speaking of sight unseen purchases
Ditch-Runner
Member Posts: 24,551 ββββ
back in younger years I like to find nice old cars and trucks to drive tinker with then sell and move on not trying to make money but liked having different vehicles
sadly some cars and trucks I spent hours of driving to see ( pre internet days )
I learned to expect the worse no matter what was in the add
of course add in trying to follow the directions given ( also pre any kind of devise to tell you directions just a good old paper map and some people are terrible at that just pay phones and land lines
so many stories of disappointments just a couple out of dozens of my adventures
my wife and drove about two hours one way to look at a older pickup" rust free " very difficult to find in Ohio
pulled into the drive way there was the truck and wow no rust but they left out the entire left side was pealed open like a tin can ο»Ώπ« just backed out and drove away
so many early camaros I spent countless hours and gallons of gas going to see just quality time with the wife I would call it π now
so many adds stating no rust like new, new restoration, new paint ,,,, and so on
yep 3 gallons of bondo a box of sheet metal screws and a couple old stop signs crafted into body panels
ahh NO .. seller always ask why whats wrong with it ? I do think some of the seller had been won over by a shiny paint job when they bough the car I would show them just what I could see in plain veiw . some I could tell were trying to sell before the next rain storm all the trips I made back then I did not buy one vehicle out of the bunch
funny part I found better deals and better vehicles just driving around thru the back roads around us and seeing a car or truck in the yard for sale
a co worker and I would go together to look at cars the other was interested in to have a set of eyes not willing to over look problems blinded over finding the car they wanted
we looked a jeep my buddy wanted the guy had in the add rebuilt engine Ok thats a bonus
we get there and ask he states yep I put new plugs new wires and and distributor cap and rotor you know its been completely rebuilt ,, we both just shook our heads and grinned
but a lot of added memories and time spend with my wife and buddies is the only way I can justifie all the time and money spent searching.
Comments
"I was thumbin' through the want ads in the Shelby County Tribune when I saw this ad, 57 Chevy pickup........" "It took two quarts of oil and a gallon of water just to get to the CONOCO station, but other than that she's cherry."
I grew up in Shelby County ( in Ohio )
the funny part to me now countless youtubers getting rich like big money rich from followers and sponsors
by finding old cars around the country sitting for years getting them running and driving them home
or just pulling home and making videos of getting them going π²
check out " vise grip garage " is a good example granted the guy is good and funny I will give him that
but many more do the same
or check out pole barn garage and his GTO
I have do a palm slap on my head thinking I did it for free all those years π€¨
A now MIA member was travelling 325 miles to my local area to buy a cap for his pickup. I offered to meet him & would have gladly checked out the cap prior to his travels, but he wasn't interested. Anyway, it turned out to be a 6' cap & he has an 8' bed. A wasted day & gas.π
When I go to check an old vehicle for possible purchase,and it turns out to be junk I try to never insult the seller.I just tell them it needs more than I want to do.
A sight unseen story (sort of)
I used to buy coins off of Ebarf back in the early 2000's. From time to time I would misspell Mercury or Morgan to see what would come up. I found a listing for a 1904 "Mortgun", the single pic was really lousy and you could not tell anything about the condition. It had a starting price of 17.00 (which was melt at that time) and Free shipping. I bid on it near the end of the auction and no one else bid so I won it. Got an email from the seller and he said I would be really happy with it and he was shocked it did not sell for more.
About a week later, the coin showed up and Wow.....I thought it was either an MS63 or 64. I had a former NGC grader I knew look at it and he said it was likely a 64. He offered me 750 bucks on the spot. I kept it and sent it in to PCGS some years later.........MS64
Speaking of getting directions to a place.
Modern times google search for directions that I witness in this area.
Google search is sometimes several miles off in my area when using a address.
Also the OLD ORIGINAL county road to this area is the one that Google map indicates to take.
Our address now has a new spur road that does not take the bottom of a steep canyon dry creek bed that is tough to navigate even on the big husky jacked up 4x4 off road vec's which google and the smart phones indicates for them to take.
I do not attempt to tell them smart people with their smart phones and smart cars of the easier exit out of here unless they ask and most do not ask.
I bought our 2nd house back in '79 without my wife of 5 years (back then) ever seeing the place! She was down for a couple months after a rough child birth. I gave her a good description of the place and she gave me the go ahead to put in an offer.
We lived there for 5 years and to this day has told me it was the best house we ever lived in!
No big deal. Now you can buy a vehicle from your phone app and they'll bring it right to your house. How many LEMONS are in that basket?????????
My biggest buy unseen pn line other than a few photos and a phone call
Is the camaro in my gb logo
I had been searching and calling and driving to look at one for months
I had the urge to find a nice 69 Camaro I had sold a real nice 68 Camro but the 69 camaros are my favorite
Any way at the time I was working third shift and I scrolling ebay looking as normal.
One popped up the photos looked great the price was not great but low compared to many others I looked at in the same condition it was 12k the price and no deals if ands or butts it was12k
I showed my wife the add she said well you have been looking for a long time seems like a nice one
I called and luck would have.it one of the ownes happed to be their doing paper work that night
it was small classic car dealership in Indiana
I talked to him he was very understanding and polite we went over the car Big time
I even ask he said no way I can hold it untill the weekend for you to drive over and see it I said let me think it over
This was on a Monday evening
I had to be work in a few hours and I could not take off or even before the up coming Saturday
It was driving me nuts the thought
of buying a car I could not have my hands on in person was too much
I kept t looking at the photos an going over what the seller had told me
As the clock ticked down I knew some one would jump on the deal i knew based on all i had looked a
i struggled with the problem for a few hours
My wife I love that Woman
Said we have spent how many days and hours looking for a nice 69 for you and she said I Agee about waiting so it's your chance Better take it . I was .
wait what you say lol
So I called the fellow worked out a deal
Gave him a deposit by my cc
After work next morning got the cashhi had saved up for one out of the bank
Then like a kid at Christmas had to count down the days man it was a long week
But any way Saturday got here
my wife and I and a hand full of tools just in case headed out
we Picked up the car and i drove it back home with 4:11 gears it was screaming on the interstate
That was about 20 years ago still have car made some changes but it was as nice as the fellow said it was
To finish off the story about a year ago a fellow from Kansas called he had been trying to track the car for some time with help from some Leo buddies he got my info
It had belonged to his dad and he helped out as as 12 year old cleaning and going to shows when his dad had the car done had all the details even sent me photos of it at car shows with his dad
he Wanted to buy it from me I turned him down with out even getting to and offers I like it that much he was a great guy to talk with and share stories
A few more months passed and I got a email from him he had found a real nice one and bought it . he would not replace the one his dad had but was happy wit it and also knowing his dad's old cat had found its forever home well unti I die amy way one of my sons will end.up with it and the other son will get my other 69 camaro
Sorry for the novel but a lot more I left out yes I know I know
If you took the time to read.it all well thanks if not I can understand Lol
Bottom line I did buy a car almost sight unseen