VetteGoVroom82

Does anyone have any tips on ways to make sure that the car I'm looking at onlline (autotrader.com/ebay/etc.) isn't a lemon? Certain questions to ask, etc? It doesn't look like there are too many '82 Corvettes for sale where I live (eastern Nebraska), so I'm thinking that my best choice will be to look online. I just don't want to be screwed. Any success/"lemon" stories would be appreciated, as I'd like to get an idea of what might happen if I DO decide to purchase a car online, whether that be from a dealer/private seller. Thanks!

-Paul
huskerpaulie@yahoo.com

Matt Gruber

i bought 2 cars offering extra if they delivered it. That way they wasted their time if they did not describe it accurately.
But, on the net, you are competing with some really naive people with lots of money that dream.

Whatever you do, you have to inspect it in person yourself, maybe with a mechanic.

If you have lots of money you could buy 10 sight unseen, pick the best one to keep, and sell the rest. You MIGHT get a good one :lol:

VetteGoVroom82

I like the idea of having them deliver the car. How much extra did you pay?

So, is this how the whole process worked: You had the car checked out while they were in your area (by a mechanic if possible), then if the car was crap, they drove it back, and if the car checked out OK, you bought it? Please tell me more about this process, as it sounds like by far the best idea I've ever heard for buying over the internet!

-Paul

P.S. If they wouldn't drive it over, would you just let them ship it over, with the seller paying the shipping cost if the car was crap, and you paying if it was alright?

jbroughton

I bought my '69 over the internet, but only after going to look at it and drive it in person first. We looked at three others first, which involved long road trips (Greensboro, NC to Chapel Hill NC, to Lexington KY, to Cincinatti OH, and finally to New Bern NC). If it is just not feasible to go look at the car personally, at least try to have somebody inspect it for you. It's amazing the junk people will tell you on the phone when they know they're an 8 hour drive away from you!!!! I was just completely lied to about the condition of 2 of the 4 cars that I looked at. If you see something that sounds good, maybe somebody on the forum who's located in that city would be willing to check it out for you. If not, hire a mechanic or appraiser to do it. It could save you big $$$$ in the long run!

Good luck!
Jeff

MotorHead

I have some advice, unless you and your mechanic can go and look at
the car in person then forget about buying a car on the net.

A few years from now after enough people have been ripped off you won't see
so many cars for sale on the net.

VetteGoVroom82

Is it possible to hire a mechanic in another city to look at a car for me? If so, how do I go about doing that?

-Paul

Shark79

Post the city where the car is located and you can probably get someone local from this group to recomend a place to get it inspected.

VetteGoVroom82

Would I then have the person that's selling it take it to the mechanic, and get it checked? Could I trust the results the seller would tell me?

-Paul

ylose

-you talk to the mechanic...not the seller after inspection..
-did you check the forum for C3's for sale? http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zeroforum?id=56

-also, many in the forum have taken a look at a car for someone that asked...before you go to all the trouble of getting a mechanic in the area.....

-post it here first....asking if someone can take a looksee for you..then if it
passes their eye....follow up with a mechanic and speak to the mechanic not the seller.

otherwise...ask Tworottiedogs on internet deals.....he had a nightmare.

everyone here in the forum is of good salt...most anyways...they are very helpful to the 'vette brother...I am glad to be apart of it.

-ylose


[Modified by ylose, 12:56 PM 1/14/2002]

Alwyn678

I personally would not even consider buying a car unless I had seen it in person

daily_driver

im with stupid

:lol: :lol:

Milest

I found the car I was looking for in Rhode Island (I live in Houston, Texas) on the internet. After talking to the seller on the phone he convinced me it was worth taking a look at. I contacted a corvette part/repair shop near Rhode Island that I found over the internet and arranged for them to check it out. When I flew up there I told the guy that I had arranged to have it checked out at this place and he seemed shocked. He was not unwilling, (in that case, I would have caught the next flight back) to do it he was just suprised that I had arranged it. The car checked out and I used the part/repair shop as a third party so that neither of us had both the car and money. They also arranged transport.

It was a very enjoyable experence. I was lucky and found a good car owned by a good guy.

Have someone check it out with you. There are alot of "interesting" people selling cars out there.

Good Luck

VetteGoVroom82

I like that plan. That is a good idea. What should I do if I can't go look at it first in person? Is it always safe to take the mechanic's word, or is it possible the seller could have bribed the mechanic or something to give me false info? I'm also thinking that if I can't go see the car in person, I'll have the guy take it to a mechanic, then I'll talk to the mechanic, and then if it checks out, I'll have the seller drive it down here, and pay them a little extra for their time. Does that sound reasonable? If you were selling a Corvette, would you do that?

-Paul

P.S. If you've seen my profile, I'm only 19. Because of this, I'm trying to save as much money as possible, especially trying to make as few round trip airflights, if any, to check out cars as possible.


[Modified by VetteGoVroom82, 7:14 PM 1/14/2002]


[Modified by VetteGoVroom82, 7:36 PM 1/14/2002]


[Modified by VetteGoVroom82, 7:37 PM 1/14/2002]

Cajun99

I found both of mine on the internet. My '75 through a dealer and my '99 through an individual on the C5 For Sale Forum.

I would NOT have bought either one without seeing, inspecting and driving them myself first. I spent a considerable amount of time on the phone "inspecting" the cars verbally prior to going to look at them. I flew to Houston for the '75 and New Jersey for the '99.

Fortunately for me both cars were exactly as they were represented once I got to personally inspect them. I was most concerned about my '75 as I've been down the route of bringing a C3 back to life and this time around I wanted a low mile, ORIGINAL, unmolested and undamaged, highly optioned convertible. It wasn't the cheapest car but it was all in one piece, unmodded and in excellent condition. I've found that it's much easier to maintain a good car than rebuild it and I don't have the time or inclination to do that anymore. My '99 was absolutely perfect and everything the gentlemen told me it was.

I cannot say I had a bad experience in either case and I drove both of them home from the point of purchase. Good luck in your hunt. :cheers: