Ever have problems with previous owner.....I did.

[tan top]

So, I got my "turn-key" car from the second owner (nephew of original owner) for 7 grand in 1999. The motor had never been out, cracked original vinyl top, $200 second paint job on the car. In the attic of the garage was 2 truck loads of MOPAR parts that went with it. I sold all that for just over 3 grand on ebay....so I can say "I got the car for less than the original MSRP." I was pretty lucky!

Well, along comes 9/11 and I wind up with a 4 year tour to Italy and stored the car with a friend. As part of my thanks to my buddy I contacted Mopar Collectors Guide and wrote a story how my friend helped me out with pulling the motor, painting and storing the car safely at his place. They said it would be printed so I contacted the previous owner, 3 states away to let him know.....big mistake!

The guy started to tell me how it was nice of him to let the car go cheap back then and now he has been watching the Chargers on Barrett-Jackson and seeing the prices they go for. I told him not to believe in those inflated "complete restoration" prices. He then asked me how I felt about 25 grand for the car, I assumed he wanted to buy it back?

He said I owed him $25,000 more and he was serious. He said I would be hearing from his attorney and to be prepared to give the car back if I did not pay up....that was 2007 and I'm still waiting on that phone call, haha! Sad huh?

damn that guys a nut   

My story with the previous owner a little different..I found this car in his parents front yard under a big ol pine tree with a for sale sign on it "needed a restoration but was a complete unmolested car".  I stop and talked to the owner and he didn't want to sell but was getting married and needed the money.  I knew I was going to buy it but how much was I going to have to give.  "$3400"  I said SOLD!!! So off I went with my dream car.  Anyways 7 or so years went by the car went under a resto.  I happen to be in the area with my car for a graduation and I decided to take the car by the previous owners house and show them what became of their sons car.  I went to the door and a lady answered and before I could tell her who I was she looked over my shoulder and said "Oh my god is that Justins old car" I said yes and she screamed at her husband down stairs to get his ass up here right now.  He came out and he was beside himself...he couldn't believe that his sons car was sitting in his driveway(a car that was sitting under his pine tree for years).  She called her son who still lived in the area.  He raced on over and all he kept saying is "I can't believe it...I can't believe it that was my old car"!!!!  We talked for over an hour had a couple of beers...They kept thanking me for bringing it over....they always wondered what became of the car.  I told them it was my pleasure and that I thought it would be nice to let them know that the car survived and was well treated.  That meant the world to them and they did ask me if I would sell it back to them ..I of course said no that my daughter would be very upset with me if she didn't have her orange car..I could tell he felt sick that he sold it in the first place but was happy that it found a good home.  This encounter turned out to be a great memory I will never forget!!!

good story 

[Blusmbl]

I sold my '68 R/T to a guy in Iowa in October of 2008.  He finished the resto and the car is immaculate now.  I've also tried buying it back...unfortunately my top dollar and his bottom dollar are still about 20k apart, lol.

[khodne]

I sold a '70 Plymouth to a guy.  He keeps the Plymouth for a couple of years and then he sells it.  The guy that bought the Plymouth from a guy I sold it to calls me, three years after I haven't owned the Plymouth, asking me for all my spare '70 Plymouth parts and my pictures from the restoration of the car.  Then he wants me to drive five hours to deliver them.  I told him I'd get back to him.

[472 R/T SE]

  I knew I was going to buy it but how much was I going to have to give.  "$3400"  I said SOLD!!! So off I went with my dream car. 

bookedbydano, what ever happened with that V code '71 Plymouth you found that you promised a bunch of pix of after you got it home?

[472 R/T SE]

My 1st Charger, a '72 was bought local from the original owner's family.  It was basically a survivor.  I spent a crazy amount of time detailing it up for it's 1st judged show.  Put a new set of whitewalls on it.  It took 1st at that show & I immediately stopped by the o o's house.  The lady I bought it from inherited it from her Dad, who bought it new.  I showed her the trophy & she started crying.  She took a bunch of pix of it & away we went.

That car ended up being my daily driver for about 6-7 years.

[tcs69rt]

Yeah, I've had 4 different state titles on this car now since 99. I ain't worried about the previous owner. I only called him from North Dakota to let him know about the article on the Charger, since he's in Nevada. I just did not expect the reaction I got, so I wished him good luck and hung up....maybe he is on some meds now? No biggie. Good stories on here by the way! Thanks.  TC

[Silver R/T]

Maybe I should sue guy who sold me house I live in, it's not worth as much as I'm paying for it. Anyone else wants to join on the class-action lawsuit lol

[oldcarnut]

I bought a one owner 69 Bee from local guy.  He inherited from his father who bought it new and after driving it for awhile parked in the backyard. He was a Jr. so the title was in the same name without the Jr.  Spent the insurance money he recieved on damage to his home from hurricane Hugo on other things so he sold the car to fix up the house. At the time his son was somewhere around 6-8yrs old. I restored it to original front to rear.  Drove it by several years later as he had asked me to do but during the resto time he had passed away. His wife also cried when she saw it. More years pass and I got contacted by a friend of his family that his son wanted to buy the car back that belonged to his grandfather and father.  I offered to do it for the costs/value I had put into it about 9G at the time but they got upset because he wanted me to give the car back for the same $800 I bought it for many years before.  He had some more family friends try to put a sentimental guilt trip on me and act like I was the bad guy. Somebody else ended up buying the car later.

[polywideblock]

Who is on first base, not  2nd

whats on second

[Bob T]

Who is on first base, not  2nd

whats on second

Rainman

[68RT440]

Jeez, what a nut job. That would be like dodge calling everyone that had a Charger and being like, um yea, I know that we sold these cars new for like $3K, but weve seen a few episodes of BJ, so were gonna need about $30K for the difference..thanks!

[Old Moparz]

I would have to have known the previous owner fairly well if I were to ever consider contacting them. The reason is, I'd be more concerned about finding out that someone had forged, stole, swindled or whatever & that there was some loop hole allowing them to get the car back after I spent a small fortune on it.

Only one car, my '71 Scamp, did I ever mention to the son of the previous owner that I still had it. This was about 3 years ago & I found out his Dad passed away back in the mid 90's. I bought the car from him in 1988 with 42,000 original miles on it. He was the second owner at the time & refused to sell it to his niece who was going to drive it in New York City every day. He told me the car would be ruined in no time & didn't want that to happen. His son graduated high school a year before me & I had known him from the neighborhood. Funny thing is, he never knew about the car & said his Dad was a Ford guy & wouldn't have owned a Plymouth. 

I bought a one owner 69 Bee from local guy.  He inherited from his father who bought it new and after driving it for awhile parked in the backyard. He was a Jr. so the title was in the same name without the Jr.  Spent the insurance money he recieved on damage to his home from hurricane Hugo on other things so he sold the car to fix up the house. At the time his son was somewhere around 6-8yrs old. I restored it to original front to rear.  Drove it by several years later as he had asked me to do but during the resto time he had passed away. His wife also cried when she saw it. More years pass and I got contacted by a friend of his family that his son wanted to buy the car back that belonged to his grandfather and father.  I offered to do it for the costs/value I had put into it about 9G at the time but they got upset because he wanted me to give the car back for the same $800 I bought it for many years before.  He had some more family friends try to put a sentimental guilt trip on me and act like I was the bad guy. Somebody else ended up buying the car later.

Dave, that car would have been flipped in a heartbeat for a lot more money & no remorse what so ever.   

[HeavyFuel]

Sometimes it's best to let sleeping dogs lay.

My car was a 'sold' car, and was ordered plain gold, stripe delete, white walls......basically a sleeper (it's an R/T).

I have the original card in the owners manual that says who the orginal owner was.  I did some research on the guy, and he hasn't changed his deceptive habits.  He's in prison now for workers comp fraud, among other things.

I won't be contacting him to show off the car when it's done......and I'm glad that now my car is far from being a sleeper.

[fc7_plumcrazy]

I sold a '70 Plymouth to a guy.  He keeps the Plymouth for a couple of years and then he sells it.  The guy that bought the Plymouth from a guy I sold it to calls me, three years after I haven't owned the Plymouth, asking me for all my spare '70 Plymouth parts and my pictures from the restoration of the car.  Then he wants me to drive five hours to deliver them.  I told him I'd get back to him.

That is all fine. As long as he pays you enough for everything

Carsten