phendriks

Hello,

Does anybody have any experience or feedback on GR Auto Gallery in Grand Rapids? Searched the Web and found little commentary (compared to Victory in Houston). They have quite a few P-cars in stock at any given time and they're only about 3 hrs drive from me (southern Ontario). I realize that much of their stock is purchased from front line dealers, so they likely have little background about the cars, other than immediate impressions. I've been watching Ebay, Rennlist and PP for an 87-89 911 for months now and still haven't seen one I've wanted to chase down. Not wanting red or black definitely cuts down on the options. So I'm starting to consider dealers.

I brought a Mercedes 300SL up from Florida a several years ago. Bought it from a second hand dealer (the tied on toupee should have been a dead giveaway). Although its been a pretty good car overall, many of its flaws were intentionally hidden. I'd rather not go through it again.

Thanks for your input.

gcalahan

I live in GR - I've been there once. They seem to be nice guys, I've heard a lot of their cars are sold on consignment. They may be willing to bring the car to a local independant shop for a PPI.

Let me know if you'd like me to stop in and look at something in person for you.

Greg

victorltd

If there is a big gouge or scratch in the paint, they ain't showing it in any pictures or telling you about it. The local guy that gets referred around there to do PPI's also does a ton of work for them and may not be entirely forthright either. When the car I purchased from them arrived my first reaction was WTF. Missing cover over light by hand break was neither shown in pictures nor mentioned in PPI. Same goes for a couple of huge scratches on front right quarter panel. They where nice enough on the phone but it's definitely a buyer beware set up. I could go on but no need. Think of their description like an EGL cert compared to GIA. Downgrade to notches and go from there.

norsecarnut

Thank you for this post. There isn't really anything on the web in reviews but I knew a forum would have real info. This forum post was on the 2nd page when using google for "gr autogallery reviews"

A good eye can tell when the obvious photos are not shown or oddly composed/cropped which is always a "tell" for me.

mondogarage

Wish I could offer more concrete info, but I was looking at one of their 964 cabs a couple of months ago and went as far as getting a PPI done. I shouldn't have bothered, the non matching tires alone should have given me enough of a clue that the car wouldn't do well.

It wasn't that the car was so "bad", but it had real issues (the air bag light was on, the "2" in the rear deck lid emblem was definitely not in the right spot, indicating unmentioned respray, at least), and the switch plate for the console spoiler switch was installed upsisde down, very weird. What struck me as odd was that none of this was accounted for in the pricing, and that they never even seemed to pick up on any of this being problematic. This indicates, to me, either ignorance on the marque, or some level of...well...not entirely being on the level.

Oddly enough, seven weeks later, the photos reflecting all those issues are still on their website.

GlowingRotor

I just purchased a 1987 Porsche 911 Targa from GR Auto Gallery about 3 weeks ago. You can find images of it on the GR Auto Gallery website in their sold inventory. My car is a track car, so it is modified and the paint is not perfect and if there is a minor glitch here or there, I honestly wouldn’t notice or probably care. Function over form for me although I do think my new 911 is quite sharp and in good condition for a 26 year old car that has been on the track regularly. So, I hope this helps.

My dealing with GR Auto Gallery on this purchase was extremely smooth and without a single hiccup. I live locally but honestly, I think they are really well set up for the remote buyer. All my dealings till the final signing of the paperwork were through email or phone calls due to my work schedule. I received call backs or email replies within an extremely short amount of time, usually less than an hour. I received the plates and registration very quickly too.

Another poster talks about a person who does PPI for GR Auto Gallery. I believe that person is also my mechanic and I’ve been a customer of his shop since the beginning back in the 1990s. My mechanic specializes in air cooled Porsches and has raced them previously and is active with the PCA chapter. Since I have never owned a Porsche before, I relied heavily on my mechanic to give me an accurate review of the car especially the mechanical elements. He spent over an hour inspecting it, and more time giving it an extended road test. Of course I do have an advantage here that if there was something missed, he would have to face me in the future. There are many places in GR to obtain a PPI. There is a dealership and several good import shops.

If you find something you are serious about, I would be willing to take a look at it for you. Just understand that I’m no expert but can spot some obvious stuff and would give you an independent viewpoint.

Jupiterfish

I too live locally and have dealt with Gr Auto galley. they have a lot of used Porsche cars and the sales people seemed to have a general knowledge about porsches but when I asked deeper question about the conditions of a 964 I was interested in they seem to not know much (could have been just that salesman). Anyway I never bought a car from them but I did "sit" in a few since they don't do rolling test drives (or startups) unless a deal is in place. maybe it was just me, I don't look like the typical "Porsche" owner. when sales people make blanket statements like "they all leak a little" doesn't make me want to pull my wallet out.

thankfully we have an awesome Porsche dealer here in town that is very reputable and can do a PPI.

wrxnofx

I was interested in a 911 from GR one time. I do not live locally so I shot them an email. The description of the car was "perfect carfax". When I checked the carfax myself it stated that the car had been in a front end collision. Hardly perfect.
When I asked further questions they just sort of blew me off. Their sentiment felt to me like the fish must have fallen off the hook. Needless to say I'm glad I didn't purchase from them. The fact that they won't let you drive the car, much less start it up, is ridiculous.

Patone89

Let me know if you'd like me to stop in and look at something in person for you.

Greg

Hey Greg, I am considering buying a car from gr auto gallery. I saw that you were willing to look at the condition of a car for the person that posted regarding gr auto gallery. I am outa state and would appreciate any insight.

Thanks, Patrick

Stache Powers

I recently facilitated the purchase of two cars for my business partner in Germany. The first one, a 1981 911SC (euro) just arrived. Because of timing and weather, and after several conversations with GRAG, we decided to complete the purchase without test driving the car,and we did not arrange a 3rd party PPI. They are a fairly large dealer with a nice website and experience in international sales right? Its probably worth paying a little extra for the piece of mind right? BIG MISTAKE. When the car was unloaded in Germany it was in reasonably good visual condition but the engine was fragged with a very noticeable knock. There was no way this knock wasn't apparent at the dealer. GRAG was unwilling to take any responsibility for the repair which is estimated at 8,000 EU. Beware of this dealer, inspect carefully and assume they are lying. Now I'm holding my breath and hoping we didn't get screwed on the second car.

gcalahan

I can second Jupiterfish; I also don't look like the "typical" owner, and about all I can do is sit in them or take some photos of areas that are not shown in their own pics, or tell you if it smells like it's been smoked in.

I can't recommend strongly enough getting a third-party PPI prior to purchase - I even did it on my Volvo wagon and am glad I did.

Patone89 if you still want me to stop in and take a look at a car, let me know which one.

Greg

engr_villa

Buyer beware. Duringthe month of May 2017, I purchased a 1982 Mercedes Benz 240D from Gr AutoGallery. The car was advertised as beingin Excellent Condition. Since I havefriends that have purchased cars from Gr Auto Gallery and after reading manyreviews from the internet, I decided to trust Cory Wade from Gr AutoGallery. Cory assisted me with thepurchase. There were various dealbreakers including whether the vehicle had a functional AC that blew coldair. I was informed by Cory that the cardid in fact have a functional AC that blew cold air and informed me that thevehicle was in fact in Excellent condition. Through the transaction, communication with Cory was almost non-existentwhich was a Red Flag. I should havewalked away from this transaction due to the poor communication with GR AutoGallery. But again, I gave them thebenefit of the doubt.

After transmitting the funds, the real nightmare began whenthey made arrangements to have the car transported to me in SouthernCalifornia. They made the arrangementswith a transport company called Prestige Transport Inc. and this company wasGod aweful. I can't tell you how manytimes I had to call this transport company to try to get any kind of update onthe transport of my vehicle to Southern California only to get yelled at by thedriver or the main POC at the Prestige. The people at Prestige are obviously foreigners who can barely speakEnglish. And don't get them upsetbecause they have very short fuses. Anyhow, the car ended up getting dropped off at my residence and I wasglad to pay Prestige to get them quickly out of my life. That was probably one of the most stressfulexperiences I've ever had in my life. Again, this is the sort of company that GR Auto Gallery highlyrecommended which reflects poorly.

Anyhow, I was obviously happy upon the arrival of thecar. I figured, that I could now enjoythe vehicle. To my surprise, the car hada lot of issues which included the following: 1) driver's door regulator was broken and so the window could not beopened or closed, 2) power booster pump was completely dead (i.e. would nothold suction) making the vehicle a huge safety liability driving it on theroad, 3) the speedometer was not functional nor was the odometer and mileagecounter, 4) the fuel gauge indicator was stuck and the empty tank light was onalthough according to GR Auto Gallery, the tank was full, 5) all of the oils inthe vehicle including the engine oil, transmission oil, power steering oil, andcoolant were all at dangerously low levels, 6) a number of vacuum lines wereleaking air in the engine, 7) the main vacuum line that connected to the powerbooster pump was cracked and had to be replaced, and 8) the AC blows air butnot cold. Those are some of the issuesthat have been identified by my mechanic as needing to be repaired to againmake the car safe to drive. To get theAC to blow cold air, the mechanic noted that the AC system would have to beupgraded and that alone would cost an additional $1,200.

So needless to say, the car I purchased from GR Auto Gallerywas not in the Excellent condition it was advertised in. The car I purchased was not worth what I paidfor it. At best, it was probably worthonly half of what I paid.

I immediately contacted GR Auto Gallery and again, my callsto Cory were not promptly returned. Therefore I spoke with Chris who is the owner of GR Auto Gallery.

I asked Chris for a refund which he said was clearly out ofthe question for him. I asked if theycould pick up the car and I could pick a different car which again was out ofthe question. Chris asked me to take thecar to a mechanic to get it diagnosed and get it repaired. Chris noted that he was willing to work withme and would consider reimbursing me $250 if the repair costs were within$1,000 which they are now. I have actedin good faith and have done everything that GR Auto Gallery has suggested butthey are leaving me holding the bag alone. I have not heard back from them noting that they will be helping tocover the $250 minimum on their behalf to make the car safe to drive. So GR Auto Gallery doesn't really give folkstoo many options if you're not happy with the car.

To date, I have emailed Cory and Chris all of my receiptsfor repairs done to date and again, I have not heard anything from either Coryor Chris.

To anyone on the internet thinking about purchasing a carfrom GR Auto Gallery, I am posting this review for your benefit. Buyer beware. If you do decide to purchase a vehicle from them, either fly out therein person to see the vehicle else get it inspected before purchasing any carfrom them.

Like I said, I have done everything possible to remainprofessional but my efforts have not been reciprocated by the people who workat Gr Auto Gallery. My transaction hasbeen a nightmare from beginning to end. And it's been two weeks since I got the car and it's still at with themechanic.

Derek911

I flew in to Michigan to specifically look at a car. I spoke with a salesman and they knew that I was flying in. They would not let me test drive the car without making an solid offer. If I am flying in, you know I am not there to kick tires. This alone was enough to make me walk, but on top of that the car had clear issues. Paint on fender didnt match, no oil pressure reading and they tried to say that it wasnt a big deal... Really? I spent a couple of hours in the place and they have a bunch of cars, but they are shady to say the least. How do you make an offer on a clasic car you havent test drove? They are full of it! The cars look good in pictures though.

Philip J. Fry

Realize this is an old thread, but has gotten some action lately... so I'll pitch in.

I bought my '86 3.2 Carrera from GR Auto Gallery in October '16. I worked with Rob at GR. He responded quickly via email or phone through the entire sales process, but especially early on was very vague and short in his responses to me. I found myself having to email him two times to get an answer to a substantive question, and in some cases having to give up after he'd say "We don't know" or "We have no records of that".

I inquired about a PPI at Euro Autowerks (21mi from them), but he pointed me toward Community Auto (10mi from them), which was another shop with air-cooled Porsche specialists on staff. I researched them, and they looked legit. I worked with Todd as my Service Manager at Community Auto.

Rob didn't have a ton of detailed information about the car beyond the paperwork it came with. Therefore, from a few states away, I was relying heavily on the PPI. Todd at Community Auto ultimately gave me very in-depth details and advice about some issues with the car, but the technician performing the PPI misdiagnosed a few things, and missed other issues altogether that were never reported to me from them or GR. Disappointing, but I had negotiated enough to provide a cushion just in case. All the paperwork was painless and done remotely.

I selected my own shipper because GR offered a flat fee that they could not guarantee who the service provider would be or if the car would be open-air or enclosed — which I thought was silly. Scheduling pick-up for my shipper was fairly easy, and GR notified me when it was loaded up and on its way.

All in all, both GR Auto Gallery and Community Auto could have been better and more forthright during the process. That said, overall the car is solid and I'm very happy with it. I don't think I will ever buy another car sight unseen again, just because I'm the type of person that wants to be overly informed.

TL;DR: GR Auto Gallery: B-

alexherm

Sounds like a nightmare. If you guys had problems with them, you can file a complaint with the Michigan Attorney General. They investigate dealerships all the time. I know a few people that filed claims and when the AG came knocking, the dealerships started to make things right. You could also contact a consumer protections lawyer. A few phone calls or letters can help. If not a lawsuit for fraud will get their attention. After all, "as is" doesn't cover fraud/intentional misrepresentation.
Here is a link for the AG if you want it: https://secure.ag.state.mi.us/complaints/consumer.aspx http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,4534,7-...331---,00.html
I hope this helps. Good luck