I was having a stressful conversation and absentmindedly got too close to a curb in a in-law's first generation Model S. I scuffed the front driver-side wheel up (~6 in worth) pretty bad.
It's a special car to the relative - his first Tesla, one he keeps purely for nostalgic reasons. The damage to my car borrowing reputation is eternally ruined, as it should be, but I can't figure out how to make it right.
Having owned a nostalgic, aging car, part of the value is keeping it all intact and OEM; you help the car fight time better than you can (take that Time! you cruel bastard). He probably won't let me intervene but I'd like to offer solutions if only to provide company for his anguish. afaict we have three options:
- get the wheel professionally repaired
- does anyone have experience with this?
- can it be restored to the point that it's impossible to notice even on casual inspection?
- buy a single replacement reproduction wheel - as good as new, spec'd to match OEM but not OEM
- I suspect this is not very desirable given that the relative wear of the wheel will be off ever so slightly
- buy a full set of the OEM wheels
Are there other options? Which would you recommend?