Signature Red Tesla Model S
- Thread starter Lovesword
- Start date
Beautiful car, yes. The photo offends me though. Yes, even with the excellent cameras and image stabilization built into our phones it still helps to hold the camera calmly when taking a picture. Why do so many people apparently not care about this? A sharp photo looks 100 times better than a nightmare photo.
That said, thanks for posting it!
That said, thanks for posting it!
I owe this thread an update. I did mean to have a proper story and reason for even starting this thread in the first place up by now. I’ve started a new position at work which is keeping me busy and unfortunately I’ve become quite sick... so it just hasn’t happened.
Sorry everyone. I’ll get to it though, I promise.
Sorry everyone. I’ll get to it though, I promise.
Not long ago my friend Bob, who has a Blue MR Model 3 with white interior on order, decided something… he really missed his Model S. You see, Bob used to own a 2012 black Model S 85 and had decided to sell it earlier this year knowing that he would soon fill the Tesla void its sale left behind with the Model 3 he’d reserved sight unseen pre-reveal. So a rather simple equation of “sell Model S, purchase Model 3” was the plan… but the heart had other ideas.
I should back up a bit. This is no ordinary friend of mine. This is Bob! Bob is THE person who I approached with infinity Tesla questions at the local Davenport, Iowa Supercharger after seeing him park his Model S to charge about 2 years ago. Which I must say is really when my own Tesla story began to take flight and owes quite a bit to the kindness Bob showed me back then. Sure, I had my Model 3 reservation and was a huge fan of Tesla, but until meeting Bob I hadn’t even sat in a Tesla! Crazy, right? We ended up chatting for a good amount of time at the SC, exchanged information and conversed in email after that, culminating in a work lunch in which he drove… my first time ever riding in a Tesla! Needless to say, that was it for me. I was hooked even more, and Bob and I have kept in touch and remained friends to this day which I’m sure comes as a shock to no one because this type of story is just too common when it comes to Tesla! It was shortly after that my wife also became hooked and we ended up getting a Model S for her using Bob as a referral!
So the age old expression is “the heart wants what the heart wants” and it certainly applies here. Even with a Model 3 on order, Bob found himself really missing his Model S and decided to put a feeler thread out on the TMC forum asking if anyone was looking to part ways with theirs. Enter, stage left: A couple who live in the Seattle, Washington area, owners of just such a car (and then some). I’ll call them John and Jane Doe for the sake of “I didn’t ask their permission to post their names and would feel rude in doing so!” The story as I understand it is that they began a private chat with Bob, questioning his intentions like a shotgun wielding father trying to decide to let his daughter go on a date with him or not! I joke about it, but it’s understandable considering we’re not talking about just any used Model S here. We’re talking about one of the first 1000 Model S’s ever made, a P85 Signature Series in stunning signature RED!! John and Jane wanted to make sure that, if they did sell, their car would be going to a good home and to someone that would appreciate what this vehicle is and take exceptional care of her the way they had.
A good home, and someone that would treat their car right is what they found in Bob. He passed the test and the shotgun was put away in favor of welcoming, friendly arms. Bob made all the necessary arrangements and let me know what he was planning to do… fly out to Seattle, pick up the car and drive it all the way back to Iowa. For reasons that make Bob “Bob,” he felt he owed me an explanation since his Model 3 would be a referral for me, and getting a Model S instead would change that. My reaction to that was LOL, followed quickly by… hey, why don’t I come with you on this adventure!!!
So Captain Bob and his co-pilot made plans, schemed and plotted and prepped as best we could, ready for whatever may come our way on this Tesla website estimated 2004 mile, 41 hour 23 minute journey!
We flew out on Thursday night, met up with John and Jane for a lovely dinner and some fascinating conversation, dominated by Tesla stories, experiences and adventures. I can’t even begin to touch on how awesome a couple we met that day and I’ve said repeatedly that I’d wished we could have had more time to visit with them! On the chance that they end up reading this, I just want to say thank you yet again for your kindness, your hospitality and all the knowledge you imparted us with. I wish you many, many years of happiness and all the Tesla miles your hearts can take!
I think that by this point I’ve grown tired of typing and I do feel that the pictures can speak for themselves and do this journey justice so with that in mind, here are pictures! Each representing a story of its own that I just am not sure I can quite capture at this time.
Bob meets his new car for the first time.
This state (Washington) is pretty freakin beautiful!
I think this was our first SC stop. Ellensburg.
I haven’t seen him stop smiling like this since getting the car!
Missoula, Montana SC. We park awesome.
Butte, Montana, we still park awesome but this time we have an excuse of not seeing the lines!
Sheridan, Wyoming
Gillette, Wyoming.
I should back up a bit. This is no ordinary friend of mine. This is Bob! Bob is THE person who I approached with infinity Tesla questions at the local Davenport, Iowa Supercharger after seeing him park his Model S to charge about 2 years ago. Which I must say is really when my own Tesla story began to take flight and owes quite a bit to the kindness Bob showed me back then. Sure, I had my Model 3 reservation and was a huge fan of Tesla, but until meeting Bob I hadn’t even sat in a Tesla! Crazy, right? We ended up chatting for a good amount of time at the SC, exchanged information and conversed in email after that, culminating in a work lunch in which he drove… my first time ever riding in a Tesla! Needless to say, that was it for me. I was hooked even more, and Bob and I have kept in touch and remained friends to this day which I’m sure comes as a shock to no one because this type of story is just too common when it comes to Tesla! It was shortly after that my wife also became hooked and we ended up getting a Model S for her using Bob as a referral!
So the age old expression is “the heart wants what the heart wants” and it certainly applies here. Even with a Model 3 on order, Bob found himself really missing his Model S and decided to put a feeler thread out on the TMC forum asking if anyone was looking to part ways with theirs. Enter, stage left: A couple who live in the Seattle, Washington area, owners of just such a car (and then some). I’ll call them John and Jane Doe for the sake of “I didn’t ask their permission to post their names and would feel rude in doing so!” The story as I understand it is that they began a private chat with Bob, questioning his intentions like a shotgun wielding father trying to decide to let his daughter go on a date with him or not! I joke about it, but it’s understandable considering we’re not talking about just any used Model S here. We’re talking about one of the first 1000 Model S’s ever made, a P85 Signature Series in stunning signature RED!! John and Jane wanted to make sure that, if they did sell, their car would be going to a good home and to someone that would appreciate what this vehicle is and take exceptional care of her the way they had.
A good home, and someone that would treat their car right is what they found in Bob. He passed the test and the shotgun was put away in favor of welcoming, friendly arms. Bob made all the necessary arrangements and let me know what he was planning to do… fly out to Seattle, pick up the car and drive it all the way back to Iowa. For reasons that make Bob “Bob,” he felt he owed me an explanation since his Model 3 would be a referral for me, and getting a Model S instead would change that. My reaction to that was LOL, followed quickly by… hey, why don’t I come with you on this adventure!!!
So Captain Bob and his co-pilot made plans, schemed and plotted and prepped as best we could, ready for whatever may come our way on this Tesla website estimated 2004 mile, 41 hour 23 minute journey!
We flew out on Thursday night, met up with John and Jane for a lovely dinner and some fascinating conversation, dominated by Tesla stories, experiences and adventures. I can’t even begin to touch on how awesome a couple we met that day and I’ve said repeatedly that I’d wished we could have had more time to visit with them! On the chance that they end up reading this, I just want to say thank you yet again for your kindness, your hospitality and all the knowledge you imparted us with. I wish you many, many years of happiness and all the Tesla miles your hearts can take!
I think that by this point I’ve grown tired of typing and I do feel that the pictures can speak for themselves and do this journey justice so with that in mind, here are pictures! Each representing a story of its own that I just am not sure I can quite capture at this time.
Bob meets his new car for the first time.
This state (Washington) is pretty freakin beautiful!
I think this was our first SC stop. Ellensburg.
I haven’t seen him stop smiling like this since getting the car!
Missoula, Montana SC. We park awesome.
Butte, Montana, we still park awesome but this time we have an excuse of not seeing the lines!
Sheridan, Wyoming
Gillette, Wyoming.
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Spearfish, South Dakota
Rapid City, South Dakota. Bob has stayed in touch with the woman who bought his previous Model S, who he called as we traveled across the states and ended up meeting here at this SC! On the left is Bob’s previous car, who still goes by the name D.Vader! They ended up going to see Rushmore while I slept in the Sig Red while she charged.
Pic taken by Bob
Murdo, South Dakota
Oacoma, South Dakota. Check out the gas station AND casino!
Bob drops me off at home. Look at all that Tesla. So much Tesla. So win! And yes, many SC stops in between that I don’t have pics of. Sorry.
The plan that didn’t 100% follow this sheet, but close enough!
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I have so many more pictures and stories and just not enough energy as I fight off this cold or flu or whatever I have.
I do want to share this. Our Albert Lea, Minnesota supercharger stop was nearly a disaster. Four stalls, all not working...we got the red ring of death when plugging in. We’d made it there with 13 miles of range left so we had no option to leave. Tesla roadside was trying to contact a towing company for us as we became more dejected.
We entered an AmericInn close by and politely asked if we might use the restroom. The woman we met was named Debbie and she was a sweetheart. A savior to us in more ways than one. She pointed us to a 120 plug, which we quickly took advantage of to keep the car warm. She then offered us hot tea and coffee and allowed us to sit in the lounge next to a heater. We went out to try the supercharger again and nothing... and by this time the “we’ll call you back in 10 minutes” that roadside had told us had long past.
Inside the inn again, Debbie prepares us biscuits and gravy. Such a simple sounding gesture but one that meant everything to Bob and I. Warm, fresh food really hit the spot.
We went outside once more and tried the superchargers again. Red ring on one, two and then..... white. White still...white for about half a minute. Then... GREEN!!!!
Bob and I jumped up and down, high fived and hugged as if we won the Super Bowl!
Back inside we went to chat with the amazing Debbie while we picked up a good 45 minute charge.
My thoughts are Debbie will not read this, probably not going to visit this forum. And though we thanked her a million times, I don’t think she realizes how much her help meant to us.
I do want to share this. Our Albert Lea, Minnesota supercharger stop was nearly a disaster. Four stalls, all not working...we got the red ring of death when plugging in. We’d made it there with 13 miles of range left so we had no option to leave. Tesla roadside was trying to contact a towing company for us as we became more dejected.
We entered an AmericInn close by and politely asked if we might use the restroom. The woman we met was named Debbie and she was a sweetheart. A savior to us in more ways than one. She pointed us to a 120 plug, which we quickly took advantage of to keep the car warm. She then offered us hot tea and coffee and allowed us to sit in the lounge next to a heater. We went out to try the supercharger again and nothing... and by this time the “we’ll call you back in 10 minutes” that roadside had told us had long past.
Inside the inn again, Debbie prepares us biscuits and gravy. Such a simple sounding gesture but one that meant everything to Bob and I. Warm, fresh food really hit the spot.
We went outside once more and tried the superchargers again. Red ring on one, two and then..... white. White still...white for about half a minute. Then... GREEN!!!!
Bob and I jumped up and down, high fived and hugged as if we won the Super Bowl!
Back inside we went to chat with the amazing Debbie while we picked up a good 45 minute charge.
My thoughts are Debbie will not read this, probably not going to visit this forum. And though we thanked her a million times, I don’t think she realizes how much her help meant to us.
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Notes:
- we swapped out the 21s for the 19s for better range. The 21s were loaded in the back along with two more unmounted tires. 10 tires!! (counting the ones on the car)
- we left Friday morning and, even with the Albert Lea delay, made it home by Sunday morning.
- a few of the legs we ended up having to cut off the heat to make it! Thankfully we stopped to buy blankets from a Walmart early in the trip.
- the frigid cold may or may not be why I’m sick now, lol!
- I have a bunch of pics from early on, tapering off to next to none from later in the trip when the cold and tiredness had set in!
- Bob is, as I type this, on his way up to Westmont, IL Tesla as he and his wife decided to still get the Model 3!!!
Edit: we left Friday morning. I originally had Thursday written there.
- we swapped out the 21s for the 19s for better range. The 21s were loaded in the back along with two more unmounted tires. 10 tires!! (counting the ones on the car)
- we left Friday morning and, even with the Albert Lea delay, made it home by Sunday morning.
- a few of the legs we ended up having to cut off the heat to make it! Thankfully we stopped to buy blankets from a Walmart early in the trip.
- the frigid cold may or may not be why I’m sick now, lol!
- I have a bunch of pics from early on, tapering off to next to none from later in the trip when the cold and tiredness had set in!
- Bob is, as I type this, on his way up to Westmont, IL Tesla as he and his wife decided to still get the Model 3!!!
Edit: we left Friday morning. I originally had Thursday written there.
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Our best guess is the cold, but that doesn’t really add up as every other stop had been cold as well. It was by far the coolest with the windchill though, the wind was really blowing at that stop so that’s what we decided on. Tesla roadside said diagnostics they ran eliminated the car as a possibility, so there’s that. And Debbie had worked a double shift and said she’d seen other Tesla’s come and go that day (or the day prior). So we really were just left with an unsolved mystery as far as the cause. We thought that having the car plugged in to the 110 warmed the charge port enough to help the SC connect, then daydreamed of ways that Tesla could improve their chargers to protect them from the elements and keep them warm. So, yeah...sorry I’m not much help with a definitive answer but we assumed a cold soaked charge port from driving and cold soaked superchargers with frigid temps and high winds.
Edit to add: we plugged into the 110 and got green right away, now that I think about it. Definitely something with the SC
Edit to add: we plugged into the 110 and got green right away, now that I think about it. Definitely something with the SC