ADVICE on Buying a Z

[240260280z]

Saw this on another site and figured it was sage advice.

Adapted from this page: Advice on buying a Lathe

Imagine:

It's 7am and you are casually sipping coffee and reading your favourite

local paper. Suddenly, an ad catches your eye in the classified section.

It reads:

1970 240z $6,000. Hurry, won't last.

Call 555-3353.

Your adrenalin is pumping, you have to see this Z first, before

someone else grabs it. What to do? Is it too early to call? Throwing

politeness to the wind, you dial the number. Alas, it's busy. In your

mind, you can see the other 200 eager callers all dialling at the same

time while your fingers frantically pound the redial button.

Finally, you get through. You determine that the Z is still available,

and get directions while grabbing your coat, wallet and car keys. You

are out the door the second the phone is back in its receiver.

The drive to the sellers home is a blurr of high speed driving and

numerous traffic infringements. You barely noticed that you backed over

your son's bicycle getting out of the driveway. The seller mentioned that

someone else was coming over in an hour. The desire to get there ahead

of this person overcomes you.

The Z looks great (probably because of the fresh coat of paint) you

ask a few cursory questions, but are afraid to ask anything that might

reveal that you really don't know what you are looking at. All the while,

you are nervously aware that you must act quickly, before someone else grabs

it.

"Will you take $4,000 for it?" You ask nervously.

"Nope!" Comes the reply. "I got someone else comin' over in half an hour

who said he was definitely takin' it."

"O.K., I'll take it" You say, taking the bait.

Meanwhile, across town, a savvy buyer is reading the same ad. He wonders

about the "hurry, won't last" part of the ad.

"I'll bet that means it will fall apart as soon as you try to drive it"

he muses. "Those Z's can be real trouble if you don't check

out the body real carefully!"

It's not long before you find out just what he means. You have just spent

$6000 ($6200 if you include your son's bike!) for your fist course in

"how not to buy a Z"!

Back at the seller's home, the phone is still ringing. Disappointed callers

hang up and mutter something under their breath like:"anything good always

sells right away, I'll have to be first next time!"General advice:

In the above scenario, the buyer did not make any effort to educate himself about the do's and don'ts when buying a Z prior to making a decision to buy. The key to getting a good deal is to "be prepared". Another mistake made by our fictitious buyer was in letting his judgement be clouded with the thought that he must act quickly or lose the deal. Of course, it is usually necessary to act quickly to come away with a bargain, but if you are well prepared beforehand, you will be better able to make a rational decision in the heat of the moment.

[psdenno]

Sound advice.

Buy in haste, repent in leisure.

Dennis

[240260280z]

^^^^^^^^

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