I got a phone call from a prospective client this week looking for a pre-purchase inspection on a 1968 Mustang Fastback being sold by a dealer. One interesting aspect was that the caller was a lady and her husband was in the background.

To get the ground rules clear on what they wanted, I asked them all the questions that I would ask if I was the prospective buyer. Was the price realistic for the model and year? Was there a Marti report? Was there any history of previous ownership and restoration? Does the car have its original power train? What was it that they wanted from me in the way of a pre-purchase inspection?

I always explain that we do no mechanical inspection of the vehicle of any type. Mechanical components are normally cheap to repair, but poor body work is very expensive to restore and can undermine the integrity of the vehicle. This questionnaire that I normally go through with every person who wants a pre-purchase inspection usually narrows down their field of concern, and is also likely to take them back to the drawing board if they don’t have a clear idea of the vehicle that they want to buy.

A pre-purchase inspection is a great investment when the outlay on the vehicle is many thousands of dollars and the buyer needs a set of clear eyes to give them a professional perspective on it.

LIPSTICK ON A PIG
Avoiding Life’s Lemons

Lipstick on a Pig features excerpts from the vast library of Maurice Bramhall’s experiences.

FOR SALE: 1988 Bentley 8

More information on the listing page.

*** Attend Drive Festival this weekend (September 10-12, 2021)

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, 3233 Concession Rd. 10, Bowmanville, ON

More details can be found in the Bramhall Car Show Listing

FOR SALE: 1937 Rolls-Royce Sedanca

More information on the listing page.

I’m currently working on an island in the Pacific Ocean but the car I’m selling is stored in Vaughan.

I had a client very interested in a Mustang Boss 302 that’s being sold on the Internet and which is currently stored in Washington State. The seller was working out of the country and had arranged for the storer to collect the funds of the sale. The so-called seller had also arranged to steal the identity of a university professor as being the seller.

When we went online to check on the professor and her status, she existed and had a wonderful bio. The problem was that she didn’t own the car and there was a complicated arrangement where you had a limited time to see the car and hand over the money before you lost it for good.

The price wasn’t outstanding but it was a desirable model and had a good history. Obviously, we advised our client not to take the bait. This scheme wasn’t as outlandish as the tow truck driver in Texas who had found an Aston Martin in someone’s backyard and who said we could buy it if we sent $500.00 for him to secure the car, but it was convincing enough that a well educated professional would want to hire us to check the deal out.
 

LIPSTICK ON A PIG
Avoiding Life’s Lemons

Lipstick on a Pig features excerpts from the vast library of Maurice Bramhall’s experiences.