Hauled a motor 200 miles & haggeled about price

I get guys like that now and then with the eBay stuff, "what's the least you'll take" and I tell them there's a price on the ad and they're welcome to make an offer. Have yet to have one make an offer.

 

OK! I didn't wanna overstep my boundaries as most of them involve OT cars... but one involves a HAMB car.

Back then these cars brought proper money on eBay, and I decided to list it. $1 no reserve, have at it, last man standing owns it. I'd also like to point out that I had a lift at my car lot and took pics of it on the lift, there were 60 pics and a description as long as this post. I also had great feedback and was brutally honest in my descriptions. And I KNOW 356s.

Anyways, IIRC the car did about $15k or so, which was about right back then for a car like it. Car ends on a Saturday evening. The next morning I get a call at 8am informing me that the winning bidder is at my lot and why aren't I open to serve him? Oh fucking great, I can already see where this is gonna go. Like an asshole I get showered and run up to my lot. There's Mr and Mrs Schmuck waiting for me. These are the stereotypical self righteous asshole left wing prius driving smug asshole types that I can NOT stand. I pull up in a 69 Cougar and Mrs Schmuck makes a crack about my gas guzzler. I tell her jokingly that it also runs on baby seals. She says something like :That's not a joke I appreciate".

Great.

So they look over the car and the guy starts picking it apart for every little thing THAT I TOOK A PICTURE OF AND CLEARLY DESCRIBED. Yes it's got a pretty nice repaint that was done around 1978 when these were worthless, yes the battery box has been patched, no it's not the original motor but it's a correct SC case, no those arent the original cylinders those are NPR 1750s, no you're right the seats have some wear and a little loose stitching but they're ORIGNAL, this was a 110k or so mile original car save the repaint, engine and battery box patches, Arizona desert 356s need battery box work FYI.

I agree with them on all points, and mention that everything is as I mentioned in the listing, that's why all of this was pictured in the listing, described in detail, and in the pics you could see my finger pointing at every flaw.

Well these nitwits decide that the car is now worth $7500, no more than that and that I should be more flexible to the needs of internet shoppers and how that this is a new age of consumer empowerment and that car dealers are all evil seal clubbing monsters and other drivel.

I start laughing, $7,500 back then bought you a decent project car or a very ratty drivable car.

I look at them and ask if they even read the description, she replies with "That's not the point, the internet has empowered me as a consumer and I make the rules now".

I said excuse me, got in the car, pulled it around the back of the lot, closed and locked the gate and said "Yeah, you just empowered your butts into no car" She replies with "I feel that's a fair offer and I expect you to take it". My response "I'm going back to bed, you idiots have wasted enough of my time, and besides, the car's worth $7,500 AFTER a tree falls on it, not before".

I couldn't hear what she was saying as I was driving away.

 

And another eBay imbecile....

I listed my 58 Bonneville HT on eBay, I get a call from a bidder, they want to come and see it. This happened a lot, so of course I encouraged it, come by, we're open, have a soda, etc and check it out. Again this is pushing 10 years ago.

Well in walks this guy who proceeds to act like he knows everything about these cars, he's had a couple in the past, yadda yadda.. ok, no problem.

Then we get to the car, he looks it over and asks "So I'll go $9,500 right now on the car". "Uhh, no, that's not what you're going to buy one of these for, maybe 15-20 years ago, not today in nice shape. Reserve was $25,000. He says I am nuts that show quality ones aren't worth that..etc.. And whips out an "Old Cars Price Guide" magazine and points to a Cheiftan 2 door sedan.

I say "Well I wish you luck in finding a Cheiftan 2 door post have a nice day" His reponse is that a Bonneville is the same car but with a few more chrome pieces and that they have the same engine. I just start laughing, she my head and walk away. He really couldn;t understand that a Bonneville was worth more than a 2 door post Cheiftan or so he feigned.

Another one who was standing outside the showroom looking like a fool.

 

Oh, I screwed up, the story about the $7,500 idiots was a Porsche 356SC Coupe. Nice clean driver, not a show car but a nice driver in PERFECT mechanical shape and aside from a patched battery box 100% original sheet metal and good panels gaps, a $30-35k car today.

 

God I could write these all night, back then I was selling about 40-50 cars a month via eBay and another 20+ off of Autotrader.com and other various websites. I was running about an 8-10% moron rate.

I have some better ones but I don't wanna totally hijack the thread...

 

I once drove to Milwaukee from Minnesota to meet a guy from Detroit and sold him a truckload of ChevyII parts.That was a haul.

 

Err, like an inch down the same page in the magazine it says right there how much more the Bonneville is worth. I think had it been me I would have asked the guy outright if he was fucking retarded.

eBay really brought out the nutjobs, though. And still does.

Like six, seven years ago I had a '50 Ford woodie - rough, no wood, but it was the steel filler panel version and all the panels were there. They were going for anywhere from $1500-$3000 in that shape when I got it out of the junkyard, whacked the drums off it and put some tires on it. And it was complete except for the spare tire cover - bumper, taillights, even the third seat was in it in decent shape. It needed a fender and the hood was shot, but they all tend to be, and that stuff is a dime a dozen. Got it home and put it on eBay and let it run there.

A few weeks in I got this asshole who emails up and hounds me literally every few weeks for three years straight saying the car was worthless, unrestorable, and I should part it out - he eventually generously offered me $100 for the third seat (I checked, one had just sold for $500 in about the same shape). Didn't matter what I told him - we don't part out cars, not interested, fuck you, were you dropped on your head as a baby, you're blocked from bidding, drop dead - he'd email up again a few weeks later with the same line of crap.

I finally sold it for $1650, the first guy who offered me anything reasonable for it got it. Was nice to tell the asshole I sold it, even though I should have got about $500 more, I still made money and the guy wanted to restore it. And I went out and bought several more cars with the money.

But the next chance I had to get a postwar Ford woodie, I passed on it. Let someone else deal with that bullcrap.

 

I don't understand these folks. I have a late model El Camino for sale right now locally on Craigslist. The same guy has called me twice this week to say he wants it and is on his way. Told me he would be here this morning to pick it up. I even offered to take it to his house about 60 miles away on my car trailer if he did not feel comfortable driving it that far without a tag. As of 18:00 Friday 04/29 I have not seen or heard from him. I missed a chance to get 12 hours overtime today because of this jerk. It is no longer for sale to him. Why can't people just do what they say they will?

Makes you wonder where we are heading...

 

G'day, Had a fellow that used to stop by the shop and bug my dad for parts. Never would pay what anything was worth. Always had to lowball us. So, I sold him a radiator for his ot truck for $20. The copper was worth more than that but I just wanted him gone. A week later he's back bugging my dad that he took the radiator to a shop and the shop owner says it needs all this work. But the shop owner would give him a really good deal on one of his recores.

The buyer brings it back and wants me to pay to have it recored. $150 bucks for a radiator that was good in the first place. I hand the guy back his $20 and set the radiator down on the driveway. My buddy fired up the one ton and drove right over totally destroying it. The buyer about crapped himself but had the unmitigated audacity to ask for another radiator. Told him to got lost and never come back and he hasn't bugged my dad for years.

ms

 

Im in Ga and had talked to a guy from tenn.He had a 383 and 3:55 rear to do what i wanted.Price was $300.00 fair deal and meet him in Atlanta,he,s seening some friends there.He was comming alone then his wife was comming ,no big deal BUT the price changed to $450.00. I said no way and i was the shit head on the web site,the bad guy ect.He was popular at the site and the only deal was his deal,even if it changed $150.00.He canceled his trip and they real trashed me good.Ive got great credit,100% feedback on e-bay ect. but i wont,WONT go along with ANYchanging of price ect.The deal was worth $450.00 but he priced it ,had 2nd thoughts about it and i backed out.A deals a deal,a man is only as good as his word,and if that suck,s then so does he........my rant............................YG