Another dry run

[auburnseeker]

I had what I thought was a find. I ran across a 1938 Buick Special phaeton on Craigslist in Scranton PA. The car looked great in the photos. I didn't get to see some of the typical floor pan shots and undercarriage shots I usually require before even thinking of going to look at a car.

I figured the story the Elderly female owner relayed to me about having not been driven in the rain except once since 1959 and having been owned by her brother in law seemed just too good afterall she said it only has 19,000 miles on it.

I didn't go with the photos but did one better and sent my pretty knowledgable friend to look at the car. HE was an hour from it. I'm 4 hours each way. He welcomed the adventure spent 2 hours looking the car over then when he showed up here for a few days vacation relayed everything he saw to me. I even quizzed him about different features and condition of various parts so I figured when his eyes lit up upon arriving and he said "buy it" we were good to go. He even said if I decided I didn't want it or ran across a Car I liked better he would gladly buy it from me.

Well after rounding up a trailer, installing a new hitch on my truck and getting everything necessary to get the car running to make it easier to load I was good to go. 4 Hours later I arrived and in 30 seconds of looking at the car realized I just waisted an entire day not to mention expenses.

Th car being a bit dusty from storage actually looked fairly decent even from a few feet away. THen I dropped underneath and what a mess. The car had been very poorly refurbished in the 1960's to include a poor reconstruction of the heavily rusted and perforated floor pans as wellas trunk floor refurbishment, rotted out sidemount wells and actually most of the inner fender ares in the back had been welded up like a patch work quilt with 4 inch and slightly larger square patches. The car reaked of mouse droppings and the trunk was nearly covered in it. The runningboards for some reason were shimmed up with 3 -3/4 inch pieces of plexiglass. There were cracks starting in the bodywork. The window frames were rusty. The woodgraining on the dash had been redone. I've seen worse but definately far from factory. 70's Dinock paper was used for graining the inner garnish mouldings. The chrome on the dash and steering wheel were terrible. THe bumpers had been replated at some point and would probably clean up fairly well. Most of the other exterior chrome was pitting pretty heavily. What a shame to see a car of that grandure so poorly restored. I never got to the running part but being the ladies were looking for 20,000 I didn't even try to make an offer which I would have possibly been in at maybe 10,000. Glad I didn't even go that now. I just thanked them for their time. Told them the car didn't meet my expectations and left for the 4 hour drive home. I think in their mind they still think the car is a grand showpiece. Unfortunately cars like this are what really give people selling good cars a black eye. So if you were going to look at this creamy yellow colored car, save your time. It is not worth the trip.

Now I have to deal with my friend. ARRRGH!!!!!

[Bhigdog]

My condolences but a 4 hr drive isn't too bad. I drove 15 hours, one way, to above Quebec to buy a 57 buick century convert. Long story short the pix they sent weren't even of the same car. A magnet wouldn't stick anywhere on the bottom 8" of the car. It wouldn't run and there was at least 1/2" of NEW undercoating on the entire bottom including mufflers. At least you didn't buy it sight unseen trusting pix and an "honest" description.............Bob

[Barry Wolk]

I bought my '33 Continental, '55 Porsche and '41 Ford pick-up from pictures and was not disappointed. The Mark II was a lot more money, so I went to see it.

I must just be lucky.

[auburnseeker]

I can actually top that. I drove to North Dakota. About a 28 hour drive If I remember right one way after a 33 ford 3 window coupe about 15 years ago. Well it turned out to be a completey gutted 35 Ford 5 window coupe shell. I still should have bought it to recover the cost of the trip but I did find a somewhat sad 1946 Ford coupe that I bought cheap enough to cover the cost of the trip.

You would think I learned by now???:eek:

I guess if nothing else it's time spent with my dad so I atleast get that out of it. I don't get to spend much other time with him.

[Shop Rat]

Bill and I have done pre-purchase inspections on two cars for two different buyers. One was grateful that we found that the car was not "turn key" as the seller had told him. Like you he had made a very expensive trip (he flew to D.C. to look at one) and it was in terrible condition. The owner had not at all told him the truth about the car. And on the one we looked at for him the photos were old that the owner had sent to him. We sent new photos that we took and a detailed report based on an AACA judging sheet to make sure we didn't miss anything. The $75 he paid us was a bargain compared to his other trip and he told us so.

The other man did buy the car, a T-bird, after we inspected it. He was very pleased with the photos, report and the condition of the car when he went in person to pick it up.

We weren't doing the inspections to set a price, only to establish current condition.

[Mark Huston]

A number of years ago I drove from Sacramento, CA to Salt Lake City, UT to buy a car what was totally misrepresented both over the phone and in the pictures that were sent to me. I asked all the right questions, but was given lies in reply. I arrived at 7 AM from a 12 hour all night drive only to find everything wrong with the car that I had specifically asked about. I was mad enough to tell the seller that in the future he better accurately describe the car or the next person just might pound him into his driveway. I got in my truck and pulled my empty car trailer home.

I will never buy a car with out first inspecting it in person.

Auburnseeker: You did all the right things, just be glad you took the time to look at the car first before turning over your money. Be patient, the right car will come along, just be ready to go in person anytime you have a lead.

[Guest ken bogren]

I wouldn't buy a car without an inspection by myself or some TRUSTED person unless the price (including shipping) was a number I could afford to lose at the casino and not feel bad about it.

I'm poor, sooo...... it'd have to be a really cheap car

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Auburnseeker, check out the '39 Ford convertible sedan Gullwing motors has - never dealt with them but price seemed reasonable to me and my guess is you would get an honest description if you call them.

[Larry Schramm]

I once drove from Detroit to Orlando to take a pass on a vehicle that did not live up to the pictures. Stuff happens and 4 hours is a short drive across town.

[impala]

Your friend sounds more like someone who is mis-representing a car for sale than someone accessing a car. He might be knowledgeable in something but it's obviously not cars.

Deal with him! Yeah I would deal with him by making him realize you spent 8 hours driving and incurred expense to look at a piece of crap.

Only use knowledgeable people who's knowledge you can verify.

impala