Well now I've heard everything

[Janousek]

Just a joke AJ.  

 

The invention of the hand held phone is what kills the youth from being interested in old cars.  They have all the networking they want in their mom's basement.  

[MCHinson]

Political comments in this discussion were reported to the moderators as being in violation of the forum rules. I have edited the original political comment and done my best to hide all of the political responses. Let's please return to the original intent of the "rant" without the political commentary. Thanks.

[46 woodie]

Carl and Trimcar, there have been several well publicized cases, one on a national TV show, about people using numbers, to duplicate titles/registrations. Some states are very lax when it comes to documentation. The hassle and lawyers cost to prove that you actually own your own car can get expensive. Unfortunately there are unscrupulous people out there that try to do stuff like this.

[Grimy]

1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said:

Edit: One more thought. I am looking for a Cadillac or Packard convertible. I will NOT buy anything advertised as a convertable. Cars carry the stigma of their previous owner.

Bernie is a spelling snob!  (So am I.)  I like that in a person.....

[JACK M]

If the guy is advertising a convertable he just might not know what he has.

My peeve is the guy that advertises a convertible that is a sedan with the top cut off. Now its a parade car.

I always ask what it converts to. I get that deer in the headlights look.

[Mark Huston]

Regarding Matt’s original topic in this post:   This is an example of a lazy and uniformed buyer and unprofessional car inspector.   Apparently, neither was educated regarding the car in question. 

When I use the term “uniformed” I mean a buyer of a specific car that has no knowledge of that vehicle prior to actually owning one.   If you are seriously attracted to a specific make and model of car, and you are smart, you do your homework.   You join a club that represents that make and model.   You buy and read everything written about that car to learn the pitfalls and quirts and to know what you are looking at when shopping for that specific car.   In addition, you network with owners of the car you want to by picking their brains, checking out their cars in person, before committing to the purchase of that specific car.    The opposite of this process is the buyer who, on an impulse, buys a car that they know nothing about and then complains that they were “ripped off” by the seller.  Is it really the sellers fault or is it the buyer because he, or she, knows nothing about the vehicle they are buying? 

There is a reason for the old saying “There’s a sucker born every minute” because of people who impulse buy without doing their homework. Or, in this case, knowing nothing about the car they are trying to buy. 

Matt, stick to your principles and don’t let this one uneducated buyer stop you from doing the right thing.

Edited December 23, 2016 by Mark Huston (see edit history)

[Walt G]

I like Headbolt's comment in post #49. Matt Harwood is a good guy and honest seller, has a right to be frustrated by who/what he had to deal with , and yes leave the politics , religion etc comments out of it all. If you want a good car and like what he has to offer, do not be put off by a rant of the moment.

[CarlLaFong]

1 hour ago, 46 woodie said:

Carl and Trimcar, there have been several well publicized cases, one on a national TV show, about people using numbers, to duplicate titles/registrations. Some states are very lax when it comes to documentation. The hassle and lawyers cost to prove that you actually own your own car can get expensive. Unfortunately there are unscrupulous people out there that try to do stuff like this.

As I said, your VIN and license number is visible to the world every time you leave the garage. If someone steals your number for criminal purposes, they and the car that they cloned are the problem. The rightful, legal owner has nothing to fear. The VIN is going to be in multiple places on a legitimate car. My late model vehicles have them on every major part. The clone will not. The TV show that you refer to was, probably, Boyd Coddington's show. He was not stealing VINs. He was using an out of state title service to register cars, under the California radar. CA just wanted their "fair share" of the tax money. I believe nothing ever came of it

[TerryB]

I am a big fan of Matt's posts.  His descriptions and photos are always well done and informative.  Too bad his potential buyer backed out but I'm sure a person who knows the value and recognizes the honesty and integrity of his car will be found.  Have a great holiday Matt.

 

Terry

[joe_padavano]

3 hours ago, CarlLaFong said:

As I said, your VIN and license number is visible to the world every time you leave the garage. If someone steals your number for criminal purposes, they and the car that they cloned are the problem. The rightful, legal owner has nothing to fear. The VIN is going to be in multiple places on a legitimate car. My late model vehicles have them on every major part. The clone will not. The TV show that you refer to was, probably, Boyd Coddington's show. He was not stealing VINs. He was using an out of state title service to register cars, under the California radar. CA just wanted their "fair share" of the tax money. I believe nothing ever came of it

 

Thank you!  I still can't understand the people who cover the license plate when they post a photo of their car.  Do they also cover it when they drive on the street?  I'm struggling to understand the scam that people are actually worried about.  You are also exactly correct about Boyd's VIN issues.  It's unfortunate that the story gets garbled then repeated in posts like the one earlier in this thread.  The state was concerned that they hadn't squeezed all the tax revenue possible from these cars.  Here's an article written at the time it happened in Street Rodder.

[padgett]

Think you meant "uninformed" not “uniformed”. I like roadsters.

 

Also California required cars registered there to comply with their emissions standards which were different than other states. Do they still ?

Edited December 24, 2016 by padgett (see edit history)

[Rooney3100]

On ‎12‎/‎23‎/‎2016 at 6:20 AM, Dynaflash8 said:

I have met Matt, I like him, he has a fantastic reputation with others of my friends, and I know he is honest.  I almost bought one of his cars, but he recognized I was trying to talk myself into that car, and told me so.  He said he didn't want an unhappy customer, and he thought I was talking myself into that car, and end up not liking that car.  I was thinking the same thing, but didn't want to back out of buying the car.  We'd spent a lot of both of our times talking about that car.  I think probably I might have bought the car, but he was right, I was uneasy about that one.  He probably talked himself out of a sale.  Now that is an honest man.  If he had the right car, and I had the money all at the same time, I'd buy a car from Matt Harwood in a NY minute.  I was stung badly on a car I bought sight-unseen about a year and a half ago.  Now I'm over-cautious.  I don't fly anymore, but maybe I'm just going to have to do it again.  Sometimes you just have to do what you don't like to do.

I was on the opposite end of a deal, I found this 1956 GMC in a trader book that I was interested in buying before I found my 56 Chevy pickup back in 2000, I phoned the Man out in Colorado and ask him the condition and to send me pictures, he (SAID VERY LITTLE AND SENT ME A PICTURE OF THE TRUCK), said the truck ran and drove good, the picture looked like it came from a Polaroid instamatic camera, very blurry, the one in the book was blurry also....

 

Well I was so in tune on getting a 56 Pickup that I made the journey from Michigan to Colorado Straight thru, 24 hours with my wife, with a Tow hitch setup (Just in case) only to Meet this Man that (seem to own the whole small town) and to discover that the truck was wrecked at one time in the front (that did not show up in the picture) (Bumper and frame bent) and when I drove the truck the front end shook so bad that I couldn't even tow it home, That Man sat there with a straight face (Didn't care if we drove lots of miles) and said if you don't want it don't buy it............I said you (LIEING SOB),We were in total shock that He didn't care one bit,( Lied about most things I asked him on the phone which He said very little, I have never ran into a person that sells so quite, (it was hard to get him to say anything) .....The picture showed no Damage on that front end at all................We spent a lot of wasted Time & money on that trip.....Even my wife CHEWED the GUY out......:)

 

So the Moral of my story is: When you ask questions about a Truck or Car you are wanting to purchase and the seller Doesn't say much and sends very few Pictures, I would Definetly stay away from Buying the Car or truck.......Seems the complete opposite of what Dynaflash8 is saying.....Thought I would share the experience....STEVE M

[Dynaflash8]

Steve M: Ha, the odd thing is that I keep looking at pictures of that car.  It is a beautiful car with an out of this world paint job and pretty upholstery.  Sometimes other people can figure you out better than you can yourself.

 

[Taylormade]

I think most of us in the hobby have some story about a purchase gone wrong.  My wife and I drove from Illinois to Pennsylvania to buy a 52 Plymouth convertible.  The pictures looked good and the seller swore the car was rust free.  I discussed with him the common problem with the inner support rockers on these cars and their tendency to rust out - not something I was prepared to deal with considering the price of the car.  He insisted they were solid.

 

We arrived and the first impression of the car was mostly positive.  The paint wasn't quite as good as I expected, and the interior left a bit to be desired, but I was still on board and prepared to buy the convertible and address the minor problems.  Then I crawled under the car.  I began to probe the inner boxed rockers with my finger - not even a screwdriver - and my finger went right through the bottom of the rocker, accompanied by a shower of rust dust that nearly suffocated me.  I crawled back out and informed the owner that we were no longer interested.  I do believe the guy was truly baffled- it was obvious he didn't really know anything about the real condition of the car, he was just clueless in the ways of antique vehicles.  Or he was a damn fine liar.

 

Matt's ads are always straight forward and give any interested buyer an accurate description of the car for sale.  I would not hesitate to buy from him if my pocketbook was deep enough to accommodate his high end cars.  Unfortunately I haven't won the lottery.  Still, I find his prices very reasonable for what's being offered.  Unfortunately, too many folks have been burned by dealers selling over-priced junk, misrepresented cars and vehicles with hidden, undisclosed problems.  Add the problem that anyone these days who owns a business and makes a decent living is somehow branded as a money grubbing capitalist who by definition has to be a lying cheat.  It has to be frustrating to honestly document a car and have a potential buyer stick their finger in your eye and walk away.  I agree with other posters, the guy got cold feet and was looking for a way out that would not reflect on his integrity.

[60FlatTop]

Boy, could I go for a road trip from Michigan to Colorado to look at an old truck. It's the hunt! All the places I have been looking for old cars; I'd do it all again.

 

My Dad wasn't much of a talker and he never did get used to talking on the phone. We got our first one in 1967 in case I needed to call home from the Navy. He bought and sold a few cars as I was growing up.

I am reminded of Pat Comesky up in Utica. He wasn't much of a phone talker, like my Dad, but when you got to his shop with all the cars around he was a good talker. We bought and sold a few cars and parts during the 1990's. He passed away last spring.

 

If I advertise a car I do a little screening by stereotype and might not talk or be very inviting to some people. It is nothing personal it is just that I profile some people by similar ones whom came before. Why waste a learning experience thinking the next one like them is going to be different??

 

Either by the type of car or the voice on the phone I can tell you the potential buyer's personality. If they are a whiner, fault finder, chiseler, wife asker, cosigner seeker, or one who brings a friend to tear the car apart. I have been sharing these observations with my son, much to the displeasure of my Wife. He is 34 now. Once when he was about 4, I had a Chrysler 300 convertible for sale. The phone was by the kitchen table. Andy, my Wife, and I were having supper. The phone rang and my Wife heard me say "I'm sorry, the car is sold." and I put the phone back on the wall. She said "I didn't know you sold that car." I told her I hadn't. Then I turned to my four year old Son and said "If you ever had some for sale and a person calls *************. Just tell them it's sold and save the aggravation." Many of you know how to fill that in. My Wife said I shouldn't say things like that to a child.

 

You just learn stuff when you have a hobby and stay active. This topic is "Now I've heard everything"? Not even close.

Bernie

Edited December 24, 2016 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[Ovalrace25]

As an appraiser I am sometimes asked to verify if it is a numbers matching car. This I can NOT do nor will I EVER tell a client that I will VERIFY a car as such. A true, correct numbers matching cars will be original as the day it left the assembly line and even then it COULD BE NON-MATCHING NUMBERS. If you talk to ANY of the folks that worked an assembly line, they will tell you that when the line is running and somehow a vendor did note send enough pieces to complete the work, the line manager would send out to local parts houses to get parts needed to keep the line going.

If ANY of you have attended an AACA C.J.E. class you should have been told this fact.

Now, that said, I’ll add a personal experience: A few years ago one of my car-guy contacts decided to take a couple cars to a hi-end auction. Actually the SAME auction house where he had purchased the car a few years prior. This car was in his private collection and he NEVER drove the car at all…  In other words, it was exactly the same as when he got it. The car was an amazing correct example. In fact, all his documents that came with the car when he got it at the auction included the wording “matching number correct original” – So at the auction with all documents submitted, they told him, “We will Not announce it as a matching Number Original”

End of story--- Well almost--- There is always More to the Story.

[Marty Roth]

Matt,

 

One possibility may be that the potential buyer hoped that the car would not be completely as described, and he could pick it apart and then make an outrageously low offer as a negotiating ploy. I've had more than one "buyer" approach me in this manner, and just chalk it up to experience. Not long ago I had someone approach, with the comment that he could find a better one at half the price, so I wished him luck and advised that he "go for it". 

 

The sweetness of a CHEAP price is soon lost when dealing with an inferior product.

[Grimy]

1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said:

If I advertise a car I do a little screening by stereotype

Bernie, you've probably never sold a car to a Californian--and I've never bought a car from a New Yawker.  It works both ways! :0

[Marty Roth]

16 minutes ago, Grimy said:

Bernie, you've probably never sold a car to a Californian--and I've never bought a car from a New Yawker.  It works both ways! :0

 

Grimy,I've done both - and people are people, no matter where, or the background. Many (possibly most?) are very decent, regardless of the stereotype, at least in my experience. Of course there are always those who make us appreciate those less so.

[Grimy]

People are indeed the same, Marty.  I was merely playing on our Resident Provocateur Bernie's statement. 

[1935Packard]

20 hours ago, joe_padavano said:

 

Thank you!  I still can't understand the people who cover the license plate when they post a photo of their car.  Do they also cover it when they drive on the street?  I'm struggling to understand the scam that people are actually worried about.  You are also exactly correct about Boyd's VIN issues.  It's unfortunate that the story gets garbled then repeated in posts like the one earlier in this thread.  The state was concerned that they hadn't squeezed all the tax revenue possible from these cars.  Here's an article written at the time it happened in Street Rodder.

 

I assume people do this because they think that anyone can call the Department of Motor Vehicles and find out the address of the owner, which is likely where the car is parked.  That's pretty useful information if someone wants to steal the car, or just wants to break into the owner's house on the thinking that the homeowner has other valuable things.  My understanding is that some DMVs used to hand out this information pretty readily a long time ago, so I can see where the concern comes from.  Fortunately, a 1994 federal law called the Driver Privacy Protection Act, found at 18 U.S.C. 2721, forbids DMVs from handing out this information except in pretty limited situations. So it may be one of those concerns that made some sense in the past but isn't justified now because of the change in the law.

 

Edited December 24, 2016 by 1935Packard (see edit history)

[Grimy]

Even before the 1994 Federal law, California restricted that info in the early 1980s after an obsessed fan used the DMV $5 fee for such info to track down a TV actress's home and killed her.

[60FlatTop]

1 hour ago, Grimy said:

Bernie, you've probably never sold a car to a Californian--and I've never bought a car from a New Yawker.  It works both ways! :0

 

We don't talk like that at this end of the state. The closest I have come to this dialect is Milwaukee. Some of them have a little Pennsyltucky accent in the Southern Tier.

 

Take the video to the 3 minute mark. It ain't TV New York language.

 

I thought I showed a lot of restraint in not mentioning thick eastern European accents as a flag.

 

[Grimy]

Gawd, Bernie, y'all talk normal!

 

As a deceased car collector friend from Jawga (way too many friends I quote are unfortunately  'deceased') once told me, "You Yankees think that because we Sutheners talk slow, we think slow."

 

At the Fort Benning School for Wayward Boys (Infantry School) in 1966, I'd learned that was not the case...although a guy from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology took a full minute to get out a 12-word sentence. Note that was SOUTH Dakota...

 

I'm that rare creature, a NATIVE Californian. We now have 40 million people here in The Pipples' Republik; in the 1980 census we had 20 million, and when I was in HS we broke 9 million.  More is not better....  I am not now, nor have I ever been, a hippie-dippie/flower child/artist, nor did I take eight years to get a degree in Art Appreciation or Underwater basket Weaving.  Just sayin'.... 

[Xander Wildeisen]

I feel cheated, that is 4 minutes and 45 seconds of my life that I will never get back. Are you sure "The Apollo Shot" was not a mixed drink?

[Grimy]

Xander, I just moved the slider to 2'55" and watched for 20 seconds, so I'm missing only 25 seconds of life...

[joe_padavano]

39 minutes ago, 1935Packard said:

 

I assume people do this because they think that anyone can call the Department of Motor Vehicles and find out the address of the owner, which is likely where the car is parked.  That's pretty useful information if someone wants to steal the car, or just wants to break into the owner's house on the thinking that the homeowner has other valuable things. 

 

And what stops the potential thief from doing that when they see the car on the street or in a parking lot? How does the photo of a car that may or may not be taken in front of the seller's house tell someone that the house is worth breaking in to?  And frankly, it would be MUCH easier to just follow the car owner home when they see the car on the street.  Again, why is this such a risk from a photo?

Edited December 24, 2016 by joe_padavano (see edit history)

[Xander Wildeisen]

18 minutes ago, Grimy said:

Xander, I just moved the slider to 2'55" and watched for 20 seconds, so I'm missing only 25 seconds of life...

With age comes wisdom. 

[Grimy]

Lord knows I have the age, but the wisdom is questionable....

[cxgvd]

I've purchased two antique autos this year.  Both are cars I had a good use for.  The first seemed reasonably priced, the owner had it for forty years and I knew him personally through the hobby.  Cannot get easier than that and so far no buyer's remorse.  The second seemed like a good car at a reasonable starting price, met with the owner and inspected the chattel.   Nice car, nice guy, happy buyer.

A friend buys through one of the big auctions.  I think they are expensive and he has had to replace brakes and steering before the cars could be used.  Gary

[1935Packard]

1 hour ago, joe_padavano said:

 

And what stops the potential thief from doing that when they see the car on the street or in a parking lot? How does the photo of a car that may or may not be taken in front of the seller's house tell someone that the house is worth breaking in to?  And frankly, it would be MUCH easier to just follow the car owner home when they see the car on the street.  Again, why is this such a risk from a photo?

 

I think it's about minimizing the risk without breaking the law.  It's illegal to drive without a license plate.  You don't have a choice about that, while you do have a choice to cross out the plate on a photo.  If you want to minimize risk without breaking the law, that's the option that you're left to take; it doesn't seem so crazy that people would take it. As  what to do with people who see cars in a parking lots, I do know people who cover up their classic cars with a car cover when they park.  

 

In addition, I  know of people who have covered up the plates in their photos because they post on message boards and don't want other people to know what states they live in for privacy reasons. If you post a picture of your car and the license plate says that the car is in Rhode Island, there's a pretty good chance that the poster is from Rhode Island.  That may be information that the owners don't want other people to have, as it could help identify the owner.  Of course, I completely understand if that's not your choice.  But it's at least a rational line of thinking,  it seems to me.

[Dynaflash8]

2 hours ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

With age comes wisdom.

and aching bones too!!

[Dynaflash8]

1 hour ago, cxgvd said:

I've purchased two antique autos this year.  Both are cars I had a good use for.  The first seemed reasonably priced, the owner had it for forty years and I knew him personally through the hobby.  Cannot get easier than that and so far no buyer's remorse.  The second seemed like a good car at a reasonable starting price, met with the owner and inspected the chattel.   Nice car, nice guy, happy buyer.

It's the getting there that is hard.  I don't fly. Only place I can go out of Florida is in the south so I'm gonna make a run to Texas in January to look at a car represented by a nice guy.  The last car I bought sight unseen was also from a "nice guy".  I'd like to think he didn't know what a rough car was, to give him the benefit of the doubt.  It sure cured me from letting a "nice guy" talk me into a car sight unseen.

 

Let me say that I have flown a whole lot in my time....basically all over the World.  But, when I retired from the AACA Board my wife and I decided we would not get on another airplane, at least until they fly me back to Arlington, VA that one last time.  Since I've been looking for just the right car, I've come to realize I might not have that choice after all.  I don't want to pay an inspector every time I think I want a car.

Edited December 24, 2016 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history)

[Rooney3100]

6 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

Boy, could I go for a road trip from Michigan to Colorado to look at an old truck. It's the hunt! All the places I have been looking for old cars; I'd do it all again.

 

My Dad wasn't much of a talker and he never did get used to talking on the phone. We got our first one in 1967 in case I needed to call home from the Navy. He bought and sold a few cars as I was growing up.

I am reminded of Pat Comesky up in Utica. He wasn't much of a phone talker, like my Dad, but when you got to his shop with all the cars around he was a good talker. We bought and sold a few cars and parts during the 1990's. He passed away last spring.

 

If I advertise a car I do a little screening by stereotype and might not talk or be very inviting to some people. It is nothing personal it is just that I profile some people by similar ones whom came before. Why waste a learning experience thinking the next one like them is going to be different??

 

Either by the type of car or the voice on the phone I can tell you the potential buyer's personality. If they are a whiner, fault finder, chiseler, wife asker, cosigner seeker, or one who brings a friend to tear the car apart. I have been sharing these observations with my son, much to the displeasure of my Wife. He is 34 now. Once when he was about 4, I had a Chrysler 300 convertible for sale. The phone was by the kitchen table. Andy, my Wife, and I were having supper. The phone rang and my Wife heard me say "I'm sorry, the car is sold." and I put the phone back on the wall. She said "I didn't know you sold that car." I told her I hadn't. Then I turned to my four year old Son and said "If you ever had some for sale and a person calls *************. Just tell them it's sold and save the aggravation." Many of you know how to fill that in. My Wife said I shouldn't say things like that to a child.

 

You just learn stuff when you have a hobby and stay active. This topic is "Now I've heard everything"? Not even close.

Bernie

 

 

I hear what you are saying Bernie, I asked good questions about the truck, such as: Does the truck run and go down the road ok? He said yes it does and I explained how I wanted to get the truck back to Michigan, either drive it or tow it,  I also asked other questions in general about the truck and it was like pulling teeth, the year and color of truck I was looking for either GMC or Chevrolet, after I got to this small town I realized he had a car museum and sold cars & trucks on the side, He definetly came across as a real Shiester, thinking that if he got me all the way out there I would buy the truck...I was afraid to even KICK the TIRES....It was a piece of junk.....

[capngrog]

1 hour ago, 1935Packard said:

In addition, I  know of people who have covered up the plates in their photos because they post on message boards and don't want other people to know what states they live in for privacy reasons. If you post a picture of your car and the license plate says that the car is in Rhode Island, there's a pretty good chance that the poster is from Rhode Island.  That may be information that the owners don't want other people to have, as it could help identify the owner.  Of course, I completely understand if that's not your choice.  But it's at least a rational line of thinking,  it seems to me.

 

With a population of a little over 1,000,000 and auto registrations of just under 500,000, Rhode Island is one of our smaller states; however, that still requires that anyone interested in your physical location (ex-wives/husbands, creditors etc.) to sort through almost a half million protected (by the State DMV - hopefully) files.  It would be much easier for someone to determine another person's state of residence by tracking their online URL or static IP address.  I'm far, far from being a computer expert, but I'm pretty sure that each and everyone of us, merely by our online activities, can be tracked to at least a city of residence (static IP address).  Police departments can track a computer user to his/her physical location or address.  In my opinion, listing one's state of residence in an online forum does not in anyway increase one's security risk!

 

Just my opinion.

 

Merry Christmas,

Grog

[Dynaflash8]

5 minutes ago, capngrog said:

I'm far, far from being a computer expert, but I'm pretty sure that each and everyone of us, merely by our online activities, can be tracked to at least a city of residence (static IP address).

Yep, so true.  Of course I'm a Jr., which helped this man, but recently I received a very nice letter from the current owner of the house my Dad built in 1940, I grew up in, and my parents sold in 1971.  He had found auto articles I had written that ended up on line, read them I guess and tracked me to Florida, found an address for somebody with a name like mine, and wrote me a letter hoping I had old pictures of the house, which I did.  I was astounded.  He also had gotten the original building permit from the country and knew my Dad's brother was listed as the contractor, and I didn't even know that.  Yep, I knew my Uncle, cousin and my mother's father worked on the house by hearsay, and a very dim memory.  So, I got a copy of the building permit in exchange for the pictures.  It may have been a little lucky he picked the right address, but I'm sure my town was listed in past AACA stuff on line.  This turned out to be a very pleasant experience.  We even exchanged Christmas cards, but it could easily have been a different person for a different reason.  So, the moral is, watch what you say on here, watch what you do, and be just a little circumspect.

[1935Packard]

3 hours ago, capngrog said:

 

With a population of a little over 1,000,000 and auto registrations of just under 500,000, Rhode Island is one of our smaller states; however, that still requires that anyone interested in your physical location (ex-wives/husbands, creditors etc.) to sort through almost a half million protected (by the State DMV - hopefully) files.  It would be much easier for someone to determine another person's state of residence by tracking their online URL or static IP address.  I'm far, far from being a computer expert, but I'm pretty sure that each and everyone of us, merely by our online activities, can be tracked to at least a city of residence (static IP address).  Police departments can track a computer user to his/her physical location or address.  In my opinion, listing one's state of residence in an online forum does not in anyway increase one's security risk!

 

We've veered a bit far from the topic of the thread, but in case some are interested, here are two thoughts: 

 

1) Maybe I'm mistaken, but  I don't think the forum publishes the IP addresses that we are using to connect to the forum.  The AACA presumably keeps logs on this, but I don't think it's public information (and there are legal limits on disclosure  of those logs in some circumstances, too).    Whether the IP addresses would yield any useful location information if known depends on how you are accessing the forum.  Right now I have my VPN turned on, so the IP address I'm coming from is something I can pick from pretty much anywhere in world.   The IP address I am using right now would suggest that I am about 3,000 miles from where I actually am.

 

2) Your security risk depends on who you are and what kind of security threat you're trying to counter.  I don't think it can be answered the same way for everyone.  Some posters have no reason to care about whether others know what state they're in.  Others do.  I don't hide the license plate from the car when I post pictures of my cars, but I don't think it's irrational for others who may have greater privacy/security concerns than I do.

 

Anyway, this is probably too deep a conversation for Christmas Eve.  Merry Xmas and happy holidays to all!

 

Edited December 25, 2016 by 1935Packard (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

Apollo shots? I helped recover Apollo 8 then Nixon got in on 11. At one minute you can see my ship in the vid. I'm the guy in white.

 

[joe_padavano]

14 hours ago, 1935Packard said:

 

In addition, I  know of people who have covered up the plates in their photos because they post on message boards and don't want other people to know what states they live in for privacy reasons. If you post a picture of your car and the license plate says that the car is in Rhode Island, there's a pretty good chance that the poster is from Rhode Island.  That may be information that the owners don't want other people to have, as it could help identify the owner.  Of course, I completely understand if that's not your choice.  But it's at least a rational line of thinking,  it seems to me.

 

Well, that's the first plausible explanation I've heard, but most of the time these are photos in a Craigslist or ebay ad where the ad also includes a map or zip code. 

[Guest Skyking]

19 hours ago, Ovalrace25 said:

As an appraiser I am sometimes asked to verify if it is a numbers matching car. This I can NOT do nor will I EVER tell a client that I will VERIFY a car as such. A true, correct numbers matching cars will be original as the day it left the assembly line and even then it COULD BE NON-MATCHING NUMBERS. If you talk to ANY of the folks that worked an assembly line, they will tell you that when the line is running and somehow a vendor did note send enough pieces to complete the work, the line manager would send out to local parts houses to get parts needed to keep the line going.

If ANY of you have attended an AACA C.J.E. class you should have been told this fact.

 

 

I argued this fact years ago with the Buick judges in Buffalo!!  That was the last time I ever had any of my Buicks judged!