So long to my first 240Z

[pete280z]

A few of the guys on this board know the long, tortured story behind this car. By tomorrow afternoon the story will be over.

 

To sum it up, I bought a car with a fraudulent VIN. I spent over a year dealing with the police trying to figure out how to handle it. Then I've spent nearly a year waiting on the last owner of record to make good on his promise to get me the title. No more. I'm dropping the car off with the last owner of record tomorrow afternoon. This car represents a significant monetary loss for me not to mention the time I have into resolving its "issues."

 

Anyway, photos:

[cygnusx1]

Can you register it as a kit car? Drop a v8 into it and call it a kit car.

[savageskaterkid]

So your basicly just gonna give it back, and get no money back at all. I'll buy it, send me a message

[pete280z]

The only way to get valid ownership of the car is to get the title from the owner or sue him for it. My plans had been to build a dedicated track car or possibly an FP autocrosser. At this point, my circumstances dictate that I keep only one project car at a time.

 

savage - Car is not for sale. It's against Texas and federal law to sell a car that has had it's VIN information altered. The police wouldn't do anything about the guy who sold it to me because they couldn't prove that he knew. Since I took it to them trying to do this the legit way, now there's proof that I know.

 

These photos are a few years old. In the past year, I've removed the seats and bumpers to be fit to my 280. I did one track day in the car and blew the head gasket. I've also stripped the weather sealing looking for rust. In the process I discovered that this shell has been in two significant collisions and would probably have to be pulled. He's not getting much for "free."

[280zwitha383]

I would personally part it out. How much did you buy it for? I'll remember to act stupid if I ever get a car like this. How did you find out the VIN was altered?

[hoov100]

"Application for lost title"

 

if you have or can make a bill of sale it should be good enough, or you could just lien it to yourself..

[auxilary]

pull everything good off of it and return a rolling shell with vin attached. either that, or have the old owner reimburse you for all labor and parts done since.

[pete280z]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, but it's leaving today.

 

I've pulled what I wanted off the car. I got the bumpers seats and turn signals (which were in sad shape anyway).

 

Application for lost title, bonded title, lein, etc won't fly. This is technically a theft recovery, but was never reported to the police. It's entirely a civil matter and getting ownership of the car via lawsuit would cost more than I could get by parting it out. Not to mention time.

 

It would be really nice if the owner would reimburse some of my expenses, but that won't happen. In the last year I've called him probably 125 times. He has returned about 5 of those calls. When I talk to him he says he will get me the title. Action has been another matter. He called out of the blue yesterday (after at least a dozen messages) with the same old story. Until then he didn't even know the car was coming back.

[pete280z]

Just wanted to add that the photos make this car look better than it is. That Maaco paint job is 4 years old now. Engine needs going though, and the wiring under the hood is all red wires with crimp connectors. Tracking down gremlins is a bear. I'd say the car is worth about $800 at best. Whatever, it's worth that to get rid of it.

[Sumo]

Can i swap my fenders and healight buckets before you give it back?

[savageskaterkid]

Is there a way you could give it to me as a dedicated track car, and I could possibly give you my 280z turbo as a favor? There are loopholes

[Mr.INSANE]

I Like the Idea of just giving him the shell

 

Take Everything off it EVERYTHING

 

and drop it in his lawn

[Cal Poly Zmanaustin]

Just wanted to add that the photos make this car look better than it is.

 

Must be the case because it looks like a beautiful car from the pics. $800 is all its worth...you are making the right decision. That is a rather inexpensive headache and you get to start over fresh. Good luck.

[Pwbull09]

I this same ♥♥♥♥ happen to me.I let the guy get the car back to find he was the one who swapped the vins to steal it back from the person he sold it to.Its a scam act.So here is what you do where i fucked up stip the car to nothing but the unibody.And send him it with a big ♥♥♥♥ you letter.Put the parts in a storage for a mounth till the storage rolls over and have a friend buy the lot storage.Then there is no no way the cops can track the parts

[pete280z]

Well, it's gone.

 

The story behind this car is that apparently the last owner was restoring it in the mid-90's and had "around $8000" in it at that point. He took it to a driveway mechanic to have a blown head gasket repaired and some "other performance stuff" installed. The mechanic moved before the work was finished and took the car with him. The owner couldn't track him down but inexplicably never reported it stolen. There was also no mechanic's lein on the car.

 

10 years later it shows up with a new maaco paint job, decent interior, "recent rebuild," and a VIN flip. I eventually found the flip and started making phone calls. Went through all of the hoops laid out by the state and wound up in contact with the last owner. Ironically, if I hadn't done so much homework the police would have given me the paperwork to get a bonded title. Since I had the last owner of record's information they tried the phone number. Lesson learned.

 

The photos are taken from the good side of the car. The car was hit on both right corners and lightly in the rear. The radiator support was pushed back along with the wheel well in front. The right side door wouldn't fit up no matter what I tried, so I'm thinking there was some sketchy body work there. My estimated value might be a bit of a rationalization, but who knows. I'm just glad to be rid of the headache. Good riddance.

[Sumo]

Well, it's a price you had to pay for your sanity, too bad you didn't have a happy ending. How much you wanna bet the car is just going to end up in craigslist real cheap.

[pete280z]

Heh. Over beers one night some buddies suggested that we strip it to a shell and throw it on a trailer. One end of a chain around the mailbox, one around some part of the shell, truck in drive and away we go. I guess my hooligan streak has gone soft.

 

As pissed as I am over this situation, it's not really this guy's fault and he owes me nothing. Now if I ever see the jerk that sold me this car, that's a different story. If I ever see that guy again he'd better start peeling back $100 bills or start running.

[Pwbull09]

The orignal owner never reported it.Thats what happend with mine.Its a scam that people do.He just lost track of the guy he was trying to scam it from.Ill bet you a g that he sold the car with the flip vins.Got abit of money and when he tryed to track it he fucked up like the guy i had do it to me.

 

P.S. the guy that did it to me.Has a restraining order on me i cant go within 100 feet of him.I broke his noes and 2 of his ribs.It feels so good to get revenge btw.

[pete280z]

I bet it does. This experience really changed the way I buy cars. I bought the 240 from a guy that helped found the local Z club and by reputation was a decent enough guy. I thought I had done my homework and was ready to buy.

 

My 280Z was purchased from the orignial owner. He was a classy guy who answered all of my questions honestly. No money exchanged hands until I verified every single detail for myself. Buyer beware.

[RTz]

...He took it to a driveway mechanic to have a blown head gasket repaired and some "other performance stuff" installed. The mechanic moved before the work was finished and took the car with him. The owner couldn't track him down but inexplicably never reported it stolen. There was also no mechanic's lein on the car.

 

Pete,

 

If it makes you feel any better, I had something similar happen to me when I wore a younger mans shoes... I had purchased a rolling chassis '64 El Camino from a relatives friend. It sat in his yard for a number of years and he had never titled it. Shortly after purchase, I dropped it off at a paint shop, along with a deposit. A couple months go by... I swing by the paint shop and its gone... vanished... the car, the paint shop, and the owner.

 

By the time I figured out what happened, and where the car went, it had found a home at a private lot. This person decided that the car was far more 'his' than mine and filed for lost title. I spoke to him and his wife on the phone a number of times over the course of a week... he refused to negotiate. To this day, I have never met a more self-centered person.

 

Because I had not yet titled the car in my name, I never received the DMV's notification. And, because I can't prove that the painter never intended to paint the car, I can't prove that he stole it.

 

My negligence cost me around $4000 and a fair amount of grief. You can bet I wont do THAT again.

 

I never found the painter. Through lots of legwork, I discovered that I wasn't the only one looking for him. His name was Corbin May... if any of you know of him, I should like to 'thank him'.

 

Though it doesn't sound promising, I hope it works out better for you.