Longest you have traveled to see a "dud"
Discussion
100 miles.
Asked the seller prior to viewing, does the car have any excessive smoke out of the exhaust, he says no.
View the car... while running with the oil cap off smoke is bellowing out of the engine. Check the tailpipe soot/oil is coming out alongside smoke.
Either pistons/valve stem seals/turbo knackered. Didn't even bother test driving the car.
Has anyone had a similar experience.
Asked the seller prior to viewing, does the car have any excessive smoke out of the exhaust, he says no.
View the car... while running with the oil cap off smoke is bellowing out of the engine. Check the tailpipe soot/oil is coming out alongside smoke.
Either pistons/valve stem seals/turbo knackered. Didn't even bother test driving the car.
Has anyone had a similar experience.
Around 120 miles to look at a MG ZT V8 a few years ago at a supposed specialist dealer. The car was mint, apparently, when asked the question over the phone if there was any damage or anything I wouldn’t like about it.
The dealer’s definition of “mint” was one bearing obvious accident damage, a lovely collection of dings & scratches, patchy service history and a worn interior.
Apparently my expectations were “too high”
The dealer’s definition of “mint” was one bearing obvious accident damage, a lovely collection of dings & scratches, patchy service history and a worn interior.
Apparently my expectations were “too high”
I once nearly bought a Mk5 GTI - I travelled around 160 mile round trip and when viewed I didn't even bother driving it, it was advertised on an Enthusiast site. Pictures looked good. Clearly they were either old or heavily re-touched.
Heavy scratches all over the paint. Very rattly engine. Poor service history.
He did mention on the advert "excellent condition inside and out". He hadn't even bothered to hoover the car , and it was covered in hay/straw.
Usually I am more cautious but the poster was a member on a site who had a high post count and I had noticed was very active so I assumed him to be trust worthy, at my own detriment.
He didn't even seem shocked and told me "a couple of people have viewed the car but no-one wanted it"... Gee, I wonder why
What a waste of time. I ended up sticking with the Audi A4 I had at the time for another few months until the 320D came along.
Heavy scratches all over the paint. Very rattly engine. Poor service history.
He did mention on the advert "excellent condition inside and out". He hadn't even bothered to hoover the car , and it was covered in hay/straw.
Usually I am more cautious but the poster was a member on a site who had a high post count and I had noticed was very active so I assumed him to be trust worthy, at my own detriment.
He didn't even seem shocked and told me "a couple of people have viewed the car but no-one wanted it"... Gee, I wonder why
What a waste of time. I ended up sticking with the Audi A4 I had at the time for another few months until the 320D came along.
200 miles to ‘buy’ a 996 Targa.
Described by the dealer as Mint, FSH, running perfectly.
FSH, apart from a 5 year/30k mile gap with no evidence of servicing. Mint, apart from scratched panels. Running perfectly, apart from signs of burning oil accompanying the sound of piston slap suggesting that the bores were scored to &£?!.
Had only bought a one-way train ticket...
Described by the dealer as Mint, FSH, running perfectly.
FSH, apart from a 5 year/30k mile gap with no evidence of servicing. Mint, apart from scratched panels. Running perfectly, apart from signs of burning oil accompanying the sound of piston slap suggesting that the bores were scored to &£?!.
Had only bought a one-way train ticket...
200 miles to look at a Boxster in Yorkshire. Immaculate the advert said. The dealer promised the earth but delivered up a lemon. The car looked like it had been polished with a Brillo pad, blue smoke from the exhaust and the interior was torn to shreds. I like a fixer-upper but only if it’s from a half decent starting point. This was a no from me.
Drove an hour to see a “mint” SL500 at a dealer in Cardiff. Guy I arranged to meet wasn’t there. Boot was full of water and both rear foot wells were damp. Scratches all over. Service history not as stated. When I pointed all this out the salesman lost his s
t and said he wouldn’t sell to me 
t and said he wouldn’t sell to me Edited by 2 GKC on Saturday 10th April 07:54
186 miles Surrey to deepest darkest Devon to look at......... an E36 318iS lol. To this day im not sure what I was thinking, it looked great in the pictures and hell red was my favourite BMW colour, in my defence I went on my R6 so the ride their and back was epic so it wasn't a wasted day, fairly sure I wanted a day out on the bike....
Richtea1970 said:
These stories are why I now have a strict 50 mile radius for cars/bike. Nobody minds a few issues with a vehicle if they are described accurately but some peoples definitions of 'excellent, full and clean' are a million miles away from mine
Yup me too these days and I tend just to buy common run of the mill cars rather than travelling across the country to look at stheaps, furthest for me was Windermere to Bristol to look at a 200SX described as 'mint' it was anything but, I also did Windermere to Lincoln to look at a 540i, it looked great buy the gearbox was knackered.125 miles each way to look at a 205 GTi rally car when they were still quite a new car. (92/3 maybe) seller had described it as a typical rally car, few marks but lots of high spec bits. It was parked outside his garage so we looked at it straight away on arrival. Everything looked knackered; been rolled and badly repaired, poorly prepared in the first place, discs and pads (proper group A ones) all worn out, seats ripped, filthy inside and out. Rusty on brakes, suspension etc as though it hadn't been used for a while. Didn't go any further as it was locked and couldn't be bothered to go and speak the seller, went home
I expect if the internet had been in common use then the seller would have been posting on PH about idiot buyers not turning up.
I expect if the internet had been in common use then the seller would have been posting on PH about idiot buyers not turning up.
Thread variant: You make the trip, the car is rubbish, but you still persuade yourself to buy it. I have done that twice - with a very bad early Series 1 XJ6, and a very bad Lotus Europa Twin Cam. I am getting better at not doing that - walked away last year from a bad Volvo 145 and a bad Alfasud.
Drove a couple of hours to a Citroen Main Dealer years ago to see a full dealer approved, split mint, low miles one owner car, top money, all the bells and whistles. Only a couple of years old. Exact spec my partner had been searching for.
Arrived at pre arranged time, another sales person had sent someone else out on a test drive. Already angry. Hung around.
Car returned back with other viewer driving. As it pulled onto forecourt I genuinely asked the sales man if he was taking the piss.
4 ruined wheels (chinese tyres too, obv). About 8 different shades of blue paintwork. Wrong exhaust fitted with chrome trim missing. Interior completely ruined, all door trims marked and scratched. Etc etc. A complete pup.
"we will prep it for sale after you pay a deposit"
I was furious.
Bought one a week later from a small private garage, cheaper, beautiful condition, beautifully looked after, way better than described or as it appeared in the photos.
Arrived at pre arranged time, another sales person had sent someone else out on a test drive. Already angry. Hung around.
Car returned back with other viewer driving. As it pulled onto forecourt I genuinely asked the sales man if he was taking the piss.
4 ruined wheels (chinese tyres too, obv). About 8 different shades of blue paintwork. Wrong exhaust fitted with chrome trim missing. Interior completely ruined, all door trims marked and scratched. Etc etc. A complete pup.
"we will prep it for sale after you pay a deposit"
I was furious.
Bought one a week later from a small private garage, cheaper, beautiful condition, beautifully looked after, way better than described or as it appeared in the photos.
160 mile round trip to look at an EP3 Type R. Pictures looked great, seller answered all my questions etc. First thing I checked was oil and it was completely empty so it was a nope. Alloys were kerbed to death too. I still took it for a test drive and razzed it as never driven an EP3 Type R before. The guy asked me to pull into Asda and he bought so budget oil and asked me if I could help him top it up at the petrol station.
It’s always so difficult to walk away as someone has already mentioned because you don’t want to feel you’ve wasted all your time and effort getting there!
I only travel up to 50 miles now and that’s only if I really want it.
It’s always so difficult to walk away as someone has already mentioned because you don’t want to feel you’ve wasted all your time and effort getting there!
I only travel up to 50 miles now and that’s only if I really want it.
Edited by Prohibiting on Saturday 10th April 09:17
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