Dumb things,that happen at car lots....

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Abodybomber

Abodybomber

Breaking street machines , since 1983.....:)
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Over the years of being a gear head,seen some really unexpected/dumb stuff happen at car dealerships/lots.
First one,I was 13('81..). Dad wanted a new car, I worked on him for a new Camaro. He actually agreed, to look at one. A local Chevy dealership had a midnight blue 350/T 10 four speed model. We look at the car,the price was pretty decent on it. We all load up into the car ,for a test drive. Pops lights it up,it's warming up ,for a couple of minutes. Then the damn thing,runs out of gas. Kinda hard to test drive a new car,without gas in the damn tank.
Another one: 17 years old,involves a Mopar. Being a teenager,of course we check out all the Detroit muscle, on the cheap *** car lots. One Friday night (cruise night,of course! 1986..), we see a '70 Charger 500 (trim level,not the bad *** one), and walk up to it. My buddy actually has some simolians,burning a hole in his pocket.He walks up to the drivers door, pulls on the door handle. The damn door,fell on the parking lot! So much, for a solid car for $500.00. Share yours.....
 
I've spent little time at car lots, but most of that time is "negative."

Back when I still had my 69RR my good friend had a near new 70 Chev 3/4T 4x4. This was San Diego, I was in the Navy. One Sat afternoon we are over at his Mom's watching the afternoon movie sponsered by a famous LA Mopar dealer. Whittier? Anyhow, Gary had decided he needed a second car, and they had a "bait car" advertised -- a 68 or '9 RR for cheap. So off we go, for "my dog spot."

Crap the salesman looked and figited, and finally said something about 'we might have a junker around back.' And they did!!! And we passed!!! But the !!!SALESMAN!!! absolutely INSISTED that we "go for a ride" in a new Duster. But.......they LEAVE THE KEYS in all the CARS!!!!. And kids get in there and leave the ignition turned on and RUN THE BATTERY down. So finally we get the lot guy out there with his (stolen) grocery cart and (probably stolen) huge pile 'ol junk batteries and jumper cables, and jump the Duster so we can drive around the block.

"I made it worth my while." LOL. The salesman was either impressed or "not" impressed, depending on "your" point of view, LMAO.

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One other time, some salesman almost FORCED the two of us into a 69 Z28. So THAT was a lot of fun for about 2 blocks until the salesman realized he had a certified lunatic behind the wheel LMAO

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The last one was in National City or Chula Vista, S. of San Diego. Hell, I don't even remember how this happened. I had the 70RR then so I needed "nothing." "We" ended up in this jacked up 70-71 Challenger 440. Hell I didn't even make it out of the lot, barely. The salesman was in the back, and I was dragging the tires on the fender wells. Funny, how "these salesmen" wanted US to go for a drive, and then very quickly realized this was "stupid" LMAO
 
When my dad bought his new 67 Barracuda fastback 383, as he was trying to pull out of the dealership, it ran out of gas before it could get out of the parking lot.

He went in and asked for some gas so he could drive it home. He argued with the owner's son on the showroom floor for a half hour over ONE GALLON OF GAS. They refused to give him just one gallon, so after seeing a few customers walk out after they heard what they were arguing about, he walked to the gas station and bought a gallon of gas himself (how much was it back then, like .60 per gallon)....
 
The dodge dealer in warrensburg had a early '90's 5.0 Mustang five speed on the lot on trade. They had all the new cars lined in rows, about 60-70 cars long, and this stang was parked cross ways at the end of one row, keys under the wiper.
I put the keys in the tail pipe just to be a brat (I was 15). I thought it would funny to see them make new keys just to have the old ones poop out when they fired it up.

Later that night my buddy Steve and I were out driving around when I remembered this fact about the keys.

We went by, I jumped in, and fired it up. Bouncing the cold motor off the rev limiter, I dropped the clutch on first and laid out two thick black lines the length of the dealership. Threw it in reverse and repeated all the way back. Back to first gear, rinse, repeat. Killed it, tossed the keys in the cup holder, locked the door and slammed it home.

I jumped in Steve's car (a lowly v6 citation), and asked him what it looked like.

"That's a lot of smoke" was all he said as we bugged out.

That dealer hasn't left keys in the cars since.
 
A dealership story that happened recent.
A local man took his GMC truck to Ferganson GMC in Broken Arrow, OK for service.

During a test drive, the truck was broad sided, but drivable.
The dealer claimed they wasn't responsible, told the man to contact his insurance company.
Still pending out come.

While writing service at a local Toyota dealer, had a few concerns.
One older couple had special ordered a loaded Corolla, waited a couple of months for it to arrive.
While they were paying for it, the lot porter was assigned to go fill it up with fuel.
He & another porter jumped in, took off on the back street of the dealership, with the foot to the floor.
A new Dakota slowing to turn into a housing addition was struck by the Corolla & it rolled.
The car ended up on its top & the first word out of the Porter was "I'm so fired!".

Had a Camery fall off a 2-post lift from 6 feet up, glad it wasn't my customer.

We were also pressed for 30 minute oil changes, after a car came out of the lube bay, it was brought to a parking area with the keys left in it.
I had a elderly man get into the same color Camery, thinking it was his Corolla.
He drove off with that customer's Christmas gifts in it.
Took me a half a day to track him down.
He had opened the gifts & all he said was "you moved the cruise control lever" LOL
 
When I was 18 I bought a brand new 81 AMC Spirit ( I know, I know, but I loved that car!) . I decked it out with Keystone Sun Spokes and Eagle GT tires. I followed my mom into a Chevy dealership where she was going to drop her car off for service. I parked and a salesman came out and asked when I was going to get myself a real car. I was pissed, but I held it in and told him that this was my graduation gift from my parents. I told him I was thinking about trading it in on a Corvette. His eyes lit up and he got real nice. I test drove Corvettes for the next hour or so, then told him I would stick with my "real" car. I think he was pissed, too.
 
Oh hey I've got one for you. When I was 20. I was on the market for a new car. I was thinking Ford mustang. Since I didn't know about the dodge stratus at the time. To make a long story short I ask the guy for the keys. So I jump in and fire it up, it was just a 6 cylinder 2002 stang with the 5 speed, I couldn't afford a v8. Anyway I drive down the main drag in town in Council Bluffs Iowa, then out on the interstate for a highway run. I drop it in 3rd to pass someone thinking it had plenty of power for a 6 cylinder daily driver. Then it happened. A strange ticking sound from the engine. So I get off the interstate and pull into a service station and I pop the hood looking for anything that could be wrong. Couldn't find anything, so I drive this thing back to the dealer and put on the parking brake. I look down at the oil pressure gauge and it's bouncing pretty good. I'm thinking to myself, "oh ****." Then the gauge drops to zero and the oil light turns on. I quickly shut it off and walk very nonchalant into the office and flip the guy the keys. So he asks how it drives. So obviously I replied,"it was pretty good. Oh hey I gotta go." I said and I got the hell away from that place! There was no way I was gonna let them try to tell me I blew it up! I didn't even hit red line in 3rd! That sold me on how shitty Ford's are! XD
 
I had a buddy that was afraid to buy a new car because all his friends had warranty trouble. He is a biker, 6'8" tall and about 350 lbs. The sales guy tells him not to worry, that any issues will be fixed during the warranty period. He say, you'd better, or I'm going to drive this car right up your ***! Long story short, he had a stumble problem, take it in and later in the day it's done. He gets 2 blocks away and it happens again. He drives back and asks what what the problem was. The mechanics were just leaving, so the service guy asks the tech what was wrong with the car. He says it had a cracked spark plug. Did you fix it? He says no, they won't fix that under warranty. Randy turns and walks to the sales floor and starts yelling the sales guy's name at the top of his lungs. They try to keep him quiet and and page the guy in from the sales lot. The guy walks in on the far side of the sales floor. Randy sees him and yells, Bend over, ******! It's coming back! Needless to say, they fixed it for him.
 
This one is more suttle and you have to be "old" to remember this. "Before" everybody was building 4x4 small pickups, "Some people" figured out there was a market for "backyard builds"

You you started seeing Datsuns, Couriers, etc, with homebrew, sometimes shady, sloppy adaptations using Transdapt or other adapters, Jeep transfer cases and front ends.

Some of these were out and out junk. Stuff like mis-matched wheels front and rear, -----Courier / Datsun 6 bolt in rear, and Jeep 5 bolt up front. Some had vibration problems. One Courier I saw had ONE U joint cross connecting the transmission to the Jeep transfer. Yeh. It shook.

SO................

One spring day, we were at the local Chev/ Olds / Jeep dealer, looking at a Chevy Luv conversion. We were literally laying on the asphault under the vehicle, looking at "what we thought."

Here comes the salesman, who immediately assumes he has a "hot prospect(s)" And bla bla bla

I noticed it had disc front brakes, Hell I didn't even know Jeep HAD disk already. So I asked him, "I didn't know these Jeeps have front disk brakes?"

"THAT'S not a JEEP" he says, aghast

"Who in hell do you think made that front axle?"

"Well THAT is a CHEVY LUV!!!! LMAO
 
My brother-in-law's grandfather used to lease brand new Cadillacs every few years. Back around '91 or '92, I was riding with him and mentioned that it didn't seem like we were going as fast as we actually were. He told me that when he was first test driving it, he asked the salesman how fast it would go and the salesman replied that he'd rather not find out. "Why not?" grandpa asked. "We're already doing 110!" I guess the look on the salesman's face was classic, because grandpa laughed all the way back to the dealership. Ya gotta love retired Detroit motorcycle cops!
 
My brother and I were up in Sacramento California about 15 years ago and looking for a old car for me to buy on the cheap. We go by a "rent a wreck" lot and sitting in the back I think I see a Dart. Well we pull in and it is a Dart. A 69 GTS 383 Dart! Now I know how much this thing is worth but im not letting on, hell im almost broke! Guy come out, I ask if this old thing is for sale? He says ho doesn't know he's kinda new there. He goes in and says he can sell it, and we haggle a price. this is all original, has a few dents, been rented a few times and the guy said his boss said "all the cars can be bought"! I got it for 1500.00 and took it home. A STEAL! A few days later I get a frantic call, Its the salesman wanting me to bring the car back. I had already changed title so screw him! Turns out it was his Dads car, the owner of the place, And was he pissed off his son sold me his pride and joy! Bummer is it got ripped off from me about 6 years later. Never to be seen again. MTm
 
I guess the dumbest thing that happens at a car lot is people buying fords



I once took a V6 Camaro out for a test drive, and it was a day of firsts for me
first time driving a rear wheel drive car, first time driving in the snow and I guess the first time I wrecked a Camaro aswell
it was pretty funny i had picked this car up at about 7 at night or so and of course it was dark already. drove her for a few miles and when i got to a straight stretch i put the hammer down at about 45 MPH
the rear and kicked sideways and she started spinning until it slammed into a fence
hit it hard enough i couldn't even open the driver side door anymore

so i brought it back, parked it across the street (undamaged passenger side facing the house) and told the guy it wasn't for me

he called me the next morning and he was rather upset
 
krazykuda said:
When my dad bought his new 67 Barracuda fastback 383, as he was trying to pull out of the dealership, it ran out of gas before it could get out of the parking lot.

He went in and asked for some gas so he could drive it home. He argued with the owner's son on the showroom floor for a half hour over ONE GALLON OF GAS. They refused to give him just one gallon, so after seeing a few customers walk out after they heard what they were arguing about, he walked to the gas station and bought a gallon of gas himself (how much was it back then, like .60 per gallon)....
Click to expand...

1967 Gas Prices..........

'Regular' ........ 26.9 Cents per Gallon
'Hi-Test' ......... 29.9 Cents per Gallon
 
I went to a local Dodge dealer to get a price on a new 71 340 Demon and the person said he wouldn't sell me one because all I would do is beat on it and have warranty claims - bought one elsewhere and had no warranty claims
 
I used to work as a lot boy at a large Chevy dealership. The story's I could tell could take up days here. Was a fun part of my life and will never forget it. Trucks that came in not completely assembled. The firetruck that spun out and pushed 3 trucks from the front row to the second. That's just a start.
 
I was a salesman at a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership in '64, so saw lots of odd and scary stuff. One that saved our butt comes to mind. I was at the used car lot and had to move an older Oldsmobile to a different spot. When I grabbed the steering wheel so I could move the seat forward, the steering wheel came off in my hand. The nut had not been reinstalled after a repair. Can't you just see that happening to a customer as he drove it down the road?

While on vacation in another state, I brought my two-year old van to the local Chrysler dealer for an oil change. The young woman who was driving it back to the service bay sideswiped a concrete post and wiped out the entire right side of the van. They said they could fix it in three days, but I was leaving the next day. The manager tried his best to resolve the issue, so I told him to sell me a new van at cost. He did, so I was satisfied.

My wife had retired her Realtor job and said she wanted a 200 convertible to replace her 300 sedan. Since 2014 was to be the last year for the convertible, I went to a local CJD dealer and said I wanted to order one, but he said they were no longer being made and I would have to find a used one. I couldn't convince him to even check the computer, so I went to a small town dealer and ordered one from the factory. Know your product, or lose...
 
In 03-04 my oldest brother ordered a new 04 cummins. One day he took the truck to the dealer for some reason and a woman that worked there came out and heard the cummins and asked John "does that truck have the new HEMI diesel??" I forget what John's response was...
 
smartest thing I did in a car lot.
I was 18, 1977, just out of military training and walking to my dorm room. I was cutting through the credit union parking lot and saw a 70 super bee, jacked up with wide cragars, 383, pistol grip, bench. I walked into the credit union and joined up, 40 dollars down and I drove it away for 650.00. 68K miles and not a dent on it. Dumbest thing i did was beat the crap outta it for 5 years with 2 big blocks, eventually letting it go to a scrap yard for a huge crack across the floor over the tunnel.
I was driving it when i saw and bought my first A body, 67, S bcuda, big block K, no eng or trans for 150. those were the days!
 
Circa 1970/71, my dad goes to car lot in Sacramento,Ca..... looking for a hemi cuda..... they had a 70 hemi 4 speed..... dad wanted an auto.... home he went without the car....grrrrrrr
 
In my young, stupid days as a would be Hot Rod Car owner, I saw a 67 Mustang up on a Car Pedestal at a used Car Dealer in Neptune Beach, Florida.
Inquired about it and the Owner told me to go sit inside and check it out. Enthusiastically climbed up the Pedestal ladder, sat in the Stang and both of my feet went thru the rusted Floor boards. :banghead:
Knowing I had just ruined the Car, I quickly exited, thanked him for the experience and RAN outta there. My First and Last experience with RustStangs. :twisted::angryfir::blackeye::shock::ncool::angry5::angry4::finga:
 
In '73 I was thinking about buying a new Dodge van. I had heard they were going to offer sliding side doors so I went out shopping to see if this was true. First dealer I went to said "no I don't think they're going to". Second dealer said "yes they will but not for a few months". Third dealer said "would you like to look at one I have out back?" It pays to know what is going on with what you sell. The third dealer ended up getting my business.
 
My buddy worked as a new car salesman. One day an elderly couple walked in for a new car. They were both about 88 years old. They bought a new Buick, trading in a Cadillac Calais with 44,000 miles on it. He called me and asked me if I wanted it for a grand. I said sure. Went in, gave him a grand. As I was driving off the lot the used car guy came out chasing me and screaming. I didn't even slow down.
I brought my brother in law to the Jeep dealer where I bought my Jeep. We went right after I had finished changing my torque, so I was not a pretty site. Nobody came out to help us. After a while we left and went to another Jeep dealer. Great big guy came out instantly. Told him we wanted a new Jeep and he showed us all of them along the fenceline. Walked to one end, turned around and on the way back my brother in law pointed to a green one and said I want that one. Did the paper work instantly and the salesman was thrilled since he still had time to make the bulls game.
GMC had the big deal oil change for about $13,and would take ten minutes. Normally I would prefer someone working on my car to take the time needed to do it right as opposed to fast. Against my better judgement I went for it. About ten minutes later they pulled my truck out and parked it in a driving rainstorm. I paid and ran to the truck. Sure enough the keys were locked in it. They stood out in the rain for three hours before they got it unlocked. I once opened it in about five minutes. Never again.
There are many more but this is dragging out too long.
 
Names are changed to protect the 'presumably' innocent.

Back in 1984 my good friend was working as a Car Salesman for a Ford Dealership in Peekskill, New York.

A well-dressed came in to look at the 'new' 1984 Fords. After about 15-Minutes, the gentleman said he had to leave, but he left his 'cream-puff'
1983 Mustang GT behind, parked in the Customers parking area.

Well, the guy never came back that day. The Mustang GT sat there for 2-days.

Finally my friend went over to the car to check out what was inside, as the
Mustang was unlocked. The keys were left on the floor.

Well, he wanted to take it for a 'test drive', but he changed his mind at the last minute.

Instead he opened up the Glove Box to see if there was any owner information.

Oh Yea !!!

About 10-Ounces of 'uncut' Cocaine, and several thousand dollars in cash.

And under the front seat was a Brazilian Machete', about 18" long.

My friend later found out that the Westchester County Sherriff's Department {Drug Enforcement} had been looking for the guy.

The guy was arrested later that night that, after he had gone to the Ford Dealership, and never got out of jail.

The 'almost dumb thing' was that my friend nearly took that
1983 Mustang GT out for a 'real' test drive.

What just happened to the Cocaine and Cash........

I'm not saying anything.
 
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