quote:I suggest doing it in a little different order-I would carry a copy of the title to show the DMV first. Once the DMV has "blessed" the VIN# and how the information on the title looks, then I would complete the purchase.
FWIW, I would never give a copy of the title to a prospective buyer. Too much opportunity for him to to commit some kind of fraud and screw me. Although, I would happily provide the VIN so the buyer could verify it through DMV, CarFax, etc.
So, sequence of events...
- Find vehicle
- Get as much info as possible; pictures, facts, upgrades, history, etc.
- Post to this board and the DeTomaso Mail List to see if another Pantera owner local to the car you're considering can inspect it for you and send you a candid report of his findings, along with a bunch of digital pics.
- Buy a plane ticket to go see the car. A few hundred dollars on a plane ticket is cheap insurance against buying a rust-bucket that needs thousands of dollars of repair work.
- Make offer, agree on price, and arrange shipping (or drive it home).
The 4th and 5th bullets are interchangeable, as you may wish to come to some agreement on a price (good to know if you're in the same ballpark) before committing to buying an airline ticket. A friend of mine found a car 500 miles from his home, had it inspected by a knowledgeable club member, agreed to a price with the seller, made the trip to inspect/purchase the car himself, then drove it home. He looked at several other cars this way and each time brought a cashiers check for several thousand less than the asking price (or agreed price) and the balance in cash. That way he could negotiate down based on what he found when he looked at the car. With every car he looked at he expected a nicer car, based on seller's descriptions, than he actually found so it gave him the opportunity to easily negotiate a more agreeable price.
Anyway, check out my "how to buy" page:
http://www.banzairunnerpantera.com/how_to_buy.htm
Cheers!
Garth