Dreams Dashed

[moparedtn]

This one in Winchester, VA is nearby

View attachment 1232633

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/472299221073595/?ref=facebook_story_share

Check out the other cars that seller has "sold" on FB!!

 

[moparedtn]

This is the car that I went and looked at. I really liked the bucket seat and console set up. The body was much rougher than the video and pics suggest. Lots of cracking seams. The fit and finish of past restoration work was not that great. Wasn't helped by a salesman who didn't know anything about the car (like when the resto was completed) and didn't seem interested in talking. The door latches not working just seemed like icing on the cake.

https://www.volocars.com/auto-sales/vehicles/16773/1969-plymouth-road-runner

That car certainly presents well in pictures; that seller has got them a pro photographer for sure, has
for a long time now. Their stuff always looks great, at least online.
Now, in regards to this particular car - were the windows not down upon inspection? Did you try the inside
door handles? Door latch linkages are simple to adjust, after all.
Reading your subsequent posts, a scenario is forming, least to this reader...
How much of this "deal gone wrong" would you say was a)your own, maybe a tad unrealistic, expectations;
b)the salesman/rep being a donkey/bad at his job; c) a case of the buyers' jitters?
Sounds like all were factors??

 

[Dennis H]

Did you drive it? I thinking it’s not as bad as you think it is. Like to know more about the doors and fluids, how it drives. I’d take a grounded friend along next time. Maybe a little less of a car or Mopar guy.

 

[Slap Stick]

If door linkage is so easy to fix why didn't the seller do it? Simple things like this makes one wonder about other "simple" things. Then with the C pillar seams and the body panel joints makes one wonder about what lies beneath.
The car might need its purchase price spent on it to make it right.

 

[peabodyracin]

Sorry that happened to you. We've all been through similar experiences. It's part of the game. My own favorite trip:

I drove all the way from SE Minnesota to Effingham, Il after a 56 Chevy sedan delivery. The seller had some poor pictures but was insistent on the car being 'very solid and original' overall. We went back and forth for a couple days. I finally just told him on the phone: I realize opinions can be subjective. I'm really interested in the car and have 3 primary questions I need you to answer-

1) It looks like it may have been a drag car at some point. Has the cowl been cut for a tunnel ram?
"No. The cowl is original"
2) The contour on rockers looks a bit off. Are they original or have they been replaced?"
"The rocker panels are original"
3) Are you sure the rear wheel wells haven't been trimmed for tire clearance? The front lip looks like it's been cut.
"The wheel wells are all original"

Headed down the next day.

Get there, take one walk around the car and find:

Hole in the cowl big enough to stick my head through
Pop riveted replacement rocker panel shells. The really cheap ones
Tin snip cut rear wheel wells

He's convince I'm going to buy the car. Says "So, what do you think?" I told him I'd asked 3 questions and he'd lied to me about all 3. I started to walk away.

He came up behind me with the cut off, tin snip twisted pieces of the wheel wells and said I could put those back on. God was I mad. As much at myself for not insisting on more photos before making the drive. At the time I was so sick of picture collectors myself from my own selling experiences I didn't want to become one of those.

That said, in recent times I've made long hauls to pick up cars and in each case have been very happy with the vehicle once I got there. I've gotten better at sorting through the BS I guess. So it's more than evened out for me.

 

[1969VAGTX]

That car certainly presents well in pictures; that seller has got them a pro photographer for sure, has
for a long time now. Their stuff always looks great, at least online.
Now, in regards to this particular car - were the windows not down upon inspection? Did you try the inside
door handles? Door latch linkages are simple to adjust, after all.
Reading your subsequent posts, a scenario is forming, least to this reader...
How much of this "deal gone wrong" would you say was a)your own, maybe a tad unrealistic, expectations;
b)the salesman/rep being a donkey/bad at his job; c) a case of the buyers' jitters?
Sounds like all were factors??

I agree that door latches are not difficult to adjust, but if the seller can't put in the effort to make sure both are reasonably working, then that is a problem. Just to be clear, I wouldn't classify this as a "deal gone wrong." Probably more like "disappointed likely because of higher than normal expectations." They may be unrealistic, but having built a fantastic project (A-body), I know what I expect out of a build. The fact is I could also see signs of what I would qualify as rust bubbling under the hood stripes. The paint did not present nearly as well as I anticipated (and I am biased on this particularly because I had a car with a fantastic paint job). Frankly, the salesman was a complete dipshit, and I am not sure I would want to buy a car from them just because of him. If you can't tell me anything about the car, or answer any questions, that makes me nervous. And I will admit that I probably did have some jitters. It was actually the first time I have ever flown half way across the country just to look at a car. In hindsight, I don't really have any regret not buying the car.