We Ordered A Tesla Electric Car

Tesla Model 3 LR

After years of wishing and hoping - yesterday we ordered a 2021 Tesla Electric Car. The specific model is a  Model 3 LR. The LR stands for long range- which means it has the maximum range battery - 360 miles between charges. 

Other features included in the price of the LR package are - full time all wheel drive - two motors - and a whopping 480 horsepower. For the last 50 years my dream car has been a Shelby Cobra sports car with 450 horsepower - but that does not even have air conditioning. 

Since we are going to be away all summer - we have scheduled delivery at the Jacksonville FL dealership in September. We paid a deposit of $100 - then you pay the balance on delivery. The base price of the Model 3 is $35,000. With the options we selected - the list price out the door is $56,000. There is no haggling and after owning 75 cars - this is the first one that I paid the sticker price. That includes $3500 in sales tax. 

We have owned a Nissan Leaf electric car for 7 years - it was like training wheels for this car. The Nissan Leaf when new had a range of 75 miles. It was a quiet and quick little car - I personally drove it to 90 miles per hour. Near the end of our time with it - the range had dropped to 40 miles. We would plug it in - in our garage - and never were stranded for power. The only time it visited a gas station was to buy gasoline for our mower. It was perfect for Lulu to drive to work at FSU. It had an excellent air conditioner that would work with the motor turned off - when Lulu shopped I enjoyed that wonderful AC in hot humid sunshiny Florida. 

We will sell our 2016 Honda Odyssey Van with 27,000 miles upon delivery of this car. Lulu wants to keep the camper for trips. She's the boss - no arguments from me. She likes it for trips to the beach with its toilet and shower. 

There are many other Tesla models that are more expensive. They are the S - 3 - X - Y.  Some folks say that the builder wanted to spell SEXY. That may be true when Lulu drives it - but when I am at the wheel - most onlookers will say - "What a waste of a fine car on that old grayhead!"

 

I Sold 2 Cars In One Day

 

Lulu and I are buying a new Tesla. She said if I sold two cars - I could order the Tesla. So Thursday - I woke up to two cars that needed a bath. 

First - I cleaned up the Nissan Leaf electric car. I took plenty of pictures and listed on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist Marketplace. I was surprised that Craigslist is now charging $5 to list a car. I have had success there so I gladly paid the price. I listed it at noon and I immediately started getting messages about the sale. 

Second - the Ford Truck was ready for clean up. As I was scrubbing the Ford - I kept responding to people asking about the Nissan Leaf. At 4 PM - the pictures of the Ford truck were ready for the ad. 

By 6 PM - the Nissan Leaf was sold to a neighbor about 2 blocks away. The buyer was a retired professor from Columbia University who was born in New Zealand. When people were texting me about the car and the truck - I started getting people mixed up - telling cars buyers about the truck and vice versa. 

There were many more truck buyers. One young man texted and said he was driving from Apalachicola - about 75 miles away. I promised to hold the truck for him for an hour - he promised he would bring cash. The truck buyer arrived at 7 PM - we took the truck for a long ride - on the highway and off road. The 4WD performed excellently. He was smitten because it was his first truck. 

The car sold for $4700. The truck sold for $3100. In one day - I cleaned out two spaces in the garage. I better calm down - pretty soon the city may require me to buy a dealer's license :-)

I enjoy cleaning up cars and selling them - but I would not want to do it for living. It can be hard and dirty work. It is fun meeting the buyers though - and comparing stories. 

And now on to another adventure. - owning a Tesla. The most powerful car I have ever owned is my present Honda van. It is 240 HP. Our Dodge camper is just 230 HP. The Tesla is rated at 480 HP - as much as the Honda and Dodge - and then some. What a wonderful world we live in. 

Henry David Thoreau - That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest. 

I Am Selling My 2012 Nissan Leaf and Buying a Tesla

2012 Nissan Leaf - battery powered car

$4900. 

I have always been an advocate of electric cars.  After all these years of driving this Nissan Leaf - we have decided to buy a Tesla. 

This 2012 Nissan Leaf SL has served us well. It was used mainly by my wife to travel to her office at Florida State University. It has been garage kept and we will include the 120 volt / 240 volt charger. It has 44,000 miles on it. The only thing we have done to it is to put a new set of tires on it due to age - not miles. 

Here are some of the features - air conditioning - heated seats - alloy wheels - disk brakes - sound system that hooks up to your cell phone - rear view camera - power windows - power door locks - keyless entry - heated steering wheel - heated seats - hands free phone system - satellite radio - automatic headlights - remote mirrors - LED headlights and taillights - 6 speaker audio system. Everything on this vehicle works and acts like new. All the glass is intact. The tires are good. There are no tears in the upholstery. There are no dents in the body. The paint is excellent. 

This car has the original traction battery. I have replaced the 12 volt accessory battery. When new it has a range of 73 miles. Now it has a range of about 40 miles. 

The NADA book value is $6300. I am asking $5500. I just reduced the price to $4900. 

Alloy wheels - LED lights

Hatch has power latch - seats fold down 
for extra room

This car cost $38,000 brand new

It seats 5 people

Factory floor mats were never removed

It has always been kept this clean

Gray fabric seats and doors

6 way driver seat

Alloy wheels hold Douglas tires made by Michelin

All controls for doors and windows work

No tailpipe emissions but they must make 
electricity somehow

Electrical plug is under that front flap

Digital gauges

Digital speedometer

Navigation system 

Leave key in your pocket - press button and go

It cost $38,000 new - 99 MPG!

Clean seats - no rips - no stains

This is from the NADA web site on
May 16th 2021

A Visit With The Kids From Paris

Lulu with the youngest 

My son lives and works in Paris. They have been there two years now - so his boss owed him a trip back to the States. On Holy Thursday - we got a call and he said - how would you like some visitors. The plan was simple - they would fly over on Easter Sunday and stay long enough so they could get their covid vaccines. Lulu and I were overjoyed. We looked forward to a month of spoiling the 4 year old boy and 2 year old girl - the youngest Everharts. 

Pop and Grandson

Good Friday - they got their covid tests in Paris. Easter Sunday they hopped in a Delta jet - went through Atlanta - and arrived here in Tallahassee Sunday evening. We loaded their 6 bags into the Honda van - installed the two car seats for the kids - and away we went. 

Bon Voyage photo by George 

For the first few days - the kids were getting up at 3 AM and wanting to play. Our house is divided into two separate suites - so they did not bother us much. In Paris - they do not have a car - so they loved taking our Honda van to the playgrounds in those early morning hours. We bought bikes - a basketball goal - and many other toys.

During the time they were here - both the adults were able to work their jobs online. When they needed time - we took the grandkids on many adventures. Lulu made cut-out cookies - a big kids’ favorite. We made pasta from scratch. We ate and drank like royalty. We had a campfire in the back yard. Lulu enjoyed making nice meals with the kids - they also enjoyed shopping in American super markets with non-Parisian prices. 

We made several trips to the zoo and historic museums. We played on the local beaches. The weather co-operated - I think we only had rain on 2 of the 35 days. 

Our neighbor George has a pool with a solar heater. He saved the day many times with entertainment for the kids. They loved swimming in the 80 degree water. I am guessing the kids did not miss a day using the hot tub on our back porch. To them - it is a just swimming pool with 99 degree water. 

After getting tested for covid - and self-quarantining - they got their first vaccine shots at Walgreen’s. 

Then we rented a beach home in Watercolor-Seaside - about 130 miles west of Tallahassee. This beautiful beach community has some of the whitest sands and cleanest water - plus three swim clubs with 8 different pools. The water was heated to 85 degrees and it was always a toss up to swim in the warm pool waters or the 72 degree ocean surf. Our beach house came with rental bikes and passes to all the beach clubs. We also enjoyed many of the restaurants and a Publix grocery store less than a mile away. The week went by fast. 

While at Seaside - Paul and Ev - the other grandparents came to stay from North Carolina. It was a big house and easily swallowed up the 8 of us. They also shared the cooking and child spoiling duties. 

The beach house at Watercolor/Seaside FL

After 5 weeks - they got their second vaccine shots. Like Cinderella’s midnight clock - this signaled the end of our special time. The kids are 4 and 2 - and we will never get to see them at that age again. One thing certain - they will never forgot the time at Mum Mum’s house and all the good times we had. 

They think I am kidding when I say - they could move here and live in the big house - Lulu and I would build a guest house on the back forty for us. We know it will never happen but you can always dream. You get to know people living under the same roof for 35 days. We are very proud of that little family. Oh - what adventures are they gonna have. It was so much fun being part of it for a short time.

Camping in our back yard

They are safely back in Paris now adjusting to the jet lag. France is way behind us when it comes to vaccinations for covid. I am happy we could be a little help to getting them protected. They will travel around Europe now a lot easier knowing they got a vaccine that truly works. 

After some empty nest syndrome - a big house cleaning - and a little crying - we have miles to go before we sleep. It is on to the next adventure. Lulu has an invitation to do research in Australia this summer. Here’s hoping their travel gates open soon. Also - a Tesla project awaits. You never know what lurks beyond the horizon. There is still a dance or two left in this old girl yet. 

Canoeing with Grandpa Paul

Making eggs in Mum Mum's Kitchen

Hot tubs to kids are little swimming pools

Toys on the front porch

Day trip with Mum Mum to Carabelle beach

Chasing sea gulls

Exploring the truck graveyard

George's pool provided much baby sitting

Hot tub for 3

Parents at the playground in Southwood

Digging at Shell Point FL

Beach chairs and sand - grandma and granddaughter

Lounging at Shell Point

Swings in the jungle at Tallahassee Museum 

Swinging at Tom Brown Park

Making ham salad sandwiches

FSU graduation day

Playing in the camper

Making cutout cookies of the Eiffel Tower

The porch at Seaside

The kitchen at Seaside

The widow's walk on the roof

Swimming with Mum Mum

The 4 Parisian refugees

The Lazy River at Watercolor

Playing in the surf with Dad

Trying to catch the youngest

Building sand castles

The world's whitest sand beach

Paul and Lulu in with the kids

Dancing with Huck and Lilly at Seaside 

Loafing at the Seaside Amphitheatre

Mum Mum and the snack

Lulu and son

The surf was 72 degrees

Old Man and the Sea

Derby Party at the Dawson

Little kids love water hoses

The frog in the hot tub

Catch me if you can

The Honda can put them to sleep

Happy snakes at Tallahassee Museum 

Making pasta in Mum Mum's kitchen 

We had the best spaghetti

Mexican Train with the Dawsons

Gators at Wakulla Springs

Manatees love the year round 70 degree spring water

Lunch at McDonald's 

Playing connect 4 at the airport 

He loves anything mechanical