Purchasing a car from a private seller. Nightmare.

Hoofer said

Thanks for everyone's feedback. I didn't mention that i took the car to my mechanic and another recommended by a reputable custom car restoration garage in my town. Both mechanics said it doesn't look repairable or if it was it would be expensive. The final word will come on 08/25 when i take it to the custom car garage i mentioned. They would have the frame equipment that would be needed to make the repair and would tell me how much it would cost. again, it doesn't look good. I'm calling the seller back shortly and i'm going to see about returning the car.

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That's going to end up being a frame rail replacement.

The added gusset is there because the UCA mounting tab broke loose and needed to be gusseted to hold in in place. But, the reason it broke loose is probably because the top of the frame rail is rusted out there. The rail looks pretty gnarly, and that's a common place for them to rust out because dirt and crap accumulates there. If other parts of the rail look the same, it will be a full replacement.

A full frame rail replacement will not be cheap, and the frame rails are not currently reproduced, so you'll have to source your own replacement from a parts car or someone that dismantles them. And if one frame rail looks like that, well, you may not be replacing just one.

I would stop messing around with this thing and make the seller take it back. The sale is shady to begin with, and the car has been misrepresented. If you keep it, you will be in for thousands of dollars of frame work. Assuming you can even get a title in your name. Yes, usually it can be done, but not always, and not in every state. And that assumes it's not stolen.