Car restoration nuts - I have a question and need advice!

[riderinthestorm]

My husband's 68 VW Beetle has been sitting in the garage for more than 25 years with a blown head gasket. We're moving and he's clearly NOT going to be getting around to restoring it so I posted it on craigslist.

I am flooded, flooded! with email responses which is cool but nobody wants the car - they just want the title.

What the fuck is that all about? It sounds really fishy. Since there are at least 10 people who are theoretically coming to "see" it today, I was really hoping to get some feedback quick. No matter what, I think they should take the car AND the title right?

[opiate69]

1. That's strange..

although, maybe they're just focusing on the title since many, many older VWs don't have titles for one reason or another? Having a clear title will definitely increase the selling price of the car. How much are you asking for it, if I may ask?

[riderinthestorm]

4. I do have a clear title

I asked $500. For that much, I've the title, a 1500 engine that is sitting on the floor that my husband was going to put into the car (the old engine is still in the car now), a 1968 VW repair manual, and the key. It was re-painted 6 months before it blew the gasket so it actually looks pretty good.

Basically I was thinking of it for parts really. I mean, it's in pretty good condition but the floor pans ARE rusty and the passenger door hinges are rusty and need replacing.

[opiate69]

6. $500 is a steal.. I can see why you got so many responses..

I've never heard of any scams before where people just take old titles, but as in any transaction, be careful. I would think you'll have this car out of your hair today at that price. Here's another great place to post it though, if the craigslist people all flake on you.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/cat.php?id=3

[flvegan]

2. Did Beetle's of that era not have VINs?

Seems a title to a car with a valid VIN would be worthless combined with a car with a differing VIN. Hell, sell them the title, but tell them they have to take the car too.

[opiate69]

3. Oh yeah, they have VINs..

being a recently converted VW enthusiast, I can tell you the 3 main questions about used 'Dubs are "Are the pans in good shape?" "Do you have the title?" and "Are the rocker panels rusted?" I suspect it may just be that these people are wanting to make sure she actually has the title. (Although, since I haven't read any of the emails she's received, this is just speculation based on our experience buying and selling 'Dubs)

[riderinthestorm]

5. Thanks for the response. I mentioned in the ad that I had the title

so that's why it seems weird that now the only thing people seem to want is the title. It DOES have a VIN, you're right.

I actually put in the ad that the floor pans are rusty, and the door hinges on the passenger side are rusty and need replacing - heh - you DO know your Beetles! :hi:

[opiate69]

7. No problem! We just recently picked up a 72 Squareback, and hooked up with the local VW clubs..

really cool community. Here's me and our new ride getting ready for a VW cruise to the XXX Root Beer drive-in. Fun times.

[opiate69]

8. so... any updates?

[riderinthestorm]

9. Sold! I just got back on to give an update and you've already bumped the thread.

Sold it to the third guy who came by this afternoon. The first guy who came over just wanted the title - so weird, the second guy wanted the engine only and the title, the 3rd guy gave me cash for everything immediately and is coming back to pick it up tomorrow already! Wow!

Thanks so much for your advice about selling just the title. I've been busy shoving more old shit out of the garage all day and posting it up on craigslist so I've only just got back on.

[opiate69]

10. Awesome! That guy got a great deal, and you got a bit of cash and a bunch of room in your garage..

win, win!

:toast:

[riderinthestorm]

11. Of course your car looks fantastic!

I'm a bit embarassed at how dusty and crappy the car looks in the pics I took of it this morning. Ah well, I guess they were good enough to get the job done. It rained today and so by this afternoon it looked a hell of a lot better than it did this morning when we finally got the tires (re)inflated and pushed it out.

I think I got the scooter sold too - the car and the scooter were my "big" (ha!) money items that I needed to sell. Of course, I was shameless in telling everyone that I was open to any offer. My husband had to go to work so he didn't hear that part - he's such a deal maker (packrat - cough) he never lets anything go without haggling first. Not me - nuh uh, I give this stuff away when I can. He's the one who made me put a price on the VW in the first place. I would have given that away if it were me.

Anyway, he was/is really attached to the car so I was glad I got full price for that. This has distracted him enough that I haven't told him/he hasn't asked yet how much I'm letting the scooter go for.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

12. The people who want the title probably are importinga Mexican bug illegally. see link>>>

http://people.westminstercollege.edu/staff/bknorr/html/future.htm

[harmonicon]

14. yeah, that's what I immediately thought of

I've heard of people doing that, not to scam buyers, but to make their otherwise illegal car seem to be legal. Several years ago, my brother and I were thinking of importing a VW bus from Latin America, but couldn't find a legal way to do it, and didn't want to try to go the fake title route (sticklers for the law and all - well, he's a lawyer, so he better be).

[riderinthestorm]

15. Eek! The guy who bought it was Mexican.

And at least 50% of the people inquiring had Latino names.

I actually had a conversation with the guy who bought the car (title?!) about where he was from (Durango) and several prominent families with whom we were jointly acquainted (I have a farm and several Mexican employees and I have a passing ability with Spanish which is how we conversed.)

I just don't want to be in trouble with the law somewhere down the line. The guy did come and haul the car away so I'm hoping I'm clear.... Now I'm feeling a bit weirded out.

I knew it sounded weird.

[jmowreader]

13. Bugs have titles and VINs--what they DON'T have is head gaskets!

If you get the sudden loss of compression that blown head gaskets on lesser cars give you, all you need do is drop the engine, retorque the head studs and put it back in.

[riderinthestorm]

16. I am not a car expert. I just put out the info on craigslist as I got it from my husband

It's quite possible he also doesn't know shit about it. Obviously he never got around to fixing the damn car in 25 years of it sitting around the garage. And 25 years later, speaking even charitably as his wife, I'm not sure he accurately remembers what the hell was/is wrong with the car in the first place. AFAIK, it stopped working, he got a diagnosis (right or wrong), he decided he would fix it himself, shoved it into the garage and then I showed up in his life a few months later and he never got back to it - heh! :evilgrin:

I know that one of the guys who initially came for the car actually pulled out the dipstick on the engine still in the beetle, and laughed when it came out indicating full. He didn't explain his evil chuckle but it's quite possible it was because the car just needed new spark plugs or some simple fix.

We are definitely NOT mechanics in this family. And clearly now, we (he) never will learn the intricacies of it all. I just don't want to be facing some kind of trouble in the future.