I used to have the hots for Nastassja Kinski....BIG TIME.....didn't you see her in the 1984 movie of the same name ?
Paris, Texas is one of my all-time favourite films. Kinksi is rather gorgeous! Not sure what she saw in the raggedy Harry Dean Stanton. Aidan
Nor in Roman Polanski (20 years her senior) who was rogering her every which way before, during and after the making of the 1979 movie 'Tess' (which was about the same time that I decided I'd like to !)
Dave and Ashman, I would walk away at this point, the seller will not take a loss and based on the attitude and the details learned corners were cut on that car - in my opinion, it is better to start with a neglected but honest car. Regards, Art S.
Take a look at the seller's (Vineyard Auto) eBay feedback score: 87.5% over a total of only 34 deals. That figure is not good and tells a story. Most serious eBayers jealously guard and protect their 100% feedback rating or as near as they can get to it. This guy's had a number of negative feedbacks over the last year eg: "Seller lied about car. Engine blew before I got tags..promised xtras never came"...all this info is available on every eBay listing if potential buyers take the trouble to look for it. I totally agree with the other comments on this forum...if you can't get independently verified info on this car...DON'T TOUCH IT WITH A BARGEPOLE !! I particularly like Dave's idea....I might just make a $50 dollar offer myself ! Mike (eBay feedback rating 100% !! )
Just for hoots I sent him an e-mail asking for pdf copies of the service receipts, mentioning that I am a 10 year owner of the model just so that he will know that I am a Driver and a Player, not just an internet Typer! Will share the results that I am sure will be full and complete! John
Well, that didn't take long! Here is the full reply: John, Work was done by European House for Imports in Las Vegas, NV. 702-341-0100. Front and Rear Brake Pads, 2 New fuel dustributors, Injector Seals, Warn Up Regulator, Fuel Accumulator. and Major Service which they show as 8 hours labor. Receipt is available upon purchase due to privacy act regulations. Thanks, Keith Vineyard Auto
Take a look at: http://ratethatautoshop.com/reviews.aspx?biz=222229 and http://www.insiderpages.com/b/3718462288
wow, the power of the WWW never ceases to blow my mind. if the fuel system service that John A. posted was actually done then that is a very sweet service to have had done on someone else's 'dime'. there are some very expensive parts there and i would expect that service with the associated labour to be in the $3500-5000 range, plus the other labour, minimum. are those fuel distributors still available new from Bosch ? ...and what difference does it make if you don't get to see the receipts until after you buy the car ? you need to see those before you buy the car. ...and then you still can't be sure it was done right. for example, i bought Peter Sweeney's Mondial Cab in December and the Major was supposed to have been done 2000 miles before in '06. we just got around to redoing the pre-sale Major yesterday. NOT ONE VALVE OF 32 WAS EVEN CLOSE. i mean i've never seen so many valves so tight. yes, the tensioner bearings and waterpump look to have been done but there was no way a valve check or adjustment had be performed for a long, long time. which means it was not a Major. sure Peter thought it was done, but it wasn't. period. i think that in 8 cases out of 10 you need to buy a car that you can immediately service to establish a new baseline. first, find an experienced mechanic you trust and then negotiate a major into the price with the seller before you close. then get the service done, and relax. as i said, i believe this applies to 8 out of 10 situations.
I would LOVE for all the folks on this thread to give this guy a load of crap! Totally agree, that the questions I asked and the way that I asked them were completely reasonable. I didn't try nor want to insult the guy, just wanted to know about the freaking car and he gives me all kinds of grief about it. He is looking to make a buck selling a POS! Not that it has to be a POS, I hope an enthusiast gets a good deal on it and takes care of whatever this guy is hiding and makes it the nice car it deserves to be! Thanks guys! James Austin, TX
OK James, so that about raps up your original thread...its late...its Friday...and we're all tired of talking about other peoples' 400's...so can I PLEASE hear a bit more about the HUGELY GORGEOUS and undeniably sexy Nastassja Kinski....!!!??? PS: And don't let anyone even suggest that for such a 'high miler' she's in need of a 'major service' and a rebore !!!
As a huge fan of 365s/400s, I lurk here regularly. But since I am stuck w/Ca emission rules, I can really only consider injection or '75 and earlier. Although I have spoken to James, this is my way of introduction into a forum where many of you already know each other. Looks like the door is slammed shut on this deal but I just got a chance to read the thread. The car is located about 30 miles from me, maybe I will just saunter up this weekend to see what other bs this loser dealer comes up with. If any of you have an key questions I should ask while there, let me know. Interesting the car is in Ca but not available because of smog issues... Lots that doesn't add up as already pointed out. The defensive and attacking reply to questions about the car is so transparent. James, don't get discouraged, you will find the right car. When you do you will be way ahead of the game and a very knowledgeable owner, thanks to a bit of patience and the braintrust here. William
Welcome aboard William! Just take note from this thread when you approach the guy. That said, he may have already read this thread and be ready for you If you go, bring a camera and take pictures! Regards, Art S.
William, This was NEVER the right car for me...as much as I do like blue, I already have 3 blue cars... Still hoping for Red/tan (would LOVE to steal the 412 up in Canada!) I had seen the car and it was WAY cheap on ebay at the time so I just wondered if Dave had any history on it. I asked the guy a simple question and he became insulting and thus it ends. I am still not ready to pull the trigger on ANY 400i right now...I would like to pay cash for it and I am just not there quite yet...getting closer every month though! YEA! Would LOVE to hear a first hand report from someone going to take a physical look at the thing! Be cool and keep us posted if you get a look at it! James
Actually it isn't that unusual to see a California car that can't be sold within the state because it doesn't comply with the state emission rules. That fact does help us outside of Kallyfornia, however!
+1 I found my car in LA and it had never passed smog and the PO was never able to register it, he just washed it and took it around the block once in awhile, what people will do to own a Ferrari. An Ironic twist, cars that can not pass smog in AZ and other states that do not have a roll back go to CA. now. So my 1967 Porsche was an AZ car that could not pass smog so it was sold to some one in San Diego where I brought it and it is now back here.
Thanks for the feedback and the welcome, interesting about the non compliant cars here in CA. Kid's sports kinda gobbled up the weekend so I didn't make it up to see the car. Weather was perfect for a drive, too. I have to be in Pasadena this week so will probably take a small detour and swing by. It is more out of morbid curiosity than anything, but I will let you know. I will have my waders on since I suspect what ever they are shovelling might be pretty deep. But who knows, it could be there is a nice car lurking behind those wrong sized, painted wheels...
My car was owned for 10 years in Laguna Beach and the owner had some sort of dealer license. His main business was real estate but he owned a bunch of cars from the late 80's price escalation and figured he saved money with the dealer license. Despite that, he only put 4,000 miles on the car in 10 years. I had to put cats on it to pass the visual and meter test in CT, but that was no problem.
