willrz Posted February 9, 2012 Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 Need some ideas on how to purchase when the car is not "in my back yard". I know that when purchasing a boat long distance I can go to an nationally recognized surveyor and start with a sanity check and take it from there - how about for cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug_GT350 Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 If you find one you like there are people on here that may go look at it for ya and help you out.... we're family! Once you decide a certified check can be sent and then the car shipped to you, or you can fly out and drive it back. I hope some others will chime in to help on that.... I see this is your first post.... welcome to the site and make sure you register your SGT..... wher in the Northeast are ya from? oh and by the way, you MUST post pictures of your ride!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S8MS-01904 Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 Done many times. Best to have "bank check" drafted from your account in an amount close to purchase price (usually -10%). Carry that 10% in cash for last minute haggling. I've either flown out to see vehicle or driven out and same goes for getting the new vehicle home, drive or ship. Now if doing financing, best to take to the bank / credit union first. Good luck..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Fest Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 Watch on financing. If you take out a loan and get a cashiers check in the person's name, some banks will not take them back. When I flew out to see the car and decided it was a for sure thing I went to the local branch to finalize paperwork. Make sure you know exactly what each state requires for buying the car ie. notory etc. Always best to have too much information. It is easy to get caught up in the moment and forget something. Make a check list of things to look at and forms needed. I really struggled with buying a car not in my back yard. I chose to fly out and kick the tires and then had it shipped back. That was another thing I struggled with, but after the great service from Gran Turismo, I would do it again. The owner I purchased from was so unbelievably nice. He knew it was a big deal for me to fly halfway across the country to do this and was very patient with me. Buying a car out of state was an awesome experience for me. The only thing I would change is I would make sure my wife joined me on the adventure. That was my regret, she couldn't make the trip. Really cool feeling when you're on the plane and you realize you are flying somewhere to by your dream car. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobjshelbys Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 The decision tree is different if it is new or used. New: Start by calling the internet or fleet guy. Tell him you want a quote on a specific car configuration, and rattle it off. Tell him/her you want to order one that way, but might consider something close and tell him to email you with the configs and prices. He knows your shopping (that's why he's the fleet guy). Used: The most important thing is a pre-purchase inspection. It's hard to finalize price unless you get one. For specialized cars (like Cobras, Ferrari and Ford GT, mine) there are lots of people that do PPIs for travel plus a fee. For cars like the GT500 it's a little harder to find someone to travel so you can ask for local people to help - ask someone if they will go look at it for you. For a paid inspector there are lots of clues they look at for undisclosed damage, it will be harder for a local to do that unless it's someone with lots of car repair experience. I've looked a few cars but claim to do no more than take a few pictures and verify the VIN # (in the standard 3 places) - at least that verifies it's real, but nothing about the quality. Bottom line is that quality of a used car is difficult to verify remotely, and even then, without a paid professional. There is an additonal caveat on buying a legacy car. if you are buying a, for example, a real GT500, then you really do need a lot of verification of the history of the car, verification of the "matching numbers" claims, etc. For Shelby products, the SAAC registry can't be beat. There is a "relaxation clause": If you're buying used, get some good pictures and can trust the source, then go for it. My FGT came from a person who would be well known to a lot of people, even on this forum, and his reputation made it a reliable purchase. Even the guy who was queued to do the PPI said he wouldn't bother. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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