Need Advice: Buying a car on a lean sale with no keys...

Okay guys, here is the story I got. On a car for sale on craigslist it says it is a lien sale, looks like the car is in a tow yard. The ad says, "dont know if it starts" kinda a weird thing to put in an ad but why not call and ask right? well the car was towed by the city and now is sitting in this tow yard, the reason the guy doesnt know if it will start or not is because he does not have a set of keys for it, since he was just told to tow it.He does say tho that he has all the paper work for a lean sale.

The car is a 1959 pontiac bonneville and it is for relatively cheap.

So, do you take the risk and buy it or do you hold off?
and can you buy key assembly and have a set of keys made??

I figured when it comes to the doors i could just shave the door handles and what not to get around that but as far as the engine goes to start i wasnt so sure...

inputs please!

 

i would say if the guy is a legit tow yard im sure the paperwork would be fine and legit. if the deal is good enough i would snatch it up. maybe bring 10 feet of wire.put power to the distributor and to the starter and try to fire it. worry about the keys later.

 

keys/ignition should not be a big problem.... a good title may be a problem. with a lien sale do you get all the official paperwork to become the legal owner?

if you want to hear it run first it shouldn't be too hard to jump a couple wires

 

Hot battery, wire from battery positive to positive side of coil, screwdriver shorted between solenoid battery cable and switch terminal, warm it up and drive it away.

Bob

 

An option for the locks would be to contact a local locksmith. He/she may be able to rekey it and cut working keys for it (I know my brother does that for a local classics car company from time to time.)

As far has hearing it run, are you looking for something you can get in and drive or are you looking for a project? You may be lucky and the engine is good and it is a driver (after you thoroughly check it out mechanically.) If you are looking for a project, a running engine won't matter.

 

Depends what year it is but I had a 65 Mustang stolen years ago, the thief popped the ignition switch out and started it with a screwdriver in the ign switch hole.

I recovered it and used a screwdriver from then on.....

 

I lien sale stuff all the time. You gotta do a vin verification so make sure that matches whats already on the paper work. He probably got to that point and stopped. He should have what looks like a registration print out with his name or tow yards name on it with all the cars info and a thing stateing what is needed to get the title, with all the filled out lien sale forms. Maybe even a red temp tag. I got all that stuff here, just need to do the vin verification.

 

Check with your state DMV or whoever the state authority that handles motor vehicles, titles, registration and such. I know here in lovely Connecticut, when a tow yard, garage, etc. wants to auction a vehicle for back fees, they can only publish the date and time of the auction, the vehicle's VIN number and maybe the make of the vehicle. If it is sold, the title is issued to the winning bidder and it is legally theirs.

 

If you become the legal owner upon buying it good deal. Its a 50 year old car, if the price is very good and you can figure on rebuild, if it don't need it you got a hellofadeal . That is a huge car. you want a whale in your garage? It's the size of 2 cars. Nice car but not a cute car. Paint job is like 2 cars. A lock smith can reproduce the key set. Most are on the spot workers. Good Luck

 

A '59 Bonney ??? Buy it !!!

 

most tow yards have a set time - our great city of Dallas can and does sell them after 30 days or so - like he said if he has paperwork - nice if it includes tow in date and the address he was towed from - should be all up and up as tow yards can legally sale after so long....most cars just go to the junk yards though....Bonnie's are a little on the rare side....

 

a set of GM master keys will get the key issue squared away in short order.

there aren't that many different keys used. I bet a locksmith could get you squared away, but it might cost a bit

 

Yep, only 50 master keys to go through so it should only take a few minutes, but you'll have to do it twice... door and ignition.

Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app

 

A 59 should use the same key for everything.

 

I think more investigation is in order...can others vouch for the tow guy? Getting titles can be a real bend in the tail pipe and an additional cost. never a sure thing. Think about it.

 

I would buy it if it was cheap enough (take a chance but not much of a chance). Did something similar with a 49 Chrysler with no keys recently. Hot wired it, got it running, when I was satisfied it was worth saving, took out the door lock (easier than the ignition lock) and took it to a lock smith. He made a key for $25 which was good, the other guy wanted $65.

So, take out the door lock if it is the same key as the ignition. Later I planned to take out the trunk lock and get it keyed but sold the car instead.

 

Alligator clips are your friend. Run wire and start wire nothing difficult. Fire that mother up! Good luck.

 

Dont know if it works for that year but I know that GM put the key code on the pass door lock so pop it out and the key guy can cut a key from that code if some one has not changed some of the locks at some time.

 

Make sure the paperwork is good and.... ever heard of a locksmith? A good one can make you some keys to work in the original locks and ignition.

 

Got any pictures? I love 59's!!

 

Be sure you know if owner can reclaim car. I know in a tax sale in certain states the owner has X days to pay back amount and reclaim car. Know whether you own it outright with out recourse if you buy it

{Damn look at all dem big ass words}

 

Both door locks should have key code as will the glove box and deck lock

 

I see the ad - the seller's saying Bonneville from the grille emblem but the small taillights peg it as a Catalina; doesn't look too bad for the price even for a four-door sedan. Good luck!

 

You can get a new switch and door locks with keys from the adds in Hemmings motor news..got a set for my t/bird for $20 plus $4 shipping

 

I have bought hundreds of California lien sale vehicles. Simple process. Tow yard probably uses a lien service. Match the V.I.N. to the paperwork and your golden. Tow yard isn't going to compromise their contract over a few dollars. Key codes on both door locks match the ignition if it hasn't been changed. Glove box lock has a code that is good for the trunk, assuming nothing has been replaced.

 

I would think the tow yard would be in big trouble if they were selling vehicles without the paperwork in order for the buyer.

Blue

 

Catalina had much shorter taillights (they make a neat custom item for the '58 Chevy Bel Air/Biscayne; my neighbor did it to his). There are other trim differences; see the dealer brochure:
http://www.oldcarbrochures.org/index.php/NA/Pontiac/1959-Pontiac/1959_Pontiac_Prestige_Brochure

 

I ran a tow yard for 10 years, lien sales are common and the title shouldn't be a problem as long as he's a legit buisness.
We always sold the cars "as is, where is" but the price always reflected that, tow yards just need them gone asap to have the room for the next round of impounds. Real bargins can be had at tow yards.

 

A tow yard lien sale packet is like a title at the DMV. Easy in and out. You will still be liable for back fees on the car, if any, unless the previous owner had it on non op.

 

Any good Locksmith will come to your place and make keys for it, that is no problem.

I don't know about the lein sale but I bought a old camaro one very fine saturday night with no keys or paperwork. I had a trooper friend run the vin to see if it was hot, came back clean. I bought it really cheep, the seller didn't get his legs broken by the big guy that was holding him, I got a great car at a fantastic price ! Everyone was a winner!

Laz,