Folks Of Interest Farthest you drove for a maybe

What was the furthest you drove for a part that might be a total crapshoot? I was flipping through marketplace on FB and found a guy selling, practically giving away, some parts I need. I spent the next half hour trying to get some basic info or some more pics about said parts, and all he would tell me is they're solid. I don't mind driving a couple of hours to check out a good deal, but I'm not really sure if I'm committed to an eight plus hour round trip.

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How bad do you want/need the parts? How much is your time worth? How much money are we talking about here? A lot of factors come into play.....


When I am selling something, I post a few pictures that I consider good, pictures that I would want to see if I was buying the item. If someone starts asking for multiple pics, I consider them a looky-loo and tell them if they are interested, to come see the items in person.....pictures dont always do an item justice, good or bad.....

 

Does a whole car count ?

- About 350 miles north and drove a car home. From a couple of Craigslist pictures and a phone call. The trip home turned out to be a real journey for a friend and myself.
- About 360 miles southwest and drove a car home. From a coupla distorted pictures and a phone call. This trip was "event" free unlike the car above.

Mike

 

A creative photographer can make shit look like gold but I still want to see pics of any part I am going to buy regardless of the distance involved. What I don't get is the guys who advertise some unobtanium part with a small bit of text and a ridiculous price to boot. That says to me I have to do all the work to sell/buy your part and that the seller is too damn lazy to do more than the bare minimum! I'll pass on those. Don't know if a 31 roadster fairly complete minus an engine and trans is considered parts but I drove 1600 miles for it.

 

Supply and demand

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To me the real question would be, will he hold them until you get there? I've had guys promise to hold parts when I told them I was on my way, but might be a couple hours. Most the time their word was good, but a few times some jackasses sold to the first guy who showed up. That's when it's really irritating to drive several hours for nothing. The drive home can be really miserable.

 

Well if you need it, and he's practically giving it away, I'd say beggars can't be choosers and go take a look if you've got the time. If he needs it out of his way and has it priced to move he's probably not very motivated to take a ton of pictures and type a novel of a description because if you don't buy it someone else will.

 

I have driven 4 hours in one direction to see something before but thats about it for me, any further and I would need lots of pics and information ..or I would need it worse than a new kidney.

 

I drove 464 miles round trip to look at a 1940 Ford convertible, it was pretty rough so I passed. HRP

 

I drove to Missouri once to buy a '57 Desoto bumper with good bumper guards. That was about 14 hours round trip, and the one I really needed was so rusty it was unusable. Oh well.

 

650 mile round trip and a 14 hour drive for a nice old lathe. It was last fall so the trees were all in their color change. Beautiful drive.

 

We drove up to Winchester TN from here towing a car on a trailer to trade for a 47 Ford Tudor, about 200 miles up there. Got there and it was nowhere as good as the pics made it look, so we went back home without it. A couple of weekends ago, I drove over to Columbus MS to get a AOD transmission that was on marketplace, about 80 miles there. Guy flaked out on me, gave me a phone number to call when I got close for directions, I started calling 1/2 hour before the set time until a 1/2 hour after that time, ass wouldn't answer , even left a couple of voice mails. Still haven't heard from him! No more. If it's not within 30 miles or so, I'm not biting unless they'll meet me halfway...

 

When selling as in buying I like as much information as I can get or give. I sold Slim Tempo on here the three speed Hurst shifter and was new in the box. Even though it was all still shrink wrapped I removed it and took individual pictures of the parts laid out so he could see what he was spending money for. I even sent him pictures of the contents page and installation instructions so he could blow them up and read if he chose. Whenever I have bought anything from anyone on here they have no problem answering any questions. When I bought my 1955 T-Bird from rocketron on here he is above Boston. Day + drive for me. Wife and me took Suzzy, spent the first night at my Sisters in Connecticut, went to rocketrons the next day. Picked up a U-Haul trailer and the car from him then went back to my Sisters and spent the night. Travelled the next day back home to WV and he answered any and all questions and took extra pictures of the underneath. If all he will tell you is "solid" be concerned.

 

I always felt that by driving further it would be better than something local... WRONG!

 

I flew to Amarillo (through Dallas) with my daughter to look at a car, and found out there was a title issue whe I got there. Rented a car on my tablet sitting in the airport and drove home over two days.

It ended up being a really fun adventure, and I got the car later after the paper was square.

 

3 1/2 hours draggin a trailer one way for a misrepresented car. And I asked all the right questions beforehand and saw vague pictures.

Sometimes you just gotta take a gamble.

Oldmics

 

I flew from Connecticut to Buffalo New York to see a 1933 Willys sedan body just across the border in Canada. The seller met me at the airport, took me across the border to his house. we made the deal, he had me stay overnight, had a good breakfast with his family, and he took me back to the Buffalo airport. When we drove up to Canada to get the body there were some parts missing. He said that nothing was missing. I was pissed, but I already had a lot of the expense paid, put the body in the back of a Ford F-150, went to the Dunkirk, New York flea market, then went home. The flea market was a waste of time.

 

Been there done that.

 

Drove 600 miles south one way with a trailer to buy a 65 Chevelle. Pics looked great. Was for my friend. It was junk up close. Headed north and stayed the night in Bakesfield then home. Oh well-glad we went and looked. This isn't my first type of this experience either. Tell folks up front what condition the car is in!!

 

Drove from princeton to 100 mile, (5 hours), to look at an absolute piece of shit, I think he posted internet photos, cause they sure weren't the car I looked at. 5 hours back home to a call asking if I'd reconsider, I was polite......

 

The few pics there are they look real nice, but not answering some very basic questions makes me feel super uneasy. All I wanted to know is the wish of the door and what's inside them, and what the bottoms look like.

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Flew from Sacramento to Kentucky to look at a car. I'm happy I did because, as somebody on here said photographers can be very creative. In the pictures car looked pristine and the guy talked a good story. Flew into Ohio, spent the night, rented a car the next morning and drove to Kentucky. Met the guy at a coffee shop. Followed him to his house, as soon as he opened the garage door it took all of 3 minutes to tell him I'd be passing on it. The trip cost me about $300 but it saved me thousands.

 

Drove to Boston with my Dad back in the 1970's to buy a 1913 Baby Peugeot the car Bugatti designed before going into business for himself. Turned out to be an Austin Seven. Guy was a Doctor and want to be used car salesman. Six hour round trip. Bob

 

Drove about six hours one way for some '31 Chevy parts once. But the best one is my Dad drove to Pheonix (from Iowa) and hauled a motor back in the trunk of his Dodge Diplomat for me once.

 

Tell him that you really want them but will only buy them if he sends you pictures of what you want or need to see. If he refuses call him out as a scammer.

 

Drove threw 4 states totaling 6 hours one way during this corona crap for a $900 deck lid. My buddy bought a trailer load thou.

 

I drove 1998 miles round trip to buy a 1957 Evinrude Big Twin.

 

driving ?, what about guys from other countries coming here to look at "the deal"

 

drove to Boston once and she said yes

 

Man motoandy and my self drove from Myrtle Beach SC to some were OH to pick up a car got their looked at it and headed home. It was so miss promoted the only reason we even talked to the owner was to get the deposit back. 25 hour trip went and came with a empty trailer.