Xander Wildeisen Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 Is honesty the best way to sell a car? https://www.craigslist.org/about/best/esh/6324690044.html 1 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 I actually found it creative and amusing. He must figure a real buyer know what they are getting into.. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 They say honesty is the best policy. I have done similar when selling a house that had issues. Disclosed all of them to the buyer before closing. Later they got sore and tried to sue me, they got noplace because I could prove I warned them in writing and they ignored me (pro tip, always read the fine print). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted January 9 Author Share Posted January 9 3 minutes ago, Rusty_OToole said: They say honesty is the best policy. I have done similar when selling a house that had issues. Disclosed all of them to the buyer before closing. Later they got sore and tried to sue me, they got noplace because I could prove I warned them in writing and they ignored me (pro tip, always read the fine print). An entire city in Idaho is going to find that out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 3 minutes ago, Xander Wildeisen said: An entire city in Idaho is going to find that out. Sounds like an interesting story, care to elaborate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted January 9 Author Share Posted January 9 My posts on here go back years touching on this issue. The recent passing of the attorney involved throws up red flags to me. Maybe I am wrong, but if I was wrong, why would the State police do nothing? It is all in the hands of law enforcement. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepher Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 I thought the ad was great. As the guy closes with, " I don't HAVE to sell it. I WANT to. There's a difference. " 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted January 9 Author Share Posted January 9 Never had one of those cars. The ones I like, I can not afford. They made some beautiful cars. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Gariepy Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 The ad might disappear... so thought I'd capture it for posterity: Don't need a 16k Paperweight? Of course you don't! How about an Italian money toilet! Some of you may recognize this as a 2004 Maserati Coupe' (also known as the 4200 GT). Don't let that gorgeous Italian body fool you though, this car is Satan's chariot to Hell (or bankruptcy). I do not exaggerate when I say that this car has been in the shop HALF the time I have owned it. In the last 6 months, I have put ELEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS into it in parts and labor and the thing still isn't right. I'm not rich. I'm just an average dude that always wanted a Maserati. Since I was a kid I lusted after those Italian curves and exhaust note. Now my own kids come to me and ask me why there's no food to eat and the electricity has been turned off and I have to tell them it's because Daddy's car is sick again. This car has a new clutch, new clutch actuator, position sensor, F1 pump and relay, gear selector switch (a 2k SWITCH) new tie rods and new tires. It has the miraculous F1 transmission. As in if it works, it is a miracle. It is also seemingly inhabited by evil spirits. The voodoo priests at the Maserati dealer insist it's fixed. But it's not. And I've seen their facility. There's no tools, just an altar to Alejandro DeTomaso where they place the still beating hearts and smoking wallets of Maserati owners and ask for a vision of what the @#$$ is wrong with their clients' cars. Come take a look at it! It's Beautiful! It WILL let you down. You might think that since I poured so much money into it, that there must just be one more thing and then it will be perfect. You can drive it home and laugh at the poor slob that you bought it from who did all the work for you. Nope. Not gonna happen. This car will make you cry. So why am I asking 16 grand for it? Good question. I'm taking a HUGE loss at that price and that's the lowest price I can let it go for and still be able to pay my mortgage. If that's too much, don't buy it. I don't blame you. Come look at it! Bring a witch doctor and maybe, just maybe, if the stars are aligned just right you can drive it. DO NOT DRIVE IT. If you drive it, you will want it. It is fast. It is beautiful. It makes a sound like angels revving their angelmobiles. I want this thing out of my sight. I'm tired of sitting in it at night drinking and making engine noises with my mouth while I pretend it is not a huge pile of disappointment and debt. Do not offer me 5k for it. The Trident badge alone makes it worth more than that. I don't have to sell it. It can sit in my garage and I can continue to hate it. I don't HAVE to sell it. I WANT to. There's a difference. 8 3 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Just as hillarious the second time around. Seller sucks you in with his bashing the car while reminding you what he spent on it. Brilliant! 😀😀 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bloom Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 If he was close by, I’d like to fake interest in the car just to meet him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prewarnut Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 FWIW the gear selector switch is a known $100. DIY aftermarket repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 It is a great ad! I love it! I couldn't buy it even if I really wanted to (which I don't). But yes, I would like to meet the poor fellow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 10 hours ago, prewarnut said: FWIW the gear selector switch is a known $100. DIY aftermarket repair. Sounds like youre the right guy for this car! The seller has already spent a fortune trying to get it right, so it must be close, just needs someone with a little bit of knowledge to get it perfect! LOL. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 30 minutes ago, TAKerry said: The seller has already spent a fortune trying to get it right, so it must be close, just needs someone with a little bit of knowledge to get it perfect! LOL. Getting a car like that 100% 'perfect' is unobtainable, especially if one wants to keep it original. Craig 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcarfudd Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 On this note, would anyone like to buy a Stanley steamer? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_in_nh Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 4 minutes ago, oldcarfudd said: On this note, would anyone like to buy a Stanley steamer? Yes, what is the year and model? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 19 hours ago, Steve_Mack_CT said: I actually found it creative and amusing. He must figure a real buyer know what they are getting into.. I agree, it’s a clever ad by a fellow who is either a great creative writer or is someone who cannot tell a lie! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 It reads like someone's creative writing homework assignment. Logically a 10 year old complicated car that the owner takes to the dealer for service was a bad idea to begin with. The imagine the Maserati this guy knew when he was a kid compared to the one he bought. Did he think he was buying a Biturbo? His semi-intellectual style gives me a chuckle. He might be using one of those over the counter brain enhancers. It is possible he saw the two brands on the shelf. One is made from products originally found in jellyfish. The other derived from stem cells of our greatest education institutional leadership. Yeah, he used the same process to pick the enhancer as he did to buy the Maserati. I wouldn't care to meet him. Again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueDevil Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 This is deja vu all over again. If you are resourceful, it is tolerable. The ballast resistor for the headlight is the same as a Mini at about 1/10 of the price. The big one is the F1 trans and clutch and when you try to sell one that is the first thing they ask, "when was the clutch replaced". Mine had 50K+ on it. BUT, the mystique, the sounds, the appearance, the women coming up to you saying " I love the sound and look of your car!!" Eat your heart out Tesla owners. You can't apply logic to your need to buy it. He takes you thru all the things that are going on in your head. I bet this guy is a psychologist. By the way, it is a GREAT car, I wish I still had it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepher Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 I forwarded the link to my cousin that has owned at least half a dozen Maserati cars over the years, all new ones. And he thought the add was hilarious and 100 percent accurate. He said that is why he sells his Maserati when it has 30k miles on it, no matter how much he loves it. He also said if you plan to buy a Maserati, be ready to pay at least $5k to $10k a year in maintenance costs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldcarfudd Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 51 minutes ago, tom_in_nh said: Yes, what is the year and model? 1911 Model 63 10-horsepower toy tonneau. If you're serious, PM me and we'll talk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueDevil Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Zepher, your cousin is about right. I just got a new one and they at least have a 50K warranty, but the min scheduled maintenance is around 2-3 grand/year, then you have the brakes and the tires. One set of Pirelli's lasted 6,000 mi. and they have no warranty. Moved over to Michelins as they at least had a 30,000mile warranty. Going fast is expensive. I drove my coupe for 13 years, put 50K miles on it. A couple sets of tires, set of brake pads, a ballast resistor and a couple oil changes. Then the world ended. Window regulators, heater core, clutch, the sticky buttons, engine mounts, etc., etc. Quoted $25k to fix. It was time to sell!! But that the sound and performance of that F136 Ferrari engine at 7,000 rpm was worth it. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 My son calls these type of cars FPFQ. Falling price, falling quality. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Wells Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 I wonder if the seller's choice in real estate, wine or women is any better? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepher Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 2 hours ago, Dave Wells said: I wonder if the seller's choice in real estate, wine or women is any better? I've dated some gorgeous Italian women that were just as expensive and just as fast so you may be on to something. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrData Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 Great write up. The owner experience is much like the one I experienced with a product from a now-defunct Swedish mfg. In retrospect, it must have thought the dealer’ s service department was home. It sure spent a lot of time there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3macboys Posted January 10 Share Posted January 10 I just went back and clicked on the link again to see if it is still live, only this time I read the fine print at the top: Originally Posted: 2017-09-28 13:26 (no longer live) This was a best of Craigslist that the company actually kept so they obviously saw the humor as well, but still I wonder how long it took to sell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Luddy Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 I came close to buying a 2009 Maserati Gran Turismo. Went home did some research and backed out. Man was it nice to drive and sounded beautiful, but when reality slapped me silly I chickened out. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepher Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 Back in HS, I had a friend whose parents were fairly well off. They lived in a gated community up in the hills. Their house had two garages, one up front and one way in the back. The large garage in back held a single car - a Maserati Merak. I always drooled over that car and lifted the cover once in awhile to sneak a peek at that gorgeous red automobile. But, over about 4 years, I never heard it run and I don't think it ever moved from its spot in the middle of the garage save for when we pushed it out into the driveway so we could create a temporary paint booth to spray the 1966 Mustang he restored. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz Dodge 4 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 What's the big deal ! Sounds just like almost all the cars I've sold ! (I just don't brag about it as much 😊) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30DodgePanel Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 9 hours ago, 3macboys said: I just went back and clicked on the link again to see if it is still live, only this time I read the fine print at the top: Originally Posted: 2017-09-28 13:26 (no longer live) This was a best of Craigslist that the company actually kept so they obviously saw the humor as well, but still I wonder how long it took to sell. Rumor has it he took in a European paperweight on trade as per doctors orders as a result of the GT best of craigslist: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter DIESEL MANUAL SAUNA BANIA I'm guessing he eventually settled on a Mercedes for his desk to remind him of his spending habits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Wells Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 I had a friend where I grew up in California who, with his father, purchased a 1963 3500GT convertible from a lien sale by a San Francisco body shop. The story was that it had been wrecked on the SF Bay Bridge and rebuilt by the shop. However the owner never returned to retrieve his car and it sat for a few years covered up in the corner. Finally it was offered for sale at a very attractive price. The shop got it running and my friend was able to drive it home 45 miles. I recall his driving it one more time to my home, 4 blocks away. I don't think it ever ran again. It was stored in the family garage next to an Alpha that was the victim of vandals and both were covered with tarps for as long as I knew them. They may still be in "storage" somewhere as far as I know. The best part of the story was that the owner who abandoned the car was none other than His Royal Highness Prince Aga Khan of the Imāmate of the Nizari. The car came with papers to that effect as well as the Kahn's coat of arms attached to the front fender just behind the wheel well. I guess he could afford to walk away from it. This is a similar '63 3500GT: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted January 12 Author Share Posted January 12 That’s a good looking car, don’t want to know the value. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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