Careful which expert you hire

[Restorer32]

My Brother decided  to sell his Model A Roadster.  A potential buyer showed interest but wanted his "mechanic" to check out the car, which he did.  His only negative was that the A was difficult to shift, "probably because the synchronizers were badly worn".

Edited October 16, 2021 by Restorer32
Spelling (see edit history)

[edinmass]

Internet expert.........lots of that today. I belong to about fifteen clubs, one in particular has the “on line expert” who gives advise for everything..........including how to fix the lamp on the dark side of the moon. It’s interesting that his car is always breaking down on tours...........and he carries more tools than a Snap On truck. My other favorite thing.......guys making reproduction parts that have never owned a car........and sell the parts without having ever installed and tested them..........happens all the time.

[Dandy Dave]

Double Clutch her son. Like driving an old Mack truck. There's a barstool expert in every town. Dandy Dave!

[TAKerry]

Had a couple Ford Louisvilles that needed that treatment as well, LOL.

[60FlatTop]

Deal breakers- "My mechanic" or "My wife". At the mention of either I usually recommend a restaurant in the buyer's location and tell them to take their partner there. "We will all be a lot happier" is the quote.

[rocketraider]

4 hours ago, Restorer32 said:

 ...the A was difficult to shift, "probably because the synchronizers were badly worn".

They know what they know, and that's all that they know or ever intend to know.

 

That's what the parish priest told me after one of the local storefront theologians had dumbfounded me by claiming BCE people spoke Elizabethan English.

[60FlatTop]

Before Current Error

[TTR]

1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said:

Deal breakers- "My mechanic" or "My wife". At the mention of either I usually recommend a restaurant in the buyer's location and tell them to take their partner there. "We will all be a lot happier" is the quote.

Actually with 6, 7 or more figure vintage car transactions it's quite common and expected to have a third party or buyer's mechanic to perform mechanical/technical inspection on the subject vehicle, even if the buyer is experienced collector/enthusiast.

I would advise such even on lesser value examples, especially if the potential buyer is a new-to-hobby and/or inexperienced with the given make/model. 

OTOH, I would also advise staying clear of any online or otherwise unknown/unvetted inspectors.

 

 

 

Edited October 16, 2021 by TTR (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

I would be more gracious when when I get one of those deals in. Right now I am happy with a few low end sales where my multiplier is 5 or 10 and it is just the five of us: me, the car, the buyer, the money, and the rose colored glasses.

 

I could shuffle a lot of $800 cars for one of those 6 or 7's with a lot less anxiety and stress. I am smiling right now remembering a scolding I got from a big dealer for what I called sport selling. Pretty sure I paid for lunch right after being admonished for that.

 

Advising an inexperienced person on the purchase of a car for a toy could very well be putting the car on the path to benevolent abuse. I am sure we have all seen it.

[Pilgrim65]

On 10/16/2021 at 7:08 PM, rocketraider said:

They know what they know, and that's all that they know or ever intend to know.

 

That's what the parish priest told me after one of the local storefront theologians had dumbfounded me by claiming BCE people spoke Elizabethan English.

How dost thou?

[hook]

You know the expression you hear a lot on TV when suspects are being questioned. "he's not telling us all he knows" Well, with these so called experts it's "he's telling us a lot more than he knows". The big difference is the suspect is acting dumb, whereas the expert is! So I guess the expert is expert at something.

[60FlatTop]

I sell dreams that need work. I know the market and I price based on the market value minus the cost of immediate repairs. Buyers are so anxious to steal the car and gloat to their friends about the deal they overlook how I priced it. Even when I explain in detail what it needs. They think they know more than I and scramble to pay. Then they come back crying because they didn't get the steal they thought they did, only a car fairly priced. Even the ones who brought "my mechanic" with them.

 

I am very suspicious about buyers. The 50 to 80 crowd is the worst. They don't want anything unless they can steal it. Did I write gloat to their friends? A 20-30 year old gets visibly excited and the whole deal is fun.

 

Back when a '90's Caprice had a following in some circles I had one the needed new brake lines for a good price. I sold it three times and graciously took it back twice.

 

Each time there was the same Einstein-ish discussion:

"You will have to replace all the brake lines. If you take it to a shop it will cost $1600 to $1800 to do them."

Hands shaking in excitement, legs pressed together to keep from leaking, they gave the money know they would flip it a make an easy $2000.

Three days later "I took that car to a shop and they want $1600 to do the brake lines. (well, duh). I want to bring it back."

It is not my livelihood, sure. I made sure you were not ignorant. So you must be stupid...... or greedy.

Same conversation twice with the same car. That I was flipping to a flipper?

The third exact same conversation, more emphatically initiated bought the guy a car. And put another nail in the already stigmatized future buyers.

 

My wife says I shouldn't stereotype people. I tell her if they didn't keep doing the same things I wouldn't.

 

Luckily, my livelihood is operating power plants. So I continue as long as I make a few bucks while I get all that entertainment.

[Ed Luddy]

Recently had this same thing happen to me. A self proclaimed expert looked under my 442 convertible and declared there's a hole in the frame. I asked him to show me and he pointed to the drain hole put there by the factory. I asked him if he had ever seen such a perfected round rust hole before. He mumbled something and I told him to leave.

[Brass is Best]

Read the Ford Owner's Manual. Shift from 1st to 2nd about 5-7 mph and 2nd to 3rd about 12-15 mph. Do not rev the engine let the torque do the work. You will never need to double clutch and the shift will be easy as pie. I have to give Model A driving lessons all the time. 

Edited October 19, 2021 by Brass is Best (see edit history)

[keithb7]

Well better than a model T with worn synchronizers!

[rocketraider]

10 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

My wife says I shouldn't stereotype people. I tell her if they didn't keep doing the same things I wouldn't.

 

Luckily, my livelihood is operating power plants. So I continue as long as I make a few bucks while I get all that entertainment.

That is why there are stereotypes. Exhibit a behavior long enough and you will become known for it, especially if you're part of a group that is also known to exhibit that behavior.

 

I spent 37 years driving powerplants. There were a lot of stereotypes there too. Hilarious ones at that.

 

The Pontiac bud is still out there. He claims his young millennial-aged operators beat every Millennial stereotype ever seen. He tells me the stoopit s**t they do and I just smile. Lord help if any of those young redneck Einsteins ever get the notion to own an old car.

 

The one who couldn't fit his man-bun under his hardhat was really hilarious.

[60FlatTop]

12 hours ago, rocketraider said:

He claims his young millennial-aged operators beat every Millennial stereotype ever seen.

Fewer Navy trained trades people out there now. Nothing like steaming in a combat zone to give one incentive to learn a skill.

 

Those young ones are being trained by the old ones who have always played tricks on them and hoarded their knowledge from fear of competition for their jobs.

 

You can bet the penny sitting on the water column on that.

[rocketraider]

It's like I told them. I'll teach you everything you need to know, but I'll never teach you everything I know.😼

 

I had two in later years who soaked it up like a sponge. They were a pleasure to train and I took special pains with them to make sure they knew things when the hotshots didn't. These were boys in their early 20s who were sharp and loved a challenge, but had never had anything in their whole lives and were hungry for something better. 

 

I wonder about modern Navy training. We got a kid in the late 90s who had just discharged as an E-3 Machinist's Mate and came with a list of recommendations a yard long. He quickly became known as SFB. Even the ex-Navy people we had wondered how he ever got to E-3. Likable enough but dumb as a brick.