I feel a little guilty for repeating a subject that I have covered previously. However, I have to tell ya’ll again and again and again. That is,’to make sure you get that car inspected before you buy, especially if you are buying from a private party. Before means, prior to paying money, making a deal or even negotiating or talking about price.
A reputable dealer will try to help you with after purchase issues. Buy from an established dealer and driving home the engine burns itself up. You can be assured that a dealer will at least answer their phone. With a private party purchase, you may find that they may have blocked your number before you are half way home.?Making a private party purchase,?once the money, usually cash, has passed hands, the deal is done and your recourse is zero. This is a repeat message from a previous blog post, but, no inspection…no buy.
Recently, one of our customers bought a semi-classic from a private party. They bought entirely based on the emotion of owning this special car. Had they discussed this purchase with us, I would have referred them immediately to one of the shops that specialize in this particular type of car. When they brought it in to us, it was a problem from the second they parked it in front of the shop. They thought it was a 63, but the VIN came up 69. And by what I know of these vehicles, it did not look like a 63. It went downhill from there. In the hands of an experienced technician doing a thorough inspection, there would have been a much better chance of identifying critical drivability issues. Having made the purchase, they are now committed to what may be some significant restoration level repairs. The seller in this case, took the money and ran. The buyers tried to contact the seller to ask about the newly discovered issues and found that their phone number had been blocked.
For my customers, it’s a shame that they had to go through such inconvenience. It will work out, but at a cost in dollars and time. Either of the two shops that I recommended for their car can deliver in a few weeks, a fine running collectible machine. Bryan’s can deliver on great service and repair, but there are a few things that need to be seen by a specialist. Your trusted shop, like Bryan’s, may be able to steer you in the right direction.
Before you buy that sentimental piece of history on four wheels, give me a call. Please.
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