Selling the X & Bought an 75 Datsun 280Z

lookforjoe said:
Now that I have no real work to do on the Fiat, I need another project (besides the V8 swap, that's not going to take very long).
Problem is, I don't have room for three 'project' cars, so something has to go (non-negotiable with the Mrs). I didn't think I ever want to part with the X1/9, however I need to keep moving on to another major project while I am still fit & able.

The thread that digressed partway into Datsun Z territory, made me think about the fact I really want one. So, if I find one worth getting into, I'll have to figure how to deal with the sale of the X1/9.

BaT seems to be a viable option, I'd appreciate any input from ppl who have sold cars that way, for sure.

I can't be objective about a price on it, I've never considered it until now.

This may be all for naught if I can't find the right car, but for now it's on the cards.
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Have you investigated Doug DeMuro’s auction site? He just got a huge financial boost, which should elevate exposure:

robbreport.com

YouTuber Doug DeMuro Just Got a $37 Million Cash Infusion for His Car Auction Site

YouTube star Doug DeMuro talks about the deal with the Chernin Group to redline growth of his Cars & Bids online-auction platform.
robbreport.com robbreport.com
 
Yeah, should have known better.
Had I done more research I'd known a rust bucket goes for that price. Working with my bank to get my money back. Funds go to a TS Auto Express LLC in Miami, Thomas Poulson listed as the only contact, so I also filed a compliant with the Miami BBB. ☹️

Trovit.com, hotmusclecars.com, QRK consignment, all seem to be linked. No actual address, phone number is valid, but just has message.
I had checked another lisiting off that site that was 15K in Scarsdale, NY, and the "owner" responded pretty promptly -within a day I think. That led me to believe the listings were valid. Reflecting on it though, he said he was deployed overseas, and that the car would be shipped, I couldn't go see it.

I'll stick with the registered sites such as Hemmings, AutoTrader, etc.

Although, I may have a line on one in my town - my neighbor told me he knows of one that's been sitting in a garage for some years since the owner passed. His wife has not made any effort to sell it, so hopefully it's a possibility. Waiting for a call back on that.
 
lookforjoe said:
Yeah, should have known better.
Had I done more research I'd known a rust bucket goes for that price. Working with my bank to get my money back. Funds go to a TS Auto Express LLC in Miami, Thomas Poulson listed as the only contact, so I also filed a compliant with the Miami BBB. ☹️

Trovit.com, hotmusclecars.com, QRK consignment, all seem to be linked. No actual address, phone number is valid, but just has message.
I had checked another lisiting off that site that was 15K in Scarsdale, NY, and the "owner" responded pretty promptly -within a day I think. That led me to believe the listings were valid. Reflecting on it though, he said he was deployed overseas, and that the car would be shipped, I couldn't go see it.

I'll stick with the registered sites such as Hemmings, AutoTrader, etc.

Although, I may have a line on one in my town - my neighbor told me he knows of one that's been sitting in a garage for some years since the owner passed. His wife has not made any effort to sell it, so hopefully it's a possibility. Waiting for a call back on that.
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This bad time was from Demuro’s auction site?
 
lookforjoe said:
No - no, it started from the main site I listed above: "Tovic"
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Phew - all I could find there were 280z's at the moment. He seems like an honourable bloke, but it's difficult to know. Unlike other Californian's, he actually pays for and puts Ca. license plates on his cars. Other's around here tend to license their supercars in Montana, 'cause it's super cheap and they're criminals. lol. Good luck in the search
 
Sorry to hear about the sale. The line "deployed overseas, and that the car would be shipped" is noted as a common deception line, just for future reference. When I bought my X site un seen, I had set up a repour with the sell and had a lot of conversations with him which allowed me to vet him on the car. Not 100% guarantee but by the time we exchanged money I was very comfortable with him and he had addressed all my concerns, getting to that point took a little time. Also set up an escrow account (escrow.com) that held the money till the car was inspected by myself the buyer. Probably not telling you anything you don't already know but for myself I always like getting as much info as I can. Good luck in the hunt.
 
KBabcock said:
Sorry to hear about the sale. The line "deployed overseas, and that the car would be shipped" is noted as a common deception line, just for future reference. When I bought my X site un seen, I had set up a repour with the sell and had a lot of conversations with him which allowed me to vet him on the car. Not 100% guarantee but by the time we exchanged money I was very comfortable with him and he had addressed all my concerns, getting to that point took a little time. Also set up an escrow account (escrow.com) that held the money till the car was inspected by myself the buyer. Probably not telling you anything you don't already know but for myself I always like getting as much info as I can. Good luck in the hunt.
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So the guy in Westchester has emailed me from a regular gmail account - next to his name he has this title: 1SG E-8, U.S. Army
His car is clean, but has a aftermarket soft sunroof. The price is around 15K, which also seems cheap to me now, looking at more listings. I dunno what to ask to figure out whether he is legit, without being offensive...
 
lookforjoe said:
I dunno what to ask to figure out whether he is legit
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Ask for a photo of the VIN plate, and the front and rear of the NYS transferable reg. If the car is going to be shipped, someone has access to the car. If you can't verify ownership, I would pass. If you can verify ownership, that car is relatively close to you, so if it's no inspection, it should be a no sale, YMMV........ A E-8 would have a hard time paying for housing in Westchester/Scarsdale. Could be at his parents home or it could be a scam. If you get a copy of the reg., I'd google the address and take a look at where it's stored. Lots of red flags on this one; none of them good.
 
jimmyx said:
Ask for a photo of the VIN plate, and the front and rear of the NYS transferable reg. If the car is going to be shipped, someone has access to the car. If you can't verify ownership, I would pass. If you can verify ownership, that car is relatively close to you, so if it's no inspection, it should be a no sale, YMMV........ A E-8 would have a hard time paying for housing in Westchester/Scarsdale. Could be at his parents home or it could be a scam. If you get a copy of the reg., I'd google the address and take a look at where it's stored. Lots of red flags on this one; none of them good.
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Thanks Jimmy.
He sent me pics that include the undercarriage, vin plates & engine serial that aren't in the ad. He did say he will be back in June. I emailed him & reiterated that I am uncomfortable with the pay & ship without further proof. So. I'll see what he says. I'll ask for the NY reg., shipping/consignment company details, etc. if he replies.
 
lookforjoe said:
Thanks Jimmy.
He sent me pics that include the undercarriage, vin plates & engine serial that aren't in the ad. He did say he will be back in June. I emailed him & reiterated that I am uncomfortable with the pay & ship without further proof. So. I'll see what he says. I'll ask for the NY reg., shipping/consignment company details, etc. if he replies.
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I wouldn’t buy any car sight unseen unless it was really cheap and knowing I will be remediating.

If he will be back in June it sounds like good timing for a visit and inspection.
 
lookforjoe said:
So the guy in Westchester has emailed me from a regular gmail account - next to his name he has this title: 1SG E-8, U.S. Army
His car is clean, but has a aftermarket soft sunroof. The price is around 15K, which also seems cheap to me now, looking at more listings. I dunno what to ask to figure out whether he is legit, without being offensive...
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I hear you, I run IT operations for my company and see the level of fraud out there and the bad guys get better all the time. It is a shame because there are more good guys out there then bad. JimmyX has good advise, again try to establish communications and ask detailed questions to the point you are comfortable, ask all the right questions and have them send specific pictures of problem areas and always have a way to get your money back if the deal goes South which it sounds like you did. A good seller will usually accommodate your requests for information and photos. Always ask the questions and get the answers by email so you have documentation if something is not as described. I like to use escrow accounts to be safe but it will cost you a little. If you're looking at a car in the Chicago area let me know and I'd be happy to take a look at it for you. Best of luck
 
Whatever way you go, I'm sure you'll do cool things. I'm trying to be happy for you...
But I can't help feeling like one of my childhood friends is moving away.
Your contributions to the forum have made it a better place.

Brian
 
I have a good Fiat friend who sold his turbo spider and moved away. While he currently owns no Fiats he is still a regular on Mirafiori.
 
jimmyx said:
Ask for a photo of the VIN plate, and the front and rear of the NYS transferable reg. If the car is going to be shipped, someone has access to the car. If you can't verify ownership, I would pass. If you can verify ownership, that car is relatively close to you, so if it's no inspection, it should be a no sale, YMMV........ A E-8 would have a hard time paying for housing in Westchester/Scarsdale. Could be at his parents home or it could be a scam. If you get a copy of the reg., I'd google the address and take a look at where it's stored. Lots of red flags on this one; none of them good.
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OK - so he ignored my request for any kind of proof of ownership & gave me a link for the 'VNKC LLC shipping company" supposedly located in Houlton ME. I'm supposed to register there, then contact him again to initiate the transaction. Anyway, thanks to all the suggestions I googled the street address off the website & there is a waste disposal company at that location. Goggling the company name doesn't bring any hits that are meaningful. None of the social media links lead to online presence for the company. Their "Testimonials" can be found verbatim on another website, which also looks like a scam, NYC address, Ill. area code 708 phone number. The YP link takes you to a listing for VNKC in Billings, MT (!) I did look up another logistics company for shits & giggles, their websites in general seem clunky, however the links are legit, unlike this one.
 
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lookforjoe said:
OK - so he ignored my request for any kind of proof of ownership & gave me a link for the 'VNKC LLC shipping company" supposedly located in Houlton ME. I'm supposed to register there, then contact him again to initiate the transaction. Anyway, thanks to all the suggestions I googled the street address off the website & there is a waste disposal company at that location. Goggling the company name doesn't bring any hits that are meaningful. None of the social media links lead to online presence for the company. Their "Testimonials" can be found verbatim on another website, which also looks like a scam, NYC address, Ill. area code 708 phone number. The YP link takes you to a listing for VNKC in Billings, MT (!) I did look up another logistics company for shits & giggles, their websites in general seem clunky, however the links are legit, unlike this one.
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Ah Hussein......give yourself a slap in the face for even considering this...

The old "deployed overseas" scam is right up there with the "my husband died" scam. Dont even consider buying a car that you cannot see in person......

Sadly.....these days the web is full of scams. Even LOTS of websites selling parts that look legit.

The first thing to do these days...if you are suspicious of anything...and you should be...is to enter the website into a scam detection site like this"

www.scamadviser.com

vnkc-llc.com Reviews | check if site is scam or legit| Scamadviser

Check vnkc-llc.com with our free review tool and find out if vnkc-llc.com is legit and reliable. Need advice? ✓ Report scams ✓ Check Scamadviser!
www.scamadviser.com www.scamadviser.com

Note the vnkc-llc.com website was only created 3 days ago !!!!! with a variety of addresses all over the country......and note the website server is in Lithuania....any alarm bells yet ??

Another popular scam is found on Facebook Marketplace. Actually pretty clever. They will list a car for sale at a great price...and list it "from" a legitimate well known dealer...like from looks like say "Ferrari of Beverly Hills"....a real and respected dealer. Yup...the "Ferrari of Beverly Hill" is legit...with a proper website and known to be reputable. The catch here is that the contact info on the ad.....directs you to the scammer instead.....who directs you to wire money to him......of course he has nothing to do with the real "Ferrari of Beverly Hills". ......
 
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