Buying out of state? any one here know this bug? worth it?

[r1ver_rat]

Hello, I'm new to the board and wanting to get back into VW's. I had a 65 vert back in high school. Been in Hot VW and VW trends magazine and I sold in 2003 for 6,500. Now I'm kicking myself in the butt.

I am in southern CA. And been looking at this bug here on Samba:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1727415 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1727415
Does anyone know this car? Is it worth it?

My next question is how did you guys buy out of state? I'm worried of wiring money then not receiving the car. I know he is nervous to ship off the car not receiving the funds. How do I protect myself as the buyer?

Thanks even for your input in advance..
Aaron

[Cusser]

If you're really serious, arrange with seller that you'll be flying there, or driving there, to do the sale and tow this back to California.

I personally wouldn't send money to anyone I didn't know for anything like this.
_________________
1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[Dickz]

I have purchased a couple of cars from another state. The way I handled it was to use a local attorney in my state to receive the money from me and the title from the seller. The attorney holds bothe the money and title in escrow. When the car goes on the carrier, the attorney then sends the money to the seller and the title to the buyer. Generally about an hours work for the attorney. I understand ther are escrow companies that will do the same thing, but I have always used my local attorney. Good luck.

[Zylinderkopf]

For that kind of cash I would fly/drive there, inspect the car and transact at the DMV after the title clears. Then drive/trailer it back.
_________________
1963 Beetle
1966 Beetle 1300
1970 Karmann Ghia Coupe
1971 Super Beetle
1974 Thing


"A lot of people never use their initiative because no one told them to."

[iowegian]

I know nothing of the car, or the seller-------but that sure is a handsome automobile.

[cory464]

no real issues with buying out of state, just an in person inspection is a must. if you can't drive out to view the car, fly out and view it. a $500 plane ticket is far better than a $14,000 mistake. there is nothing wrong with cash in person, but if you aren't comfortable, work through a bank. you can pre arrange the wire transfer at your bank, and close the deal at his bank. working through a bank gives traceability of where the funds went and provides you with some recourse if the deal goes south. if a seller is uncomfortable doing any of this, then walk away. as mentioned above, an attorney can assist you as well. and by the way that is a very nice car.

[panicman]

I hate that color combo...

It looks like a fair price, and a very clean car. I am a bit surprised that you can't find anything similar close to home.

If this car has all the stuff you want, including the modifications, then I would follow the advice of the previous posters and take the most traceable, conservative path in seeing and purchasing the car. And yeah, if the seller balks at your approach, walk away.

Good luck!
_________________
Plate of shrimp

[hitest]

Looking at his shop photos- he appears to be a mature, experienced and multi-disciplined car guy. I doubt he will be a problem at all. Also, he did advertise it internationally here, so he must expect a unique sale. It boils down to value. You are already comfy with the money he's asking. I think you can not easily duplicate that car for under $15k. If it were my deal, I'd find somebody here to check out the car and seller in person. Then talk money and a plane ticket. Driving it home would be pretty fun.
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[rcooled]

When buying my ragtop, I flew out to see it (CA to ID), cut a deal & paid in cash, then flew back and had the car trucked home. Before all this, I had several phone conversations with the owner, and also had him send pics of details that I wanted to see. I also confirmed that he held clear title to the car and would have the paperwork in hand when I arrived.
Good cars are getting harder & harder to come by, even here in CA. If you find one that checks all the boxes for you, make the effort to lock it down...it may be a long time 'till the next good one comes along.
_________________
'63 Ragtop (current)
'65 Ghia coupe (totaled)
'67 Ghia convertible (current)
'69.5 Ghia convertible and
'62, '63, '65, '69 Bugs (all long gone)

[67 Sunroof]

Doesn't look like he's had it that long? Or am I reading it wrong? Why is he selling it soo fast after buying it?

Nice bug though! Don't like the color combo and never been a fan of those wheels, but otherwise looks like it's well done!
Where's the hose for the charcoal canister/oil fill going to?

[iowegian]

[anthracitedub]

Sweet car, fly,buy,drive....

Reminds me of my 62.

[iowegian]

You're wasting your breath here, guys.
The O.P. hasn't been back to the site since he joined and posed the question.

(but maybe he is on his way to Wichita right now. )

[gt1953]

That is a show car aka trailer queen.
I sold a vehicle out of state and held the check until it cleared. Shipper came and loaded vehicle. Simple.
_________________
Volkswagen: We tune what we drive.
Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.

72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold})

[67 Sunroof]

Just didn't know what this meant:
"Been to a show and back home had one Car Wash after purchased in Georgia and a rainy trip to Kansas"

But I agree, the owner looks legit and the car is cleeeeaaaan!!

[iowegian]

[moab762]

For future reference ( I agree looks like this guy asked one question and bailed.) I purchased out of state from a Samba ad late last year. And I didn't go to very great lengths to protect myself. Laid down a deposit via cashiers check. I chose an independent garage to inspect the vehicle (other than what the owner suggested). Got a written report. We negotiated over repairs needed. And I sent another cashiers check for the balance. Overall I was pleased with the transaction. But the "VW expert" at the independent garage missed several things that came back to cost me somewhere between $500-$1000. I didn't get ripped off. But instead of a good deal it changed into a fair deal. Mind you I was only spending in the $7000-$8000 range. Still alot of money though. I am still considering small claims court. But we'll see.

I agree with those that say fly to see it. Especially in the 15k range. Or at the very least hire an independent vw mechanic or professional from the forums to look over the car and give you a report. I looked at another car 3 hrs from me and paid a local mechanic $200 to go with me. Saved me from buying a $7000 POS. There was more wrong than my less than educated eyes could see.

I like the attorney idea too. Let's them know your not one to be f'ed with either. Might make them think twice about hiding something. In the end hundreds of thousand of cars get sold this way these days. I sold my Yukon on ebay a month later. With no hitches. Cashiers check arrived and then the mover.

I'd also suggest DAS auto shippers if you don't care about how long it takes to get to you. They are the cheapest I found if you don't require a delivery date. Also know that once it ships and they have your money they don't give a damn about communicating with you. But trust that it will arrive. There is another recommended carrier on the west coast with his own truck that is listed in the shippers section. http://www.vintagewarehouse.com/transportpage.html I would trust him more if you needed a delivery date. WA to CA was around $800 with a date. $500 without.

[iowegian]

[Dr OnHolliday]

[iowegian]