Actually it was one E-Type and a TR3A. But yes, both buyers were the strong silent type.
In the case of the Triumph it went to Argentina. A bit of bureaucracy getting there but the buyer was well organized and had a good stateside agent to help with the transport and details. I signed a lot of papers that were in Spanish… I wonder what they said? Just to be on the safe side I will avoid travelling to Buenos Aires for awhile.
My 3 went back to the homeland!
Welcome to the J-L Forum Brownie, it was good talking with you !
The 3.8 FHC was interesting to watch, and a good example of both the good and bad of BaT.
BaT itself frequently states that comments from the “peanut gallery” are one of its integral features. And although I agree with Tom, someone buying a car on BaT may very well use the comments as part of their due diligence.
Note in the 1961 roadster that closed yesterday, a commenter posted disparaging remarks about the restoration company having botched his car, thereby projecting that we shouldn’t trust the company’s work on the subject car. Restorations can be contracted to different levels of quality, so IMO this remark should be taken with a grain of salt. Others chimed in and verified the reputation of the company. It can be assumed a successful PPI was performed, as bidders were prolific and the result was strong.
Its a nice world when a buyer and seller are fair and honest with each other. I like to think people conduct themselves that way but experience has proved it doesn’t happen all the time. If I saw a car being offered for sale and I knew it was not as represented I would say something. I hope someone else would do the same.
BUT I think buyer beware is needed to be in your mind when buying a used anything.
Recently I purchased my first car from a BAT Auction. Price was low for this type of classic. So I took a chance. But I did get on a plane for $168.00 round trip (unbelievable) and inspected the car. I stood to lose $1000.00 to BAT if I walked away but that’s a lot better than making a BIG mistake. This was my plan when I bid.
The result is a really good condition classic that needs some TLC but will clean up nice for a very reasonable price.
There are dishonest people. But even among honest people, there are vastly different opinions of condition among those people. The terms refreshed, renewed, restored, rebuilt, barn find, etc. are al defined by the user. One person can look at the condition of a 50 year old car that is in great shape for its age and say it is great. The next compares that same car to a new car and says it is fair. And then, of course, what is original? Is an original OTS supposed to have an original soft top?
Etc.
Tom
Greetings from Maine, David. Somehow, it appears that my phone (couldn’t have been me) erased or misplaced your phone number. It’s been a busy time in our house–am glad the new year is here. Found time to sign in to the forum, but have not posted particulars of my car. It was on XK data when I first looked at it last spring.
The JDHT certificate for my car (8/24/95) was issued to owners in Pennsylvania, and I cannot find any “living” record for them on the internet. The original owner’s name is on the certificate, from Princeton, NJ. I have some detective work to do! I’ll learn this forum, and look forward to participating.
Happy new year!
Brownie
Brownie, just sent you a text via cell.
Words to post on any car collector’s wall.
Someone posted on BAT that they have the car that matches the Heritage certificate for the one being sold.
I do not quite know what to say but this car listed is not the real 10078.
I have in my garage the e type roadster that the heritage certificate is describing. I have the original data plate, body stamp, engine, and transmission that are listed on the heritage certificate. I have a California title with the vin number 10078.
If you look at the photos from the previous listing of this car on BAT July 2019 and look at photo #149 you will see that there is no VIN stamp on the frame in the usual location. If you look at photo #230 of the data plate, the body number, engine number and gearbox number do not match. I am sorry to break the news to the seller but this car is not 10078.
Is this a stolen vehicle or just an honest mistake?
The car listed should have many late 3.8 OTS features also, which it doesn’t. Yes, some things could have been changed over the years, but there is at least one structural difference.
Man - sure wish the current owner had ground truthed the serial number issue prior to dumping all the restoration funds into it since 2019 - makes me sick to my stomach.
I think the only real fix is a state issued vin, but obviously that will haunt its value forever.
Lose / lose for everyone on an otherwise very nice car.
I have never had to obtain a JHCA - both my cars came with them and had original matching data plates and body stampings. Can someone please explain what is required to obtain one? Depending on what is required what is its value other than to tell when a particular car was made and dispatched?
The Seller seems to suggest that all he needed was a reproduction data plate which makes no sense since anyone can stamp any numbers they want on it.
I’m having a hard time figuring out the details with the XKEData info on the car. Are both “competing” (for numbers) cars listed on the site, or did this BaT car lose its original engine along the way - appears so when reading the old Ebay adverts.
One interesting note, the Ebay ad states: “Comlete VIN on the car is J651E10078”, so a DMV could easily have two, numbers competing cars unknowingly registered, if one has the “J65” prefix on the title.
The J65 indicates a prefix added by the state to a 1965 car registered in California.
The 1E10078 indicates a 4.2 OTS model.
…But there shouldn’t be two if them!
The dealer/flipper of this car on BaT isn’t helping himself in the auction. It appears he’s trying to turn an unidentifiable bitsa into an authentic car by replicating the data plate to match the Heritage Certificate, which he says “everybody does.” Sounds slimy to me.
This is the poster child of potential problems with undocumented restorations.
Yeah, I spit up in my mouth when I read that.
Have to agree this time Tom! Anxious to see how it turns out, but we may not find that out either if it just gets pulled out of the auction!
I don’t have my Certificate in front of me, but I never recalled it having “originally” before the body, gearbox and engine numbers. Was the certificate doctored?
Larry, someone will probably jump in but I think that is a standard term they use under certain circumstances, that are rare, but legitimate.