Nick,
John was offered some options, and he dropped the ball by not responding in a timely manner. (like 2-3 days later) And when he did, he chose not to try and find a solution. I chose to move on and find someone that was serious about selling. There were no personality/character issues in person during conversation. The car has an all aluminum motor with a motec system and one-off intake. My concern was primarily that the motor did not leak/overheat/tune/driveability, and as stated the handling at speed. I didnt really care WHO drove the car, but I wanted to be in it at freeway speeds and get it good and hot!
Sailor/Keith1,
You are correct about the"too many dickheads" comment. The insurance/lack of test-drive etc. became a secondary issue when the communication broke down. The reality is John was given some options and he chose how to respond. When I spoke with him in person he was ok with going for a test drive early in the morning like on a sunday when there would be little traffic or risk. Evidently that changed the next day when I contacted him to make the deal and then heard nothing for 2-3 days. I certainly don't expect buyer and seller to agree on everything, but you have to be willing to communicate and mediate to make a deal if you are serious.
I have about 12 cars at the moment, and have owned probably 25 more over the years. I have restored 3 camaros and built a few drag cars/cobras, custom trucks. I also own a ferrari and have been on the track with that as well. Implying that I shouldnt be buying the car if I can't judge it without driving it myself is baseless. (and try to remember we are only talking about a 60k car)
When I sell a car I take the buyer for a test drive on and off the freeway. If I feel comfortable, I will let the buyer drive in a safe environment. That being said, I realize others may do things differently. These cars are not that "special" that the average gear-head can't work the clutch, shift, and stomp the brake pedal!
