Technical Question about long distance purchase

I found what I believe is a pretty good deal. 1938 ford truck in California , original runs , has some rust on door bottoms , all else is solid with title . Asking $8000.00 says will neg on price. It is an individual selling so I was wondering how to go about doing a deal from across the country. I have seen some info on escrow companies and will check into that . Otherwise I would probably have to wire funds or send a cashiers check then hope he is honest which I have no reason to believe otherwise at this point. Also gotta arrange shipping which I am sure will be expensive possibly $1200.00 to $1500.00 ? Anyway I have eyes on a couple of trucks that are better or somewhat better. One is in Conway SC , priced at $17,200.00 , older resto , with fiberglass fenders ( shared a pic on another thread) and one in in Georgia that is really fine , with older lacquer paint but about the cleanest truck you will find at this age priced at around $18,000.00 . The cali truck is kinda what I had in mind when I decided to get a truck. I want to do some things like a later flathead ( 49 merc) different trans and rear but sorts like the old natural patina. The Conway truck looks flashy in pic , red color is nice , has original drive train , paint is probably a 6 out of ten being it is old and a few blemishes. The Ga truck shines up nice and I would have no problem keeping it the same for a while before a repaint, has orig drive train as well and is really solid. The thing is to get the cali truck is a lot more risky and the cost would probably be at or near $10,000.00 with cost orf truck, shipping and possible escrow unless he takes $7000.00 and I can get shipped for $1200.00 which is probably unlikely. . The other trucks are a bit further along in their condition and within a 3 to 4 hour drive for me and looking at around a 7 to 8 grand difference between the m and the cali truck I am thinking they both seem reasonable. personally, the Ga truck could be a 22 to 25 grand truck with a week or two of dressing up and so forth , who knows.

 

All I can say is that I bought 2 vehicles long distance from only pictures, sight unseen otherwise....had them shipped to me, and I regretted both of them. Photos and descriptions, no matter how honest a person is, never tell the whole story. What they may think is minor might be a deal breaker to you.

 

Try to find someone to look at the truck for you, but even then, you still have the issues of transportation, payment, and that it's still not your eyes looking at it.

So.....road trip!

have fun. I only buy stuff that I can go look at before forking over cash. I don't always get the best car, but I generally don't lose a whole bunch of money at once....

 

fly out, look at it and bring it back.
Or have someone you trust go look at and give you an honest opinion.

Keep looking for you’re right truck. There should be plenty in your area as well.
Why buy and pay for stuff that you’ll change out unless it’s plain old stupid not to buy it because it’s the deal you want.

 

I almost bought a sight unseen car once. I thought for the price I couldn't get hurt too bad. Came to my senses and went to see it. What a POS. It would have been a huge mistake. The owner lied like a rug. Said it had brand new paint but neglected to tell me they painted over dents and rust. When I got to the owners place the car was in the garage. Had it been outside I would have kept on going.

 

Offer to pay a hamber in that area of California to check it out for you, and as I recall you live in Leeaville, again a Saturday or Sunday drive to Georgia to personally look and drive the pickup in person instead of a phone call may make a difference.

I have been on the receiving end of a long distance purchase of a off topic car and from what the seller told me and the photographs it was not the car described, I will never buy another car without seeing it in person.

If you can swing it the Georgia truck appears to be much nicer than the one in Conway and with anything body work is expensive unless you are capable of doing it, buy the best one you can afford. HRP

 

Thanks, really interested in the Ga truck. see pics I loaded, black one is the Ga truck , I have 57 pics and cannot see any rot rust anywhere. The Conway SC truck is the red one , paint looks good but close up in pics I see several blemishes and it has fiberglass fenders which is not a big prob,is what it is . The first pic is the Cali truck , about 10 grand less than others but as you can see there is a reason, still a nice old truck and If I lived within a couple hundred miles, I would be there , those west coast vehicles are usually really solid. I've decided to go to Ga and see the black truck.

 

I would pass on the CA truck. You already said it's the most risky. Buying without seeing it in person is a HUGE GAMBLE and probably will be a mistake you'll regret. The black and red trucks look to be your best bet. Buy the one that's in the best condition that you can afford. You'll save $$$ in the long run.
Funny, I remember when 38 's were called "ugly ducklings" because of their grille. You couldn't give them away!
Good luck with your purchase and project.

 

California is a big place. long too.

 

Consider that by the time you pay for, ship and modify or rebuild the Cali truck that you might possibly have more in it than the other two which might be on the road this weekend..

 

My wife used to say that about me...

 

Well, Ga truck has no title gotta find out what I gotta have as far as paper work

 

I would Check it out with the GA. DMV to make sure it isn't
Stolen!

Just my 3.5 cents

Live Learn & Die a Fool

 

I sold a sight unseen modified '39 Chevy truck from Calif to East Coast - buyer was thrilled - but, glitch with payment being sent to me for a short while I had the truck, title & payment - so be very careful how you handle this - plus, just because you find a "cheap shipper" does not mean that it is a good deal

 

Go look or have someone look at it. Just had Squirrel look at a car for me-glad I did. Saved me a flight.

 

Is the Georgia truck owned by a company that sells cars?, if so make it part of the deal that they acquire a title, Georgia DMV can issue a title and that is a must in South Carolina. HRP

 

Went to S C DMV, said with a GA Bill of Sale and a current registration they could issue a title. If the reg is expired, a bill of sale along with a letter from Ga DMV stating Ga was last state where vehicle was reg and bill of sale would get me a title in SC. IF all else fails, a bill of sale , along with a bunch of pics and a trip the DMV office for an inspection would work if the ser# , bill of sale were in proper order. So either way, this is doable. The seller which is a dealer in GA said if needed they could get truck reg in Ga themselves and with that I would have a current reg and bill of sale and that would work . Their price is 18,000.00 . The add was confusing, think they dropped the ball a bit , Original add I saw a few weeks ago said , 18,000.00 as is , that was with rear fenders not installed or painted,I( the previous owner was finishing up and died) radiator out, grille off, floor in cab removed master cyl needed replacing, truck not running, needed wiring along with new coil. Then I saw an add with price at 19,500.00 but pics showed all this work had not been done. Now an ad shows again for $18,000.00 and all this done, ( see pic) they painted rear fenders which are steel and strait ( thought they might have been fiberglass) new, master cylinder, rad flushed installed., grille, installed, floor installed rewired and truck is running . I asked and he said was suppose to be $19,500.00 but will sell for ad price of $18,000.00

 

Yes, and they said they would do exactly what you said if needed.

 

That is what I was thinking.

 

Hello,
I am glad you are looking at the alternatives. You were so down on being "original steel vs fiberglass fenders" on your first choice. The cost is relative. If it is time and more money to spend is your goal, then get the California car. That will give you all of the original stuff you want and it will give you a makeover vehicle to your tastes. But, look at the cost of shipping, insurance, time, extra costs and who is to say that is better for you in the long run?

Hot rods/trucks and any other car has to be taken into consideration when it is a few thousand dollars difference for a fairly local hot rod or a less expensive one from far away. Some do, some don't... that is your decision. Look at the minimal cost that gives you a running driveable truck now. Then plan out your changes as you go along and make time for the tear down. It is always fun to build, but if you have something you can drive and enjoy first, then the ideas for improvement will come to you as you cruise to your heart's delight.

Jnaki
Our 1940 Willys Coupe build was a lot of fun. It took awhile getting all of the parts, the tear down, the build up, and everything else that goes with a first time build, including mistakes. But, in the mean time, we had driveable cars that satisfied the hot rod urge. When the Willys was somewhat finished, we had a dual purpose hot rod/drag race car.

At this moment in time, the "fairly local" hot rod trucks seemed to be a better deal for your tastes. Don't worry about spending a little more, you will be getting a little more enjoyment for the cost and time. But as the old saying goes... Your Results May Vary...

My wife is the money manager in our household. But, if there is something we would think about buying elsewhere, we would spend the time and money to enjoy a short vacation to go see the item. (property, houses, hot rods, boats, etc.) Time is just as important as money.

 

Back in the early eighties, I responded to an ad in Hemmings Motor News. I asked all the right questions. Was assured that I would be happy. Hooked up the trailer and left Chicago headed to Hoisington, Kansas. I get there and upon first glance I see that the entire back of cab is smashed in. I was gone in five minutes. Fortunately, I found a perfect 1967 chevy shortbed on my way back. Nowadays, with camera phones and other devices, that should never happen.
Get lots of pics and videos of it running. Take nothing for granted. Always best to have someone lay eyes on it.

 

The Cali truck is not a bad deal if you live close but as you said , by the time I ship and soforth , I would be into it for around 10 grand and then to get truck comparable to what I believe this black truck is, would easly eat up time and money. I am willing to bet ( from pics) that this truck ( black Ga truck) is much cleaner that the Conway SC truck. I saw 57 pics of about every angle , under over, in , out , talked to guy just a while ago, asked if he saw any cab corner work or door bottom work, said no . This truck seems a perfect examole of an older repaint , with some rear fender replacement or rework ( said had to go up in barn loft to get rear fenders) yeah, a real barn find. I see no rot anywhere , saw a bit oil leakage under truck which is typical . Yeah the fiberglass fender thing is somewhat a deciding factor. I can get this truck for $800.00 more which to me is a no brainer. Fiberglass is acceptable but I will gladly pay the difference . Also in my opinion an 80 year old truck with solid, strait fenders tells a story that this truck was taken care of , or could be that some extensive body work was done to make these fenders solid and strait again but just from the pics , I can see all sorts of nooks and crannys that are clean and rust free and see no evidence of major repairs. will find out in the AM

 

I bought my car unseen - other side of the atlantic - but I had it inspected by AIM. Cost me 175$ but I got a detailed inspection report with many pictures taken (of the bad spots) by an inspector on site. I’d recommend you do the same.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

PICTURES?????
Every Phone has a movie camera on it now, that the seller can sweep the entire truck and you can have them pinpoint certain areas, If the seller is un-willing to do that for a sale---- PASS

 

As already stated, seeing it person is the obvious choice and second being to have it checked out by a friend or service. That said, I have bought a few cars on the Hamb sight unseen and both were delivered as described. That's one of the best of many benefits of this site. If the money isn't burning a hole in your pocket keep looking through the classified ads here or stay local. What ever way you go, I wish you good luck with your purchase.

 

I had $3800 wrapped up in my '59 Ford I bought (sight unseen...) in 2014, shipping included. I figured at worst I could part it out and get most of my $$ back. It turned out to be rust-free and in good overall condition. So I did okay. The seller deals in vintage Ford parts and I talked with his dad as well. They said it was the best '59 Ford body they had seen in 20 years.

So you roll the dice, $8000 isn't that much if the truck is in good shape. I have been horse trading cars and parts for over 40 years and there were no red flags in my deal. Of course I did pour $20k more into the project. There must be someone here you can have look at it for you. Place a new thread and see what happens.

 

Do not buy a car unseen or not inspected. I did one time and it was a huge mistake. The description and pictures did not mention the hole in the radiator, the brakes that were not even good enough to be bad, and on and on.

Have a H.A.M.B. member or Alliance member check it out. Of course, pay for his knowledge and services. Transportation is easy, take a trailer and a vacation or get recommendations, Like Bill's on this site

 

Actually, for us really old farts, thats not true. I still have a land line phone and a pre paid flip phone which only my kids have the number to. A lot of us older guys have not gotten caught up in that smart phone fever some of you subscribe to.

 

I bought a Corvette out of Texas I was lucky the owner was honest and the car was in showroom condition and I drove it home to New Jersey. I don't think I would do it again without an appraiser or somebody I trust to look at the car