A local cop made me a generous offer on my '56 Chevy. I took him and his son for a ride, and let them drive it back. They liked it, and spent 2 hours with me, asking many questions. Is there any reason why I shouldn't sell my car to a local city cop. He asked me, does it need anything. I said , I wouldn't be afraid to drive it to Wash. D.C. and back. He is not mechanically inclined. He wants to buy it to drive, and let his 17 year old son drive it. My gut feeling is, this could haunt me. What are your thoughts?
He, of all people, are aware of Caveat emptor...so be honest and sell it to him, and he will likely be a life long car buddy.
LMBO!...You afraid if it doesnt start some day...he's gonna book-ya-Danno!...lol He's an adult, he's buying a used car...let him worry and ask questions!
I give the speech to non car people and if they still want to buy then it's on them. "It's an old car, it has idiosyncrasies and can be moody. It's not going to start or drive like a new car, but it doesn't depreciate like a new car.
I would worry more about the "not mechanically inclined". If it doesn't start, it's your fault. Been there,done that...
Man, Sell him the car. You want to sell, he's hot for your car. Forget the cop thing, he's an old car nut who loves your car. You'll get a car buddy to go cruising with and hanging out with that you'll have for years, you'll get the cash for a new car, and he'll get a bitchin ride. I'd do it same as anyone else.
So you do a background check on whom ever you sell a car too? You know, just to make sure they can maintain it and all...lol
Just being cautious. His mother and sister live in my town. He grew up here. I don't have a chance with the Possee.
Sell him the car and tell him all it's quirks. You may make a friend out of the deal, and it's good to have cops as friends....quite a few of my best friends are cops and firefighters here in town. My ex GF's father is a sheriff and him and I still have beers every once in a while.
HEADLINE!! Policemen are regular people just like you and me, but spend most of their time, at work, protecting people just like you and me. Sell him the damn car and forget about it. You'll see his smiling face again.
I have several cop buddies. Some I knew before they were cops. The asshole ones, where assholes before they got their badge. They are just people.
We're building a car for a San Francisco cop, right now. He's a pretty cool dude, and knows that it will not be like a "new" car. Sell it, don't look back.
treat him as a normal dude, not a cop. be straight forward and all will be fine. if you dont hide anything, nothing can go wrong
Im a cop myself and when Im not on duty Im human lol. I can tell you a horror story of a cop who was an asshole to a guy who sold him an o/t mustang. Evertime the car had a little hickup he brought it back to the seller also a business owner. The seller felt that he should fix all the thing the pos cop complained about. Dont let that story judge every cop. He would have been a pain in the ass no matter what. However if he was in any other profession would you sell it to him. I say yes sell him the car if its for sell.
What town are you in? Does he live in the same town or just his mom and sister? Did you know him before he was interested in your car? Like everyone else said, be upfront about anything that may be wrong and then sell it if he wants it. Unless he's a real dick I wouldn't think twice.
http://www.diversstreetrods.com/dougschevy/index.php?pagenum=6 Cop... well sherriff, and his rig.....
The fact he is a cop wouldn't be my concern, I would worry more about a non car saavy person buying an older car and thinking it will be as reliable as his 2012 model. All of us who drive older cars know as much as we love them, things break. The problem is that if he has to pay someone to fix every little thing that goes wrong the romance will go away real quick. I have known people who didn't have the first clue about how to open the hood and yet they jump in and buy a classic car because it seems cool. The first time it won't start they are ready to take a bridge. As long as you are upfront with this fact to him, and he understands it is like any used car........(an As Is Sale) you shouldn't worry about him turning into Dirty Harry on you. Don
It's all legal, right? No parts of dubious origin, shady registration, blood stains in the trunk, never paid parking tickets, was used in a local drive by, etc. If it isn't, that's where I think your decision lies.
My dad always taught me to write out a duplicate receipt when selling a car. Explain you want to keep everything straight for both parties, and explain verbally and on the receipt 'sold as seen, with no warranty implied or written'. If they're thinking they'll bring it back if it runs out of gas or something equally lame, this'll make 'em think twice... or look much harder at the car. The day i sold my first car, dad wrote the receipts, we filled out the paperwork, then the guy went off and ran the thing without ever sending off the paperwork to transfer it into his name and collected about 6 parking tickets in less than a week. It was only cause i had the receipt copy i was able to avoid getting screwed over. FWIW
I am a cop and have been for the last 18 years, there are several of us on my dept that have classics, hot rods, muscle cars, or motorcycles. The majority of us want nothing more on our day off than to be a regular guy/girl. Sell him the car, if he wants his 17 year old to share it it with him, he's probably been around a while and is looking to make up for some of the lost time that comes with shift work and overtime. As long as your honest I doubt there will be a problem. Good Luck!!
Can we as a society add any more worry to a regular ol deal? How much more can we overthink things? Just sayin. Now that we got that outta the way, AS IS/WHERE IS. I've sold stuff to "non car people" dozens of times. In one sense, even though it seems harsh, they're adults and have the money. My responsibility is to be 100% honest, charge a fair price and conduct a legal transaction. Once done, "g'bye". Do you want to befriend them? Go that way. Remove yourself and his cop status out of the deal. Is it still something you'd do? In another sense, it's NOT your responsibility to educate ANY buyer on the ins n outs of old car ownership. They know enough already to have a pick and seek it out. After that, cold as it seems, fuck em they're on their own. Who schooled you when you bought your 1st? Did that seller take you under his/her wing and nurture your automotive desires? I'll bet no. Be 100% honest and take the "generous" offer. The alternative is dealing with a bunch of undecided mouthbreathers or lowballers. I'd sell a restoration project to a noob if they wanted and could afford it, but i wouldn't be their 24hr info source after the deal. Not my responsibility. I don't want to seem hateful, but you have a ready buyer in harsh times and a target when your deal is done. He who hesitates...
Cops are just regular people for the most part. I've had many, many, hot rod friends who were cops. I agree, you could end up with a lifetime car buddy through this, and that could pay good dividends in some cases.
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