So I purchased a car from a fellow member.........

Old 08-10-2008, 08:57 PM
  #1  
DriverLost
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Default So I purchased a car from a fellow member.........

camaroz71.

The conversations were defiantly strange. I tried to make it clear that we were driving 600 miles to likely purchase the car from his ad. I asked for a faxed copy of the title. No way. Even after I offered all my personal information, and my banks. He said what good would that do me. :roll: So there was no sign of trust, or will to trust on his end, no matter how hard I tried. After awhile he sent me the vin number, but was very hesitant to even do that, and it was too late by then anyway. My bank required a copy of the title to verify who the check would be made out to. Vin, car fax ext. So I was forced to just get a personal loan for the car.

It got a little better when we got together in person. He seamed like a trust worthy guy, and I felt confident he wouldn't screw over a dad helping his daughter buy her first car. For those that have been burned before, there is no reason to keep reading, because I think you know where this is going.

So after a quick look over the car, and based on his ad on the site, I just came right out and ask him. "I know the car isn't perfect, but what do I need to know about it. It's going to be my daughters daily driver for work and school, so any quirks, fuses that blow, leaks, what ever" He tells me the only problem is the car sometimes dies at idle with the A/C on. I repeated "That's it. No fuses that blow, no leaks, no quirks. "Nope"

So I take it for a quick spin around the neighborhood, nothing major. We go back and I give him the cash and take it. I had a short drive to my mom's place. Didn't get on it, nothing crazy yet. Wanted to make sure all the fluids were fresh before the quest back home from the Chicago land area to Arkansas.

So the next day I back the car out, and I have two big fresh oil puddles the size of coffee can lids. I think WTH. Tell me he didn't know this was going on. I think oh well, its my fault for not checking. I trusted the guy.

But now this is where I get real pissed off. The ride home. Not even to Kankakee yet, and the revs shoot up out of the blue, and I'm not going anywhere. You guessed it. The clutch is crap. First time I run the car hot on the road, and it rears its ugly head. Stop to see if I could get out easy and adjust the clutch, and no way. I was able to limp the car home with several stops, but now my daughter has a car payment on a car sitting in the garage.

I gave the guy a call on the way home, to tell him of my disappointment in his failure to communicate the two serious slight mechanical flaws in the car. In hopes he would help at the very least split the cost to get the car back on the road. He told me no way.

I blew it and trusted a guy I met through the site on a deal. My mistake. I paid $1000.00 too much for the car, and he knows it.

He's got other cars for sale on the site, so all I can say is you better know everything about the car on your own finding out, before you pass the green.

link to the ad: http://www.racingjunk.com/post/12457...d-handles.html
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Old 08-11-2008, 05:30 AM
  #2  
slowmotion
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Sorry to hear about this. But when the guy wouldn't send a copy of the title, The deal would've been off for me. Where was the car titled? He claims it was a florida car. Most cars from the chicago area are rusted underneath. He says it feels like a 12 or 13 sec car means he was running the crap out of it.
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Old 08-11-2008, 06:12 AM
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Tod74
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The ad says it's alchohol injected? is that true? It will be a daily driver?

maybe the clutch got oil on it since you said it leaked bad. Hard to imagine the clutch could be gone and you wouldn't feel it when you test drove it.... good example of buyer beware I guess...especially bad when it's a young kid paying for it. I hope for her sake the repair cost is minimal. good luck.
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Old 08-11-2008, 07:07 AM
  #4  
bbchevy
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Default Car Deal

Why CHICAGO,when he supoosididly lives in Munster,In.?
The Guys a Real Peice of Work!!!
Hes always in Need of something,FOR NOTHING!
I tried Dealing with Him,on a Few Deals?But,it always has to be a 1 Sided Deal?
SORRY THAT YOU got Caught up on His BS!!!
Hope that you can put a Clutch in and the Rest of the Car is DESENT!!
G@@D LUCK!!
Later
G 8)
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Old 08-11-2008, 09:57 AM
  #5  
bigray
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yep,sorry for the deal.and i see he never makes a honor payment,i have gotton now where i wont deal with them unless they have made some honor payments.i think it just shows a better member..
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Old 08-11-2008, 10:20 AM
  #6  
DriverLost
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Thanks for all the support on this. It's more of a vent on my stupidity I guess. I have this thing with trusting people, until they give me a reason not to, and by then I'm usually screwed.

My guess is the bad oil leak is the reason the clutch slips. Explains why I didn't really notice it until it got hot and started flowing out all over in the bell housing from a bad rear main seal. Explains the two spots in the garage I guess. Its launching it all over the place. He must of cleaned it off real good before I got there. I had no real way of looking underneath the car. He had it parked in a grassy muddy ally way, and he said his jack wouldn't slide underneath it because it was so low to the ground. I bought it. ops: I did look down there as best I could, and it was dry. The oil leak is so bad, it carries down the frame rails to the back of the car.

We've been putting air in one tire everyday since. I checked it out, and it has nothing in it, no signs of a rim leak. just another area where he wasn't up front with me. May be a bad rim. I need to get it to a big water tub and check it.

I pretty much figured this car has been in some destructive hands over its life, but figured I could keep it going if the engine was decent. The bad rear main seal has me wondering now about that. They don't just go bad. Its usually a sloppy crank that causes it. Has no internal noise. I would of walked on that for sure.

The alcohol injection is just a sprayer system into the intake. More for cooling the hot charged air. I don't know a lot about it, just a little research I did when I first got my turbo bug going and it had some bad dentination under boost. This car is only boosting 10, so its not at all necessary. My bug may be getting that alcohol system. Its sometimes all you need to push the 14 and up boost with pump gas.

This last guy Nick, and he does live in Munster IN, told me he 's never beat on it, hardly ever drove it. Said he friends give him a hard time because he drives like an old lady. He assured me the car would make a great daily driver from his past use. Starting to think that was another used car salesmen line. There is no way this car is a 13 second car. My bug would spank this by at least a full two seconds in the quarter, and its in the mid 12's. So hes full of it on the 12-13's

I now know how Greg Brady felt when he bought his first car. lol Caveat Emptor
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