Projects Buying site unseen, and shipping....

Ok so I live in NY and I’m after a H.A.M.B. friendly driver. Almost everything over here is either restored or shit, no in between. I want neither. I want a driver quality vehicle, some bumps, some issues, but not beautiful nor do I want something with a rotted out floor or no rockers. Nor do I want a full blown project. A running, driving project is fine as long as the core is solid. Something to drive daily to keep me happy while working on real projects. I’d like to keep it Chevy or a select few fords, and I’d like it to be useable (wagon, ranchero, etc).

As usual, Craigslist is telling me that the west coast is where it’s at in terms of quality and price. I’ve got no problem traveling but a 4 or 5 day road trip isn’t really something I want to get into right now. I’m happy with a one day trip somewhere. Looks like shipping is in the 1000 or so range which I didn’t think was too bad. So what’s everyone’s thoughts on it?


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what is that I smell ?

 

Care to elaborate?


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I almost bought something sight unseen thinking I couldn't get hurt too bad. Wised up and went to see it. What a POS. The seller lied like a dog. Would have been a huge mistake. I'd still be working on it.

 

price range?

 

Where are you? HRP

 

Air Fair is by far the best way to go. Someone else's idea of just right isn't going to be the same as yours. Needs a little work is a wide open door. I've sold a few cars to people across the States and have always said if the photos I send ya make ya want it buy a one way ticket on a 3 day weekend. If it don't live up to what I represent it to be I'll buy your ticket back home. In today's Photo friendly enviroment you should be able to see inside, outside and under anything your interested in. Do your home work and you'll be fine.
The Wizzard

 

I’d like to be under $10,000. I had a line on a pretty decent 63 Chevy wagon that was maybe 5 hours from me but it sold before I could get there. It was $6900 but had floor issues. But it also had a new interior, 283, and was overall in ok shape.


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In NY, Rochester/buffalo/Syracuse


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See there in lies another problem. Flying in, buying, and attempting to drive home can be sketchy. I did this once on a car from Florida. It was the craziest trip of my life, great for story telling but I don’t know if I can relive that again!


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you must have a reasonable shop up there. i have flippers buy stuff and pay me to do projects to make them complete and they sell them for a profit. just keep looking you will find one.
i would NEVER buy a car with out seeing it.

 

Over the years I have inspected over a dozen cars for people,some HAMB,mostly Studebaker guys..Not that I am a expert but like most who have been around a few years we know where and what to look for. I would imagine if you asked for a look see by someone in the area you would get someone to do the first inspection.If it's thumbs up from a unbiased set of eyes then a flight to purchase is with facts. If a seller won't allow a independent look,run away.

 

Some guys won’t even come here because of all the tolls, 1000 is a low estimate. My buddy had to pick his car up in NJ because that was as far as his driver was willing to go and he paid more than 1000.

 

EVERY single one of my Hamb Friendly Projects has been bought online. Never seen a one until it arrived via transport.
Some better than others, most the Sellers lied. I buy with the assumption the ride is not what it's said to be, so I'm never disappointed.
I stand by my claim on other similar Posts, that nothing is driveable for any distance for under $10k.
Average open transport $1,000-$2000.

 

I agree that $1000 seems low for a shipping estimate, I'd be very afraid to trust my new treasure to someone who's willing to go that many thousand miles and bring a car back for that little cash, I'm sure it'll be on an open trailer and not handled with kid gloves for sure.

I sold a '47 Oldsmobile out of state and a hauler came to get it from me, I had to drive it onto the top of his 6 car ramp, he cranked the shit out of a couple of axle straps and away he went. Made me nervous but I was already paid. Also saw a 55 T-bird go on the back of a hauler, top deck, back end, left down the road with the car at about a 45 degree angle, another butt-clencher.

Choose your hauler carefully, it's nearly as important of a decision as the car purchase. A mistake in either means a lot of costly work later.

I feel you on the lack of "decent driver" cars though, seems there plenty of super nice, super pricey all-out builds for sale and lots of projects needing 1000 hours of work but not much for roadworthy drivers in-between. Definitely true here in Wisconsin. And those cars tend to sell quick when they do come up, few people want another huge project or to spend half the cost of a house for something someone else built.

 

I just did it. I couldn't find anyone to look at it because of where the seller was. Flying in and taking a 3 hour one way trip to look at it myself was going to run almost the same as the shipping costs I was getting. I'm not sure I'd do it again, but I'm also not sure if I paid someone to look the car over if they'd have seen everything I've found since it got here. Just glad I didn't pay closer to the sellers asking price. One thing I agree with is go further south and west, this car is better than a Michigan car, but being in Georgia/Arkansas wasn't far enough away.

 

You are in NY and like you said everything is either a rot box or million bucks . Maybe best to plan a trip to Pigeon forge or Myrtle Beach shows. You be amazed how much more affordable good cars are.

 

I’ve shipped cars to buyers 3 times so far. Twice were out of the country, once to Cali. All three went fine and the buyers were happy. But I’ve heard a lot of horror stories too


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I know people who looked were interested in out of state cars and got a live tour of the car from the seller via face book live streaming. Seems better than site unseen and let's you size up the seller a bit too. I've never used it myself so can't tell you much more about it

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REcently bought an 83 C10 without seeing it in person. I got a lot of info from the seller over the internet and phone. Then asked him to send pics and video of a lot of detail areas of the car. He sent them and they backed up what he had told me earlier. He put the car on a lift and did a full video of the underside also. I feel like it worked out well. I bought it for the almost rust free body knowing it needed some mechanical work.
There are also companies that will go inspect and test drive and send a full report for a couple hundred bucks.
Scott

 

I've bought 5 sight unseen. Shipped to me from out of state , if you can't afford to lose a few times you better like traveling. The Lincoln in my avatar was actually the worst , but after a few years and a lot of time and money its all good. What do you want in a car? I have a really nice 65 Mercury Parklane Breezeway with 65000 miles. I would trust to go anywhere, but 4drs.

 

I flew Chicago to Dallas with a fanny pack full of cash to look at a '64 Monterey last year. Round trip for $180 bucks. Car was more or less what I expected. Paid the guy. Drove the car to an auto transport that I set up ahead of time. Got back on th plane same day and flew home. Car transport delivered it 10 days later.

 

Can you post a pic of the 64 Merc?

 

I’m looking for a Chevy wagon, late 50’s ford wagon, 57-59 ranchero, or short bed ad Chevy truck up to early to mid 60s. There’s examples of all on the west coast in the ballpark price wise, but very little over here.


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I would never buy a car without looking at it in person. It's a shame but some people just down right lie! I've driven from Pennsylvania to Texas and Missouri to look at cars and the sellers totally lied about the condition of the cars.

 

Went South of Rochester with a friend to get a 58 Pontiac Chieftan for 4500 last winter. Not rusty at all. It ran and drove too. Wasn`t a shitbox at all. Straight threw it was a 19 hour drive. Hauled it home on a trailer. The whole way out, I thought it was gonna be a scam because it was really reasonable. Seemed to good to be true.

 

In my younger years, no problem. I’ve done non stop ny to Seattle and back, Dallas non stop and back, Florida a bunch of times. Maybe I’ll do it again.....


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It wouldn't hurt to put Upstate NY in your profile where it shows up over there under your handle. It doesn't have to be the exact town as mine is more of a region than anything else. That helps people have a general idea of where you are. To tell the truth when I first looked at your first post I assumed you were in the UK.
I'd say I'd be suspicious of any seller who us reluctant to send high quality photos of the car in good light. If it is a runner/driver that includes good photos of it while up on a hoist. Plenty of shops will put your car up on the hoist for a couple of bucks or even free if they think they might sell you something in the process.

There are also plenty of us who would be happy to go out and look over and photograph a near by car for no more than gas and lunch money. I've done it not expecting anything and the guy ended up buying the truck and was quite happy with it. Come to think of it I think the photos are still on my photobucket page as that was the easy to get the photos to the buyer.
Something else to think about is possibly making a trip out to an event where there should be a number of cars for sale similar to what you are thinking about like the LA Roadsters father's day show/swap meet or the Pate Museum swap meet or the Portland Oregon swap meet. Usually about the middle of Saturday afternoon the sellers get a lot more willing to bargain at most of them unless you find the have to have one earlier.
Also in the week prior to those events Craigslist in those areas fills up with special interest cars from not quite a parts car to high point show quality rigs.

 

Figures, you bought the last decent car here


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