YouTuber buys stripped Tesla Model 3 'go-kart' for $2,000 — it still has 212-mile range A YouTuber named Evans acquired a heavily stripped Tesla Model 3 for $2,000, transforming it into a makeshift off-road vehicle capable of 212 miles of range despite lacking essential safety components. The car, originally purchased by a previous owner named Grayson for $6,000–$7,000, was intended to be repurposed into a 1970s concept car. Grayson had commissioned a 3D artist to design the project and began assembling parts, but abandoned the effort after estimating it would require 800 hours of labor. The vehicle was left unregistered and unused for at least two years before Evans negotiated its purchase for half the original asking price. Evans walked away with a Tesla rolling chassis, including the motor, battery pack, screen, and seating system, but without body panels, a windshield, or seatbelts. After replacing the delaminating stock tires with red wheels and new tires, he charged the car to full capacity and discovered it still displayed 212 miles of range. However, the vehicle’s software revealed 78 error codes, as Tesla’s systems expected the presence of cameras, sensors, and safety systems that had been removed. The previous owner had disabled these components, inadvertently unlocking features like drifting, which Tesla typically manages through Track Mode software. Evans rigged a DOT-rated ratchet strap as a makeshift harness and tested the stripped car on public roads, driving 25 minutes to a Best Buy without encountering police. He then took the vehicle off-road, drifting, and even jumping it over a dirt tabletop on a friend’s property. A friend named Drew compared its handling to a Polaris Slingshot but noted it was significantly faster.#tesla #evans #drew #grayson #best_buy
