Finding a good one may take some time but it will be worth waiting until the right car comes along
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Just viewed an Alpine...is it worth the asking price?
- Thread starter Nick Farrow
- Start date
mikephillips
Donation Time
Some folks think that work done 20 years ago qualifies as restored, some think replacement with used parts is rebuilt, so are just outright crooks. Don't know which on this car fits into but unless you really want to do a complete restoration it's best to look elsewhere for what you really want.
Nick Farrow
Donation Time
OMG I am getting tired now! Looked at another Alpine yesterday - a 1960 Series I. I had to travel 220 miles to see it, which took the best part of 5 hours to get there (and 6 hours back) and a huge cost in train tickets/petrol. This car was described as fully restored having had £6000 spent on it in 2002 including a strip down to shell and full respray. The asking price was £5000, which is well under my budget. I thought it sounded too good to be true....and it was!
The salesman hands me the keys and leaves me to it, so the first thing I do is climb inside. Just like in the other cars I've seen, the interior had seen much better days, with the carpet and seats being very tired. I put the key in the ignition...engine turns over, but no starting! What is it with people trying to sell cars for this sort of money that won't even start!!!! Ok, so first impression is not good. I move on to the outside. It has obviously been resprayed, but the quality is terrible. The paint is flat and covered with 'orange peel'. I 'assume the position' and look at the underneath. Boy, I wish I hadn't. It's had welding done.....lot's and lots of welding done, but it's not good quality. They've literally plated over the top of everything and they've obviously never heard of an angle grinder. Everything has then been cover liberally with underseal, no doubt to hide what's underneath. At this point I'm starting to feel a little pi**ed off, but I continue looking the thing over anyway. Checking under the bonnet, everything seems to be there, but the engine bay has obviously been painted with a brush! After 15 minutes I've seen all I need to see, so I go back in the office to give the guy the keys and get the hell out of there. He says 'What did you think; lovely car isn't it?' Somehow I manage to hold my tongue and say that it just isn't quite right for me. He says he's had loads of interest and a classic car dealer has offered him £4500 for it. Finding it difficult to hold in my laughter at this point, I say my farewells and leg it! 10 hours travelling, £80 travelling expenses for 20 minutes looking over a £5K restoration project! Great!!
I'm really getting fed up of going to see cars that are resto projects for sale for outrageous amounts. For God's sake, there must be some decent Alpines out there somewhere!
The salesman hands me the keys and leaves me to it, so the first thing I do is climb inside. Just like in the other cars I've seen, the interior had seen much better days, with the carpet and seats being very tired. I put the key in the ignition...engine turns over, but no starting! What is it with people trying to sell cars for this sort of money that won't even start!!!! Ok, so first impression is not good. I move on to the outside. It has obviously been resprayed, but the quality is terrible. The paint is flat and covered with 'orange peel'. I 'assume the position' and look at the underneath. Boy, I wish I hadn't. It's had welding done.....lot's and lots of welding done, but it's not good quality. They've literally plated over the top of everything and they've obviously never heard of an angle grinder. Everything has then been cover liberally with underseal, no doubt to hide what's underneath. At this point I'm starting to feel a little pi**ed off, but I continue looking the thing over anyway. Checking under the bonnet, everything seems to be there, but the engine bay has obviously been painted with a brush! After 15 minutes I've seen all I need to see, so I go back in the office to give the guy the keys and get the hell out of there. He says 'What did you think; lovely car isn't it?' Somehow I manage to hold my tongue and say that it just isn't quite right for me. He says he's had loads of interest and a classic car dealer has offered him £4500 for it. Finding it difficult to hold in my laughter at this point, I say my farewells and leg it! 10 hours travelling, £80 travelling expenses for 20 minutes looking over a £5K restoration project! Great!!
I'm really getting fed up of going to see cars that are resto projects for sale for outrageous amounts. For God's sake, there must be some decent Alpines out there somewhere!
Pumpkin
Donation Time
Lot queens
Nick, There are several ways of getting back at sales people like this. I don't hold any thing back and I know it some times,, well most time embarasses my wife if I find a dealer sales person that is miss qualified and a rip off company that will not tell the truth.
I won't be quite and hold back I am saddend by your lack of just beating the living crap out of the sales guy. OR at least letting him and his manager know that the car was the worse piece of junk you have ever traveled to see for that distance. I think I would have at loeast ask for some compensation for travel.
Do wish you lived close to us here in the old US of A. I know shipping is a plug in the dam ,,,But there are a lot of decent priced ones out there. Just a stiff upper lip.
Nick, There are several ways of getting back at sales people like this. I don't hold any thing back and I know it some times,, well most time embarasses my wife if I find a dealer sales person that is miss qualified and a rip off company that will not tell the truth.
I won't be quite and hold back I am saddend by your lack of just beating the living crap out of the sales guy.
OR at least letting him and his manager know that the car was the worse piece of junk you have ever traveled to see for that distance. I think I would have at loeast ask for some compensation for travel.Do wish you lived close to us here in the old US of A. I know shipping is a plug in the dam ,,,But there are a lot of decent priced ones out there. Just a stiff upper lip.
You may want to see it a list member is close enough to look at the car to see if it is worth travelling.
I too have seen this problem travelling miles to see car that is totally inaccuratly described.
I too have seen this problem travelling miles to see car that is totally inaccuratly described.
Nick Farrow
Donation Time
Nick, There are several ways of getting back at sales people like this. I don't hold any thing back and I know it some times,, well most time embarasses my wife if I find a dealer sales person that is miss qualified and a rip off company that will not tell the truth.
I won't be quite and hold back I am saddend by your lack of just beating the living crap out of the sales guy.
Do wish you lived close to us here in the old US of A. I know shipping is a plug in the dam ,,,But there are a lot of decent priced ones out there. Just a stiff upper lip.
Im afraid I'm quite restrained and don't often speak my mind!
The whole idea of importing a car from the US is potentially good, especially at the moment with the exchange rate so good, but there's no way I have the time or money to come over and view cars and although I'm sure there would be guys willing to look at cars for me and give me a verdict, I just don't think I could buy a car without seing it in the flesh myself. I'm into aircooled VWs as well (I have a 1962 Bug) and I know it's really popular amongst the VW crowd to import US cars, especially the rot-free Californian cars. THe whole LHD issue doesn't really bother me either, nor does the import duties etc. It's just the idea of buying blind! But, if the whole lack of availibility thing in the UK keeps up, I may have to go down that route.....