This is has always been bugging me so I decided to post in LS1tech.com to see everyone's opinion and if there is anything I can do about it besides just biting my lip and forget it about it but I JUST CAN'T!

Last month I started looking for a car because It's been six months that I have been without car due parting out my TOYOTA SUPRA. My friend(who totaled his Z06 Supercharged) introduced me to GTO. Before I never heard of these but I have seen these here and there on some occassions. So i decided to look into it for a minute and I got hooked into it because of looks, 2 door that fits four six footers, performance and price.

So after weeks of searching I found one locally(literally down the street from my house) light green/bluish color 04 6spd with 50k for $9000. The catch was it was salvaged at the time and you can see exactly where it was hit (The dealer was in the process of fixing up the car back to manufacturer specs). I took the car for a quick test drive and I liked the way the car pulled for being stock...

Couple weeks later (while i had that car in mind) I stumbled across a 04 IMP GTO 6SPD with 48k miles on it and already had the 05/06 hood, dual catback Borla exhaust, tinted windows and K&N filter for $12,983 on craigslist/MICHIGAN. Nonetheless the car didn't matter where it was located since I didn't mind the road trip coming back. I was like wow not bad at all, called the seller seemed like a nice older guy told me the minor problems which was a small cracked windshield and brakes(he replaced the rotors according to him). So I thought to myself, I know its more than the local dealer but It is not wrecked(according to seller), has upgrades that I would have done to the local Salvaged GTO, same mileage and much better color in my opinion.....

Now at the time I was running into trouble with getting rides since both my G/F and MOM's car started to have problems and both had to go into the shop. I knew I could not keep this up any longer and my 4 day weekend vacation was coming up soon so i decided to purchase a cheap ticket to Detroit,MI to pick up my car.

As soon as we arrived in MI the seller picked us up and we started heading to WELLS FARGO to close the deal. His son later pulls up in the Blue GTO and I had a smile in my face when i first saw her.. Verified the small cracked windshield, interior great condition, tires seem ok (at the time.. i was just too excited), saw the dual exhaust, everything was just the like pictures he sent me. So after 4 hours of waiting to close the deal, the seller had to head off to the doctor's since he sprained both of his ankles during the last week??

After everything was said and done (using his license plate# BADGTO1)I had to stop by the gas station cause they left the gas tank on empty i had 10miles left!!! Here is where everything starts.........After filling up the tank I tried to put the gas cap back on and it would not turn and click after five times. I had to just leave there sitting on top the gas cap holder... At the time since this was my first GTO i thought there was something special I had to do in order for it to seal properly. So i was like no big deal let me call the seller he should know.... seller tells me "OH DUDE i forgot to tell YA, you need to replace it its only seven dollars or so, I meant to do it but i forgot"... It just bothered me a little because it made me wondered what else did he "FORGOT TO MENTION"??

After I arrived back home I stopped by the wells fargo to show the Agent who helped me with loan, he too own a Supra previously so he was into cars like i was. He saw the car, liked it but then he inspected it very closely and pointed something out that no one wants to hear..... HAS THIS BEEN REPAINTED LIKE ITS BEEN WRECKED???

He showed the left side of the car and told me he can see the "orange peel" effect near the fender. I mean you really had to look hard in order to tell but you can see it. This worried and pissed me off at the same time. I went home wrote down the VIN# and pulled up the carfax........ AND TO MY SURPRISE IT HAD BEEN SALVAGED DUE TO HITTING A FIRE HYDRANT IN NEW YORK BACK IN 05. THE TITLE HAS BEEN REBUILT! Now I remember the gentleman never stating this in his craigslist AD, so he sold me the car assuming it was a clean title!! NOW THIS IS WHERE I BEGAN TO BECOME NIT PICKY FOR EVERYTHING BECAUSE ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER OCCURRED AFTER FINDING OUT IT WAS REBUILT TITLE! After close look tires had only 10-15% tread left, it drizzled a bit one day and the road was a little wet but the car hydroplaned at 25MPH during stopping and turning??! The brakes were extremely sloppy, I can't even park the car in my driveway because with the emergency brake on the car rolls backwards(the driveway is not even 20 degrees slanted), (after doing suspension research) rear cradle was way out of alignment due to the rear tires being shifted off to right, front struts, rear shocks and springs need replacement. For the front struts when you take the tool and turn the bolt around the strut mount you should feel resistance/push back, with mine they didn't they just kept turning and turning. Saggy springs(I know its common) but it shouldn't be to the point where you can't have 4 people sitting in the car without rubbing issues, passenger backside seat cover fell off while i was driving one day and OH YEA ITS TITLE REBUILT???

I called the seller with these great news and the seller sounded SHOCKED , that all this time he had the car he never knew it was rebuilt title/wrecked. He felt extremely bad, mentioned I AM NOT GOING ANYWHERE, I am 50 year old guy, and Blah Blah BLAH..... So we agreed(according to him) to work out a difference for the actual value of the car.. and I was not going to require for him to pay the full difference up front.

So after I returned some CDs that he forgot to take out the car and his BADGTO1 plate that he has been begging for so long... I emailed him the explanation and the amount of the difference which I felt, and many others such as GM mechanics, was fair of $9,900. So its been a week with no response and A phone call from today with no answer but left a message.... Strange and it really pisses me off....

SO HERE IS THE QUESTION AFTER SO LONG.... IS THE SELLER REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE IT HAS A REBUILT TITLE? IF YES, IS IT AGAINST THE LAW NOT TO???(one of my friends told me this was); ON THE TITLE ITSELF WOULD IT MENTIONED IT IS BEEN REBUILT? IS MY ASKING PRICE SINCE IT HAS BEEN WRECKED SALVAGED AND REBUILT WITH ALL REPAIRS IT CURRENTLY NEEDS TO BE ON PAR, FAIR?? WHAT WOULD YOU GUYS DO IN THIS SITUATION? JUST SAY F*** IT, AND MOVE ON?

 

i would not let this slide. I dontknow for sure, but if the ad didnt mention the car being wrecked\salvaged and he sold it to you without disclosing that, then yes i would say u have a legal leg to stand on.

personally, i wouldnt try to "work it out" with him. I would return the car and get my money back. Who knows what other problems are going to arise.

 

He is required to tell you. The title should be a "salvage title". Return the car for a full refund!

 

a big thing also would be if the ad said sold as is if it did theres really nothiing that can be done but if not theres always court.

 

Did you sign a bill of sale? or have any documentation of the condition that the seller stated the car was in? Usually on a bill of sales, the seller has to write in whats been done to the car and whats wrong with it. If the title you have doesn't say the car has a rebuilt title, then its time to get the seller into some legal trouble

 

The bill of sale nor the AD states it had a rebuilt title.. Now according to the seller when i sent him the AUTOCHECK he was as shocked as I was. He said he brought the car from a dealer back in 07 and never really had any problems with nor has HE been in a wreck with the GTO. I'm trying not to escalate this into a huge problem with the seller if we agree to the terms, but if it has too it probably will.

 

It didn't mention as is or anything.. Just mentioned it had some minor mechanical failures. I called him and asked him about the car and he said they were front rotors which he supposedly replaced at the time and that's it. I asked him if it was involved in an accident but he said no at the time. But I'm going to keep the car and restore with little by little with pedders suspension and what not. Just hope we agree to the terms before it gets ugly.

 

most loan companies will not give you a loan on a salvaged title , atleast here they wont , id want my money back , or refund a large amount

gas cap GM will replace there was a bulletin on them , so just a little time and stop at a dealer

 

Not doing your homework FTL...

Good luck, man.

 

Yes he has to have you sign a form in ohio and ky saying you know the car has a rebuilt title. THAT is the LAW. I assume every state has that law.

 

I'm kinda torn on this. Buying a car with out a carfax or something similiar is kind of risky business, but it was pretty shady to never mention it to you. If the previous owner bought the car from a dealer I would think the dealer would have to tell them, and every dealer I have ever been to has always provided a carfax report right off the bat. The dealer would have to know the title condition, and I don't think they would hide that from the buyer because the reprocussions I would think would be pretty severe.

 

hmm. if i were you, i would look into whether or not the guy you bought it from was mislead by the dealership he got it from. If so, both of you should bring the dealer to court.

the possible outcomes of you investigating this are...
1. The dealership lied to him and didnt tell him it was wrecked. He was honest with you.
2. The dealership told him it was wrecked, and he lied to you.
3. the car was clean from the dealership, and he wrecked it. then he lied to you

 

The only way You will win is if, the add did not say AS-IS. if it says that he didnt need to disclose the information. If it does say AS-IS, this will be your problem for not asking questions up front. That comes straight from my wife, who is in her 5th year of schooling for being a lawyer. PM me if you need some better advice.

 

This is the link to the AD. http://detroit.craigslist.org/cto/847526844.html
It does not state AS-IS... I will be talking to him tomorrow regarding this. Because if he bought from the dealer and he was never aware of this than the dealer lied to him. What bugs me is if seller actually saw the title?? Wouldn't this be mentioned on the title??

 

You have a court case. Sounds like a POS, and I wouldn't even want it...you should be able to get out of the deal and return the car to the original owner somehow and get whatever money you've put into it back..... and the 04 back home was a much better deal/color since it sounds like the ultra rare barbados blue color which is the rarest color GTO ever made and everyone lusts after.

 

MY IBM is the best color the GTO ever came in, and dont you forget it mister!

 

since its a private sale i doubt legally you have a leg to stand on, if it was a dealership you could bring it right back and they would be in a **** load of trouble for not telling you. laws may be different were you are or were you bought the car but around here, once the bill of sale is signed during a private party transaction its your baby. next time at least carfax and make sure to physically see the title before you buy it. the title should say REBUILT in huge letters on it. your asking price is somewhat fair but i doubt youll ever hear back from this guy. id figure 60-70% of actual value as thats what insurance goes by. i personally would try to make him take it back, and wash your hands of the whole thing, or insure it and have a little "fire"
sucks it happened to you man, and hope it works out for you in the end

 

first off he shouldnt have a little "fire" because its already salvage there fore its worth 2 the insurance company. u do actually have a leg 2 stand on but if it sais as is ur screwed. even if he insists he didnt know then he will get away. my guess is he just new it happend after he wrecked it and knows his laws so was looking 4 someone 2 burn. get insurance records 2 see who reported it wrecked and all that stuff if u catch him in a lie especially in court hes toast.

 

around here all private party sales are as is, its implied by law and unless for whatever reason the person writes up a warranty, it's as is were is. several other states work the same way so its possible that its as is. i mentioned to check out his local laws to verify how it is for him. i was kidding about the fire dude, didnt notice the ? thats a horrible idea as like you mentioned he'll get roughly 60-70% of actual cash value for the car. OP, hope you get it worked out

 

I'd be leary of any price that low. Why didn't you Carfax up front?