What seemed to be too good to be true in fact was. Why do people flat out lie to you when you ask them to describe what they are selling? You ask someone "How much rust does the truck have?" they reply none! You ask them if there are any large dents? they reply there are no dents. You think, great, I'm gonna get the parts I need. In reality I spend 2 hours driving to a place that has no cell phone service and have to stop and use a small mom and pop store phone to call and ask why I'm not in the town that you gave me directions to. "Oh yeah, they changed the road a few years back. You are not supposed to stay on 61 like I told ya, but you were supposed to turn off onto 131 and come in that way." I knew I should have trusted the GPS. No new road changes that I can see, but oh well. Get there and look at the truck and the rusted out cab that I have at home is in better shape than this one. all the fenders are gone. The only thing good about the truck was the hood and glass, which I cant see spending 1400 on. So I get to drive back home empty handed and out 5 hours. I did get to see some good country side though. I guess I wouldn't be complaining, but bragging if it turned out the way he described it.

 

Yep, been there done that. A few years ago, when my mom and dad were lookin for a convertible. Dad calls up the guy and he tells him that the car is in great shape and only needs a top and a few minor things. My dad told the guy, look we've already been on so many wild goose chases that he's goin to bring the money in one hand and a gun in the other. If the car is what you say it is, we'll take it if not, we're goin to shoot you. Long story short, we should have brought the gun. The car was JUNK@!!!!

I feel your pain, but we've all been there. We usually just take the motorcycles and ride to look at a prospective vehicle that way if nothing else, we get a good bike ride.

 

I have no bike any longer and it rained, so a bike trip is pretty much out. I did come across another 58, but the guy didn't want to sell it. He tried his best to pedel me three or four studebakers and an old 55 packard. I told him I didn't need any of those.

 

Talking about bad directions, a friend of mine went to a funeral in Texas. He had never been to that part and could not find his way around. While looking for a small town he came across a gas station, now this is back in the early 80's, no cell phones, he goes in and ask how to get to the town so and so. The lady tells him to take 3 C's and then take a left, go 2 C's and take a right and then go straight into town. When asking what a C was she tells him, A "C" is " as far as you could SEE " drive to that point and drive as far as you can see again. I guess he made it there though.

 

In TX a C can be a long ways. I wonder if your vision is bad...will you still get there? hehe.

 

Yes,,,,just quicker.

 

I've experienced bad description/directions a few times.

Saw a truck on the 'Bay that didn't sell, contacted the seller to make an offer. Made a deal, drove 400 miles to meet in a small town. I got to the meeting place about two hours early so I call the guy's cell phone and got a "Not in service" message. Called everyone in the small town with the same last name, no one knew the guy. Waited two hours with wife and kids in 90°+ temps. Finally the guy shows up and said he decided to check if I showed up because he hadn't got my phone call. I told him I had been trying to call him for 2 hours. He asked what number I called and when I told him he said that was his old number. Finally followed him to a Dukes of Hazard farm out in the middle of nowhere to find the truck that was described as "Runs Great!" sitting in a stand of 8" wide trees with a frozen engine. Made a lower offer, cut some trees and loaded the beast onto the trailer. As we're loading the truck the seller's buddy comes out of the house with two shot guns and a case of beer and tells his buddy he wants to go target practice out behind the barn. Made a very hasty departure and checked the trailer tie downs down the road.

I came into a little money and always wanted a panel truck. I found a nice one, again on the 'Bay. The ad said extremely nice truck, best shape truck you'll find. I emailed the seller and had him send additional pictures. Called him on the phone, he assured me I wouldn't find a more solid truck. I tried to find some one on the internet boards I visit close by to take a look at it for me but I couldn't find anyone so I took a chance. Won the auction, drove 800 miles and found a truck that looked pretty nice but there were many issues with the body like crude floor patches and thin metal around the door flanges. Never will buy a vehicle long distance again.

The last time was a 'Bay auction close to home, about 40 miles away. A seller had a beater parts truck but it had a few good parts and was advertised as having brand new tires. I needed tires for my truck so before bidding I emailed the seller numerous times to verify the tires were new, "0" miles. He replied "Yes, brand new, never on the road". I bid and won. Drove the 40 miles got to the guy's house and backed the trailer up to the truck. When I got out of my truck I could see the truck was a beater, just as I thought, but the wheels were covered with over spray and when I got closer I could see they had severe cracking on the side walls. The seller came out of his house and I asked if these were the "New" tires. He replied, "Yeah, very good tires". I told him they were junk, they were worse than the tires I already had on my truck. He bent over and asked were I saw cracks and said he didn't see any, which was impossible not to see from ten feet away. I told him to sell it to the next guy and drove back home.

I don't consider the first two experiences a total loss though. We made family trips out of both trips. We stopped by historic sites and met a few FTE members. They might have been kind of dud trips truck wise but we had fun doing them and the experiences also make good stories to tell later on.

 

I got my truck off of Ebay about five years ago was listed as driveable with very light surface rust plus a clear title. Gave 1200 hundred plus another six hundred to get it shiped. At this time the only part that I kept is the cab. I need to replace the firewall, rear corners, floor boards, doors, all glass on it. Never have seen the title.
Since then I found a replacement chassis, bed, tail gate, fenders, hood, and the list just keeps on going and going. Seems like there are few people out there for the buck. Some day these people will rip what they planted. I do believe there are a lot of honest people out there but a few bad seeds make everybody look bad.

 

Pictures, Demand to see them. Unless its right around the block, which it never is for me, I won't do anything if I haven't seen it first. Its 2009, even your cell phone has a digital camera on it, and the chances of not having one in any way or know of anyone who does is basicly null. If they can't supply a picture then they don't really want to sell it anyways, a single picture can tell me far more than any description, besides what I consider to be one thing may not be what someone else does, but a picture isn't bias!

 

Drive 100 miles to look at a part. Supposed to be "perfect, not a blemish on it". Should have known.

Said to come in on the highway and take XXX street for 3 blocks then turn right. Drive until you hit Maple and he was at the end of Maple. Should have known.

Drove the 100 miles in mist, 3 blocks and there is Maple.......Maple Street, Maple Place, Maple Lane, Maple Park, Maple, Maple, Maple.....Argh!!!

This is pre cell phone so we drive back to a Hardees in a nice rain and call him. Maple Place, sorry I forgot to tell you that!

It's now pouring out. We get there and it looks a lot like a crack house. A lot. COPS has a van parked there. Nice neighborhood. I go to the door and he won't open it but will talk through it. I ask if he has the part off as he said he would. Hadn't got around to it yet. I'm 1/2 hour late getting there because of his bad directions and he hasn't had time to take the part off. Should have known.

Sends me to the back of the house to look at the car. There it sits...with a Doberman chained to the back bumper...growling.....I think that's his chain. The guy sticks his head out and assures me the dog doesn't bite...very often. Been several weeks since he bit anyone. Go ahead and crawl under there and see if it's what you want and I'll be right out to get it off. Right.

I glance at the part.............. it's junk. Should have known. I tell him to go ahead and get it off, I'll take the family to lunch and be back in half an hour to get it. Last I saw of him, he was lying on his back in the rain and mud taking a $25 dollar part off while we drove off to dryer and warmer things to do. Never went back.

I just try to get even when they lie to me.

SPark

 

SPark, I like that

 

Experience has shown me that almost all descriptions are a let-down when you see the iron. You will find the occasional person who is straight up and just wants to off-load an old hobby or some extra stuff they have laying around. I've been surprised and delighted more than once.

There are indeed Bottom-Feeders who live at Swap Meets, Craigs-List and E-Bay for the sake of making money only. They don't care about vintage vehicles or you. They lie so often they don't think they are liars...... May they .... nevermind.....

As somebody else said above, Digital Cameras are plentiful nowadays. I have often taken 30 or 40 pictures of a vehicle from underneath to the drip rails and sent them. It's not gonna fully protect you but it helps.

 

What's worse is that when times get tough like they are right now, and these cheesy folks need money, they seem to all come out of the woodwork. "Screw your neighbor for money." Objectively, I think if folks were to list everything wrong with an unrestored truck, no one would ever vcome look at it. But I think there is a line. Folks really should try to give some "realistic" indications about the condition of a truck.

Sorry you had this bad experience - better luck next time.