Autohaus Los Gatos - beware? Anyone know them?

Here's an interesting 'little' story. I am building a '40 Ford Coupe, on Saturday almost 3 weeks ago I spot a 40 Coupe on Craigslist. The car is 3 hours from me. I talk to the guy, he says a fella is coming Sunday, and didn't have his money til then. I told him I had to go to the bank and GET money, but would like to come that day and see it, hopefully buy it. We agreed and a price ( a bit more than he had it listed for) I was a bit peeved at that but it was still a good buy. He told me he would hold it til I got there, I offered to Paypal a deposit, he said he was "a man of his word". The car had not run for over 5 years, the hood was broken, a water pump was seized, the gas was rotten, plus some other problems, nothing huge, but nothing I could jump in and drive home, so I go get a truck, get a trailer with a winch, fill up with gas, get my dough, and go to see, maybe buy the car. An hour away from him, I get a phone call - 'hey bad news, someone just offered a lot more than I told you, they have sent me a sizeable deposit and I sold the them the 40". I was PISSED, asked to have a chance, and still come see the car since I was close - he told me the guy was from the area the car was from and 'knew the car', always wanted it, etc etc etc. I was REALLY PISSED. He told me it was a done deal. Instead of going to jail after doing what I WANTED to do, I turned around and went home. Wasted an entire Saturday, no closer to having a driving '40. The whole thing made me mad - maybe I just didn't push hard enough. ? I never knew (til recently) Craigslist was an auction site!
Fast forward to today - I get an email from a friend, he says - 'hey look at this '40 on eBay - looks like what you are wanting". Any guesses? It's the same car!! It's listed on FeeBay, I won't post a link as I don't think I am supposed to. It's at a place called Autohaus Los Gatos in Campbell California, look it up if you want - it ends Saturday 3/3/07. Funny thing - it doesn't mention the bondo and rust the seller said it had (even lists it as no rust ever!) none of the broken stuff ( he has had time to fix it I guess) and says specifically - "ALLWAYS (sp) A LOCAL CAR". Is spending the last 20 years in another state 600 miles away local? It even has an Oregon VIN sticker on the cowl if you look at the picture!! Now I know a dealer has a right to make money, but does he have a right to bold faced lie? It looks to be a really cool car, and for 15k was a steal. HE bought it for 18.5k, and maybe a good deal at that. 25, 30, 25k? I don't know. I have had a lot of good fortune with cars, so am not harboring any grudge, but I think people have a right to know. Some HAMB'R or a friend of may be wanting to buy this car, so I just thought they should know the 'real' story. I watch this guy's stuff all the time and held him in pretty high esteem, but this puts an interesting spin on things. I think there was a post on here about a '39 that someone in the UK had someone in Cal go look at and saved the bloke a world of heartache and money. From here out I will question everything that seller has or says.
Not crying, looking for resolution or retribution, just passing along a story, and venting a lil bit!!

 

Damn nice car! I think I would have driven there right away and bought and went back later to pick it up! Too bad a man,s word means nothing in this case. I feel for ya....

 

Auto Haus Los Gatos is a gyp joint.

 

RUN.......FAST.....AWAY FROM THEM....

THIEVING BUNCH OF FUCKING MONKEY FISTED BODGERS.....

I USED TO WORK THERE, VERY BRIEFLY....WOULDN'T TOUCH THEM WITH A POLE, TIED TO A POLE.... AND WITH SOMEONE ELSE HOLDING IT!!

That a good enough warning?

Need more info, send me a PM....I have stories

 

If its the burgundy colored one, i saw it the other day....Its a DOG

 

That was Yorgatron....saved Limey Kev a ton of money.... And found him a much nicer car several months later!

 

So lets see.... your pissed because somebody got to the guy before you could and convinced him to take more money for the car than you agreed to pay? Not like what you were doing to the original guy that had an appointment to see it on Sunday!

Terry

 

I pm you alley

 

Here's my Shitehaus Los Gatos story.
Between Dave & George they saved me a whole bunch of trouble, i initially found the 39std on ebay & it looked & sounded from the description to be very good! also it was right in Dave's neighbourhood so i figured he might take a quick look at it for me (i was on the verge of buying it) after a quick chat with Dave & he explained he couldn't go see it as he'd previously worked there & left on bad terms, but George aka Yorgatron quickly stepped up & took a look for me & painted a very different picture of the car & the dealers description.
I'm not saying all the cars they sell are bad but he does have a major problem with an honest description so be warned.

On a brighter note George & his bro found my '39 a while later at Turlock & it was the car i was waiting for, i am a lucky guy thanks to some good friends!

Kev.

 

I was watching that auction - simply because I have a '40 Standard - sounds like your description & his don't line up well....

 

Sounds Like Sour Grapes-------especially From A Man Who Never Saw It-----LOT OF JEALOUSY OUT THERE-----STEP UP AND PAY THE PRICE

 

Beeper, I mean Mr.Los Gatos - Bwahahahahahahahaaaaaaa. You're killin' me!!

 

Wow a lesson in how to win friends and influence people... NOT!

 

I did not care for my experience with them. I didn't like the guy that did their work for them. They were HORRIBLY off on their time frame and it was very difficult to get someone to call me back....after money had already changed hands of course.
Pretty difficult to have paid for a car that will "be ready to ship in 2 weeks" and have to wait for over half a year.
Anyway, just my experience...I won't be doing business with them again.

 

Still, I think this is a prime example of money talks we all know what walks-if you are really in the market for a car have some cash on hand and be ready to hit the road,a real deal isn't going to wait for you.

 

I almost got screwed by them once. They were such flakes to try and deal with I just gave up on there car. I saw it about 6 mo later in So Ca with the "new" owner what a pile. Lucky me.

 

I wonder if some of you guys can read? He did say in his post he tried to give the owner a deposit via paypal. I can sympthize its a bitch to spend a day on the road only to find out some flake sold something out from under you after you offered to give them a deposit.

 

Nice intro Newbie....

 

Thanks for the info on Autohaus. They keep e mailing me regarding a Starliner I have for sale.
Shafe

 

I second that!

 

Damn, that's funny

Wonder if he's still pissed about losing a car he was "maybe gonna buy" four months later?

 

He always builds a different car each year for the Dawsonville Georgia Moonshine Festival. Talked to him several times. I thought his cars were a little high priced for what they were. . everyone he brings are nice and are built like trip cars were. I thought this was odd as he is from Calif not down south. I attempted to buy a perfect replica 39 std with cad 2X4 carb eng. I offered close to his asking price and he turned down my cash. He stated that he was thinking about leaving calif and moving to South Carlonia or Tennessee... I will look him up at the festival....Bobby.......

 

Now that's Funny!!!
ANYTHING bought from ANYONE that has a "business" that caters to the "money" crowd in Los Gatos is gonna get B.F.'d!
Prime examples,Los Gatos Ferrari and "Silicon Valley" Hummer. BOTH places sold cars to the "more money than brains" crowd. BOTH "Stealerships" are GONE.
The town has a lot of people with a lot of "new" money that think that everyone else is impressed by that. Riiiiiight.
Now don't get me wrong...
Over the years I've had great times with really cool people there,it's just the "new money" types that kill the party.
Autohaus Los Gatos is another soon to fail business once they've burned enough people.

 

Hey Fiat - try a YEAR and four months. Obviously you didn't read the whole story. Within the hour of what I thought 'sealed the deal' I was on the road with a truck, trailer and the entire sum of cash to buy the car, and it wasn't a short drive either. I was a little more committed than 'maybe gonna buy'. Pissed? Nope not at all. I have a running driving chopped and channeled '40 now, and for less dough than the one Los Gatos bought. Dissapointed? Heck yes. I would have loved to have made the 10k plus they did when they sold it, if I hadn't kept it, but I would have described it with more than 20 words, and disclosed the problems and or edge - so it probably wouldn't have brought as much to me - again -HAD I sold it. For a while they were buying a few cars out of this area and up into Washington. They lurk on this site as well, obviously.
The whole deal did me a favor. Remember, when one door closes, another one opens. Funnier than crap that this thread resurfaced, but good that it maybe saves someone some headache, heartache, and money.
The bottom line? Buyers beware, an airline ticket, or askin' a fellow Hamb'r in the area for a go look see favor is cheap.

 

ouch....ouch....ouch

 

Specially if its them....and you ask me

 

I have heard on other forums about autohaus las gatos & its all BAD! One guy bought a 427sohc from them & it was total junk.....BEWARE....

 

I worked there....very briefly.....And would NEVER recommend them to anyone....EVER

 

You should send the ebay link to the original seller from Craigslist. He''l see that he was middlemanned for a quick profit, rather than selling to an individual such as yourself that was going to keep the car. Next time the Craigslist seller will list his car on ebay.