buying out of state?

grumpyvette · Jun 24, 2015

Ok guys! i've found a few 94-96 C4 vettes that i like. A few here in illinois and a few out of state. Has anyone bought a car out of state? had it shipped and bought one with just looking at it online. How do you trust someone to whom you've only talked to over the phone....Let me know what you think about this situation

Ive done that several times and the results varied a great deal, occasionally youll find some guy whos in financial trouble through loss of a job, forced to move or a divorce, that lost interest in a project and will unload it for pennies on a dollar to recoup some of his investment, but more often, I find the cars are not worth what the guys asking and local buyers won,t touch it, a few really carefully angled pictures that don,t point out the flaws as much as the good points makes a car far easier to unload on-line as there rarely a close personal inspection done before the title and money exchange owners.
always verify ownership and a clear title with the LOCAL STATE D.O.T. before you hand over money>I've generally suggested car buyers, meet me with cash in hand, I take several clear detailed pictures of the cars condition as its being sold, at the local DMV.
SO THEY CAN,T COME BACK AFTER WRECKING THE CAR SEVERAL DAYS LATER LOOKING FOR A REFUND,
and the bill of sale states , the date, time and cash price and SOLD AS IS, WITH THE VIN # LISTED.
in bold print with a date and place for the buyer to sign.
with the buyer and seller signing it with both DRIVERS, licenses photo copied,
AND A PICTURE OF THE BUYER STANDING NEXT TO THE CAR,HOLDING THE BILL OF SALE. and SMILING)
and we sign over the title,
at the DMV once the cash is verified, at the local DMV ,
ALL fees and taxes are taken care of on the spot,
by the buyer,as he agrees too ahead of time!
and I then immediately call my auto, insurance company ,
to let them know the cars title has changed hands.
I also generally take pictures of the guys drivers licence and the guy buying the car,
as secondary security, thus theres less of a tendency for scams or attempted robbery etc.
it PAYS to do a car fax, check the title and owner match and that there's no financial leans on that title with the local DMV and
do a title search, and vin check and carfax report,
CHECK FOR TITLE LIENS
on any car or project you are thinking of purchasing,
ESPECIALLY out of state,
make damn sure you get a noterized bill of sale stating the make, model,
year, vin umber of the car, and,
a photo copy of the sellers drivers licence, and of any checks,
or title documents,registrations, etc. you exchange
obviously take lots of clear pictures,of the car,
get a valid title and get a legibly signed bill of sale,
ideally a photo copy of the sellers drivers licence,
verify the vin and engine numbers,
casting numbers and hopefully find a car that runs
THEN TRANSFER TITLE AT THE LOCAL DMV
NEVER ALLOW THE SELLER TO TELL YOU HE WILL MAIL THE TITLE OR FAIL TO LEGALY TRANSFER OWNERSHIP
that's not a rolling rust pile.

http://www.autocheck.com/vehiclehistory/autocheck/en/vinbasics

http://www.dmv.org/vehicle-history/find-vin.php

https://www.carfax.com/company/vehicle-identification-numbers-vins

http://www.vinnumberlocation.com/

It generally pays to take precautions, like going with several friends, all of which are concealed carry permit holders
(that's rarely an issue, around here, as I can,t think of any of my close friends that are not!)
You always need to keep in mind that your at a disadvantage, dealing with people you don,t know who expect your carrying cash! simply because you can potentially run into thieves, and rip off scams,
insisting on transferring a car title at the local dmv and having good documentation, and running a car fax report, and taking lots of pictures, of the car and seller, and documentation, helps lower your risks.
being observant, asking lots of questions, verifying the owner's ID, copy the guys drivers licence number , and insisting on the title transfer, and cash exchange on a car purchase happen at the local DMV during a m-f 9am-4pm time frame
and its always best to go to any potential project car purchase with, either a truck and car trailer available, or having made prior arrangements to rent a car trailer, that can be used on a one way rental, if you don,t own a car trailer and remember to ask if theres any other parts, engines or tools that they may be also be selling, you might be amazed, at the results, of asking that simple question, I've had guys suddenly remember that they no longer need a spare differential or a couple extra engine parts that they either throw in or sell cheaply
I get calls asking for a bit of advice, all the time and I have built a good reputation among a group of the older local guys building engines , and for doing race car mods,for a rather select crowd , Im always amazed at the number of times I see guys who jump into projects without doing a moments research into the car they just purchased or parts availability or even if the car they bought is in decent mechanical or cosmetic condition,now we all start out that way but after being "burnt" a few times you might think that we would gain some experience and learn to "look before you leap"
you might be astounded at the number of times that asking a few questions or putting a car up on a lift and doing a detailed inspection, or doing 30 minutes research into casting numbers could result in your having a far FAR better idea as to what your looking at, and what might be required in the process of that cars restoration, etc.

I'm certainly not especially skilled with a lap-top computer or smart phone but these modern tools allow fast on site verification of the cars legal title,
AND you should always do a vin, and title check, and pull a carfax report on any car you might purchase after putting it up on a lift for a detailed visual inspection and a test drive

http://www.vincheckpro.com/vin-go?sems=google&sem_net=g&sem_campaign=373606699&sem_adgroup=26150655619&sem_cre=95800849819&sem_targetid=kwd-24567962568&sem_feed=&sem_key=car facts report free&sem_mat=p&sem_issearch=1&sem_iscontent=&sem_ismob=&sem_dev=c&sem_mod=&sem_pla=&sem_ran=4824098978257390774&sem_tar=&sem_adp=1t1&sem_ace=&sem_geo=9012039&sem_interest=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_fHiyZuY1QIVlLrACh1sVAkSEAAYASAAEgKKW_D_BwE

if you don,t read links its sure to cost you a good deal of extra time and money
http://m.wikihow.com/Calculate-Diminished-Value

https://www.carfax.com/cfm/general_check.cfm?partner=GMS_3&CMP=KNC-Google

http://www.vincheckpro.com/vin-go?s...MI_fHiyZuY1QIVlLrACh1sVAkSEAAYASAAEgKKW_D_BwE

http://www.autocheck.com/vehiclehistory/autocheck/en/vinbasics

READ THROUGH THese LINKs, and sub links
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/finding-a-machine-shop.321/

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-heritage-archive/vehicle-information-kits.html

READING THE LINKS WILL PROVE VERY USEFUL
http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-state-muscle-or-project-car.4318/#post-29221

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ll-of-receipts-is-not-proof.10281/#post-41565

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-you-to-locate-project-cars.10126/#post-39694

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...roject-cars-are-they-kidding.9953/#post-38383

http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=25&p=33&hilit=trailer#p33

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/engine-swap-source-info.12068/

http://forum.grumpysperformance.com/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=649&p=879&hilit=trailer#p879

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/source-for-muscle-car-bodys.8457/#post-29663

any time you've purchased a new(too you) used muscle car,
you should start by carefully inspecting a car,s basic systems like brakes, cooling ,suspension, alignment, tires , power steering, hoses,belts, after all you'll generally have little or no idea how the cars been maintained, that's easily 45 plus years old in most cases,
its will generally save you some potential problems if you take the time and effort,
if you change out the fluids,radiators can and frequently are filled with either plain water,
( which caused corrosion, or old anti-freeze that can cause particulates to form and clog the radiator interior tubes)
Id especially change the oil, and filter, and slap a big magnet on the base of the oil filter

clip on a decent magnet to the base of a long oil filter helps it trap metalic trash more effectively, and while $29 may sound high its good extra insurance that potentially reduces the chances of metalic debis from getting to the bearings and valve train.
consider the cost of bearing replacement?

http://www.magnet4sale.com/n42-3od-x-1id-x-1-2-neodymium-rare-earth-ring-magnet/

change the oil, and filter, and slap a big magnet on the base of the oil filter
http://www.magnet4sale.com/n42-3od-x-1id-x-1-2-neodymium-rare-earth-ring-magnet/

Strictly Attitude · Jun 24, 2015

I had a close friend buy a dura max and a bobcat. with todays ease of multi media it's not hard to express concerns and have them answered there are also payed services to check things out. The duramax was bought off ebay and the bobcat from machine broker

chromebumpers · Jun 24, 2015

The answer depends on who you are buying from. "Buyer Beware" doesn't have to mean "Tough Luck."
If fraud is involved you may have recourse and that varies from state to state according to the law.
When you can't trust the source you're dealing with, then don't!
Auctions are required to keep records of sellers and buyers in most states. Large volume auctions, and certainly those that have high end and catalog sales depend on their reputation staying untarnished. Misrepresentation is the last thing any reputable auction wants as an accusation and most times will void the sale and refund your money once the item in question is returned.
Do your homework! Check the VIN of any titled vehicle with that states DOT for liens and incumbencies, police reports, and insurance notifications.
Hire a professional to inspect vehicle to requirements before purchase.
Get plenty of photos (keep these photos for transport protection).
If possible obtain a notarized statement that the seller is legally permitted to sell the vehicle. You don't want to buy a car that is part of an asset sale, that it is not listed as marital property under dispute and be sure if the person selling is the owner of record on the state title. Notary Public officials must record proof of identity from the seller/s such as a current photo drivers license.
If any seller refuses any reasonable requests for your protection restate your concerns and if the seller still refuses then walk away.
Many times "sweet deals" make buyers stupid! "I really wanted this car, you don't know how rare and how long it took to find this car! I was afraid to piss the guy off and he would just sell the car to someone else if I insult him or make him spend time and money!
Don't ask questions on the phone if you can ask in an email, letter or some form of Internet site that keeps a memory of statements or information. Phone conversation cannot be recorded unless all parties involve agree.
Do not allow delays. Delays are where trouble always begins!
When searching for transport, do check your state and other states Attorny General's office and the Consumer protection agencies/Better Business for records and unresolved complaints (Do this check for Dealers and brokers too).
If shipping, check for proof of license and insurance from both the transport broker and the shipper. Make the calls to check for validity, don't just trust what you see on paper! Get insurance that covers you in case of misadventures or mishaps, it doesn't cost more than 1 or 2 % of the vehicle's gross value.

These are just a few of the steps you can take to protect yourself when buying out of state or from someone you don't really know. I wrote this extemporaneously so I may have missed somethings. I'll edit this post should I think of more precautions to take or consider.

Rich

buying out of state?

grumpyvette

Administrator

Strictly Attitude

solid fixture here in the forum

chromebumpers

solid fixture here in the forum