The perils of buying a car on eBay

[BigJim394]

Someone posted these links on a newsgroup. He got them from a Nash Metropolitan newsgroup. Apparently someone on that group puchased this somewhat rodded (hopped up 2.3 Ford 4 cyl engine, narrowed 9 inch rear) Metropolitan on ebay without looking at it or having someone look at it and then had it shipped to his home. Check out the ebay page...the car looks pretty good, and while to me, there are slight warning signals in the description, it sounds and looks like a sound car. When he started to really look at the car after it was delivered, he found all sorts of leaks (gas tank, trans) major frame rust and crappy "repairs" (using light gauge perforated angle iron!). He is supposedly going to a have a completely new frame fabricated for the car.

How people can buy a car like this, for this much money, without looking at it, or having some friend look at it, is beyond me. The links are to the ebay auction page and a page of photos of the car in various states of disassembly.
http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/laserfixr (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;category=31863&amp;item=2474616 668&amp;rd=1>http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;category=31863&amp;item=2474616 668&amp;rd=1</a>

<a)

http://i12.ebayimg.com/03/i/01/b0/38/50_1_s.JPG

http://us.f2.yahoofs.com/users/3fedb798_2429/bc/11ca/__sr_/416a.jpg?phJ9fABBSo76ZvOh

[HotRod60F100]

Who would buy a Metro for 9K??i mean i'd see the reason if it were backhalved and a 427 Chev in it http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif.So is the guy gonna sue the dude he bought the metro from?

[choprods]

The first clue for the Cheap bastard should have been that you really just cant buy a completely "DONE" car for that price.......I mean if you consider the parts list and the

time involved in a total build-anyone in their right mind would be aware that 9,500 isnt the same as 30K.[believable cost].
Sounds like a "checkbook rodder"-whining because he wasn't able to SCALP some lobuck "builder" and laugh about it with his friends at the golf course.

[roadstar]

HOLY CRAP!!!!! What a mess. I have never seen anything that horible. And belive me I have been around the repair buisness for a long time.

OMG I would be so pissed. But you are right about not looking at something before you buy

I amazes me that people will buy these cars sight un seen for big money. I hope the guy learned a lesson.

Although I hope the seller, or the repairer of that frame gets a ass woopin http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

[Action Girl]

Before I knew all the downsides, I wanted a Metro really bad. I talked to some people from the metro owner's club and they told me what to look for. I had a hard time finding one that met my criteria. I found that they tend to be overpriced. I found this little chart on a Nash Met website, that I used when I was shopping.

A- Completely restored to showroom condition. 95-100 point car.

B- Excellent restoration to original specifications.

C- Good occasional driver. Very clean and in un-restored original condition, but may have some superficial flaws.

D- Running car, with good body and all original components.

E- Project car with all needed parts intact, limited structural or rust damage In need of restoration
Model Class "E"

Metropolitan Hard Top-class E $600 to 1,600
D- $3,500
C- $4,500
B- $6,500
A- $7,500

Metropolitan Convertible class E- $2,000 to $3,500
D- $5,500
C- $8,000
B- $10,000 to $12,000
A- $12,000 to $18,000

In any event, I ultimately decided against a nash primarirly because of size, but I also wanted to have something that I could get parts for relatively easy.

I don't know how ANYONE could buy something that expensive without a physical inspection. Caveat Emptor.

And... those seats are AWFUL!

Stacey

[kritz]

wow, apparently you CAN polish a TURD!!!

someone's head would roll....
but i'd re-attach it with perforated angle iron and bondo.

[Tman]

RED FLAG.....patch panels were BRAZED in!!!!!!!!

[porknbeaner]

[ QUOTE ]
RED FLAG.....patch panels were BRAZED in!!!!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Red Flag ebay. I know lots and lots of people who have horror stories about ebay.
Better to buy from folks you know or at least know a little about.
Haven't heard any horror stories about the HAMB yet.

[SnoDawg]

Damn What a mess
Looks like somebody tried to make ice cream outta horseshit

[Mutt]

Anybody who spends that kind of money for ANYTHING, and doesn't have someone check it out before hand, deserves to be taken. You wouldn't call your local dealer after seeing an ad, and give him your credit card number to buy a car would you? It ain't E-bay, it's the dummies that buy on E-bay and then cry when they didn't use their brain.

"Filler only used to fill in dents and repair work"
"Windows go up and down easily, but you must assist"????

He was telling the buyer it was a piece of shit....

Here's another item the buyer bought..for $15.00


Mutt

[Joe T Creep]

GODDAMN!! I'm suprised the car didnt fall apart of its own weight....
I have had many Ebay purchases and never had a problem. I bought a car off of Ebay and it was just as described so I guess the person selling the car has a hell of a lot to do with it.

[Morrisman]

[ QUOTE ]
RED FLAG.....patch panels were BRAZED in!!!!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Er, I thought about brazing my roof fill in, to save on the distortion that a zillion people told me I'd get if I welded.

Maybe I best not huh? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[34Fordtk]

This shot told me all I needed to know about that car!!

[choprods]

Yup that would tell me all I would need too!he[buyer] will not win that case!

[Flat Ernie]

[ QUOTE ]
Er, I thought about brazing my roof fill in, to save on the distortion that a zillion people told me I'd get if I welded.
Maybe I best not huh?

[/ QUOTE ]

Tough to get paint (or anything) to stick to the brass. I have heard that you can prime with zinc chromate as the initial coat &amp; it won't peel, but haven't been brave enough to try it on anything...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Brickster]

why hasn't the buyer left any negative feedback? Does he want the same thing to happen to someone else?

[19Fordy]

Never braze anything sheetmetal on a car body. Nothing will "really" stick to it and paint will "lift" after a while. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

[uncleAud]

did Fat hack build that car? hmmmmmm

[19Fordy]

OUCH ! It's gonna cost more to repair that car tahn it will ever be worth in a million years. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[Machinos]

That car wasn't worth anywhere near $9,000 even if it didn't have all those problems. And Nash Metropolitans aren't exactly hard to find, he could have paid someone to build that same car (minus the BAD parts) for under $10k.