yes there is stength in numbers! these sellers will not expect someone to pop in for a surprise inspection! on ebay, when they "won`t give more detailed pics" they have reasons not to!
I recently bought a running, restored 1952 Triumph Speed Twin the guy claimed he rode weekly. When it arrived the throttle was stuck so I fixed that but it wouldn't run right. I finally found a hole in the top of one of the pistons. He also failed to mention that he never titled it since it had been shipped to the states either. Pretty sweet, the only solace you have is that someday karma will come back and bite them in the ass. Hopefully.
i just bought a F250. when me and my dad went to look at it, it was cheap looked good and had low miles. but the trans was leaking, turned out the owner overtightened the drain plug after a fluid change, but he agreed to get it fixed and did. so we go back to look at it and the guy turns out to be a pro dirtbike racer that my dad has swore he read about. it was so he and my dad are talking about races and people that my dad knew that the guy still talks to, hes a really cool guy. he says everythings fine on it, and since he was so cool and nice me and my dad didnt really check it over to much. so the next day i want to go to the desert (45 mins away) and my dad tell me to check everything. so i check the dip stick and it was dry tried again dry. drained the oil and there was only about 2 qts in it and should hold 6 and it was sludge. called the guy back and he said he had no idea it was that low and felt really bad. showed a friend the truck and he used to work for the guy that owned it and said he was cool but full of crap even had a nick name for him. so that kind of scared me. was mostly my fault for not looking everything over, but it runs great.
I drove 11 hrs to North Carolina to pick up a 50 chevy business coupe. I had photos, talked to the guy on multiple occasions, etc. Guy tells me to bring my magnet becasue all of the metalwork was profesionally done and no filler was used. Motor is out but complete. Interior is brand new white tuck and roll. all trim there. all rust repaired, new paint, all chrome, etc etc; pull up into bumfuck Deliverance type area. get out. 40 ft from the car i knew i was going home empty. it was pretty obvious there was no filler in the car. Waves of galvanized metal freshly sprayed with rustoleum, motor was laying on the dirt floor in pieces. might have been all there but not together. the brand new white tuck n roll.....was brand new 10 years ago when it ws pulled from teh car. He forgot to mention it was sitting on a dirt floor in his 2.5 walled shed exposed to rain. Went he started looking for boxes of parts that were included, he had to dig through piles of trash. the rust was rampant, the body panels were junk. the car was crap and the owner flat out lied about everything on the phone. i was pissed, went home empty, and enjoyed the rest of my weekend
hey guys, im outlaw steels dad. i went with him to get this damn car. im crippled up from a bike wreck in 05.so riding long distances isnt something i want to do but we thought we could move that car faster than we could move the bike so off we go.son did talk to him, asked all the questions and looked at the pics.all looked good..kinda glad i have started to change my ways.because what i wanted to do would hav cost me some jail time and being crippled in prison aint something i want to do either.not telling me about something wrong with the car is onething but flat out lying is a whole nother story.after reading some of your stories sure does made me alot more careful when i try to trade.ive traded , bought and sold cars and bikes most of my life and this is a first for me.but the way things are today im betting it wont be the last.thank god for my pain pills they REALLY helped on the way back!
I looked at those pictures too and Newbomb Turk, I'm right there with you on this. Rusty my ass!! That's factory fresh here in the Rust Belt.
Been looking for a clean 28/20 coupe for a little while and it is a little hard to find a decent body in the ne.Im trying to help a friend start his first hotrod prodject so i donated most of the stuff to get things going except the body. He found a sport coupe on the bay and it was about 3 hours away,said trunk lid needs patch and a little at the cowl.Pics didnt look bad so we figured a roof is last to rot into the ground we just have to find a roof.So after the buy it now was hit we went to get it and the guy stated how he does this stuff for a living.He freqents on here also but dosent build much to traditional.Well so do i but i try to listen more than i speak to get a feel for things.He claimed to have a lot of other things we may be interested in.I should have done some background checking but i try to have some faith in the human race (my first mistake). Well the cowl area was from one car that was transparent when looked at through the lite and the trunk looked like it was used to cover a drainage ditch and run over with a tractor.more than half the inner structure was rotted away.The gas tank was rotted through,none of this was mentioned in his add. The quarters were ok the doors were toatally un repairable,and i have fixed some crap in my day.I wont get into the attempted repairs that looked like a 3 yearold did in a sand box either.Its good for a rat rod thats it,no i dont build such things and this guy lives it.So its got to go im lucky if i get half of paid price. Take one as a lesson,research everything as much as you can,inc seller.If i did i wouldent have to try to sell stuff i normally would have given away. People do hard thing in hard times i guess but my name means more to me than paper. The other side side of the coin i have delt with a few on the hamb and never a bad experiance.always honest and prompt.
I've owned 31 cars in the last 16 years and have come to the conclusion that any drive over an hour from where you are isn't worth it. No matter how low I convey my expectations over the phone they still seem to hype up their crap. I can tell some stories... Some involve guns, offering dogs towards trades... I can whip up a mean movie movie script...
Reading these stories and my own experiences is exactly why hoard my good stuff now and take the time to get stuff inspected when I can. I was going to buy a '50 Ford coupe that needed paint and an interior, but was a good driver. In fact, he supposedly drove it to work often in good whether. I asked about rust in the usual shoebox places and got OKs. Pictures supported his claim. Luckily I posted on a shoebox site and had someone drive 20-30 miles to go look at the car that lived close by and knows these cars. The car barely started because there was an 8" crack in the block, the body mounts were gone, floors were shot, quarters were wavy and full of bondo, etc. The real pictures told the story. Best $$ I ever spent NOT to buy a car.
I purchased my SANTOS/BUTTERA "BILLET-T", that had been in storage in boxes for 20yrs., a year ago, Feb. '08. A Jersey rod builder, who recently relocated to Arizona, brought his portfolio to my house, and supposedly built a car for Alice Cooper, that sold at the Barret-Jackson auction for $185K, and had the photos to back it up. He agreed to rebuild my rod, for $7K if I would pay him up front, which I did. He called two weeks ago and said I needed to buy a trailer for my rod, as he had run out of room in his shop, which I dropped off a trailer. Two days later he emailed me, that I needed to pick up my rod as he was moving. It was a couple of days before I could pick it up, so when I arrived, it had been setting uncovered, still in pieces, with the rear of the frame laying on my polished Centerlines. I was missing six vintage tires and wheels, dash with SW gauges, several other parts. His house was empty. Yes, I can relate to honesty or dishonestly.
Exactly...they see there car as something other than what it is ...through their own "world view" ... like we are all going to go gaa gaa when we see it...
How about a 60 mile drive, 2 days after having spinal surgery, a ferry ride to a well known island in Puget Sound, Vashon Island, to look at a "straight" and "clean", 1956 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery. It was JUNK!! Not a panel, door, fender, hood, or anything matched, they were all different colors, kind of like those V.W. Beetles they sold a few years back; but those were new, factory painted, cars. This delivery had more bondo and rust repair than the one I was trying to replace, and for the same reasons, and it was strictly amatuer work. The seat was a Cadillac power seat that had only been sat in the car and was'nt ,"part of the deal". Here's the good part, the guy was a Gypsy Joker Motorcycle Club member, outlaw biker to those that don't know, and obviously a higher up in that orginization. He's about twice my size, not too friendly, actually somewhat threatening, he's got several TIMBER WOLVES chained to a tree howling away, there are signs pointing to an area, "Joker parking only", and I'm supposed to tell; him, "NO" (?). All I want to do is get out of there as quick as I can. I had just had my first spinal surgery, and I was pretty much helpless to protect myself. I wound up telling the guy I'd be back with the money the next day, along with a tow truck (it had no engine or trans), and it was just what I was looking for (is that wrong?). Well, that never happened. I kept up my hunt, and now I have the delivery I've wanted for years. I tell people it's the car they'll bury me in. Butch/56sedandelivery.
Sometimes being honest as a seller doesn't matter I'm selling an old POS van that's only good for it's engine & trans. It's advertised that way, as a POS with big rust holes and a lot of dents. The ad says it's really a parts vehicle you can drive home. People with interstate delivery firms have looked at this piece of sh*t and been disappointed it was too rusty to drive to florida tomorrow. Like to the point of having angry faces. WTF people? You're considering a $500 van to deliver things cross country for a living? At that price you're lucky it starts!
I learned my lesson the hard way as well. I drove 12 hrs one way to a shithole called Milton-Freewater, Oregon to buy (not look at, I was there to buy) a hard-to-find car. The guy sent me pics, but in retrospect, I should have asked for betetr pics, or possibly a video. But I was so excited to actually find this car, my common sense took a day off. I rented a trailer and booked it, only to find a POS. Rather than offer less, I just left. A few months later, a buddy found his dream car (of the week) on ebay. It was a '57 Chevy 210 with a fresh paint job from (gulp) Wisconsin. In my wildest dreams, I would never buy a car over the internet from the rust and cheese capital of the US. He called me when the auction had 3 days left for my advice. I told him that while the car looked good, I wouldn't buy it due to location and price. He would not be deterred and bought the thing. He paid $9k for the car, $1200 to get it to Medford, Or (4 hrs from here) and by the tikme the DMV was done with him, he had over $11K into the thing. It was a total write-off in my eyes. It was full of rust, both bumpers were twisted and rusty, the driver's rear quarter had been VERY poorly repaired in the past and was bowed out nearly 4". It was chock full of rust everywhere you looked, and the six cylinder motor was knocking badly. It had weather-checked bias ply tires and the interior featured worn seat covers, a new carpet (covering old rust) and none of the gauges worked. I may have lost $500 by turning down the shitbox I got fooled by, but at least I didn't take a $11,000 bath on a total heap. I think that's the only thing you can take away from a slick-talker trying to sell a POS. Don't let one mistake lead to a bigger one...
It's sad to admit, but we live in a world loaded with no conscience scumbags who don't care about anybody but themselves or whose time they waste. I’ve looked at tons of garbage over the years but here’s one of the most memorable. I had some pillar of the community tell me on the phone a few years back that "the body is mint and the interior is perfect” on an OT 71 Challenger R/T and that he took out the engine to rebuild it but lost interest. I figured he was probably a bit optimistic in his description but he sounded like a straight up guy on the phone. Well upon arriving me and my buddy spot this pile of shit in the yard that I’m thinking CAN’T be the car. Rear ¼’s are missing the lower several inches. Interior shredded and the door panels and dashboard are covered in prism tape. Well out comes the seller. I said there’s no way this is the F*&%king car you described. He says “Well, at least ya had a nice ride”. Over the years I’ve learned a little. I won’t pay a dollar extra for a “rebuilt” motor just because most of em’ aren’t and the ones that are, usually have been done half assed. Fresh primer is the kiss of death, as is a fresh gooey enamel paint job and newly applied undercoating. Oh, and spare us the bullshit about having a title on the way. Wait until you have a correct title in hand and advertise it for more $$ or just say you don’t have one, period. It makes you really appreciate it when you do have the opportunity to deal with honest folks.
Some guys just have to try to get a deal on stuff when they buy it. Lots of people like to play this game, although it amazes me when people have the gaul to offer less than half of an asking price. I always price stuff at least double what I want for it unless I want to dump it fast just to try to outwit these people. That guy's going to be in for a shock if he ever has to start actually buying parts for a '61 Dodge, though. We had a guy once come 700 miles with a U-haul truck to look at a car, spend a good hour going over it, say it was better than he expected, and... not buy the car and go home empty. Car's not a driver but doesn't need much to be one, mostly just going over because it's sat for a couple years. No counteroffer, nothing. WTF? I get so I tell people everyone has a different opinion and you have to look and make up your own mind about a car, because something that looks like no big deal to me might be a deal breaker for you. And if someone needs to see a specific area of a car and I can get a picture, I'm happy to take it for them. Not worth the hassle to leave something out and have someone come and not buy a car because of something I forgot to tell them.
ok well i found a honest guy not on the hamb i feel much better about some ppl in this world now traded off one of my bikes for a 65 falcon wagon the car is accually better than what he described it im totally happy with it so maybe in the future ill have more run ins with ppl like him
I always assume perfect condition mean average, average mean shitty, and if they admit it is shitty then you better bring a shovel to load what was once a car onto the trailer....
It's par for the course. They expect that you drove all that way and will just take it home for a little less. I've had this one scam in particular happen 3 times. You answer an ad for what looks to be a fair deal on the description. You go look at it, and it's a wasted P.O.S. that's not even worth selling for scrap. Then the excuse, 'This is my other one for parts. The one we talked about just sold, how bout this one for half price?' Or better yet 'My secretary made a mistake on the ad. That one's gone and she was confused. Make me an offer on this one'. Really? I just talked to you on the damn phone 10 minutes ago! Next SOB that tries a bait and switch like this on me is getting his teeth kicked in by my 4 year old.
Liar didn't have anything to haul back. He was just trying to guilt you into taking it, as if you had already fully committed.
MOFOSHIHELL MAN! I've been looking for you! You should have come back! Now the WOLVES are comin! Just kidding.
-My thoughts exactly. There´s just too many variables involved in a "rebuilt engine"...The same thing with "fresh paint", "fresh restoration", etc. Considering the involvement and cost of especially the last two done properly, the vehicle being posted on sale immediately thereafter kind of makes You wonder about the quality of work that went into it. Another thing I don´t understand are complete "project" cars with fresh primer sprayed over everything. I don´t care how faded, multi-colored or "ugly" the car looks untouched, at least You´d know exactly what it is if it´s the original paint.
I had to add my story.... Drove from Raleigh NC to Jacksonville Fla,pulling a trailer to BUY a 55 Chevy, two door ,327 four speed w/AC. New paint ....NOT New interior..NOT 327.............350 NOT 327 AC..............Vinatage NOT working Guy wanted 21,300. OFFERED 21,000. and told him that I was staying at the hotel till AM the next morning.......It really wasn't worth it but I figured what the hell ,and I really wanted it. He called and asked if I wanted it or not ,that it was JUST THREE hundred OFF WHAT I HAD OFFERED......... what the fuck ,needless to say my GIRL and I had a nice ride back 600.miles LIAR's I hate em............. At least I didn't get burned to bad, Just travel and gas.....
I'd say that hits it right on the head in most cases. Around here, it's all Pontiac Sunbird 'verts and VW Trikes, and everyone thinks their stuff is gold. Of course, there are still lots of folks who really just think they can get one over on you.
The Jalopy Journal
