Whoa Dana...get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning? Re-read the
first and most important part of my message "Trust your gut when you get
there..." Obviously, you did this when you first met this person and, as
you state later, he is now your friend.
It also sounds like your friend has an in-depth knowledge of Triumphs, an
extensive and well-ordered garage and is most likely very enthusiastic
about the hobby. If this is the case, I doubt very seriously that your
friend would speak to Mark Creamer in the manner his prospective seller
spoke to him. Even if you never met your friend, he would probably come
across on the phone as knowledgeable and enthusiastic..helping a
prospective buyer feel at ease.
In Mark's instance, the seller's attitude raised alarm bells. I can assure
you that I have looked at a lot more "misdescribed" old cars than correctly
described cars, so I stand by my generalizations because they keep me from
wasting time. In my case, I am fortunate enough to have the technical
knowledge to quickly diagnosis a prospective purchase and the
old-car-buying experience base gained by looking at many cars over the
years. It is safer and more helpful to Mark to suppose his technical
skills and buying experience are novice level, hence my sharing of a few
general rules which in all probability will help him avoid a costly error
(and an error that may sour the hobby for him). The seller may just be
weird and it's a great car, but Mark should be fully prepared to leave a
bad car behind immediately. If in doubt, leave!
At 10:36 AM 7/21/00 -0700, you wrote:
>William wrote:
><Mark:
><Trust your gut when you get there and are able to meet the seller. If his
><house and garage are a mess, the car is dirty and he has no maintenance
><records, leave immediately. If he's super-anal about cleanliness and you
><could eat off his garage floor, then I'd stay to look over the car.
>
>I must take offense at that generalization. I do my own work on my TR6 at
>one of my best friends place. This guy I would and actually do trust
>implicitly with my TR6 and any other car I own. He has almost every tool
>imaginable to work on our beloved cars. He has worked on them for many,
>many years. He has offered timeless, invaluable advice to many of you on
>the Triumph list. I stay in lurk mode mostly, but he is out there offering
>to help any and all.
>
>At any rate, his garage definitely won't win an award for the cleanest or
>neatest, but his tools are clean, and in order and I can find anything I
>need, even if I need to fabricate a part. His yard is not particularly
>"handsome." His car, until recently, he called "cosmetically challenged"
>and it was! His theory is that if it looks good and is broken down on the
>highway, what good is it. OTH, if it runs forever, reliably (I know, they
>are LBC's <g>), yet is not the prettiest car in the world, well you get the
>picture.
>
>If I had followed your advice my car wouldn't be in the shape it is now, I
>wouldn't have a best friend, and I'd be much poorer.
>
>Now, I do agree, you must be careful. I didn't know when I met this guy
>what he'd turn out to be. Since I wasn't buying a car from him it wasn't
>that critical. So, yes, caution is warranted, especially in light of the
>conversation that has taken place already. But before I walk out because he
>doesn't have records, the garage isn't neat, etc. I'm going to have an
>extended conversation with the guy, look over the car with a "fine-tooth
>comb", take someone else with me for support and a 2nd opinion, then decide.
>You're right, there are plenty of TR6's out there.
>
>Sorry about the soap box. Back to lurk.
>
>Dana Scott
>'73 TR6 CF9690UO
>Daily Driver
>Temple City, CA
>
William Whitmoyer
69 TR6
90 BMW iX
91 CRX Si
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