Teen finds Tesla in junkyard and buys it for $15k – he was stunned by what he found on car computer during restoration

A PETROLHEAD couldn’t believe his luck when he found a beat-up Tesla in a junkyard.

Winston, 18, bought the Tesla Model 3 for $15,000 but he was stunned when he found footage on the car’s computer.

He took the busted motor back to his garage and spent three months tirelessly working to restore it to its former glory.

His goal was to create the cheapest Tesla Model 3 in the US and documented his journey on YouTube channel Wham Baam Teslacam.

During the renovation, he plugged in a USB drive to retrieve data from the built-in computer and discovered why the Tesla had ended up on the scrap heap.

Shocking footage showed the moment the car smashed into another motorist, causing it to be a write-off.

He spent around $9,000 on car parts and $1,000 on taxes, bringing the total spending on the project to around $25,000.

Thrilled with his craftsmanship, he applied for a job at the multi-million dollar company.

The new Model 3 costs around $52,000 – meaning Winston saved $27,000.

This comes as a Tesla “graveyard” was revealed in Australia, with hundreds of new EVs left abandoned and gathering dust.

Winston’s beloved Model 3s are sitting idle at Australia’s Port of Melbourne, waiting to be sold.

Several critics argue that the “car graveyard” is indicative of a slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) sales in Australia, mirroring trends seen in other countries.

However, industry experts said the images reveal a different picture.

They stated that the “car graveyard” at Australia’s port demonstrates the country’s emergence as a significant player in the global market for low-emission transportation.

Experts noted that Australian drivers are likely to benefit from a price war as brands compete for a larger share of the market.

The country is also set to become a key target for Chinese automakers facing tariffs in other parts of the world.

Peter Thorne, the Tesla Owners Club of Australia national president, reminisced about a time when these vehicles were difficult to obtain, with deliveries taking months instead of weeks.

He said: “With Teslas today, you put an order in and you’ll get your model faster than you can fill out the paperwork because they’ve got them in the country and inventory is now readily available.”

The US electric car company was once the only seller of EVs in Australia.

However, the rise in competition from new brands has prompted Tesla to reduce its prices.