Originally posted by Just1MoreDave My Saab got away before I got it. I found a used 99, brown, at dealership, took a test drive. By the way, are there any car salesmen who know anything about cars? I had to tell him where everything was and why, and I had only read magazine articles. Anyway, the turn signal didn't work so the salesman said the dealership's crack team of mechanics would fix that right up for me in a day or two. I got an apologetic call the next day, apparently the turn signal problem was a larger electrical issue. Then the next day, they had found a clutch master cylinder leak. On the third day, the electrical problem was diagnosed as major frame corrosion making all the ground connections iffy. The sales manager suggested that they were not comfortable selling me that car.
After that, practical but kind of boring cars, keeping them until they wear out.
Well, at least you encountered an ethical sales manager!
I remember looking at a Datsun 260Z 2+2 for sale by a private owner in South Carolina. I'd always admired the first series of the Z cars; they were on the lots when I bought my new '69 510, but unaffordable. The 2+2 was ideal, little daughter Rebecca could ride in the back. It looked good, sounded good, drove nicely. The owner told he he'd had some fairly major work done only recently, including brake work, and offered to show me receipts.
Back at his house I unlimbered my trusty floor jack and raised up the front end for a look around. Lo and behold, there was a rust hole the size of my palm on the left frame rail! You know, the thingy to which the engine, front suspension and other gubbins attach. I showed it to the owner, who swore he knew nothing about it, and I walked away, rather drove away!
I've since wondered: Did the brake man fail to tell him of this horror? If he were told did the owner decide to sell and let someone else have that 260 fall apart at speed? Or if the owner didn't know until I showed him the problem, did he then keep it on the market for an unsuspecting "victim?"