the problem step-by-step.
How did you decide where to start?
After discarding most of the unrepairable items, Rich started with the 17″ touchscreen to see if it still worked. It did!
What are the most important things you’ve found out so far?
Rich was super excited when the 17″ touchscreen came on (albeit with dozens of warnings) and he could get the browser working over the car’s 3G connection. A working 17″ touchscreen and main control unit (MCU) is worth quite a bit of money by itself so it was quite a relief to see it working.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced so far?
Getting the car into the garage was certainly a big one. The car’s weight is a constant that he has to learn to work around. That and also being careful when handling the high power electronics.
Was there anything that was completely unexpected that you’ve found?
Many of the electronics like this charger were severely damaged by the saltwater
Flood damage was expected, the fact that it was saltwater was completely unexpected and added a huge bump to the whole process. With saltwater there’s a lot more damage done to the electronics and many of the parts cannot be easily repaired. What was originally a big remove-dry-and-replace project is now a remove-get replacement-replace project.
A lot of the process turned into finding out which pieces were damaged by saltwater. The charger, once removed, didn’t look too bad on the outside but on opening it the electronics inside were obviously beyond repair.
What are the the things you’ve been the most excited and happy about through this process?
The Model S is well designed and put together. While it’s a big project, there are surprisingly few parts that Rich has to deal with and keep track of which makes the job a bit less formidable.
What are the big projects coming up for this salvage process?
Removing the battery pack and inspecting it is a major task that Rich looks to take on in the near future. He has a strategy in mind for how he’s going to do that and is looking forward to performing the work. Rich doesn’t hold a lot of hope for the viability of the huge battery pack after full saltwater immersion, though.
Salvage Model S drive unit removed
Another big piece of the project is finding a second salvage Model S that has working parts which could be used to replace the damaged parts from his project vehicle.
Assuming he can find this second salvage Model S at the same cost, Rich could hypothetically drive away in a Model S for $28,000. There would likely be a lot of redundant parts so he could always sell those to further offset some of his expenditures.
What’s Next?
How much support are you getting from the Tesla community?
The Model S power hub switch for the main battery
TMC has a real mix of people. Some people repeatedly tell him he lost/wasted his money etc. Others cheer him on and are interested in his progress. Still others are jumping in with concrete advice and helping him however they can. Sorting the noise from the good advice is work for him, but the help Rich gets is worth dealing with the noise.
I understand this is a spare-time project, how much time have you put into this so far?
Rich has only spent about 20 hours on this project so far, putting in a couple hours a night each week.
How much time do you think you’ll spend on the project?
Rich has no set timeline for the project but is enjoying the experience and the learning. It’s still too early to tell how long the entire project will take. A lot of the time spent will depend on the availability of parts.
Is the goal to get the Model S running again or to understand how the car is built and works?
Rich was very clear that his goal is to end up the proud owner and driver of a salvage Model S. The project is done when he’s driving that Model S.
What will you do next after this project with the knowledge and experience you’ve gained?
Rich is already getting good interest from the Tesla community and recently from local owners with out-of-warranty Model S’ that need some help. While not interested in leaving his current career, Rich sees a growing opportunity in this area as Model S’ age and Teslas service centers remain overwhelmed.
Model S front trunk (non dual motor version)
How can people best follow along your project?
I tried to address most of the frequently asked questions through this post, but I’d encourage you to go follow along and cheer him on via his forum thread. Rich doesn’t have a lot of time to do his own blog but will occasionally post updates and gather ideas from the community.
Summary
Repairing a salvage car of any type is a daunting task. To do that on Electric Vehicle, even more so. And then to do it with a vehicle of limited production and limited public knowledge brings that to another level of difficulty.
Rich has a great attitude and obviously loves doing what he’s doing. He’s enjoying the work and is learning along the way. Rich and I spoke for a couple hours while I visited, and it was amazing to see how much intricate detail he knows about the Model S. He would point out each individual system of the car and tell me what each component did, and how, but also explain how each part routed through the car.
The compressor for the air suspension
One simple example of his knowledge and appreciation for the Model S is the air compressor for the air suspension. Rich said most manufacturers put them in the trunk and bolt them to the frame, but Tesla mounted theirs on rubber gaskets and towards the front of the car to avoid any noise and vibrations that would ordinarily be felt in the cabin.
I’m really going to enjoy following along Rich’s project. I’ll certainly be rootin’ him on and hope to see him drive his Model S one day here in New England.
Detailed pictures can be found over on flickr
Elon Musk
NASA sends humans to the Moon for the first time since 1972 – Here’s what’s next
NASA’s Artemis II launched four astronauts toward the Moon on the first crewed lunar mission since 1972.
NASA’s Space Launch System rocket launches carrying the Orion spacecraft with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, commander; Victor Glover, pilot; Christina Koch, mission specialist; and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) astronaut Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist on NASA’s Artemis II mission, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, from Operations and Support Building II at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s Artemis II mission will take Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen on a 10-day journey around the Moon and back aboard SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft launched at 6:35pm EDT from Launch Complex 39B. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA launched four astronauts toward the Moon on April 1, 2026, marking the first crewed lunar mission since Apollo 17 in December 1972. The Artemis II mission lifted off from Kennedy Space Center aboard the Space Launch System rocket at 6:35 p.m. EDT, sending commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day journey around the far side of the Moon and back.
The mission does not include a lunar landing. It is a test flight designed to validate the Orion spacecraft’s life support systems, navigation, and communications in deep space with a crew aboard for the first time. If the crew reaches the planned distance of 252,000 miles from Earth, they will set a new record for the farthest any human has ever traveled, surpassing even the Apollo 13 distance record.
As Teslarati reported, SpaceX holds a central role in what comes next. The Starship Human Landing System is under contract to carry astronauts to the lunar surface for Artemis IV, now targeting 2028, after NASA restructured its mission sequence due to delays in Starship’s orbital refueling demonstration. Before any Moon landing happens, SpaceX must prove it can transfer propellant between two Starships in orbit, something no rocket program has done at this scale.
The last time humans left Earth’s orbit was 53 years ago. Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt of Apollo 17 were the final people to walk on the Moon, a record that stands to this day. Elon Musk has long argued that returning is not optional. “It’s been now almost half a century since humans were last on the Moon,” Musk said. “That’s too long, we need to get back there and have a permanent base on the Moon.”
The Artemis program involves 60 countries signed onto the Artemis Accords, and this mission sets several firsts beyond distance. Glover becomes the first person of color to travel beyond low Earth orbit, Koch the first woman, and Hansen the first non-American astronaut to reach the Moon’s vicinity. According to NASA’s live mission updates, the spacecraft’s solar arrays deployed successfully after liftoff and the crew completed a proximity operations demonstration within the first hours of flight.
Artemis II is step one. The Moon landing and the permanent lunar base come later. But after more than five decades, humans are heading back.
Elon Musk
Tesla Optimus Gen 3 is coming to the Tesla Diner with new ambitions
Tesla’s Optimus robot left the Hollywood Diner within months of opening. Now Musk is planning its return with a bigger role and a major Gen 3 upgrade underway.
![Tesla Optimus Gen 3 [Credit: Tesla]](https://www.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/tesla-optimus-gen3-diner.jpg)
Tesla’s Optimus robot was one of the most talked-about features when the Tesla Diner opened on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood on July 21, 2025. Dubbed “Poptimus” by Tesla fans, the Gen 2 robot stood upstairs at the retro-futuristic, drive-in theater and Tesla Supercharging station, scooping popcorn into bags and handing them to guests with a wave.
The diner itself had been years in the making. Elon Musk first floated the idea in 2018 with a tweet about building an “old-school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant” at a Hollywood Supercharger. What eventually opened was a unique two-story neon-lit space, with 80 EV charging stalls, and Optimus serving as a live demonstration of where Tesla’s ambitions were headed.
If our retro-futuristic diner turns out well, which I think it will, @Tesla will establish these in major cities around the world, as well as at Supercharger sites on long distance routes.
An island of good food, good vibes & entertainment, all while Supercharging! https://t.co/zmbv6GfqKf
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 21, 2025
But Optimus did not stay long, and was gone by December 2025.
Now, the robot is set to return with a more demanding job. Musk has ambitions for Optimus to take on a food runner role in 2026, delivering meals directly to cars at the Supercharger stalls. While the latest Gen 3 Optimus is likely to initially take on its previous popcorn-serving role, it wouldn’t be out of the question for Optimus to see a quick promotion. With improved hand dexterity that features 50 total actuators and 22 degrees of freedom per hand, and significantly more powerful processing through Tesla’s latest AI5 chip that includes Grok-powered voice interaction, Musk described Optimus at the Abundance Summit on March 12, 2026, as “by far the most advanced robot in the world, Nothing’s even close.”
Back to work
See you at Tesla Diner tomorrow pic.twitter.com/H3tTajrUbu
— Tesla Optimus (@Tesla_Optimus) March 30, 2026
That confidence is backed by a major manufacturing shift. At the Q4 2025 earnings call in January, Musk announced Tesla would discontinue the Model S and Model X and convert those Fremont production lines to build Optimus. “It’s time to basically bring the Model S and X programs to an end,” he said, calling for a pivot that reflects where the Tesla’s future lies.
Elon Musk
The Boring Company clears final Nashville hurdle: Music City loop is full speed ahead
The Boring Company has cleared its final Nashville hurdles, putting the Music City Loop on track for 2026.
The Boring Company has cleared one of its most significant regulatory milestones yet, securing a key easement from the Music City Center in Nashville just days ago, the latest in a series of approvals that have pushed the Music City Loop project firmly into construction reality.
On March 24, 2026, the Convention Center Authority voted to grant The Boring Company access to an easement along the west side of the Music City Center property, allowing tunneling beneath the privately owned venue. The move follows a unanimous 7-0 vote by the Metro Nashville Airport Authority on February 18, and a joint state and federal approval from the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration on February 25. Together, these green lights have cleared the path for a roughly 10-mile underground tunnel connecting downtown Nashville to Nashville International Airport, with potential extensions into midtown along West End Avenue.
Music City Loop could highlight The Boring Company’s real disruption
Nashville was selected by The Boring Company largely because of its rapid population growth and the strain that growth has placed on surface infrastructure. Traffic has become a persistent problem for residents, convention visitors, and airport travelers alike. The Music City Loop promises an approximately 8-minute underground transit time between downtown and the Nashville International Airport (BNA), removing thousands of vehicles from surface roads daily while operating as a fully electric, zero-emissions system at no cost to taxpayers.
The project fits squarely within a broader vision Musk has championed for years. In responding to a breakdown of the Loop’s construction costs, Musk posted on X: “Tunnels are so underrated.” The comment reflected a longstanding belief that underground transit represents one of the most cost-effective and scalable infrastructure solutions available. The Boring Company has claimed it can build 13 miles of twin tunnels in Nashville for between $240 million and $300 million total, a fraction of what comparable projects cost elsewhere in the country.
Image Credit: The Boring Company/Twitter
The Las Vegas Loop, The Boring Company’s first operational system, has served as a proof of concept. During the CONEXPO trade show in March 2026, the Vegas Loop transported approximately 82,000 passengers over five days at the Las Vegas Convention Center, demonstrating the system’s capacity during large-scale events. Nashville draws millions of convention visitors and tourists each year, and local business leaders have pointed to that same capacity as a major draw for supporting the project.
The Music City Loop was first announced in July 2025. Construction began within hours of the February 25 state approval, with The Boring Company’s Prufrock tunneling machine already in the ground the same evening. The first operational segment is targeted for late 2026, with the full route expected to be complete by 2029. The project represents one of the largest privately funded infrastructure efforts currently underway in the United States.
Elon Musk calls out $2 trillion SpaceX IPO valuation as ‘BS’
Elon Musk reveals date of SpaceX Starship v3’s maiden voyage
