Buyer beware!

[reverendzed]

Peter T went and had a look at this car and has informed me that it is a total rotisserie job.  The owner selling the vehicle has not disclosed the amount of rust in the car which is more than substantial.  It might be better priced @ $630 rather than $6300. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Datsun-240z-Coupe-1973-Regrettable-Sale-/260695255539?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item3cb2a5e9f3

 

PM Peter T for more details.

Rev.

[peter t]

Ditto Rev. Just don't metion my name as I live close. The ad is a master piece in painting the wrong picture. I can't understand why people with total rust buckets think their cars are worth mega bucks. May have something to do with the couple of ads for 240's that are currently being listed at big dollars. Think I will list mine for sale at $50,000.00 and lift the prices of buses. Won't be long and it will owe my that much anyway. {So the cheese and kisses tells me}

[Zedback]

Looking at the photo of the rust bubbles above the drivers door I would recomend anyone considering this car look at the photos of my '71 Rust Bucket to see what is likely to lie beneath.  It might not be showing as much rust as mine overall, but mine had fewer visible bubbles along the roof line, suggesting the inner roof rails and therefore the structure of the car will be at least as badly compromised.

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php/topic,7394.0.html

 

A worthy addition to the "Dead Zed Collection" :'( 

                                                                                  ...for about 10% what is being asked 

[Veloce]

Yeah i think that roof shot sets the tone for the entire car. The shocking thing is that it was only recently painted.

 

Always take a magnet with you when viewing any old car no matter how good the paint job looks!

[big hugh ness]

Thanks for the heads-up, mate. Just put in a best offer on it. Yaaakes!

[gilltech]

I can't see it on eBay any more, so presumably it's gone to a good home.

[Zedback]

Listing appears to have been ended with all offers declined...

 

http://offer.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBidsLogin&item=260695255539

 

.... (...Feedback score is ...) AU $2,000.00 Declined 20-Nov-10 15:34:39 AEDST

....(...Feedback score is ...) AU $800.00 Declined 20-Nov-10 12:08:40 AEDST

.... (...Feedback score is ...) AU $4,510.00 Declined 20-Nov-10 11:20:28 AEDST

.... (...Feedback score is ...) AU $5,500.00 Declined 19-Nov-10 19:41:20 AEDST

 

[big hugh ness]

Heheh, who is the cheap ass $800 bidder? 

From what you guys were saying, $800 was probably closer to its worth?

Anyway, yeah, my offer was declined.

Maybe not such a bad thing.

Although they showed the roof rust, which looked pretty damning. One wonders what kind of price it might have gone for had they left that picture out?

Anyway, think I will give up my search for Z cars: too hard to find a good one now, and the prices being asked are beyond my range (of money my mrs will allow me to play with, that is)

[zipZom]

Heheh, who is the cheap ass $800 bidder? 

From what you guys were saying, $800 was probably closer to its worth?

Anyway, yeah, my offer was declined.

Maybe not such a bad thing.

Although they showed the roof rust, which looked pretty damning. One wonders what kind of price it might have gone for had they left that picture out?

Anyway, think I will give up my search for Z cars: too hard to find a good one now, and the prices being asked are beyond my range (of money my mrs will allow me to play with, that is)

 

I would have bid 800, I agree with the original poster. It wasn't worth much more than that. Not with all that rust. Car wrap

[luvemfast]

Lets not forget that is was for a 240Z guys!

Get over that they have rust, you fix it.

Slamming this car is like slamming your own car!

Try and buy one for under $2k for a sh1tter!

 

Problem with being into Datsuns is that everyones a tightarse, if it were a Falcon or Torana it would go for more. And they drive like crap in comparison!

[260DET]

Trouble with being into Datsuns is that most of them have been used, abused and left out in the sun and rain 365. I mean how the hell can a car have significant rust in the roof? Not from normal use one would think. Reasonable restorers are still around but you have to be patient, very patient, and then pounce quickly when one comes up.

[Scoota G]

Outside apperances are really just an indicator, not reality. I've seen cars with a couple of small spots and the rust underneath was huge, other had all the Hallmarks of a rusty piece and was solid after being stripped. Honestly is rust really that hard to fix? Problem is getting the repairs to last, a lot of us here are "lifer's"

[gilltech]

Thr roof structure must rust due to the car being in a humid wet environment where it is basically sweating. Even if the car was rust-proofed when new, since when does the roof structure get injected?

I recall a friend many years ago buying an early 240Z that was about 18 yrs old at the time, nice repaint in original colour, nice general condition overall, looked pretty tidy & standard original except for nice aftermarket mags; a smart looking car to show off & be proud of. Then one day he got T-boned & the car basically folded around him (he was unhurt) - it was a rusty car that in hindsight had been patched up, bogged up & repainted to sell. The body shell was shot, the roof structure was badly rusted through the pillars, & basically the only body part worth salvaging was the roof skin.

It was by far the worst Z rust I'd seen, back then, but if it could be like that at 18 yrs old, imagine how many more could be like that by now at twice that age. Yes anything can be fixed, but major body repairs are painstaking & tedius, can easily work out in excess of what the car's market value is, & can be heart-breaking. All power to those who see that sort of major project through.

[reverendzed]

Simon, I think the issue qwas more in relation to the owners non disclosure and high expectations that they would recieve over 6K, all myself and Peter were stating is that this wasn't a 6K car.  I agree if you want something to fix from the ground up this would be a great buy, however to buy it as per the advertisers original description was to get completely shafted.  It's also our responsibility to try and save one another from those who have less integrity than many members on this forum.

Rev.

[luvemfast]

I always approach these things as a buyer beware, as you did too to get it checked out.

But sometimes you have to put a bit of faith and trust, especially when dealing oversea's as I've done. Emailing and talking about things, you get a feel for the people and that gives you a pretty good indication.

 

There's an old saying

"Suspicious minds think supspiciously"

or something like that.

But sometimes you have to so you don't get shafted.

[Zedback]

There's rust and then there is rust!  Rust in the floor, sills, doglegs chassis rails and hatch shut panel is one thing, common enough and there are plenty of examples of how to fix with either enough time or $$s.  But rust around the perimeter of the roof and in the windscreen frame down into the A-panel in my opinion takes the job to a whole new level as evidenced by my poor old rustbucket. 

I agree with Simon that it's a 240z and it's worth whatever it's worth to the adventurer who buys it, but I disagree with the "faith and trust" I've been shafted every time.  I really hope someone does get to buy it to restore, but does so accurately informed and well aware of what they are likely to be getting in to.  I'd love to add it to the collection but personally would not gamble much more than $1k.

[gilltech]

All so true. Lots of people (a) think their car is surely worth moonbeams especially if they've spent a lot of money on it over the years so it owes them in total a fair bit, & (b) while they are aware of a few rust bubbles starting to appear may genuinely not fully appreciate that their pride & joy that was repainted several years ago is in fact by now a rusting timebomb as the repaint was done to a price as a cosmetic makeover & was not a bodywork restoration - many people think that a repaint somehow magically waterproofs a car & just don't understand that cars rust from the inside out not the other way.

I agree with Zedback, rust in the roof structure is a serious issue & not for the fainthearted.

So, as always, it's 'buyer beware', & try not to get stung with what is someone else's major problem. There's always another car.

[peter t]

Car must have sold. Did a drive by and it is gone from the front yard. Hope a doctor or lawyer bought it. Or maybe a politician.

[gilltech]

Make that a lawyer, real estate agent or car dealer.

[cpekel]

Check out the buyer's feedback.

 

Definately NOT a happy purchase there. Negative feedback, 'did not disclose full extent to rust'. Looks like someone definately got shafted!

[peter t]

Where did this car end up? Buyer must not have read this post.

[Huw]

Car must have sold. Did a drive by and it is gone from the front yard. Hope a doctor or lawyer bought it. Or maybe a politician.

 

poor lawyers.....everyone picks on them!

[peter t]

Wasn't having a go at lawyers only they earn a lot more $ than the average bear. and to buy this car you would need mega bucks to fix it.

[Mr Camouflage]

Maybe if he checked in here a bit more regularly he'd have known what he was getting into 

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=337

[benny]

that user did not go through with sale after inspection!!