Buying car unseen

[L78M22Rag]

I have bought several cars sight unseen, and had one bad experience. As a result, I’m very VERY reluctant to buy from a dealer. They know their business and they rarely get the short end of the stick.

If you contract an appraiser, make sure you find someone that is unbiased. In my one bad experience, I’m certain that the seller knew the appraiser and paid him extra for a glowing report. If you cannot find an appraiser, perhaps the local Chevrolet Dealer or a local repair shop will do an all points inspection (unlike an appraiser, they’re looking for faults where they could do the repairs for you). With all due respect to some good appraisers I know, there are plenty of appraisers simply looking to pump owners up on how good and valuable their car is. As a result, I would view any appraisal report with caution (unless you know the appraiser).

Lastly, the benefit of buying a survivor is that there is little to hide. I can usually assess the condition of a survivor with decent closeup photos, whereas a seller can hide just about anything on a restored car (as in my one bad experience). Ultimately, that one bad experience of buying that “restored” 1967 Chevelle SS 396 convertible clone from a dealer has steered me in the right direction. All’s well that ends well. Good luck!

[marxjunk]

Ive done it so many times i forgot how many....only burned once...not really burned..but not what it was advertised as.....on a 71 Superbee...it hurt too..was my dream car...a Go-Green 4 speed car...was advertised as rust free and it wasnt..

i ask for lots of pics..if they stop or get aggravated by me asking questions and requesting pics..i move on..i always make a phone call..i cant do anything with email or texts back and forth..

most people are good people..i always google their name...i never bought from a dealer..always a private enthusiast..

[Crush]

I have done this a number of times as well. Agreed on private ownership being a better scenario as I can put on my detective hat and research their name, place of employment, google maps etc.. video of car starting and running is vital. Depending on the dollar value of the car will dictate the need to see it in person. I’d rather spend the money on a flight, hotel than get bamboozled. I have purchased 50 year old cars as well as new cars via this method and happy to report I have been treated fairly.

[wannarun70]

Thanks guys for all of your input. My son is lookiing for his first car and can't seem to find anything close to where we live in his price range. He's got the bug and I'd hate to see him get burned. He loves that classic 60s, 70s looking paint job, drag car and everything he's seen in his price range are rollers, which is fine with him. But again not close. Thanks again all. Mark. Ill have him read the posts.

[Bill Pritchard]

20 yrs ago I bought a 69 Chevelle convertible out of CA, back when I still lived in IL. It was advertised as a rust free CA car. Hired an inspector who had advertised (and still does to this day) in Hemmings forever. Told him I did not want another rust bucket like the IL cars I had previously restored. Bought the car based on the inspection report he provided me. When the car arrived, I opened the trunk and it was immediately obvious that the lower rear quarters had been spliced. Of course, no mention of that in his report. Sent him Polaroid pics which clearly showed the spliced quarters. His response? "Oh, I guess I missed that." Wouldn't refund even a portion of the money I paid him. He was a total jerk. If you're looking for an inspector/appraiser in the SoCal area, I will gladly tell you who NOT to hire!

[tjs44]

I bought a 63 Lemans from Hastings Nebraska from a Polaroid.Was on a car lot,had to wait for the snow to thaw before it could be shipped.Lucky it was under coated and had no rust.23 years ago a still have it.Tom

[RPOLS3]

Ask Kwhizz….........

[markjohnson]

I’ve learned to ask the question “What am I gonna see on this car that I’m NOT going to like?” and that question has been pretty successful in “issues” suddenly being remembered & disclosed. Still, I’ve been burned before and it does leave a salty taste in your mouth. I’m sure we all know the loooonnng wait when you pay for a car in full and wait to see what shows up!

[markjohnson]

Let me add this other side of the coin: sometimes you receive (or pick up) a car that’s better than expected and that sure makes for a great day!

[A12pilot]

I’ve bought many cars sight unseen, through eBay, Hemmings, CL, etc. I think the whole key to doing this is being as educated as possible, knowing what you’re looking at, and having expectations to understand that there may be a few things overlooked when it shows up at your door that are only minor in the overall package of the car even if you’ve done your homework. Communication with the seller is the key to figuring out whether you want to pursue it further. If this person isn’t willing to answer a few questions, or the biggest thing is providing exact photos you request, then it’s not worth your time or aggravation. Me? I trust nobody. Not sure if that’s a good thing, but it’s made me steer away from any “salesmen” pitch I hear and as soon as one red flag is flown on anything I ask. Sort of like when I ask Bob if I can bring a car to MCACN and hear a dial tone.

I have some standard stuff I usually ask: Clear, clean title in YOUR name (not twenty sellers ago), bank loan on the car, what’s the history on it? This gives me a good feel for the seller. I’ve heard many times, “Oh, I boutten’ this here factory rare Ectawhoosits and man, can’t seem to find the time, and I bought lake property...investment....kids....wife..Pluto not a planet anymore...”. So, what I’m hearing is the title isn’t in your name, you can’t register it, there’s more issues here than you describe and you want stick some other moron with all your problems just like the last guy did to you. No thanks!

Always helps to have someone put eyes on it, but if the seller is up front and answers all your questions without hesitation, there’s no reason to doubt their claim. It’s a small hobby world, and for the most part, I think most selling a car usually want the transaction to go smooth on both ends. I’ve never had a bad experience so far GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Cheers
Dave