Christopher Zach

Well, here's an interesting thought: Instead of replacing the outdated tensioner and pads with a retrofit can the later model 87+S heads and cams go on an 85 engine? If it breaks, instant engine upgrade :-)

C

Christopher Zach

So this morning I drove out with the dad to Pittsburg PA to pick up the car. Seller was a bit odd on Ebay, I asked for a copy of the title, no response, finally got a response that Saturday would work and we would go go over to AAA, sign over the title, notarize the bill of sale, and I would get temp tags and trailer it back anyway.

Bad. Got there at about 1pm, car was out. Looks good on the outside, inside is sad, we all know that, no biggie, engine makes happy running noises. then it was time for the problem.

Title was still in the PO's name, signed, but never registered in PA. And the last sale was about a year old, so the solution that I just say I bought it from the last seller was proffed. Nope. I offered to take the car on a trailer that day along with the title and see what MD had to say about it, but that didn't go over. Likewise the offer to take the title back to MD and see what they thought didn't go over either.

I wasn't about to fork over the cash for the car with a screwed up title, so I ended up walking away on this one. They're going to see if they can get it titled in PA in their names, not holding out too much for that one.

*sigh* I've been through this before on a free truck, it was a pain in the tail as it came from a guy in CA who was given it from a guy in NC and I had to go through a few months of hoops to get it registered. So if the guy was not forthcoming about this then I can't really trust that anything else on the car is as it seems.

So a 4 hour drive back with no car. BLAH. Thoughts?

Adk46

I like a spiritual approach in this sort of circumstance. You've been saved from an awful fate. You are supposed to buy some other car. It's out there, waiting. Something like that.

Daniel5691

It's always the red ones.

Keep looking, and best of luck.

Christopher Zach

Yeah, we'll see where it goes. I still have the cash sitting around, if the seller can get his act together, get the car delivered to my house, and can get me a straight title I'll still take it on. Something weird happend to the car between when it was listed in 2013 (with different wheels...) and today and I'm wondering what it was.

Thing is the motor sounded fine: Fired up quickly from cold, no ticking on the valves or whirring from the center of the camshaft covers (whirring indicates something amiss with the timing chain), no straining sounds from the water pump, etc. I wonder what's up with the little thing, the rear hatch was not latching properly, which could explain the crap-case interior. But it looked to be about what I was expecting, so I wonder what happened....

Landseer

I've taken them on if there was a bill of sale showing evidence of the last transaction. But not if having a bad feeling, which evidently you have on this one. Good luck, maybe it will work out!

Christopher Zach

Yeah, understood. The other kicker was paying in cash. If you do a check or something it's a record that the thing was bought (weak though). Cash is pretty much transparent.

We'll see.

dr bob

I think you were on the right track doing the transaction at AAA or the DMV. The seller gets to jump through his title hoops, incentivized by the sale and cash so close by. AAA folks sometimes manage to fly past title challenges that the less well informed DMV clerks are afraid to touch.

linderpat

Damn, too bad. Definitely stay away from a car with stories. Even free costs too much.