October 3, 2005
Hi Glenn...
I've wanted an automatic 1800e for several years now and back in late August I bought one, from eBay for $7000.
I asked the usual questions to the seller and confident enough about the car (who claims it was her daily driver for two years), I did a "Buy it Now" on Aug 21. I also paid $620 to have it transported from North Carolina to Philadelphia. The car arrived Sept 2nd, and needed the brakes bled and repair to a broken emergency brake, as much as I knew.
I drove it to work one day and everyone loved it.
Taking it for Pennsylvania inspection, in order to pass, it also needed a master cylinder, rear brakes, rear support straps, and fuel filter. They also told me it had some rust underneath and would not pass inspection till that was fixed. $670 in additional repairs out of my pocket already.
While the car sat in the shop for two weeks awaiting parts, I bought new floor mats, new gaskets and rubber molding, new lug wrench, touchup paints and more and worked on the car when I had it home, and read up on 1800s and the clubs 'cause I was happy to, at long last, own the car.
When I finally had the chance to get the rust estimated, that same morning the shift rod broke off in my hand at its base as I pulled into the shop. Overnight the car began to leak transmission fluid. The body shop called the car a death trap and gave me a price of $5000 just to start work on it.
I've contacted the seller Thursday and they still haven't gotten back to me. Ebay tells me I filed a complaint too late as I'm only allowed 30 days to do so. I didn't know the rust was so bad until a week after the car came out of the inspection shop.
This is such a mess and being a single parent who just blew his entire savings on the car of his dreams only to have it turn to a nightmare, I'm pretty upset.
How this car was ever a daily driver for the seller I'll never know, and how it ever passed inspection in North Carolina - how is it possible???
I'd really like to hear from you if you have any suggestions to my plight. Thanks Glenn,
Steve
Philadelphia, PA
Steve - Seems to me you have two choices: Commit to a lengthy project or sell the car at a loss. The automatic is rare, and a buyer who can do rust repair himself might not see that as a big problem.
If you keep the car, you should take it to a couple more shops to get estimates. If they really used the phrase "death trap," I would worry that they are simply trying to scare you. Especially if they want $5,000 to "get started." Rust is common in North Carolina, and rust repair is expensive, but I like dealing with facts, such as exactly which parts need to be replaced and what it will cost to finish the job, not start it. Tell them to put the car on a lift and show you what they are talking about. No doubt they can show you metal that is rusted through in places. Jot down part names and descriptions, take photos, tell them you need to think about it, take the car to another shop until you find one you trust and you know what they are talking about.
If you want to keep a classic car, you will need to have bags of money lying around unused or you will need to learn to work on it yourself. The additional repairs that you mentioned are common examples, and could be completed for the price of parts if you have some skill and a good set of tools. You also need a good workshop manual, such as the Haynes "Volvo 120,130 Series &1800 Sports" available at Amazon.com.
Get in touch with your local VSA (http://www.vsa.org) and VCOA (http://www.vcoa.org) chapters. There are lots of members around Philly. Call a few and ask them where to get honest rust repair estimates. Ask them if they can help you do specific tasks on the car. You'd be surprised what club members can offer, especially if you offer to help with their projects. Everyone needs a hand pulling an engine or a rear axle at some point. And if you decide to sell the car, club members can spread the word. There are additional resources on the Internet, including the 1800 List: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/1800list
A classic car is an ongoing relationship. You can't really expect to plunk down $7,000 and just change the filters and pads every now and then like you would on a 5-year-old Toyota. I'm not saying that the seller is blameless, but it is quite possible to drive a car daily without knowing that it has frame rust or that the shift lever will break. Different states have different inspection requirements, not to mention different individual inspectors.
You are in a tough situation. Sit down, have a beer, or whatever calming ritual you employ, and re-think the whole thing. I hope you can work it out to your satisfaction. -Glenn.
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