Its a shame.... what do I do...

[biffanyus]

Heres the deal. Bought a 79 brat off ebay from someone off the board. Once I got it I went to drive it and I coudnt get up to speed after 2nd gear.. I assumed it was the clutch because I was told that the engine was fine and the brat drove good. Well they help me with the purchase of a new clucth but when my mechanic took a look at it he said that it wasnt running on all 4 cylinders. So we did a compression check and the 2 on the drivers side red little to no compression. He did a leakdown test and he says it seems to be the pistons (rings or cylinder walls maybe???) He hasent remove the haed yet but he pulled the engine already. Might have seen this on other posts. Well once he pulls the head he will let me know what parts I will need and hopefully fix the problem. Well after trying forever to get a hold of the seller after they was aware of my problem. They are refusing to help me with this fix. They did help me with the clutch wich I purchased but dont need it for know for $70. But the cost to fix this is going to be a bit more now than that and I asked them for their help to pay for only some of what it might be and now they said no way.... So to me this brat was falsely advertised (even though they said it ran fine when they posted it on ebay). I dont think thats the way members of this board should treat other members of the board this way either. I feel they can help me a bit with this problem since I got it this way..... Please help with any imput....

 

You can see pics of the pulled engine in this link below. I will post more pics of the repair as it gets done to show Im not BSing....

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=111427&page=2

Edited May 11, 2010 by biffanyus

[YellowSub]

Tommy, I have talked to you after all this came up, a few times actually. You text me every few days to tell me you don't know anything yet. I guess I should have responded and said OK. When you asked me on Thursday or Friday if I was getting your texts, I told you I was. My not responding to every single text doesn't mean you can't get a hold of me. Your message today was rude and threatening to "go public with this" is pretty silly considering that's all you've been doing. Telling me you "will post more and more" if I refuse pay isn't going to make me pay you.

 

The car was fine when it left here. It didn't need a clutch, and it didn't need engine rebuild. It was runing good. I told you everything that was wrong with it. I NEVER would have sold it if there was a problem, especially to someone here on the board.

 

I'm not going to argue, but I'm tired of reading about how dishonest I am.

Quote:

Originally Posted by biffanyus

Once again Im having a hard time getting you to return my emails and texts. Please let me know what you intend to do to fix this problem. Once I get this fix I will show you tthe bill and pics of the engine in the works of fixing. Please dont ignore me on this or I will go public with this. I expect help when its done in paying for the fix. I will consider the $70 for the clutch as part payment towards the fix already of course. But please do the right thing and help me fix the engine you said was fine and obviously is not. PLEASE CALL ME SOON!!!!

[YellowSub]

And for the record, not bad, YellowSub. I know I sold a good car.

[stealth]

how far did you drive it before you couldnt get past 2nd gear, if you were going down the road after just buying it why did you not take it staight back?

 

or was this some weeks later?

 

If the clutch wasnt worn why did they pay for it, maybe they think your trying it on after paying for a clutch that wasnt needed?

[biffanyus]

I bought the clutch on my own non reliable knowledge of cars. I assumed a clutch problem when I couldnt get it up to speed the first time I tried to drive it. YellowSub seems to be very honest and so I didnt consider a bad engine when YellowSub said engine runs good and I naturally assumed it had to be the clucth. It wasnt to a couple of weeks later when I had my Mechanic finally come out to visit when he relized the engine wasnt running on all 4 cylinders thus the compression and leakdown test that was done a week later when I got him over to my place again. I dont think YellowSub was being dishonest in this sale but neither am I and I just want this fixed an a little help from them since I got it this way. Theres pics of the engine out and I will show more pics and receipts of items purchase and repairs being made to prove of this fix. There was little to no compression in cylinders 2 and 4.... I just want a brat to drive... Thats not too much to ask is it?????? Feeling a little dooped on this deal and would like help from YellowSub. They were nice to help me with small parts and paid for the clutch wich I relized later that wasnt my issue. My bad... I think they think Im trying to scam somthing... I dont know????

[biffanyus]

Hey asis... HA your right. When it comes to mechanical things like subies, I dont have much knowledge. Im a musician and I know how to disassemble and fix guitars, not cars. But I felt good and at ese with buying one off a board member. Felt I could trust a seller from the board for sure and I felt like it was a good deal... Boy was I suprised. I just want to fix the problem and want a little help back from the seller.

[biffanyus]

Look here is one thing i guess i can say. It is an old used car nothing more nothing less. Maybe the delivery guy did take it for a spin a couple times and messed it up. Well never know. I had someone do this to me once when i sold a motorcycle. I told him i was honest and had no idea the clutch was going out. I hardly drove the thing. He wanted me to help him with the clutch and i told him i had no money to do that cuz thats why i sold the dam motorcycle in the 1st place. Look i dont know if someone was dishonest or not but either way its a 30 year old car from a rust free state. Be happy for that, rebuid your engine so you have a awsome running and looking machine. And never look back.

 

Good Luck.

 

Cool but thats a little "UNDUDE" dude.... I know its rust free and thats awesome. I love the brat but I needed one to run as well and for $1600 and being told it runs fine, you expect to pay that kind of $ for the running condition as well. If I knew that, I wouldnt paid no more than maybe $600-$700 for a non running rust free one. I just want to resolve the promblem the right way. I would do the same. I paid $1600 for it so now they have extra cash where they can give some back for the fix. Its only common sense or am I wrong and insane????

[YellowSub]

Your posts in asking about a price, you never responded to some key questions I asked....sorry, but seemed like evasion to me....

 

Please feel free to point out any spelling errors I may have made in this post...

 

What key questions didn't I answer?

[baccaruda]

You bought a car sight unseen and didn't have an impartial third party check it out.

You also posted:

 

I dont think YellowSub was being dishonest in this sale

 

If he can't or won't chip in for the repairs then it's probably best to consider your lesson learned and quit tarnishing his name here. How do we know your mechanic knows what he's talking about, for instance?

Don't get me wrong, I'm sorry the car isn't running and I hope you can get it back together soon, but you supposedly don't think you got ripped off, according to your post I quoted, so unless you have cause to drag someone's name through the mud, you probably shouldn't.

[rxleone]

Hey asis... HA your right. When it comes to mechanical things like subies, I dont have much knowledge. Im a musician and I know how to disassemble and fix guitars, not cars. But I felt good and at ese with buying one off a board member. Felt I could trust a seller from the board for sure and I felt like it was a good deal... Boy was I suprised. I just want to fix the problem and want a little help back from the seller.

 

Hmmm. You bought 30yo car - from someone thousands of miles away, with no prior look at it... Pretty big fail on your part buddy. Sorry to say it, but it's the truth.

 

Sometimes you buy cars that are not quite what you think you're getting. Not pointing fingers at anyone, but thats the nature of buying cars person-to-person. Generally speaking, unless the seller says otherwise or you both come to an agreement, the personal sale of a car is considered "As is, where is." If you can't handle that, go to a dealer, buy a new car, and have that peace of mind that comes with new, still under warranty, vehicles.

 

I bought an RX once - 30km on the way home the turbo blew, then the head gasket blew. Maybe the guy who bought it did something to it. Maybe he didn't. Who's fault was it? Mine for buying it.

 

If you're not 100% commited to buying a car, walk away.

 

I'd also count my lucky stars that he even sprung for a clutch - that was nice of him.

 

Also, its a 30yo car - if you don't like maintenance on vehicles, why the hell would you buy a near-vintage vehicle like that?!?

[rxleone]

If that is going to be the attitude of members here, then I can assure you I will spend some time on my own making sure this board looses any credibility on any search engine. Sure it takes months for any thing to show up on search engines but I can assure you I have that time, knowledge, access and ability to do so.

Now if you just want to eat your own, then come on out to my place, lets dig a hole!

 

Buyer beware means seller find a sucker?!?!?! hmmmm not the kinda folk I want to be acquainted with.

 

Well, aren't you a hero. I wasn't saying that's how it should be, I'm saying that if you buy a second hand vehicle as is where is, you should be aware of the risks that you run. You don't know who you're buying off the majority of the time, so the old saying, "better to be safe then sorry" definitely comes into play.

 

But hey, if you want to try to destroy the credibility of this brilliant and helpful site because someone gave real-world advice, go ahead. The world is a harsh one, and I'm pretty sure if you're any older then me you'll know that the naive and ignorant get fucked over. But I'm pretty sure there is a lot of people on the USMB that would not be happy, and no amount of spirited internet-warrior-ness would help you with their response.

 

Do TRY to use correct spelling and grammar when you do attempt to discredit the USMB though, or else you may have a very hard time convincing anyone.

 

Cheers,

John

Edited May 11, 2010 by rxleone

[mcbrat]

Enough with the threats against others or the "board".

 

Stick to the facts. if you're not part of the deal. stay out.

[biffanyus]

YO brothers ease up. I dont want to start a war here!! All Im saying is I think members here should back each other up. We all want a nice subie, thats why we are involved here, right??? My point is I was told it ran and drove fine. Well It did not and yes $1600 is a good price for a rust free brat but dont forget the shipping cost from AZ to FL. Another $800. So after spending that I wasnt planning on shelling out more money on an engine fix. Look at pooparus post here;

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=102914&page=12

He sold a nice 81 brat to a guy and the headgasket blew while the guy was driving it back to the east coast and he went out of his way and drove out another engine to the guy. Thats the way we all should try to be here. Its a great exsample of how other subie lovers should treat each other. Yes I could buy a newer car. I have an 93 Infiniti G20 that runs great. But its not an old brat. I want one out of love a passion to own a gen 1 brat again. My first car back in high school was a 79 brat. Does that mean I have to get dooped from someone from the board. I know buyer beware but Ive been on this board since 2001 and Ive gotten alot of help from alot of very nice people thru this board that I never personally met except Skip and Miles Fox. Met them once. I came to trust the board and the people on it. So when it came to buying this particular brat on ebay but thru someone from this board, I felt I can shell out that kind of cash and get what I was told I was getting. Sad it didnt happen that way....:-\

Edited May 11, 2010 by biffanyus

[biffanyus]

Actually i know people on this board in my state who would pay 1600 for a rust free vintage brat any day of the week. Im not saying you did or did not get hosed. All im saying is that you bought a 30 year old used car. Things are going to go wrong and you need to be ready to fix them. You could always upgrade engines and trannys while youve got aproblem with this one. There are many good things that can come out of this. All im saying is that most used cars are an as is so it really is a buyer beware. There is always some risk in buying a used car no matter who you are dealing with. All i can say man is dont give up on it and fix it because it will be a sweet ride when its done.

 

Oh and BTW dude... Im not giving up on fixing up this brat. Its my pride and joy right now and I cant wait to actually drive it..

[biffanyus]

Well thanks dude.. I not just going to say.. " F#*k it, lets go bowling." on this brat. It will ride again......

[ezapar]

Ok. I've gone thru and cleaned this up. Dude, asis. Stay out of it.

 

 

Asis. Expect to join band. You get the flute.

[moosens]

My first thought is your mechanic is making out best here.

 

Money you paid equals value of pretty much rustfree example and shipping. I see no problem there.

 

YellowSub sure seems like a great person and excellent board member to me.

 

Tommy,you need to slow down,literally. Everyone I encounter who has any contact with you says the same thing. Stop bombarding people with messages and stop posting what you should take up personally. You're not a bad person,we know that,but don't get people wanting to turn and run from you either. And please be considerate of people's lives and schedules.

 

Back to your Brat. What about the transporter in this deal? Did some driver decide to YaHa it around when he took it down to remove another car? Something smells rotten here,and I don't suspect the seller. Have you actually had your head under the Brat to inspect for damage to the exhaust or head on that side? Did you take it off the transporter and inspect it well then?

 

I sure hope all works out. But to me,the deal is done and you're not burned by the seller. Cars not running coming east with solid bodies cost close to $2k total , to finally have them in your garage,etc. That's the deal. And getting a Brat at that price isn't too shabby. Engines are more plentiful than you think. Same with trannies,clutches,and more to keep it running.

[Jonv23]

I was going to say the same thing about the vehicle being removed from the hauler, but Moosens beat me to it. How about this......was it sitting flat, once loaded on the hauler? Did another vehicle get moved off, and then the BRAT got reload, NOT flat, they went to start it and there wasn't much oil pumping (due to not being flat)? Obviously I don't know the answers, just grasping at straws also. I don't think the seller is BS-ing about it running. How long did he own it? When was the last time he drove it? Was there a witness to it running prior to being sold? Lots of questions.......at least it looks nice. And the motors are really a dime a dozen.

[subiemech85]

this is what YOU do

 

0. remove sparkplugs

1. remove valve covers

2. check pushtubes, are any off?

3. rotate engine and make sure valves are moving smoothly

4. rotate engine and make sure pistons are moving smoothly

5.

[biffanyus]

Look My mechanic shop is Engine Rebuilders. This guy works on all kinds of engines, vintage to new, bikes to school buses. He knows his stuff. It takes him a while cause hes swamped with business and he works alone. He had 2 palm beach county school buses that he rebuild the engines in when I took my car and had my another tranny put it last year and know they sent him another school bus there. Hes also working on an old 70s VW van, and an old ferari plus whatever else people brings him. I know its spelled wrong but you get the point.. He didnt sound like he had time for me as is but put my engine in his schedual. I had to tow my brat back to my place with no engine cuase he dosnt have room to keep it there while he gets to it. He told me this is going to take a little while cuase hes swamped. He knows the issues and called me today and said I need new piston rings and 2 exhaust valves along with all the gaskets. He also notice the clutch plate pretty worn and said I should replace it wich I already got the parts for that. He did me right with putting in my tranny and I trust this guy.

 

As far as the brat being moved on the bed of the shipping truck is yes. The pic of where it was wasnt in the same place when he dropped it off and there also was a center cap missing that was in the pics. I dont know what happen and who to blame but I was told something when it was sold to me that wasnt when I got it.. BOTTOM LINE!!!!!! I think they can help out a bit thats all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[biffanyus]

Ok. I've gone thru and cleaned this up. Dude, asis. Stay out of it.

 

 

Asis. Expect to join band. You get the flute.

I dont know why you cleaned it up... Both the Dude and asis had some huge valid points. I think now you are misrepresenting this whole discussion.... Pointless

 

And thank you Paul......

Edited May 12, 2010 by biffanyus

[Qman]

Valid points on this issue are between you and the seller. No one else should be involved. They were not there when you bought it. They did not put any money into this transaction.

 

I would not be taking advice from either of them. At this point I think I would have questioned the seller then questioned the transporter. Especially, if it had been moved and a center cap is now missing. They don't just fall off. Any more outside interference or threats and I will personally ban those involved and close/delete this thread.

 

Act like grown-ups or be treated like children!

 

<subscribed>

 

Edit:

 

Trusting people you have never met before or do not know personally is neglegent and irresponsible. Just be cause they own a certain car or play the same on-line game or wear the same colored shirt does not make them trust-worthy.

Edited May 12, 2010 by Qman

[biffanyus]

Alright. I just want to close this now. Please dont respond anymore. Sorry for opening up this can of worms. Final thoughts are:

 

A. I bought something that was not like I was told when I got it.

 

B. If the shoe was on the other foot, I would help and back up what I sold to someone.

 

C. I do beleive in Karma.

 

So I will be fixing this brat and she will ride and look good and yes I will be happy. Lets all just forget this and once again I am sorry for ever bringing it up. I will keep my posts to a very bear minimum.

 

Lets all eat, drink and be merry... On that note. lets just please close this post.....