>vafred@erols.com wrote:
>
>> Listers, I just recently sold a 1970 Karman Ghia conv. that I have owned
>> since 1973, purchased from the original owner, who was a doctor at the
>> German Embassy. The car had 24 K on it when I bought it and 43 K when I
>> sold, of the 19 K I put on it 25 years, 13 K was done in 1 year. I had
>> every paper and log maintenance record since day 1 . . . . . . .I was
>>not looking to sell the
> car,but, a fair offer was made and I starting thinking. Having a pit and
> lift in my garage as well as all the records I invited the would be
> purchaser to come for a better look, he showed-up with a 1/2 A@#$% very
> unknowledgeable so called mechanic and they "informed" me they would be
> taking the car for the day to put it through all their own check-up. Well
> my driveway is about 60 feet long so I walked them down it and pointed
> my finger up the road and told them please don't come back. My point in
> this, if my records of the car, my garage, and your just looking at the
> car and knowing the complete story behind the car, you are not a buyer or
> a a person who knows anything about a car,.
>--
>George Richardson
*********************************************
George and Listers,
I'll have to go along with Geogre on this one. Appraising cars is my
business and I wish that I had those documents and the ability of taking a
close look at the underside of the car when I'm doing $100,000-plus
appraisals for IRS donations to the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA or The
San Diego Auto Museum. I can look at any car (some that there might only be
three in the world), and drive it around the neighborhood, look at the
supporting documents and listen to the tall stories of who had previously
owned it and why that was important enough to double the price, and still
come up with a fair value.
When I buy cars for myself, I do my homework BEFORE the appraisal (rather
than after, as I do with paid appraisals) and know exactly what I'm looking
for and how much I will be willing to pay for it at various condition
levels when I get there. Unless you are a hobbiest restorer, walk away from
too much work, excuse yourself by humbly admiting that it is too much work
for you and don't waste your or the sellers time by grinding or degrading
the car - just go. Someone who seriously wants to spend the next two years
of spare time and money rebuilding it WILL WANT IT and let them hammer out
the deal.
When you find a car that suits your wants and abilities, look it over for
major defects, drive it and think about if you really want it, then hammer
out a deal. Last year I bought two cars that will be keepers. The first, a
1969 Malibu ragtop was in the local paper, one owner from new, all papers
from new, runs great etc. The lady wanted $3,200 for it. I walked around
it, mentally noted the defects, drove it around the block and deceided that
I had to have it and was prepared to pay the asking price, but offered her
$3,000 and she took it. Easy and I've been driving it since with the only
major expence being the 15" Corvette rally wheels and Pirelli tyres which
were things I wanted rather than needed.
The second was a 1967 Morris Minor Convert for my wife. One owner, all
recoeds, low miles and long warm indoor storage. It was 400 miles away and
I was the first to call. I headed out to the car with mt Malibu and a tow
bar the next weekend knowing that I had to work fast because there were 25
more buyers in line to look at the car at the carved-in-stone price of
$3,800. Again, I looked it over and found no rust or body damage, noted the
worst upholstery job that I've ever seen, fired up the engine and saw no
smoke or heard no knocks and gave the lady the CASH that she demanded and
bought the car without driving it as it had no brakes, knowing that if I
balked there were twenty five others that would be willing to pay that much
for it.
After getting it home, all of those things that fail from a long storage,
have. The seats fell apart and it has needed everything from a clutch and
timing chain to all new suspension and exhaust. I now have over $5,500 in
it and it still needs paint and interior to finish (plus chrome, rubber
etc.). Turned out not to be such a great deal but it is rust and damage
free and one of the cleanest Minor ragtops I've seen in years. Other than
the down time for repairs, the wife has been using it every day to drive to
work and loves it even with the dull green paint and blue bootlid. What is
that worth!!!??? Also, since then Morris Woodies and converts have been
heading up to over the $10,000 mark in value for real nice ones and we
probably will have a car that will be worth some of the investment when we
do sell it someday and it is fun to use and economical to operate.
Back to the Karmann-Ghia ragtop. THOSE WERE NOT REAL BUYERS!!!!! They
would have known what they wanted and how much they were willing to pay
right off - I suspect that they had another buyer that they were going to
resell it to at a higher price and were not willing or able to buy it first
and take the chance to have their buyer back out or grind THEM on the
price.
By the way, check out the next issue of British Car Magazine for my TR2-3-4
Buyers Guide.
Cheers,
Rick Feibusch
Journalist/Appraiser
Venice, CA
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