Peter Lafford owns a Model 3 with stunning silver Aero Wheels. While the electric car already draws the eye with its classic Tesla looks and the clever mod on its wheels, the story behind the vehicle is noteworthy. Here is a Tesla tale of a man, his Model 3, its modded Aeros, and serendipity.

Peter’s first hands-on encounter with Tesla happened in September 2013, when his father, Dr. Lindsay Lafford, who was then 100 years old, was given a special ride in his kidney specialist’s Model S. His father, who passed away in 2014 at the ripe age of 101, was a thoroughbred car enthusiast, keeping an online presence that chronicled his passion for automobiles. As could be seen in a video of the special day, Lindsay thoroughly enjoyed his ride in the Model S, praising the car and describing it as “unbelievable.”

While Peter and his wife were impressed by the full-sized luxury sedan, they were not really in the market for the upscale vehicle. That was why when Elon Musk finally decided to bring the mass-market Model 3 to the market, he and his wife immediately decided to join the Tesla family. Peter would be one of the Day 1 line-waiters at the Tesla showroom in Scottsdale Fashion Square, becoming one of the customers to place reservations at the store.

As Peter prepared to leave the Tesla showroom, serendipity struck. A Tesla employee from the store gave him some refreshments — a bottle of Crystal Geyser spring water — with a sell by date of 03/02/2018. Exactly 14 years from the date printed on the bottle, Peter and his father came upon the Crystal Geyser bottling plant in Olancha, California while road-tripping on Lindsay’s Honda Insight Hybrid, one of three vehicles in Phoenix.

“Every Crystal Geyser bottle I see reminds me of that trip, and with the Tesla connection I have with my father, I get the feeling he’s helping push things along,” Peter wrote in a blog post.

Peter’s Model 3 was ultimately delivered on March 16, two weeks short of two years from his reservation date. The Model 3 delivery carried another notable coincidence. As it turned out, Peter’s silver Model 3 was VIN 8757, which was strangely reminiscent of the numbers on his father’s Honda Insight Hybrid, which had a VIN ending in 867. On the way home a few days after taking delivery of his Model 3, Peter also glimpsed BA289, a British Airways 747 flight. That particular flight had a connection to his father as well, as Lindsay usually took the same trip back to Phoenix after frequent summer trips to England.

A Tesla Model 3 with custom-painted Aero Covers. [Credit: Peter Lafford/Facebook] A Tesla Model 3 with custom-painted Aero Covers. [Credit: Peter Lafford/Facebook] A Tesla Model 3 with custom-painted Aero Covers. [Credit: Peter Lafford/Facebook] A Tesla Model 3 with custom-painted Aero Covers. [Credit: Peter Lafford/Facebook] A Tesla Model 3 with custom-painted Aero Covers. [Credit: Peter Lafford/Facebook] A Tesla Model 3 with custom-painted Aero Covers. [Credit: Peter Lafford/Facebook] A Tesla Model 3 with custom-painted Aero Covers. [Credit: Peter Lafford/Facebook]

With a series of serendipitous connections to his father’s memories, Peter opted to make his Model 3 truly stand out. He initially decided to upgrade the car’s OEM wheels with 18-inch Turbine wheels from T-Sportline. Eventually, however, he decided to do something a little more unique for his electric car.

Tapping the expertise of Car Pro Collision Center, an auto body shop in the area, Peter opted to have his Aero Wheel covers painted silver. The results, as could be seen, are quite stunning, and it only cost $250. The silver Aero Wheels simply work with the Model 3, and judging by how well it blended with the car’s overall design; the mod could match the electric car’s other color options too.

Tesla is currently in the process of ramping up the production of the Model 3. In a recently leaked email from Elon Musk, it was revealed that the company is attempting to push Model 3 production to 3,000-4,000-a-week levels after a scheduled halt in the vehicle’s manufacturing. By the end of the second quarter, Tesla is aiming to produce 5,000 Model 3 per week, with options such as dual-motor AWD variants possibly being offered in July.

Watch Peter and his late dad’s first encounter with a Tesla in the video below.