Buying a Classic from a Dealer

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Relax360

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I have been looking for a 1970 Road Runner Daily Driver till I can afford till fix it up all the way. I have found a couple Locally but none of them are not basket cases or lack specific options I want in the car.

I found this one at http://www.redlineautosports.com/1970/70/plymouth/road_runner/muscle_cars/10098/0
and yes I realize the under side is a big question mark.
My question to all of you guys is this.

Has anyone bought from a classic car dealer before? and were you happy?

I have quite a few friends who work in the restoration business and they have taught me what to look for and what to walk away from. But I can't just go look at this one. the cost of the trip is a bit much.

What do you guys think?
 
I'm not as familiar with B-Bodies, but did the Roadrunner come in two different models? I.e. a coupe and hardtop? I only ask this because this specific one and some others I've seen on the internet have rear side pop-out windows. I've always assumed this is why the Duster was considered a coupe and not a hardtop. I've also seen a full hardtop Roadrunner version with role down rear windows (no post). Cool car, but I too would be worried about the underside.
 
Hard tops have no "B" pillar between the front and rear side glass. Just like the Dart Swinger.
 
1 of 1 dealer demo
 

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Roadrunners also came in another body style in '69 and '70......
A convertible.
 
true there were converts but guys back to my original question has anyone bought from a dealer? and what do you think of the car in question?
 
The car looks very nice. For 25K I would spend the money to go look at or pay an appraiser to go look at it.

I don't think buying from a dealer is any better or worse than buying from an individual. The dealer probably has a 10% to 20% profit margin built into the sale price.
 
I would br very leary of this car. They state that over $8k was invested in the paint. Look at the inside shots of the doors. They didn't even pull the plastic plugs off before the paint went on. Or the small rubber bumpers.
I wonder how many other shortcuts they took.

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And check out the generic top radiator hose. How much is a correct one? :violent1:
 
I only purchase from owners i never purchase until i personally look at it if it's too far i pass on it,this car i would get it looked at, i agree with yellowdart i would say that there are some issues that are covered up,do what you wish i would walk away 25 -27k will get you some thing elsewhere.
 
The car doesn't look too bad, props to the dealer for posting pics of the car torn apart during painting. Paint & body work cost a ton but still $8k seems high. I live in Dallas and would be willing to go look at the car when I get back home (which could be a month). I am currently working in Long Island NY due to hurricane Irene.
 
I have a buddy who used to prep cars for sale for a dealer. His motto was "clean cars sell". He said he glossed over so many piece of **** cars to make them look pretty, and they always sold because they looked nice so people assumed they were well taken care of. I guess my thought is that a dealer is in the business of selling cars and will do what they have to do to get the sale, including taking advantage of the buyer. They don't even necessarily have to lie about bad stuff, they just commit the crime of omission. With no former owner to talk to, I would have a hard time coughing up 25K for a non matching car I know nothing about.

And Holy S***, you want to spend 25K on a daily driver that you want to restore later? Man, if I had your money I'd throw mine away! :)
 
Fender tag attached with screws. I thought they were supposed to be riveted.

Also check with the BBB in that area to see if they have a lot of complaints lodged against them.
 
I'm very leary with dealers car. Seen way too many people post over the years that bought from a dealer and not only overpaid but got a perfumed pig on top of it. Also have two classic car type of dealers right down the road from me. The garbage on those lots amazes me. And people buy them up. Mostly all internet sales. I'd be pissed if I receive some of those cars for the money they get.
 
Badsport said:
Fender tag attached with screws. I thought they were supposed to be riveted.

Also check with the BBB in that area to see if they have a lot of complaints lodged against them.
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Fender tags are attached with screws. That part is right at least.
 
Let me get this right...you are going to spend 25K on a car from a dealer and not even go look at it??? I don't spend 2K of my hard earned money to buy anything I can't personally inspect and verify, let alone 25K. You mean to tell me that you have 25K to spend on a car sight unseen but can't find a little extra $$ to go see it personally??? How are you going to get it home if you buy it?? Having it shipped will certainly cost you more than the trip to see it, pick it up and drive it back. Plus, with the "details" given, I would surely like to see it to negociate what is a pretty steep price and surely a 20% markup or more. If they did the work and spent 8K on the paint, I'll bet they are not into the car for more than 17K.

Do yourself a favor... go look at any car you plan to spend that kind of money on!!! Geof
 
We have several classic dealers in our area i have gone there just for entertainment purposes some of the cars they have are consignment [which most are nice]but they [the dealer]have jacked up the sellers price to make a bigger profit,their own cars are mostly[not always] polished non number overpriced turds.I worked at a used car dealer when i was younger his motto was there's an *** made for every seat our job is to find that ***. On the other hand private owners can also take your money i would not recommend you buy any thing sight unseen, either you or some one you trust should look at your possible purchase it's your money do what you wish, but you asked for guidence we are giving advice please listen, too many times we have read threads of unhappy purchases due to pick one[stupidity,hardhaededness,in a hurry,lack of knowledge or experiance,just a fool and his money] please don't get taken, good luck i'm sure with the info you have receved you should have a very little chance of getting ripped off [it has happened to all of us at least once].
 
I bought my Duster from a dealer. He had had it on consignment for several months. He was asking 5 I got it for 3500 because 1 he was tired of it, and two the place was moving in the spring. I think i got a great deal on a solid 74 V-8 with sunroof, defroster, space saver seat, and light group. The same dealer has a 72 Challenger for sale with a 340 auto for about 18,000 and its been there for awhile too and local ads have it much chaper. They also have a few really nice cars.


http://www.communitybargainhunter.com/stores.php?store=152&l=24544
 
Well I didn't buy the car. Someone else snagged it for 22k. And I wasn;t going to buy sight unseen I was going to have an independent 3rd party inspection from somone who knows what to look for. I will probably be glad I didn't take it down the road.
 
Hey Relax360, I didn't mean to sound so hard on you, but 25K is a lot of money, and with the quality of "restorations" being what they are, it's a given that you have to inspect it for yourself. It's your money, you're the one going to own it, and only you should be looking at it. Get as informed as you can about the model you are seeking, and look for the best and most honest description of the subject vehicles as you can get. I read the description of both of the 70 cars at that dealership, and it sounded like all fluff to me. Not a single negative, and I don't consider the undercarraige not detailed as a negative. That's what I would like to see if I were interested...evidence of the condition of the car before they put 8K into the paint. What do the suspension components look like?? Were they "restored" or just overlooked in favor of the cosmetics to get this car sold!!

In this economy, you can get a lot of car for your 25K, much more than a cosmetic fluff and buff. Keep looking, you'll find the right car for your hard earned $$$!! Geof
 
No worries cosgig I imagin with enough time a SoCal car will appear I can go look at. Judging by the pictures and the fact that they couldn't tell me if the car was taken to bare metal, I believe some rather expensive surprises are hiding in there.
 
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