Amphicar BUYER

Just a few rules I live by and with great success; I will never use Western Union candy grams for real business nor will any legit person. Nothing I have is considered "SOLD" until I have cash in hand, I will only hold if I have a non-refundable deposit in hand too. If I'm buying, I use PayPal as that protects my money as well as my credit card protection. You will never see me sending you anything but these. If you aren't willing to accept that, I don't do business. So far 100% success. Scammers job is to make you believe they are legit, a few phone calls it all it usually takes. They prey on people who are lazy, ignorant, in a hurry or believe they have a "deal of the century". Your emotions are their tools.

What I have told many, but only a few ever listened... "if you spend $??? to come see the car and it's not the car for you, money well spent, if you spend the same $??? to come see the car and buy it.... money well spent" I just don't understand why people won't invest a few bucks into inspecting (either themselves or a friend) a car or parts. The car is $30k or a pile of rare parts for $2600 but $500 is too much for an airplane ticket? Then they complain of getting scammed. This is why scammers are so prevalent, because people are penny smart and dollar stupid.

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If you're mechanically inclined, it's easy peasy! Most of the time, clean and re-grease is all it takes.

The laser rust removal is a awesome tool, but for now it is $50k. once it gets to below $1k, I may bite, until then, $50k will buy me a lot of rust removal. I only buy HF tools to make other tools with. Single use kinda stiff. I'd never consider HF for anything precise. I've had open end wrences spread and round off bolts. I even broke a 1 1/4" in half!

If you call a specialist and they can get you in immediately, I'd move on or ask a lot of questions!. If they have a wait, that usually indicates they are popular. and busy for a reason. Not a hard-fast rule, but a guide.

The CFO always complained the Peter was doing too much for the employees and not enough for the investors. Peter looked to the future, the CFO looked to the right now. Typical CFO, only looking at the $$$ and wanting it all now. So 1500 employees and their families and the suppliers, the contract workers, the customers and so on all lost out on a long term success. There were a ot of us (not me, bad timing by a week or so) that made significant $$ in our stock options. We made the best product of its type in the world, bar none. It was the "Gold standard" for the industry. Hi package was never announced so you may be right, but knowing Peter I don't think he would allow the company he started in his garage and grew to 1500 employees within 5 years to die for the benefit of the CFO. Tragic at best.

As I recall it was the SL600, Black with tan interior. This was 2006 I happen to have some Benzes ('79 450SL and '96 SL500) with my Cadillacs (66 Ragtop, 2x '72 ragtops) and a Lincoln MKT for my daily too.

It was about a year or so before we closed the doors permanently. From 1500 employees to 0 in months. Many of us still are friends. In fact I work with a lady I used to work with at Exabyte 20 years ago. It was a very close family at "The Byte"

I used to work for a company called "Exabyte" here in Colorado. During the 90s we were the gold standard for our products (8mm tape backup systems) that all other companies strives for. The way we got there was because Peter Behrent (founder) said "Make your employees happy, they will make a happy product, that will make a happy customer and that in turn will make a happy company, which makes the employees happy..." With that in mind we were the only company of our size in high tech that actually had no debt and $20mil in the bank when other companies were leveraged into obscurity. I spent 13 months in the hospital due to a mis-diagnosis by a Dr. I got my 66% disability payments from my insurance, and Exabyte (on their own and in secret) made sure my paychecks were 100%. Not only that but I accrued sick and vacation time while in the hospital! (I took every Friday off for over a year) My office was even locked up as if a time capsule, coffee cup still where I left it! They hired a temp to take over while I was gone. Upon my return he was hired full time in another capacity rather than tossing him out with the garbage as most companies would do now. Another lady's son was in a horrific car wreck, they gave her 5 months off with 100% pay and also accrued sick and vacation time too. This is but 2 of many things they did "off the books" for good employees. That right there is why the employees were so happy. The company cared for all of us as long as you did your job and gave back with professionalism and dedication. Peter retired and within 2 years after the CFO took over, all the benefits deemed non-essential were cut, shortcuts were initiated into manufacturing process, employee's happiness was removed from the list of essentials. Customer service was moved over-seas (resulted in the fasted drop of happy customers ever!) Failure rates went from <1% to almost 90% on some lines. Our company went from buying other companies and a waiting line of years to work there, to bankrupt and bought for assets by a much smaller company we were in the process of buying just months before. The CFO had no problem driving his new Mercedes to work they day they laid of 1400 of us. He also hired an armed guard to stand by it that day. Business has lost sight of where the actual bottom line is and how to improve it. They only care about investors and neglect the employees that make the company. It is not investors that make it work, it's the employees!

I liked the way is yoosta be, (probably talking with a older guy with greasy hands...) " I need a single wire 85 Amp GM alternator" ... (20 seconds later) "OK here ya go" Now... (probably talking with a 18 yr old who doesn't know crap about cars) " I need a single wire GM alternator" What's it on? 1964 Amphicar "what" It's not in your book. We have everything OK, 1964 Amphicar That's not in our computer I told you! ... OK try any 1970 GM car Does it have AC? NO Does it have power brakes? IT DOESN"T MATTER! Pick any answer until you get to the alternator... I need to know the correct answers Pick any answer, they are all correct Does it have .... wait, where did he go?

I agree! ^^^^

I had a guy call me and say he had an Amphicar on his truck that the buyer backed out on and I'f I covered his fuel and some time he'd deviate from his route to show it to me and make a deal. (I call BS). I was in the hospital bored stiff so I thought this would be a good distraction. He wanted a $200 moneygram so I said sure, where do I send it. He gave me an address. I looked it up and chose a town about 60 miles from there. He called saying it wasn't where he said to send it, I said oh they said it went to the other town. He was a little upset but said he go. About 90 mins later he called me from that office and said it's not here!. I told him that they had trouble and sent it to another office (40 miles further). He was a little more upset but went. I got another call about an hour later... yup I said they had realized the mistake and sent it to the 1st place. He calls me 2 1/2 hours later really mad now. I said Hey I added and extra $200 for the trouble but it was now at the last place I sent him. As a stupid fish will always bite when hungry, he did too and off he went. I get the call... he is really peeved... I said how does it feel to be screwed over? .... CLICK (silence) and me laughing so hard I needed another pain pill. MMMM the sweet taste of karma.

If you call a shop of any flavor and they can get you in right away, probably a reason for that. If they say 6 months, there is also a reason for that. In the lasts 10 months I lost 2 dear friends, one was also my upholstery guy of 20+ years and the other was also my body guy of 15 years. Both always had a long waiting list for good reason. Now I can't find replacement upholstery or body guys (Looking up into the heavens.... Damn it Blaine and John! and pardon the french, but it is apropos and not strong enough ... ---- CANCER!). If you have your go to guys, be patient and thankful.

I've said for years now that Amphicars come with factory installed rust! One of my Amphi friends had T-shirts made that said "Amphicar - The only car with a right to rust!"

At least with me, Wiring is done after inside paint, during assembly but before upholstery, glass and final fitment. I paint the inside surfaces and leave the outside in final prime while I assemble the interior, all mechanical, wiring and such. Cheaper to repair a scratch in final prime than after color is applied. Wiring is certainly not last which for me is the outside trim and misc adjustments like alignment etc. Wiring must be installed to start it and inspect that all systems are operational.

The photos are in links at the bottom of his post. It has the single handle of a 33 Ford, but the general shape looks off for a Ford, but I could be wrong.

I think the "T-Bard" is only available in the southern states. Try the usual suspects, Hemmings, Craigslist, classic car trader, traderonline, "for sale/Wanted" section here, T-bird club or the Ford club.

Put the boot on the other foot? are you mad? I can tell where I'd put the boot, and it's not on the other foot that's for sure. He just removed it from its plastic bag, it must have been dusty to begin with. I for one would not give 2 craps about dust, I care that it fits. It's dusty, not damaged!! They sold him the wrong one and dusty is no reason to deny the replacement of the part they clearly send out wrong ( and dusty) in the 1st place. This is yet another example of a greedy company looking for any way they can to take your money and provide the least amount of service possible. POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE , plain and simple. I just had a big fight over my phone. It almost burst into flames in my hand (too hot to handle) . It clearly is defective and they admitted it. It's not only under warranty, it had extra insurance covering it. The guy took out his magnifying glass and found a small crack (1/4" in the decorative glass on the back, he determined that voided my insurance and warranty! WHat? It could burn my house down, you admit its defective and a aesthetic crack from normal wear and tear voids my warranty??? To say the company is not on the hook to return this guys harness is ludicrous!

He may be open to a letter, not a flurry of letters, but a single letter. Many people out there are agoraphobic or other social phobias. It may be the presence of somebody at his door that is bothersome, whereas a letter is less in his face. I would still send a letter.

He may not have been a friend until we met because of the car. Like my experience with my Skyliner, we became friends because of the car. Now the car lives on, he's happy and I'm happy and we both have new friends. He is thrilled that he chose me to sell it to. Len was only concerned somebody would lowball him to turn around and sell it for lots of money. I gave him a reasonable price and he accepted. I have zero problems asking if a car could be for sale and zero problems with people asking me about mine. It has worked out for both the seller and buyer MANY times. I only go to the door and not wander around. If there is a gate, I do not open it and revert to using a note or sending a letter. Several times I have been told they wanted to get rid of it but did not know how to go about it. See, once again, both are happy and nobody is worried about privacy, the bigger concern is RESPECT.

Oh they want you to think you know what will happen, but when it comes time to pay out, that is when you find out. My sister is fighting an insurance company now. A rental camper got tossed in a tornado in July. Her insurance guy said she was fully covered, not so. The contents were covered, but the rental was not. So "fully covered" was really a general statement and not an accurate statement. Find out how the terms they use are meant. "Agreed Value" means exactly what to them and to you? It is designed to screw over the consumer, not to help in any way.

This is why you need to understand how your insurance company covers your losses. You were under insured as many are. I was once too, but learned my lesson ($50,000 cup of coffee is what I got, long story) Understand your policy, agreed value on any collectible. Your receipts have no value, your car in its current condition is how its valued. If you put in a $5000 stereo, it does not make it worth $5000 more. If you insure the stereo separately, then maybe. (probably $2500 at best)

It will cost you a stamp and a few minutes. Sending him a letter is respecting his privacy. I spent 10 years with one guy who had a 59 Skyliner sitting for 20ish years. It took me 3 years to get him to open the door, 8 years to see the inside of the car and 10 to own it. We spoke a lot, 85% of the time when I'd see him the car was not part of the conversation at all. One day I got the call that he was ready to sell. The 1st place I drove the car was to his house and let him take it for a drive. Seeing a grown many tear up, is a special thing. Just before I left, I gave him a love note from an old girlfriend(dated 1978) that had died tragically some years later. That and the drive meant more to him than the car did. You could only see a single tail light from the road. I thought I was the only one, but once I began driving it every day, I found out I was far from the only one who know. I was the only one who did not pressure him. A letter is the kindest and most respectful way to make contact. If its meant to be, it will be. The answer is ALWAYS "no" if you don't try. I tried for years to buy a 34 For Phaeton, but without success. One day I drove by to see the Ford (squished by a bulldozer) and the garage it was in being loaded into a dumptruck.... sad day to be sure. Some just won't survive ignorance.