Re: IML: As my first question to the sage advisors on the IML- would the '64 Imperial on ebay now be a good buy?

[<pnkmoore@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Ian:


You had asked about a 1964 Imperial on Ebay and whether any of us knew if it 
was a good buy, etc.  Plainly, your question is two-fold: does anyone know 
this car and, perhaps more importantly, what are the thoughts about bidding 
on this car given the information presented by the seller?



As to the first question the answer leads one to the most important aspects 
of the response to the second: don't buy a car you don't know.   Don't even 
buy a car that someone else knows unless you can SEE IT YOURSELF.  The 
Golden Rule of buying an on-line car is: SEE IT FIRST.  This may seem 
impractical given the difficulties of getting your person from where you 
live, Birmingham, to the car's location in Oklahoma.  Believe me, this 
problem doesn't get much simpler when you get past 16.  That being said, the 
difficulties in traveling to see a car or waiting for one that's locally 
accessible pales in comparison to the headaches that result from the 
expensive procurement of two tons of deteriorating metal that turns out to 
be something you never would have considered had you seen it in person, many 
dollars ago.



The car you've asked about presents some obvious concerns.  First of all it's 
on a trailer, so it's probably not running.  There are only two pictures, so 
you have no way of gauging the condition of the interior, the body, the 
engine, etc.  You're forced to make a decision about condition from two 
postage stamp-size photos and whatever you might be able to get out of the 
seller when you call him.  The seller has a good record, it seems, but his 
numbers are a little low.



I suggest you wait.  Look at some other Imperial ads.  Most give much more 
information.  Ebay allows you to sort a zip code search for cars in your 
area.  Look for all of the cars of any make for sale in or near Birmingham 
and go see a few.  That way you can get a feel for what "translates" between 
an Ebay ad and the actual appearance of a car that you can easily see near 
home.



Good luck.  If you're looking for a mid 60s Imp you might be surprised at 
the number available nearer to home, running, that will cost the same or 
less than the one in Oklahoma and that won't require massive repairs or 
expensive shipping.  Start with a look in the "Imperials for Sale" section 
of the website, if you haven't already.  Send an email out to the IML club 
asking if someone knows of any cars for sale in your region.  Try to go to 
an Imperial show in your area. The Anniston show approaches later this 
month, for instance.  You couldn't ask for a better opportunity to learn 
about Imperials and their availability, price, etc. thatn to go to a show. 
Most of all be a little patient and invest some time looking around.  You'll 
be glad you did later.



Patrick Moore

Covington, Louisiana

'58 Southampton

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <dexteria2002@xxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 11:43 PM
Subject: IML: As my first question to the sage advisors on the IML- would 
the '64 Imperial on ebay now be a good buy?


> Dear All,
>           This is my first try at asking a question through here, I do 
> hope to not bungle it up as I have already done with a response earlier 
> this eve. Would the Imperial on Ebay right now 
> (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4628663821
> ) be a good buy as a driver (I know that probably none of y'all are 
> familiar with the car or owner, but just does it look to be a good one to 
> save from the demolition derby people?)? My apologies if the above does 
> not make sense, but the lateness it seems is muddling my thoughts. Thank 
> you so very much for your time.
>
>
> Yours truly,
>
>
> I.H.Dexter
>
>
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