LeMans Pete

I stopped by at one of those classic car dealerships and wandered into their repair shop. I talked to the kid working on a '61 where he was removing the rust from the frame with the body on, then just painting it. I asked him how he managed to clean up the part of the frame pinned up close to the body. He just said, "very carefully."

Does this sound like a bunch of crap? I mean they could easily be painting over some nasty holes, and for all I know putting some filler in them and painting over it.

To an untrained eye, it would look like a frame-off, like all their cars "say" they are.

Is this ethical?

72LS1Vette

If the dealership claims it did a frame-off restoration on the car then yes, it's unethical. If they say it's a frame-on restoration then it's up to the buyer to understand that there are many parts of the frame that have not been examined/cleaned/repaired. If the dealership bondos holes in the frame then they might be eligible for a lawsuit depending on how they advertised the car. I worked in sales for a VERY brief time and the operative phrase was always "sell the sizzle not the steak". The dealer is going to make the car look as good as possible to the casual buyer. This method of doing business sucks but it has been going on forever.



Rick B.

Tony24

Man you really have to be careful. There are a lot of crooks out there. If you do not know cars and are going to spend some high dollars on a classic, you need the services of someone who knows what to look for. Find someone with a good reputation and even pay him if you have to for his services.

LeMans Pete

Well not for me, I know whats going on, but I guess I am nieve to these types of practices. I'm sure they aren't going to put "frame off" on the sticker, but they'll easily blow away Joe Shmoe with their presentation.

My favorite was the all original '74 big block that had steel braided spark plug wires, fiberglass bumpers, and two different shades of white t-tops.

LeMans Pete

You're dead on there Rick. The salesman came just spewing crap outta his butt. They have magazine articles plastered all over the windshield. Sizzle baby!

Rudy's Stingray

If you have reservations about the dealer -
Find a local body shop that's reputable with experience in
classic car restorations. Ask them what they would charge to
do an inspection of the car with their "professional opinion" in writing.

As for the dealer, call their bluff.
Ask them that you would like to have the car looked at
by a second party - namely the shop you previously spoken with.
Ask them to allow their salesman to come with if need be.
If they balk, walk away.

Michel B

He certainly is not doing a frame off, more like a frame cleanup. Not all that bad if he address all the problems but it is missleading. Personally I'm documenting all restoration work on my car with photos, this in my opinion is a sure way to say the truth to a potential buyer.

Tony24

Picture is worth a thousand words.