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buying a car from a popular eBayer

Started by Cooke, April 03, 2014, 08:05:27 PM

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Cooke

I am looking at an Eldorado on eBay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cadillac-Eldorado-Coupe-Simply-stunning-1978-Cadillac-Eldorado-Biarritz-Triple-Yellow-like-new-17ks-/111317100696?forcerrptr=true&hash=item19eb042898&item=111317100696&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

I spoke with Dan from Lakeland, FL who has LOTS of cars on eBay, mostly low mileage Caddys and Lincoln from what I have seen (thats all I look for). Has anyone ever bought anything from him?? Any feedback would help, also anyone near Lakeland FL who could look at this. My concern is the body, if its not dead straight down the sides I don't want it. You can't tell from pictures, ask me how I know :-[  Thanks, Marty



Dave Shepherd

Same advice I give everyone, don't buy a car online without you or a qualified person looking it over first.

Dan LeBlanc

I remember looking at either a 61/62 that he had represented as "all original."  There's not much you can pass under my nose on those cars having owned 5 of them so far with a 19,000mi original example sitting in my garage right now.  Within 30 seconds of looking at the photos, I could find a couple dozen authenticity errors on a car that was "all original."

Dan LeBlanc
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car

C.R. Patton II



Hello Marty

I don't know the seller.  Don't skimp on any automobile purchase ESPECIALLY from a distance.  Call AAG to do a professional appraisal for you.  I did and it was money WELL SPENT AND INVESTED.
All good men own a Cadillac but great gentlemen drive a LaSalle. That is the consequence of success.

48-62

Hi Martin,
Have good experience, eventually.  Inspection is a must.  Sent you a PM

76eldo

#5
His cars sometimes are sold, but relisted right away. To me that might mean when people go to see the cars that the bought, they back away.

The ebay listings look detailed and all greased up full of Armorall.

Hopefully the car you are looking for is a good one but I was looking at an El
Camino he had and it sold for a big number the other day and its already relisted.

An inspection might be a good thing or fly down and see for yourself.

Brian
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado

R Schroeder

#6
His cars are all doctored up.
Just look at the carpeting on the one you posted.
Low mileage and the carpet in the front is that dirty and worn. Also look at the carpet in the trunk, near the pull down latch. Rust on trunk lid. He paints the bottom of all his cars, and sprays up the engine area. DOCTORED UP BIG TIME.
I have 24,000 miles on my car, and you could eat off my carpets.
Walk away.
Roy

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

35-709

Marvin Friedman.  Is this Luvdg with a new eBay handle?  If so, my advice is --- DO NOT, under any circumstances, buy a car from this person, not even a new car off the dealer's showroom floor.  Luvdg has been cussed and discussed here many times over the years.  He seemed to have disappeared but apparently is still around with a new eBay handle.
My opinion.   
1935 Cadillac Sedan resto-mod "Big Red"
1973 Cadillac Caribou - Sold - but still in the family
1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon resto-mod - Sold
1942 Cadillac 6269 - Sold
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible - Sold
1950 Packard 2dr. Club Sedan
1935 Glenn Pray - Auburn Boattail Speedster, Gen. 2

R Schroeder

Gentleman ?
Eric, your being way to kind today...............ha
This guy runs under at least 3 different names on Ebay.
Stay away from all 3.............ha
Roy

35-709

Right!  And he is not a "popular" eBayer in the normal sense of the word.
1935 Cadillac Sedan resto-mod "Big Red"
1973 Cadillac Caribou - Sold - but still in the family
1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon resto-mod - Sold
1942 Cadillac 6269 - Sold
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible - Sold
1950 Packard 2dr. Club Sedan
1935 Glenn Pray - Auburn Boattail Speedster, Gen. 2

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621

#11
For entertainment, I just had a peek at the pictures and noticed the following:

Original blue rocker covers have been replaced with aftermarket chrome covers.

Rust on bottom corner of driver's door has been painted over with yellow paint. (Picture of driver's door panel with door open)

Rust visible near trunk weather stripping - driver side, near corner. (Picture with trunk open, looking to left)

Aftermarket wing nut on air cleaner.

Aftermarket radio.

Aftermarket fog lamps.

From where I stand, this car is no virgin queen.

A Cadillac Motorcar is a Possession for which there is no Acceptable Substitute

Dan LeBlanc

More food for thought for everyone else out there:

http://www.yelp.ca/biz/lash-auto-sales-lakeland-2

I see from one of your other posts that you bought a 68 Eldo from a fellow CLC member.  Good move!

That's how I bought my 61 Fleetwood and I couldn't be happier.  Hopefully I'll see the previous owner at this year's GN and he can see the difference the spit and polish I have put into the car has made.
Dan LeBlanc
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car

76eldo

Dan,

About what I thought.

You can smell the Armoral, cherry air freshener, and BS right on the computer screen when you look at his listings.

Brian
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado

Dan LeBlanc

My experience has been that the truly spectacular examples of original cars (as he makes this one out to be) very rarely come to public market such as this. There are usually buyers who know of such examples and are willing to purchase. That's why they never hit the market.

It usually goes down like this - two people enter a room, one with cash and the other with keys and registration. A swap takes place in this room. Both emerge to never discuss what happened in the room.
Dan LeBlanc
1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car

Cooke

thanks for all the replies, I did notice the carpets and the trunk area rust but thought it could be the lighting or some adhesive not rust. After speaking with him I am staying far away thanks for all stories,yikes.

I did end up buying a 68 Eldo from Jim Beard, sight unseen but Jim seems to be a real good guy and club member so I have no worries. He also had lots of pictures of the rough spots and explained the whole car really well. I am looking forward to the 16 hour drive home, I will keep you posted.  Marty

Chris Conklin

Quote from: 76eldo on April 04, 2014, 12:29:19 PM
You can smell the Armoral, cherry air freshener, and BS right on the computer screen when you look at his listings.
Hey! You're giving BS a bad name!!  ;D
Chris Conklin

76eldo

#17
Definitely.

If you just go into Photoshop you can bring the brightness down a bit, bump up the contrast, and sharpen the photos and take a mundane photo and make it look like a calendar shot.

That's why you can't trust photos alone to evaluate a car.

My inspection and acquisition for a client in Norway is picking up as they are grabbing up American cars due to the low value of the dollar right now. They insist on a comprehensive inspection, detailed photos and sometimes video, but rely on my say so as to buying or walking away.
You can also negotiate a lot better in person after driving the car.

That Yelp report posted earlier says it all about this particular "popular" ebay seller.

Brian
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado

veesixteen

Brian, How can you tell from only the EBay ad that this is one of Marv Friedman's cars? The hype certainly SOUNDS like Marv (aka "luvdg") but I see no mention of him in the ad. Am I missing something?

There's a classic "Marv" story in the Cadillac Database for those who are still not sure of the man! How can this person still be in business ... other than by continually changing his Ebay ID?

http://www.cadillacdatabase.org/Dbas_txt/Drm60-61.htm [search for: << "hybrid" 1959 Cadillac >>].
Yann Saunders, CLC #12588
Compiler and former keeper of "The Cadillac Database"
aka "MrCadillac", aka "Veesixteen"

76eldo

I think someone else mentioned Marv.
I don't know who the seller is but I have seen a few cars from the same seller from Lakeland Florida.

I don't know Marv, only from what I have read here in past years.

There are a lot of people that buy these cars on ebay sight unseen, not inspected, trusting a used car guy on the web. That's not really smart. If you are really up on the particular model and can study the photos carefully, and check out the sellers reputation, you may have a chance but it pays to have an impartial and emotionally detatched third party inspect the car.

Brian
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado