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Fiberglass bonnet surprise

Last post 01-20-2012, 9:14 PM by brandonmillsap. 6 replies.
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  •  03-19-2009, 8:15 AM 18472

    Fiberglass bonnet surprise

    Hello,
    Help and comments please.  My wife and I purchased a 1967 4.2 2+2 coupe on ebay.  The car was listed as a "correct car", CA black plate, rust free body, matching #'s. etc.  Upon arrival it was immediately obvious that the bonnett was an ill fitting fiberglass replica,  We immediately contacted the seller who despite being a collector and broker said that he "did not think to mention" the fiberglass front end.  We are currently in the dispute / resolution process with EBAY but thus far the seller has offered no concessions.  The EBAY buyer protection plan was 1 month from the date of sale, but the car did not arrive until it was expired.
    A couple questions...1) how grievous an "oversight" was it to sell the car without describing the bonnett and 2) how would one alter the value of the car with the fiberglass vs rust free steel?
    Regard and many thanks,
    Fred
  •  08-14-2010, 4:27 PM 24394 in reply to 18472

    Re: Fiberglass bonnet surprise

    A most dishonest oversight!! Hardly correct! Try to find a price on a good used Bonnett, (trouble is these were all trimmed to fit so may not be a perfect fit first time) then add paint to match and that would give you a start for negotiation, there are new steel bonnets available but they are outrageously expensive and need trimming to fit as well.
  •  08-15-2010, 5:46 AM 24396 in reply to 18472

    Re: Fiberglass bonnet surprise

    The fiberglass bonnet would have been the first thing I would have listed in the description. This "oversight" may be due to ignorance however. My question would be, was the seller even aware that it was not original? Perhaps he too, was caught with his proverbial pants down.

    Also, was there anything in the ad that indicated that the car was "completely" original? It could have matching numbers with a fiberglass bonnet and still be consistent with the description in the ad. Likewise, was there any language in the ad that opened the door for the possibility of aftermarket replacement parts anywhere?

    I agree that you should price out the cost of having an original bonnet installed and go from there. You might also be able to sell the fiberglass one too and recoup some of the cost, keep that in mind.

    All in all, I wouldn't let this "oversight" tarnish the excitement of your new car. It sounds like its a great car other than this unfortunate situation.

    What does EBay have to say about all this?

     

     


    On their death bed, nobody ever said, "Gee I wish I'd spent more time at work!"

    '68 Sprite 1275
    '76 Midget 1500
  •  08-15-2010, 8:54 AM 24397 in reply to 24396

    Re: Fiberglass bonnet surprise

    Just my opinion but a replacement FG front would drastically affect the value of the car. Whether or not this was reflected in the purchase price as compared to an original, I don't know, you didn't say.

    If the price you paid reflects what an original usually sell for in that area then I would be extremely unhappy about it. If you got a bargain price because of the FG, then maybe not so unhappy, but I would have liked to have known in advance, that's for sure.

  •  08-15-2010, 10:01 AM 24398 in reply to 18472

    Re: Fiberglass bonnet surprise

    Hello,fred  i think the worst thing is that if you fit a steel bonett,you  will never match the paint shades correctly.

    Therefore, you may be faced   with a bill for a complete respray,at i'll guess anything around  2 to 3 thousand dollars./ pounds

    i know loads and loads of people who buy off e-bay and never have any trouble,but i've always had a few doubts.

    good luck anyway

    phil

     


    phil wilkins
  •  08-15-2010, 6:49 PM 24400 in reply to 24398

    Re: Fiberglass bonnet surprise

    This situation really struck the bone with me !!!  While it is disappointing that you were told less than you had the right to know from the outset I would not bemoan the fact that Ebay " Insurance " had run out.  Been there -done that. They have so many outs on that issue that it is next to impossible to prove your claim.  I did prove dishonesty with a car I bought on good old E-bay but from that point Ebay wanted to negotiate rather than pay the claim outright and all I wanted was the real cost of repair. Some folks swear by the process but I had a restorer , locally, who told me that one out of every three cars he bought on E-Bay was misrepresented.  Since this is a commission based process I think no one really has your best interest at heart other than you.  I really hope you the best with this as I know what a hassle it all is.  Good luck !!!
  •  01-20-2012, 9:14 PM 26443 in reply to 18472

    Re: Fiberglass bonnet surprise

    veserf:
    Hello,
    Help and comments please.  My wife and I purchased a 1967 4.2 2+2 coupe on ebay.  The car was listed as a "correct car", CA black plate, rust free body, matching #'s. etc.  Upon arrival it was immediately obvious that the bonnett was an ill fitting fiberglass replica,  We immediately contacted the seller who despite being a collector and broker said that he "did not think to mention" the fiberglass front end.  We are currently in the dispute / resolution process with EBAY but thus far the seller has offered no concessions.  The EBAY buyer protection plan was 1 month from the date of sale, but the car did not arrive until it was expired.
    A couple questions...1) how grievous an "oversight" was it to sell the car without describing the bonnett and 2) how would one alter the value of the car with the fiberglass vs rust free steel?
    Regard and many thanks,
    Fred

    That's why it's hard to trust online seller sometimes. One thing that you should do is either to ask for return or look forward to modification of the bonnet. There are junks that sell car parts out there and you can choose the what you think best fit for your vehicle. It's your right to ask for return though.