A car on eBay

[sYc Yenko]

Hi
I have seen a car on eBay that I like, But before I go to see it, I would like some oppinions please.
Thanks in advance

Clicky Cick (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6161&item=24466989 77) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[Supercar_Kid]

Not sure what you're looking for out of the car, but speaking from my personal experiences, be prepared for the car to be not nearly as attractive in person as it is in pictures. It's really hard to judge the true condition of a vehicle from a few "Nessie" photos as my brother calls them, in reference to the fact that just like the Loch Ness monster, it seems that it must be impossible to get a good clear picture of any car we've really ever wanted to buy on ebay. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif Also, just from an opinion standpoint, I've never seen a car look better in person than it does in digital photos. By nature, a digital image hides a multitude of sin, particularly in engine shots, where all the black seems to look really clean, when in reality it can look more like a train wreck, with dirt, grime, grease, and overspray all falling victim to the camera's ability to give a uniform image. A friend and I wasted a whole Saturday not too long ago driving to Erie to look at a '68 Chevelle SS396 that you'd swear couldn't be the same car I saw in the ebay auction photos. The car looked straight clean and very presentable in photos, even the underhood appeared for the most part to be clean and correct. After driving 2 1/2 hours to go see it in person, there she sat, one of the saddest excuses for a "restored" car I've seen in a long while. The paint had so much orange peel in it that you'd have to block it out with a file. You couldn't even wax this car, the nooks in the paint would just eat up the wax like an English muffin eats up butter. The engine compartment looked like someone took a black rattle can and stabbed a hole in it with screw driver, pitching it under the hood and slamming it down, letting the can spew it's contents on whatever it happened to come in contact with. I won't even mention the fist sized rust holes in the rear wheel tubs that had been patched with a gob of windshield butyl tape, or the sad looking interior that looked like it had been detailed with a can of WD40. Sarcasm aside, my point being, this car looked super in pics but was a pig in real life. I'm not sure what EN is an abbrevation for, but if you're in England and are considering making an international flight to go see this car I'd certainly think twice about it, or try my best to have a trustworthy friend check it out first and give an honest opinion. After the Chevelle experience, I don't think I'd ever by a car on ebay without seeing it in person, and like I said I don't know what you're looking for out of the car but from the looks of the funk I see in the photos, I think you'd probably be pretty disappointed if you flew thousands of miles to see it in person. Overspray hosed on the hood hinges, water logged rear door panels, curled up dash pad, the list goes on. These kinds of things are usualy only the tip of the iceberg. Again, don't wanna preach here, this is just my humble opinion. Also, that "hockey stick" stripe looks thick enough to be a goalie stick to me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif Anyone else have any similar experiences with this contast between ebay photos and reality? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/3gears.gif

[William]

This might be a nice driver; there's waaay too many incorrect details for this car to be considered a nice original. Plus there are signs it was slapped together for a quick profit-what's with the red hood hinges? Also take note of what isn't said. No mention of this being an original L78 car or that the engine is original.

[JoeC]

So Erik I take it you didn't like that Chevelle? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[sYc Yenko]

I never realy thought of it that way, But yea it makes sence.

Out of 90% of the cars i see on ebay, I'm like *Yummy*, I just guess its the digital camaras playin tricks on our eyes.

All a seller has to do realy is, Take a few nice pics with his new digital camra, write a nice description about the car, And walla, He has somthing people are going to be intrested in over the net.

Guess it can be so missleading,

Yea I'm from England, And I was in 2 minds about going to see it, I didn't realy want to go unless I could try and find out if it was worth me going all that way for.

Am very greatful for your help guys
Thanks
Nick /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Unreal]

After reading his profile, I guess EN is short for ENcognito /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[jfkheat]

That seller doesn't have very good feedback. I wouldn't risk the cost of going to see a car they were selling.
James

[Supercar_Kid]

[ QUOTE ]
All a seller has to do realy is, Take a few nice pics with his new digital camra, write a nice description about the car, And walla, He has somthing people are going to be intrested in over the net.

[/ QUOTE ] Exactly...and why would a seller go out of his way to highlight a car's shortcomings, rather than simply point the camera away from those areas. It's tough getting an honest feel for a car in pics.

[olredalert]

-------Just for starters,Kruse is in Indiana and the car is in Massachusetts. I guarantee that Kruse has never seen anything but the pictures either. I know of only one person at Kruse who would know a good Camaro from a basketball,and he doesnt have Kruse for a last name(and I actually hold him in quite high regard). Ill bet no one at Kruse even looked at the pics. They are an auction house with an E-bay arm,and there are many,many Kruse detractors out there. Personally,just because Kruse is involved I would bag this Camaro. Too many questions with barely any written description what-so-ever!...........Bill S

[jus4funn68]

A deal on ebay with Kruse would have to be a gamble at best. Going on the feedback...almost 50 neutrals and over 50 negatives out of approx 675! That is the most negatives I have seen for any seller. I think I would have to pass /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gif. Kevin

[olredalert]

-----Yup!And they were owned by E-bay not too long ago.Whoooooo!!!!!!Bill S

[hvychev]

WOW!!!! Their feedback sucks!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bs.gif

[Supercar_Kid]

Here is the said Chevelle '68 Chevelle on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6164&item=24478463 31) Looks like a decent driver in pics, but is a total roach in reality. I forgot to mention the vinyl top that looked like padded barstool vinyl in person. Don't let ebay pics fool you, they can hide a multitude of sin. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif

[sYc Yenko]

wow, you are right, Looking at them digital pics of that car, on ebay, Is making the car(s) look nice, but as you say, they are and * can hide a multitude of sin. *
Nick

[zgator]

Interesting,no mention of the BM paint job /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[Supercar_Kid]

Here is a prime example of the "Nessie" photos I mentioned in the above post. 69 "Loch Ness" Malibu (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6164&item=24490518 67) Who in their right mind would buy a car sight unseen going only by what they see (or don't see) in those pics? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif I've seen Polaroids with better clarity.

[matt murphy]

Have you ever bought a car through the newspaper or Hemmings magazine where the owner tried to portray it as having some rust and you figure how bad could it be, I'll drive way out there and just take a look . . . or if Hemmings, send him a deposit and have him hold the car for you . . . These photos as bad as they are, were better than no photos at all. And if your digital camera battery is running down, then the photos will come out fuzzy, like those. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

[bkhpah]

A friend of mine a few years ago bought a 1953 Plymouth Suburban to hotrod. Bought it off ebay site unseen. Traveled to the midwest somewere to get the car. It was to be solid except a 2X4 hole on each side. Sounds great right? The only thing not disclosed was the holes were 2X4 feet not the inches they figured on!..BKH

[Belair62]

"rust free"....means there is no charge for it.

[SamLBInj]

[ QUOTE ]
"rust free"....means there is no charge for it.

[/ QUOTE ]
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif
440 Six Pack: Rusty ole 318 dodge with a $4.40 six pack of Miller Lights on the roof...
Sam /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

[sYc]

In this day and age of inexpensive digital cameras, there is no excuse for poor quality pictures, unless a. you do not care if the car sells or not, b. you are hiding something. We all know the more quality pictures there are, the better the odds of selling it.

[Charley Lillard]

There are actually People out there that don't know how to get a quality pic. I bought a Camaro off Ebay a couple years ago that you could hardly tell it was a Camaro but turned out to be a really neat RS SS 67. They didn't even tell you it was a RS. The pics were scanned from film and looked terrible but they didn't know how to do any better. Lots of Folks have a hard enough time just dealing with computers and the internet and the fact that they even managed to post something on Ebay is a Miracle. We are just used to it but there are still Gazillions of newcomers. I bet there are people reading this thread that have never posted pics and have never gone through listing something on Ebay.

[Mr70]

Charley is right.
I still can't get my VCR to stop flashing 12:00 from 1985,& I don't think I'm alone.

[sYc]

I agree, heck, I am not very good with a camera/VCR. But, if I really wanted my car to sell, at a good price, I think it would be essential to post quality pictures.

And, when it comes to bidding, I myself like to see quality pictures. i guess I am not the "gambler" Charley is. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif

[Jeff Murphy]

I've spent more money on camera and related equipment than some people do on cars and I STILL managed to send out two blank SCR6 CDs!!

[sYc]

Yeah, but the labels were very, very nice. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif

[Kim_Howie]

Rick, black electrical tape works fine been on my VCR for ten years /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[Leonard]

Kim, and i thought i was the only one to use electrical tape. Just kidding. I have thought about it. Gets annoying trying to reset the darn VCR after a power failure. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif <font color="blue"> </font>

[ORIGLS6]

Jeff,
Since you brought up the subject of equipment, what camera did you use for the shots on the Reunion CD? The resolution is fantastic! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif

Dennis

[Jeff Murphy]

Hawaiian Jeff asked the same question:

[ QUOTE ]
I am currently using a Canon 1D professional digital SLR with a variety of EF 'L' Series lenses. The camera shoots at about 4.3 megapixels, which is not a lot better than many point n' shoots, but the difference is in the lenses, autofocus and speed. There is another one that I thought about buying which is the 1Ds which shoots at about 11 megapixels (and doesn't have the normal digital camera magnifying effect vs. 35mm) but it doesn't shoot as fast so its not as good for sports, car racing and wildlife. There is a new pro-sumer Canon called the 10D (10mpixel) which is pretty good but doesn't have the focusing accuracy, speed and customization available on the pro cameras. I shot last year's CD on a D30 (3mpixel) which I hated.

More than you wanted to know... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

[ORIGLS6]

Nope, exactly what I asked for! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif I bought a digital camera strictly for detail shots at shows and figured I'd continue to use the 35mm for archival shots. Now I rarely use the 35 and am shopping for an upscale digital. This is good info. Thanks! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif
Dennis

[Jeff Murphy]

Check out www.dpreview.com (http://www.dpreview.com) before you lay down any cash.

Did you have any luck coming up with those other ZL-1s we discussed? I've seen a few around recently... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[Jeff H]

The 68 Camaro I just bought off Ebay had some lousy pictures of the car. I think Hugger Orange is a tough color for the digital cameras, but the pictures weren't that clear either. The car turned out to be much better in person and there is no rust like he said. Sometimes I worry more about awesome pictures because that means somebody took a lot of time and you can take tons of pictures from slightly different angles and pick out the ones that hide all the imperfections. Look at some pictures of the 4Runner I sold last year. The passenger side quarter panel was completely scratched/sanded like someone was going to repaint it. I wet sanded it and used some of that red car polish(as seen on tv) and it looks pretty darn good in the picture. And by the way, this is a pretty rare SR5 Turbo 4Runner.
http://cjcfo.fbody.com/members/[email protected]/4Runner/4Runner-4.jpg
http://cjcfo.fbody.com/members/[email protected]/4Runner/4Runner-3.jpg
http://cjcfo.fbody.com/members/[email protected]/4Runner/4Runner-1.jpg

[69ssrag]

I saw this car for sale over the summer at a cruise night.
I went over the car pretty good and have notes on it.
I went over it closely because I thought it could be a copo car. It is a X44 with a BB heater core and a 6/7 tach.
It does not have any of its original drive train. It had
a L78 motor,heads and a correct winters intake. It had a Muncie M22 4SP and a 411 posi BV code (got dirty looking for BE code). Build date was 09D. After loking at it close
I came to the conclusion that it was a nice solid driver with some get up and go. If I was selling the car I would have taken 23k and run. If any one has any specific questions e-mail or PM me. If this was on the cars for sale baord I would have seen it sooner.

[69ssrag]

On ebay again using different broker.http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;item=2450000520&amp;category=61 61

[55chevy]

At least the ad doesn't read MOTION MOTION MOTION BALDWIN MOTION BALDWIN MOTION THIS BALDWIN MOTION THAT with a little.. "replica" word thrown somewhere in the middle. Gotta respect the guy for not jumping on the bandwagon. Nice looking Camaro.. But I'm sure the guy that buys it thinks they'll turn right around and make a quick buck off of it by advertising it as a Motion somehow. http://host.threadshosting.com/~yenko/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/no.gif

[MosportGreen66]

I like the Dave Matthews Band Fire Dancer sticker on the back of the 4Runner. (my son has gotten to my head). I am considering a 70 Z28 now. The man who is selling the car knows a great deal and is HONEST! But, he does not own a fax machine, digital camera, or a computer. He is doing all transactions from his work, the firestation. The rest of the world just does not live like the members of this board do. With multpile autos, some which are never driven, and proper equitment to document, sell, and buy other autos, it just is not that common. For a member to sell a Camaro for $100+K is great, some people may not see $100K in 5 years. The diversity within the US is amazing.

[69ssrag]

I talked to the gentleman in person who is
selling this car and agree, he is representing the car
fair and honest. I believe the last owner added
some MOTION/COPO/BB features to the car. I hope
someone isn't buying it to misrepresent it to
unsuspecting buyers.

[sYc Yenko]

I e-mailed the first broker when it was for sale a few weeks ago asking how much he would let it go for, He said $27.500 from what i can remember.

[69ssrag]

When I looked at the car over the summer, the asking price was "mid twenties" and was not firm. Its not a bad car, but
27k for a base car with decent paint and none of the original drivetrain seemed to steep for me. I bet it goes like a rocket though.
http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/3gears.gif

[sYc Yenko]

I must admit, The car looks very nice, I bet it flys too http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif