We went three weeks ago to look at a 1984 944 Porsche that Bill found on the internet. The guy was mostly honest about the car but the one year old paint job was horrible. He and his son had done it at home. It looked it.

Today we went to see, well we thought it would be three but turned out to be only two, Mercedes since one dealer sold one after Bill talked to the him. One was a 1980 450SL and the other one was I think a 1984 450SL (I can't remember ) but anyway neither one was as nice as the photos. The one we were primarily after was the 1980 model. Midnight blue with same-color matching soft and hard tops. Then we started the car and periodically it sounded like a kid with one of those wooden "train" whistles. Not going to tackle that.

So we are still looking.......

Dear Susan,You are lucky,YOU only went to Ohio.I went to Wichita to look at mis-represented JUNK.IF only everyone would tell the TRUTH.Take Care and hope you find what you and Bill are seeking..diz

Years ago, I drove only 60 miles to buy my first classic car, a '69 Z28 Camaro. I had read about it in the local newspaper. On arrival to the kid's yard, I noticed that the hood was missing, along with a few other needed items. But, the hood puzzled me, so I asked about it.

"Oh!" he said!

"I left that in North Carolina, but I'm sure it's
still there if you think you need it!"??????

Wayne

Thanks Diz. We took a trip years ago to see a Metro. It was almost rusted in two in the middle. It actually sagged. We were polite but skittered away from it fearing getting caught in a rust storm if it caved in.

And Wayne, why would you need a hood? Oh, I know. So that you can cut a hole in it for the big blower you were going to add, right?

Hey Susan

We had a similar experience in Ohio - went to look at an MG convertible that was represented as 'like new'. There was more fiberglass in it than our 15' boat has, and to top it off he wouldn't let anyone drive the car! I'd seen parts cars that looked better. A real waste of a 20 hour round trip drive.

What would Wayne need a stinkin' hood for? After all, you'd want to show off all of that chrome blower, wouldn't ya??

BTW, was really good meeting you & Bill in Charlotte. Glad we were able to hook up.
Dawn

So your saying that a "Please Don't Touch" magnet wouldn't have stuck?




It was great meeting you and your husband also. Hope it will happen again sometime where there is better weather and more time. Keep saving until then. We should have plenty of get into, and out of, trouble money by then.

This is a funny time to read this thread... I sold one of my cars today. Described everything I knew about the car and told the truth.

First person who came and looked at it gave me what I wanted with no bickering or hesitation.

But I have also been a victim of mis description...

Bill, I had the same experience last summer. Sold a car and there was NO dickering about the price. It was a nice, made me think I didn't ask enough! But the buyer was happy, and I got my price, so that was a win-win sale!

I sold a car years ago ( I have this bad habit of buying cars, and not selling any). It was a 1960 Karmann Ghia convert. I described every thing about the car, including all the hidden repairs and pointed out every thing that was right, and wrong with the car, including things that may go on it.
Car was sold at the asking price, and I have to say that I felt good about the whole deal. I treat people the way I'd like to be treated.
There is an ebay ad on currently for a 37 Buick ( and others to be sure), where the description says all original, and it is so obvious from the pictures that it is a colour change repaint and the interiors are clearly amateur restos. Simply stating that you don't know much about cars, or are selling for a friend, is no excuse for misrepresenting a car, and I personally wouldn't look at a car sold on that basis.... unless you really know what you are looking at ( and are highly motivated to buy!)....

I've sold cars that I was completely upfront about as well, most times getting asking price or just barely less. Had one fella drive overnight from the upper peninsula of Michigan, & once he saw the car started throwing the money at me he was so excited - didn't bother to look under the hood, in the trunk or even start the car!

If the old fella with the MG were as upfront about what he was selling, I wouldn't have bothered going to look. He probably thought that if I came all that way, I'd go home with what amounted to his parts car regardless of condition.

Bob, got anything in good shape you want to sell???

Susan,

I went to look at a Metro in Tonganoxie, KS once that was being used as a chicken coop. Of course the ad in the paper didn't say "cbuaacc"( Currently being used as a chicken coop ). It might have been a great deal...but think about the allergy potential!

The one you saw that was rusted in the middle might have been good for a "Stretch-Metro", since it needed new metal there anyway. I'm having trouble picturing it, though.
----Jeff

Send it to me, Jeff!

I couldn't even get a bid on a 1979 450SEL a friend has, on eBay a while back. With a $500 opening bid and no reserve.

What's wrong with the car you ask? Something's wrong with the trans, it runs great, but doesn't go. It needs a windshield. And the grille has some issues, but it comes with a spare. Until the trans quit it was a running, driving car. It's not rusty, the interior is nice, the paint's not perfect but could be lived with.

Given the things sell for $5000 and up in nice shape, even if a guy dropped $2000 on a transmission, $1500 for this one aught to be a good deal. But if we can't even get $500 for it, it's going to the scrapyard - In fact, when I tried it on Craigslist asking $2500 so there was plenty of wiggle room, I had an idiot offer $400 for it and I told him I could get more from the junkyard. I mean, there's making an offer, and there's insulting someone - I'm sure not going to sell a car for less than scrap, the same guy is liable to show up and want to pay even less because this little thing is wrong or that little thing is wrong... I don't want to deal with that, it's not worth my time.

That's why people lie about their cars - they figure if they can at least get people to look at them, the people will let the money burn a hole in their pocket and buy it even if something is wrong with it. It's been tempting to do that a lot of times, but I never do - and don't sell much of anything.

Each time we made that drive to look at a car/or cars we had the cash to buy the car even at the asking price. Every time we went home with no car. My number one rule was....NO PROJECT CARS. We have two of them. We don't need another one.

Sure the 450SL we got needed some work. Right now the fuel pump is not working but Bill thinks it is electrical not the pump itself. It was working fine the day before. But once that is fixed all the major stuff is done. Well, except finding new seatbelts to replace the orginal ones that are badly damaged.

Yep there is a lot of crap out there, but there also a lot of people out there who refuse to pay for quality. I'm mean as far as quality, a very sound or nice car vs. a bondo queen. When I was selling my 64-Tbird recently on Ebay, a guy called me as he wanted to know what my car was like. He had seen cars advertize as trailer queens that were disasters. He was getting deparate at finding a good car. However after him not bid on the car, I assume he was another one of these looky lou's who want a bargain but won't pay for a good car.

I heard of a really good T-Bird in Mississippi for sale.