Car World Connect Blog

 

Remember when Teenagers hung out at the favorite home town diner or circle drive-inns, as we referred to them?  You and your partners would pool your quarters to buy a dollars worth of gas to cruise town and search for the chicks.  We would stop at the various places to meet and talk about who was out on “Bill Board Road” with what girl and who just beat who out on the 10 mile straight run of County Line Road.  Sitting in the Drive Inns sipping on a Root Beer Float you could receive the latest rumors circulated from the other end of the parking lot about who just bought a 57 Chevy with a power pack under the hood.  Someone was always looking for a grudge race and could usually find it.  The following story is one of those authors, who shares his memory of the first 57 Chevy in his life and it brings back memories of the when life was simple and times were good. 

 

It was a dark and lonely night - not really - it was actually a beautiful summer evening on a small dairy farm in Northern Illinois. I was filling my ‘49 stovebolt six with “free” farm gas. The sounds of Elvis’ “Heartbreak Hotel” were crackling over my non-pushbutton AM radio (with newly installed rear speakers!) and I was anticipating my upcoming date with a varsity cheerleader. It was the summer of 1958; I was a senior in high school - life was good!

 

Well, it could have been just a little bit better. As was her nature, my beloved ‘49 torpedo back decided (in the middle of my date) that running on all six cylinders was just too much and four seemed about right. Thankfully my “in-depth” mechanical ability (yeah - right!) had taught me how to handle this all too frequent malfunction. Simply turn off the key, lift the hood, take off the air cleaner, reverse the sparkplug wires on cylinders 3 and 4, restart the engine and let it backfire a few times and, magically, you’re good to go again-(after re-reversing the sparkplug wires). Was my date impressed? Not really.

 

Wait! This story is supposed to be a about a black 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door hardtop. It is it just takes me awhile to get the background right.

 

At this point, my love affair with my ‘49 Chevy was winding down - my automotive, lust laden heart was thumping the to the sounds of Chevy V8’s, 4-barrel carbs, dual exhausts and glass packs (maybe even a reverb rear speaker). How to obtain (pay for) this dream machine was a common teenage problem. Then came the epiphany - not in the form of a religious experience but in the form of my ag/shop teacher, Mr. Haroldson. Tempting our entrepreneurial spirit, he said, “Boys (note: no girls in 1958 ag/shop classes), if you want to make some quick money, get into the hog business now! Pork just went from 10 to 20 cents a pound - get in quick before the big producers ruin the market and you will do well.” Two days later (with my Dad’s permission) our dairy farm was in hog production-bacon would now provide the $bacon$ for my new ride.

 

It was a bitter January night (20 below zero); the snow was blowing sideways-the kind of cold that makes your nose freeze shut.  But life  was good - I was helping a brood sow deliver 12 piglets that would bring me closer to my V8 Chevy.

 

Spring was long in coming, but hog production had been excellent and as the spring flowers blossomed so did my bank account - almost $2,000. It was time! Sell the herd - buy the car! But what car? At that time, there was only one…I could say it in my sleep…”a ‘57 Chevy Bel Air 2-door hardtop, V8, stick…nothing else would do…no, not even a Powerglide. With an automatic, in those days, I would be laughed out of school-it had to be a V8/stick. To my eye, in ‘59, there wasn’t anything cooler than a ‘57 Chevy. (Well, any Corvette; but how many pigs is that?)

 

The big day finally arrived-my Mom and I took the 70 mile train ride to Chicago, with money in my pocket I was looking for my “dream” car. We went to Cicero Avenue which was then (and maybe still is) “Used Car Boulevard”- miles and miles of bright bare light bulbs sparkling off endless rows of shiny automotive chrome - Valhalla!

 

We made the trip down this classic street on a nickle-a-ride streetcar complete with clanging bells and rattan seats. After many stops with poor results (wrong body style, color options, etc.), there it was! It was like seeing the Phoenix rising from the ashes. Sitting in the front row on an elevated stand at Nickey Chevrolet’s used car lot was my shiny black ‘57 Bel Air 2-door hardtop. Scrawled across the windshield was “270 HP” - was that good? I jumped out of my seat and pulled the stop cord to signal the conductor that we had to get off now! I ran toward the car, leaving my Mom far behind. With my heart in my throat, I yanked open the door looking for a clutch pedal. The Chevy gods were with me-sitting next to the brake in all its glory was that much desired third pedal. The salesman came over and said, “Yes, it’s stick and it has the dual-quad high performance motor with overdrive, 4.11 positraction and it’s only $1,500. LIFE IS GOOD! REALLY GOOD! (…don’t say anything to my Mom about the high performance dual carb stuff, okay?…)

 

Now the big test drive - I had never driven a car like this. The salesman and I took it around the block, very gingerly, but I knew it was really “spirited.” So long ‘49 torpedo back, there’s a new sheriff in town, it’s black, it’s bad and it has dual carbs, stick, posi, solid lifters, dual point distributor. And dual glass packs….I’m so excited. Ace’s social status (my high school nick name) was about to increase 2-3 levels.

 

How to make my entrance at school? I know, cut morning classes and show up at the Tastee-Freeze next to the school; all the cool kids go there for lunch. Yeah, that’s a great idea.

 

And so it was…the black ‘57 rolled up and immediately drew attention - the 270 horse high compression 283 pumped by the solid lifter Duntov cam echoing through dual glass packs had an authority all its own. Amazingly, Mr. Haroldson (my ag/shop teacher and hog tipper) was at the drive-in. I immediately told him “here’s the car I purchased with the hog money,” and quickly popped the hood to show off the engine and dual quads (batwing air cleaner replaced by dual chromies the night before); he said, “look at all that carburetion.” I said, “Yeah, and it really goes…watch this.” With equal amounts of youthful exuberance and stupidity (maybe more stupidity) I fired her up, gave it a few “raps” and straightened it out for a fast exit. My heart was racing…my hands and legs were shaking-this was it, my reputation begins. Rev it up to what sounds like about 4 G’s and dump the clutch-yeah, great plan. The ‘57 and I were both hyperventilating. BANG!! I’m sucked into the seat, the rear end is drifting, the engine is screaming, tires screeching-nothing but smoke in the mirrors! Hold on, don’t wimp out now, keep your foot planted and steer through it - yeah, good plan. Shift! Shift! - Wow, second and it’s still sliding, spinning, smoking - LIFE IS GOOD!

 

Well, maybe not quite so good—our esteemed town cop (and school bus driver) was filling his squad car at the station across the street as I was making my debut. It took me to about 80 mph and an adrenaline reduction to realize I now had red lights, not smoke in my mirrors. Justice is swift in 1959 era Northern Illinois. The cop immediately impounded the ‘57 and took me to the local Justice of the Peace. She was sitting in her rocker on the front porch (where she held court). The cop outlined my many offenses and our lady Justice, in her unique rural style, sent him back to the Tastee Freeze to measure the length of the “strip” I left” He soon returned and said, “38 feet.” (pretty good for my first attempt.) “So, 38 feet, that will be $38.00, payable now!”

And so the ’57’s reputation began…. The car became a legend of sorts in McHenry County Illinois. My Dad told me (when he was 80) that he had secretly taken the car to work twice to race some braggart with a Ford. Do I need to tell you who won?!

A few more highlights:

 

* The car was banned from Wisconsin for drag racing down Main Street in Lake
Geneva.

* Outran Illinois State Police and was put on their ‘3 Most Wanted List’

* Amazing Factoid – never put a scratch on the car

* After being pulled over by the state police (for outrunning them a few nights before)
and being shown his sun visor with me listed as one of the three “most wanted”, I
decided it was time to sell her – a sad day.

* Sold it to guess who ? No not the town cop, but the guy with the Ford that my Dad beat twice – another Chevy convert.

 

At my 45th high school reunion, my classmates would say, “Ace, do you remember the black ‘57 you had? Never forget the ride you gave me - wow, was that a fast car!”

 

Out of the “Time Machine” and back to the present. So, how could you not want to duplicate a car like that (real 270 HP)?! I had been looking for years and they were either too original (spelled “expensive”) or in poor condition.

 

The dream of reliving my youth was answered about a year ago. An ad in the antique section of the Dallas Morning News listed a ‘57 B/A 2DHTP….. I called, asked, “what color?” He said, “black/black interior” and I said, “How do I get there?” It was love at first sight…all the memories came rushing back (I repressed some). Here is what she is/was:

 

* ’57 Bel Air 2-Dr. HDTP (original black car) - COOL!

* Black cloth/vinyl interior - not original, but close (the first one had black/silver interior)

* Original Wonderbar radio/clock, dash, steering wheel, etc.

* Modem (hidden) audio system

* ‘70 350 Police w/”496″ LT-1 Vette style heads.

* Muncie M21 4-speed/Hurst shifter

* 3.70 Post / adj air shocks

* Edelbrock 650 carb/intake

* MSD Pro-billet ignition

* Wheels/tires - American Racing Torque Thrust w/Goodyear 225/60R16’s front, 285/60R16’s rear (barely clear)

* Disc brakes front/drums rear

* Painless 18-circuit wiring harness

* Took old paint down to the metal/repainted with PPG 2-stage by Collision Connection/Restoration in Pilot Point, Texas. Excellent job for a very fair price (940) 686-5424.

* Replated/replaced many trim pieces.

 

And finally, the future! She’s a sweetheart the way she is; However, we just can’t leave them alone can we?! We have to keep improving (spending money). Here are some of the things in the works:

 

* Power brakes

* Power steering (rack or 605 ? - opinions please)

* ZZ383/425 HP - 460 TQ, delivery October 12,2005

* Dual-Quads

* McLeod clutch, P/plate, SFI bellhousing…

* 5-speed Tremec/custom drive shaft

* 9-inch.4.11 Currie Posi

* Vintage AC air unit (came with car new in box)

 

Yes, she’s my “Time Machine” - I’m 17 again - sitting behind that big steering wheel looking down that long black hood with the rocket gun sights and seeing those classic tail fins in the rear view mirror. I sent pictures back to some of my high school buddies with the caption, “Ace is back terrorizing the streets again in his black ‘57.”

 

How long till my 50^th High School Reunion … Let’s see , hemmmm ??!!

CarWorldConnect.com Automotive Classsifieds is in the process of devloping Automotive Sale flyers to showcase an advertised listing in a more artistical way by using a collages of our users autos.  The flyer is available to be made up of different topics and color schemes to match the color of the vehicle to be exhibited.   The flyers are hoped to be handy tool to attract more interest in a particular hotrod or classic car.  Various subjects and themes will be available to match the interests of the customers.   Listed below is an example of auto listings available to customers of CarWorldConnect.com Automotive Classifieds.

   

The flyer above is made up for a 1932 Ford listed in our inventory at CarWorldConnect.com  

 This is a tipical photo add as compared to the Flyer Design Collages.

The next listing is a 1932 Ford Coupe and is also made up into a Flyer Design as the one listed below.

An extra fee for the Flyer Design Collage will apply at the time of Ad insertion, and it is hoped that the Flyer Design Collage will catch the attention of more buyers and become an asset to the Seller.     

CarWorldConnect.com Classifeds has a growing collection of some of the finest Custom Hotrod Show Cars assembled in one online service.  Our users are able to browse our inventory in complete privacy and security while shopping some of the finest cars the net has to offer.  Listed below are just some of the most beautiful and cleanest cars to be found anywhere.  We list our Auto Ads for on $39.95 and run until your car is sold. ” Now, That’s hard to beat!”   

List your Car or Truck at CarWorldConnect Automotive Classifieds and save on listing fees, edit your add 24/7, insert up to 10 pics, 400 word texts, email for user to contact you and advertised on various other sites for more exposure.  Adds run until car is sold.   List your car Today!  

 

We attended the Backstoppers Car Show today at the Elks Club in St Louis County, Mo and the weather was beautiful.  So were the 200 cars in attendance for Classic Car class judging.   The event was enjoyed by well over 200 spectators who mingled with the car owners.  The SLICK Car Club hosted the event had a difficult time with the judging, because of so many outstanding autos on exhibition.  Cars came in from as far away as 80 miles to travel to the always spectacular car show at the Elks Club on Ladue Rd.

CarWorldConnect.com talked to several car owners who said that this is one of the best of the season to be in attendance.  And I would have to say, “that the day was perfect, the cars were magnificent and the judging went smoothly.   The event proceeds raised funds for the St Louis Backstoppers, a wonderful charity organization sponsored by the St Louis Businesses who help the family survivors of fallen police officers killed in the line of duty. 

We have a few pics of the Car Show.  Enjoy, and if you have any information you would like to post here at our blog about your car shows, feel free to do so.   

 

What are users saying about CarWorldConnect.com Classified Ads.  We try our best to promote our users cars and trucks and make it a safe place to browse our many beautiful listings in Classic Cars, Muscle Cars, Custom Cruisers and Hotrod.  As well, we accommidate most all foriegn and domestic used cars and motorcycles owners and shoppers with our clean inventory of bargains. 

This is what some of our users are saying about CarWorlConnect.com   

Centennial Toyota of Las Vegas Nevada PROUDLY Endorses Car World Connect as one of the most effective resources for listing, selling and buying just about anything with wheels. Looking for that special collector car? CarWorldConnect.com is the place to check first! How about that Muscle Car that you’ve always wanted since you were a kid? CarWorldConnect.com is one of the very few relevant sources in the country! As a dealer or individual, CarWorldConnect.com is one of your best resources for selling that Car, Truck, SUV, RV or Motor Cycle quickly! Visit CarWorldConnect.com at their website http://carworldconnect.com/index.php. You will quickly see why even the big guys like Centennial Toyota of Las Vegas (www.centennialtoyota.com) turn to the good guys at CarWorldConnect.com!”

From:

Centennial Toyota of Las Vegas, NV on May 29, 2008

5
Text:	“Great place to buy your next car or just dream of owning one of the awesome classic cars in their inventory!”
Rating: 5 Text: “Fully Informative,thats my feeling when i think of our friends over at CarWorldConnect.com full of the deatils needed when considering Vintage automobiles as well as RV’s Trucks and Motorcyclesand why When considering an classified ad Partner i ask that you consider my friends at CarWorldConnect.com i think you will find a great provider for your Classic and Vintage auto needs .” From: Excess Capital & Investments of Houston, TX on May 25, 2008	NorCalCars of Shasta Lake, CA on May 27, 2008

Rating:	5
Text:	“Endorsed and proud to know CarWorld. They know the business and it definitely shows in their inventory. You absolutely have to take a look at the many super cars they have. Way to go CarWorld ! “
From:	RPM MOTORSPORTS of Joplin, MO on May 19, 2008

Rating:	5
Text:	“Wonderful site. Very unique cars. I will absolutely refer people to your site as I know a few people that have classic cars that go to the car shows quite often. Thank you for connecting with me. If you know anyone that is looking for an intentional referral marketing system please let them know about Compliments International. Thank you and have a wonderful day.”
From:	Compliments International, LLC of Saint Louis, MO on May 19, 2008

Rating:	5
Text:	“I have seen many a car online shop but I am very impressed with the site andf the easy navigation of it. Also the information provided about the products is in depth unlike so many others that just say Car Model …..the end some people just make them too complicated to navigate , “
From:	F 3 Computer Sales & Service of Topeka, KS on May 09, 2008

Rating:	3
Text:	“We recommend you stop and see these guys if in the St Louis Area, or visit them via the Web. Good People to do business with. Wally Poole ,CEO Auto Investments, LLC”
From:	Wallys Auto Sales of Newport, NC on May 08, 2008

Rating:	5
Text:	“Beautiful Dream Cars! Excellent Prices! 5 Stars to Fred! If you want it, He Can Get It! thanks Barbie J&L Auto Sales LLC”
From:	Barbie of Manville, RI on May 07, 2008

Rating:	5
Text:	“I would recommend them to anyone. They are a pleasure to deal with.”
From:	480 Motoring of Tempe, AZ on May 06, 2008

Excerpts from Lee Iacocca’s new book:This is a wonderful piece of writing and thinking.  I wonder who he is going to vote for?

Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from it’s death throes?  He has a new book, and here are some excerpts.  Lee Iacocca says:

“Am I the only guy in this country who’s fed up with what’s happening?  Where the hell is our outrage?  We should be screaming bloody murder. We’ve got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we’ve got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can’t even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car.  But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, “Stay the course”Stay the course?  You’ve got to be kidding.  This is  America , not the damned “Titanic”.  I’ll give you a sound bite: “Throw all the bums out!”

You might think I’m getting senile, that I’ve gone off my rocker, and maybe I have.  But someone has to speak up.  I hardly recognize this country anymore.  The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs.  While we’re fiddling in  Iraq , the  Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do.  And the press is waving ‘pompoms’ instead of asking hard questions.  That’s not the promise of the ” America ” my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for.  I’ve had enough.  How about you?

I’ll go a step further.  You can’t call yourself a patriot if you’ re not outraged.  This is a fight I’m ready and willing to have. The Biggest “C” is Crisis!

Leaders are made, not born.  Leadership is forged in times of crisis.  It’s easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else’s kids off to war when you’ve never seen a battlefield yourself.  It’s another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history.  We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes.  A Hell of a Mess so here’s where we stand.  We’re immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving.  We’re running the biggest deficit in the history of the country.  We’re losing the manufacturing edge to  Asia , while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.  Gas prices are  skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy.  Our  schools are in trouble.  Our borders are like sieves.  The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you’ve got to ask:”Where have all the leaders gone?”  Where are the curious, creative communicators?  Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense?  I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?  We’ve spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina.  Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.

Everyone’s hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn’t happen again.  Now, that’s just crazy.  Storms happen.  Deal with it.  Make a plan. Figure out what you’re going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing.  Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when “The Big Three” referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening.  But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress.  We didn’t elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity.  What is everybody so afraid of?  That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name?  Give me a break.  Why don’t you guys show so me spine for a change?

Had Enough?

Hey, I’m not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here.  I’m trying to light a fire.  I’m speaking out because I have hope I believe in America   In my lifetime I’ve had the privilege of living through some of America ’s greatest moments.  I’ve also experienced some of our worst crises: the “Great Depression”, “World War II”, the “Korean War”, the “Kennedy Assassination”, the “Vietnam War”, the 1970’s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.  If I’ve learned one thing, it’s this:  “You don’t get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it’s building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play.  That’s the challenge I’m raising in this book.  It’s a call to “Action” for people who, like me, believe in  America .  It’s not too late, but it’s getting pretty close.  So let’ s shake off the crap and go to work.  Let’s tell ‘em all we’ve had “enough.”

 There has never been a better time to invest in your Classic Dream Car. If you have ever wanted that Mustang convertible or the 69 Chevy Camaro with a beefy 396 cubic inch engine and 4 speed on the floor now is the perfect time to make an offer to those who have them listed on our website at CarWorldConnect.com.  We have a great classic inventory featuring some of the nicest Custom and Hotrods assembled anywhere.   Our site features Hotrods and Customs featured in Hotrod Magazines and winners of 1st place trophies at shows like the Good Guys and California Boyd Coddington Car Shows.  With all the Classic Car and Hotrods in our inventory there is bound to be something that meets your budget or will upgrade your Port folilo.   Yes Port Folio.  Classic cars are worth the investment if you can afford to keep them over the long term of investment.     Those who have made investment in some of the nice cars over the years have a tendancy to reep the rewards of investing, while prices have come down due to a flat economy and devalued dollar.  Those who feel they must sell to put revenue back into their daily budgets will be lowering the prices to jump ship and thereby offering up a savings to new investors or ole time collectors.   CarWorldConnect.com has been adding new listings almost everyday in recent weeks and has compiled a long list of beautiful classics and customs.  We have been selling some at reduced rates and still more to come, I am sure.   If you are waiting for the prices to keep dropping you might miss out on your dream car as the prices could stablize and values begin to increase on any given day.  Enjoy some of the collections compiled for your viewing.  

       

Recently, I wrote an article about a 4 day work week and the positive effects it could have on high gas prices at the pumps.   I directed my article to the O’Riely Factor.com on the Fox News Channel in hopes that someone would pickup on the message and get the attention of someone interested in doing something about high gas prices.  I have seen the positve effects that the 4 day work week has on production in the work place and have every reason to believe that it would help stimulate the American economy overall.   Fox News reported on the 4 day work week today, and had a pannel discussion about the effects and whether, or not, it would actually bring the prices of gas down.  It is true, apparently, that China and India have more automobiles for use on their roadways and China is supposedly earmarked for increasing its demand on the world oil supply.  China has been reported as having increased its Naval Submarine and Aircraft Carrier construction to begin its presence on the international scene to be more of a contender with the US as far as armament and offensive capabilities.   This factor alone is a sizeable increase in foreign oil that will place a demand on China to meets its own needs.  Meanwhile, until we arrive at an alternative to foreign oil we are at the mercy of unscrupulous stock spectulators, and the week US dollar that is going to keep the gas prices higher.  There is also the supply in demand that contributes to the high prices and this is a given.   But it all comes back down to the amount of time American spend on the roadways, and over the past few years it has been at a phenomenal increase in rate.  As I have stated in my first blog about 3 and 4 day work week, I believe the CEO’s of our industries throughout the country have been mute to the fact that they control the work week process, and have done nothing to contribute to idea that less days on the road to the work place could reduce our demand on gasoline.  It is time for our American Industry and Civial Population get busy and start a coordinated effort to help alliviate some of the problems our country now faces with high oil prices. 

Author: Fred Dodson,

President of CarWorldConnect.com

Thinking about retiring and start working on that old 32 Ford thats been sitting in the corner of your garage for the past 15 years.   Or, just thinking about buying a classic or custom rod to be able to hang out with your buddies again.  Here is a nice artlice we found that was written about three years ago by Jeff Webster, CEO of Buyers International, LLC.  We hope you find this aritcle useful if you are contemplating venturing out into the Classic or Custom toy world for added hobbies or excitement.  Good reading!

The Restorers Trap
Are they the new ‘Bad Boys’ of the Collector Car hobby?

Published 10/4/2005

More and more it seems we are hearing of horror stories from within the collector car restoration industry. With the values of classics rocketing skywards, that old car you’ve had on life-support in your garage suddenly seems to be a viable candidate for restoration - or so you think.A big part of the problem comes from your side - it’s the emotional attachment. The idea of your car looking all shiny and beautiful numbs your brain and suddenly you are not listening or thinking like a savvy investor at all, but more like a kid who’s been given a hundred bucks to spend in a toy store! The restorer knows you likely don’t have a clue about what is involved to remove and replace a panel or rebuild a motor, they can smell your naiveté and the unscrupulous ones among them will take you to the ‘cleaners’ prove their point.The scary thing about the restoration business is, that it is today, as it has been for many years (with one possible exception), an unaccredited and hence unregulated industry. The bottom line, when it comes to being a restorer, anyone can claim that moniker. People in this particular trade that succeed do so purely on the quality of past their accomplishments and reputation.When people go to a restorer one would expect the individual to be honest and reputable and to have your best interests at heart - sadly that is often NOT the case. They simply look at you as a cash cow that’s stumbled into their web.That being said, this is not an article about the quality of the workmanship done by these companies and individuals, but rather about the ethics of the industry as a whole.I will relate three stories to you, two from clients who called us and one about an incident involving myself. I learned a hard and somewhat expensive lesson and I hope to save you my pain by sharing this story with you now.

The first story is one of a young man who had taken his 1967 GTO to be restored at a particular restoration facility in Enfield , CT. They had his car for over a year and after milking him of $120,000 they still weren’t finished! When he finally ran out of money and got the car back he approached us to appraise it for him. When he told me how much he had in it I fell off my chair, but once the inspection had been carried out I just got plain angry that this unsuspecting car guy had been taken advantage of. His car was not only not finished - the body had NOT been removed from the chassis, the interior was still original and the engine bay had not been detailed. In short the car was worth maybe $35,000! I asked him WHY he kept paying them money. His answer was one I could relate to and understand. He said “I didn’t know, I just wanted my car done and they kept saying they were really close finishing and needed just a little more money so they could do it right”. That story shocked me and I wouldn’t have mentioned the location of the establishment in question if a second and unrelated story about them hadn’t emerged. It came from a wealthy doctor I met at a Car Show in Greenwich CT. He owned and rare Alvis roadster, we were chatting and I’d asked him who did the work on his car, ironically he told me that it had been done this very same company in Enfield , CT. Although the work was nice, he didn’t really seem pleased and I enquired why. He told me that it had cost him way more money than he could ever hope to recover. I asked what exactly they had done as I could still see issues with the car. He said the main problem was that they took some of the sheet metal off to repair a section of the wooden frame and then they found there was more they needed to do, they had told him that they couldn’t give him an exact price as they had no way of knowing what would need to be done. I had asked him why the shop couldn’t give him a ‘worse case scenario’ price and he said they told him they couldn’t - I told him in no uncertain terms - that was BS. He said, once they had removed the panel and some pieces of wood, it put him in a bad spot. He couldn’t very well take the car away as it was now in pieces, all he could do was give them the go ahead to dig a little deeper and pray it wasn’t too bad. Well they milked him good and hard.

This particular car was rare it had a steel chassis, ash frame wrapped in steel or possibly aluminum. But still, there are skilled fabricators like ‘Rod Jolly’ in the UK for instance who upon seeing photos of the car, would have been able to quote and almost exact figure for creating an entirely new ash frame and wrapping it in steel. The restoration shop in Enfield should know that and have advised the client accordingly as to his best course of action - but they didn’t because they’d rather milk him for $60 an hour! Incidentally, did I mention that this particular company charged the guy with the GTO $50 an hour for SANDBLASTING! Just as with our Doctor, the guy with the GTO should have been told a worse case scenario up front. How can it cost more to repair a car than it would to buy one that has already been fully frame off restored? Honestly I don’t know how the guys in that establishment can sleep at night!

I want to reiterate, I’m not saying they did bad work, as far as I could see they didn’t, what I don’t see them as being is honest, or having the best interests of the customer in mind.

Don’t think that this is an isolated case and that they are the only restoration shop to do this, I know of at least one other facility in Pennsylvania who did something similar to a guy with a Cadillac. They took it apart and then they have you by the proverbial ’short and curlies’, your car is now in bits - do you take it home or pay them to put it back together?

My experience with a restorer was on a smaller scale but the pain and the lessons learned were no less traumatic. It involved ‘Nu-Chrome’ in Massachusetts . You’d think with all my experience I’d know better - but I’m here to tell you that I just got myself burned. So I’ll share my experience with you in the hope of sparing you my pain. Apart from owning old cars, I’m also into old motorcycles. Last December before Christmas my brother called up and suggested that I remove the gas tank from my 1936 Norton and take it with his to be chromed. After stripping the paint, I found some bondo hiding a couple of dents, but nothing too drastic. His tank was actually in a little worse shape than mine. Upon arriving at ‘Nu-Chrome’ we showed the tanks to the ‘production foreman’ and after eyeing them up and explaining that he’d have to cut them open beat out the dents and re-weld them shut, seal them then copper and chrome them to a high standard etc. he told us the charge would be $1600 each! We’ll we dithered for a bit at the lofty quote, but the thought of shiny chrome tanks on our vintage bikes for the following spring took hold the ‘red mist’ moved in and we gave him the go ahead to proceed. We were told that they would be ready in six weeks and that he’d need 50% of the money upfront. He even gave us both a beer and we obliged only to spend the two hour ride home questioning our hasty decision. Well six weeks came and went pretty quickly and I called to see if my tank was ready only to be told “almost, it’s been a lot of work and it’s all done, it’s still in copper however, we’ll dip in chrome later this week and call you to come pick it up”. The week past without a call - so I called back, “Is it done?” I said. They said they’d go check and then returned to the phone to say that they were going to chrome it, but they had to change out the chemicals in the tank and it won’t happen until next week now. So it went on, each week I’d call, each time I’d get an excuse. As spring drew near I begged, screamed, spoke to the highest authority and STILL my tank was never quite ready. SEVEN months passed before I finally had enough and sent my bother to go get our tanks. When we got there the tanks were still in copper - but the project had long since been abandoned. WHY? Because they never cut the tank open to remove the dents as they told us they would - instead they thought they could simply fill the dents with lead and then copper over it. The only problem was each layer requires re-dipping the tank in acid and they did it so many times it ate through the metal of the tank until it was so thin there was a hole in it big enough to put my finger through and no way to repair it because there was no good metal left to weld to! THE TANK WAS DESTROYED. As the tank is VERY rare, I knew there was little to no chance of having a second hand one come up on eBay - so all I could do was to ship it off to the UK to have a new tank custom fabricated by a specialist at great expense. My brother’s tank had suffered a similar fate although he is trying to salvage his. Why these people couldn’t have been honest when they screwed up, called and said, “Hey we have a problem, come by we’ll show you what’s happened and discuss how we can make this right” But no, they elected to shovel BS down the phone for seven months until I was all filled up. That’s the lack of ethics I’m talking about.

I liken a restoration company to a construction company. A construction company is presented with a building project and asked to bid. They must rely on their experience and knowledge to estimate how long the job will take, what equipment is involved, what materials are needed and how much profit they want to make, then they throw their ‘hat in the ring’ and see if the customer accepts it. If they win the project and find out due to their inexperience they have “under-bid” it, THEY LOSE - they must still finish the project (or quit without getting paid), but usually their profit margin diminishes. If they bid too high they run the risk of not getting the job at all.

There are companies in the US and Europe who can give you a fixed price for building what is essentially a brand new car. I know of one in Florida for example who for about $30,000 would build you a perfect 1966 Ford Mustang using a donor car that they locate, and then doing a total frame-off restoration putting paint and interior colors or options of your choice. So why can’t restorers?

So what’s the lesson in all this? GET IT IN WRITING! If they say they’ll cut the tank open and knock out the dents and that it’ll be finished in six weeks - GET IT IN WRITING! Get a completion date and a penalty clause if necessary, like if they are late they’ll knock a $100 off for each day over. If they don’t accept it walk away. At least that way you have something to sue them with when they breach the contact. If it’s a car you’re having done - ask for a worse case scenario - body panels like floors, fenders etc have a fixed price, if the restorer is experienced enough he should be able to tell you clearly how long it would take to cut off the rear quarters, cut out the trunk pan and rear valence and weld new panels in. Think about it - they have books for this stuff - how do you thing insurance adjusters could calculated how much it will cost to repair a car that has been in an accident? There are books that tell them (based on previous experience) how long it should take someone to remove and replace a particular panel, wheel arch or what ever and replace it with an entirely new panel. That figure should be your worse case scenario, if he tells you he’ll charge you more than that to section in a patch panel then clearly something is wrong - he should be advising you to replace the whole panel as (a) it the cheapest way to go and (b) it will look better.

The onus is on him as the one with the experience to know his business. He should know cars and know pretty much exactly how long it will take and therefore, how much it will likely cost. If he gets it wrong then it’s HIM who pays for his inexperience, NOT you!

Finally, YOU should understand what the car or item could be worth best case if restored to pristine condition. Check www.Hi-Bid.com for an accurate up-to-the-minute guide as to what collector cars are fetching on the open market.

Figure out what you already have in the car and ask the restorer what it is likely to cost to bring your car to #1 condition, if the numbers don’t add up, you may well be better simply selling your car ‘as-is’ and buying one that someone already has made the mistake of restoring so you can buy it from them for pennies on the dollar.

FACT:
Did you know it can easily cost $15,000 to paint a car the size of a GTO convertible today? And that doesn’t include any accident damage or rust repair. A good restoration shop will strip the car back to bare metal, take all trim and glass off, remove the hood, trunk doors and soft top, reset body panels if necessary to ensure gaps are correct then they paint it, so you’ll never know it’d ever been painted, no tape lines, no overspray no unpainted surfaces. Of course once you have nice shiny paint, all the bright work that didn’t look bad at all before now looks like hell, as does the glass, the rubber gaskets and just about everything else, and on it goes - welcome the restorer’s trap!

Very few cars are going to make you money once you restore them. Usually it’s only the rare and unusual types of cars - you know the ones I’m talking about, they’re the pile of bits found in a barn in Italy that someone mysteriously pays $100,000 for at auction and you think he’s crazy? Well 3 years later when you see him and his investor buddies drive on the 18 th green at Pebble Beach smiling, it’s because he’s most likely made himself a million dollars even after the costs of restoration/recreation have been deducted.

Most of us don’t have that kind of money to play around with toys but, no matter what car interests you, if you have the budget, you are always going to be better off buying a car that has already been fully restored, providing you know it’s been done right. (If you are not sure use a inspection group like www.AutomobileInspections.com to check it out.) You’ll get to use and enjoy it from day one and providing you take good car of it, the worst that can happen is it will gradually depreciate over time as it ages. Remember that the only real problem with buying a fully restored car is terms of it’s condition there is no where to go but down - It’s kind of like getting old, you can use wrinkle creams and stay our of the sun to try and slow the process but there is nothing you can do to halt the ravishes of time. Once a car has been restored and then used on the street for any length of time, there is no way to turn back the hands of time, meaning you cannot buy the car and clean up the parts that have begun to show signs of age and make it a #1 car again - all you can do is drive it, care for it and enjoy it and eventually after several years it will likely be in rough enough shape and the values would have appreciated enough to warrant you spending the money to tear it apart and fully restore it all over again. Which I believe brings us back to where we came in.

Jeff Webster
CEO / Buyer Services International LLC

Article from the ConsumerAffairs.com

By Lisa Wade McCormick
ConsumerAffairs.Com

October 10, 2006

A clean, clear title.That’s what Lee W. of San Bernardino, California thought his 1998 Corvette had when he bought the sports car two years ago. It’s also why he paid $18,000 for the vehicle.

Lee says he felt confident spending the money because the Internet company CARFAX checked the Corvette’s title and history.

“The CARFAX report stated the car’s title was clear and clean and had never been in an accident,” Lee says, adding he paid CARFAX about $20 for the vehicle history report, which checks for salvage titles, flood damage, odometer rollbacks and other problems. “My report said this was a nice, clean car.”

When Lee registered the Corvette, though, he discovered the CARFAX report was wrong. His Corvette was a “stolen recovery” vehicle with a branded title.

“The car was stolen in Virginia,” Lee says, adding a state inspector uncovered the theft when he ran the Corvette’s vehicle identification number (VIN) in the National Insurance Crime Bureau database. “I told the inspector I ran a CARFAX when I bought the Corvette, and he said this information should have been flagged on that report.

“The car now has a branded ‘restored/salvage’ title, which depreciates its value by $3,000-$5,000.”

Lee sold the Corvette last month, and disclosed this information to the new buyer.

“The price was going to be around $20,000, but I had to sell it for about $5,000, he says. “CARFAX cost me thousands of dollars.”

CARFAX Cost Seller Thousands

Michael W. of Atlanta, Georgia, says CARFAX also cost him thousands of dollars too. He didn’t get ripped off buying a car, though.

He says he lost $5,000 when he traded-in his 2003 Jeep Cherokee.

“The dealership pulled a CARFAX report, and it showed that my Jeep had been severely damaged in an accident, had to be towed, and was unsafe and a possible salvage according to their definitions,” Michael says. “None of that was true. My vehicle was involved in an accident, but it was not totaled and I had no trouble driving it to the body shop.”

Michael says he immediately contacted CARFAX about the inaccurate information.

“I sent them a 32-33 page report with the body shop records, pictures, names and numbers of the technicians who worked on my car, and the name of my insurance adjustor. But CARFAX refused to change the report to correctly reflect that information.

“CARFAX is a rip-off,” Michael says, adding the dealership gave him thousands of dollars less then he wanted for his Jeep because of the CARFAX report. “The company is out there saying ‘buy our report and protect yourself when you buy a used car.’ They claim to give out accurate information, but they don’t. They’re giving out erroneous information. They’re spitting our garbage and it is costing people millions of dollars.”

Similar CARFAX Complaints

A ConsumerAffairs.Com investigation reveals that complaints like these about CARFAX are not uncommon.

We’ve received scores of complaints from used car buyers and sellers nationwide who say CARFAX duped them when they bought or sold a used vehicle.

The complaints are two-fold:

• Car buyers: They ran CARFAX reports when they bought used vehicles, which showed the vehicles had clear titles. But they later discovered the vehicles were previously wrecked, stolen, had rolled back odometers, or some other undisclosed problem.

• Car Sellers: They discovered CARFAX had inaccurate information about their vehicles and the company refused to correct the erroneous data. That inaccurate information, they say, cost them thousands of dollars when they sold their vehicles.

The Most Trusted Source?

CARFAX claims it’s the “most trusted provider of vehicle history information.” The Virginia-based company also brags that its database has more than four billion records — from 8,000 public and private sources.

But we learned CARFAX does not receive any records from perhaps the biggest source of information about wrecked vehicles: insurance companies. CARFAX, however, still touts that its records are “relied on by millions of consumers each year.”

Should consumers rely on those records?

Can they trust CARFAX to protect them from buying a previously wrecked, totaled, or flooded vehicle? Or a vehicle with a rolled back odometer?

Consumers, car experts and attorneys we interviewed say the company’s claims are false and misleading. They also say CARFAX reports are riddled with errors and don’t provide the trustworthy information promised.

Even the fine print on the bottom of a CARFAX report admits the company’s records aren’t 100 percent reliable. That disclaimer states “CARFAX DEPENDS ON ITS SOURCES FOR THE ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY OF ITS INFORMATION?.NO RESPONSIBILITY IS ASSUMED BY CARFAX OR ITS AGENTS FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THIS REPORT.”

Prior Damage

“It’s a useless service that provides no value to anyone purchasing a vehicle.” That’s how Mike H. of Sound Beach, New York, describes his experience with CARFAX.

Mike relied on a CARFAX report when he paid nearly $30,000 for a 1999 Corvette.

“I paid $25 for a CARFAX report, which stated the Corvette had never been in an accident,” he says. “And I purchased the car based on the information provided to me by CARFAX. That was absolutely a key decision when I was buying this car.”

But Mike later discovered his Corvette sustained rear-end damage in a previous accident.

“I had some cosmetic repairs done on the car, and in the process the body shop removed the rear bumper,” he says. “There’s supposed to be foam that goes behind the rear bumper that’s about 6-10 inches thick. When the body shop guys removed the rear bumper, they found that only one-third of that foam was there. So my Corvette was in a rear end collision.”

Mike says that undisclosed damage cost him $5,000 when he sold the car.

“I tried to sell it for $26,000, but no one came to me with any serious offers because the car had been previously wrecked,” he says, adding he told prospective buyers about the damage. “I sold the car for $21,000.”

Mike says he learned an expensive lesson from this experience: “Trust your car mechanic and not CARFAX.”

Odometer Fraud

Pam R., of Rockville, Indiana, says she’ll never trust a CARFAX report again.

Why?

The CARFAX report on the 2001 Chevy Cavalier she bought her 16-year-old son didn’t disclose the odometer had been rolled back.

“When we bought the car on May 12, 2005, the CARFAX report said its actual mileage was 61,547,” Pam says, confirming that’s what the odometer read at the time of sale.

Ten months later, Pam received a recall notice about the ignition switch in her son’s car. And that’s when she discovered the odometer fraud.

“We took the car to a local Chevy garage and the mechanic said ‘did you know the mileage doesn’t match what’s on your car.’ I asked him how that could be and he said someone rolled back the odometer (before we bought the car.)”

Pam asked the garage to pull all the car’s maintenance reports.

“Those records showed the car’s mileage on May, 14, 2004 was 63,000 when it went in for roadside service,” she says. “How could it have 63,000 miles a year before we bought the car? Somebody, somewhere, rolled back the odometer because the mileage was 61,547 when we bought it in May of 2005.”

Pam contacted the dealership and CARFAX, but says they refused to help.

“The dealership told me they wouldn’t roll back the odometer and said I had to contact CARFAX. But all CARFAX gave me was the run around. No one there would get back to me.

“I think I was lied to when I bought this car,” Pam says, adding she still owns the Cavalier. “I’ll never pull a CARFAX report again. I thought odometer fraud was a crime. Why didn’t it show up on my report?”

Angry Sellers

Michael C. of Glen Cove, New York, wants to know why — and how — false information about his 2000 BMW 328Ci showed up on a CARFAX report.

That inaccurate information, he says, made it difficult to sell his car.

“CARFAX stated that my car had three different mileages and each one was less then the previous one,” he says, adding he’s the original owner and has all the maintenance records. “The CARFAX report also claimed the car had a possible mileage tampering problem. I now have prospective buyers stating that I messed with the odometer.”

Michael says he lost thousands of dollars when he sold his BMW because of the erroneous CARFAX report.

“I was finally able to sell the car, but at a much lower price — $4,000 less — than what I was asking,” he says, adding CARFAX refused to correct the false mileage information about the BMW. “I came across similar complaints regarding CARFAX and how the reports contain many errors. This has cost many people the potential sales of their cars.”

Previous Accident Damage

That’s what happened to Susan S. of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

She says it took her months to sell her 2001 Dodge Dakota — and many potential buyers backed out — because CARFAX erroneously showed her truck was in a serious accident and might be a rebuilt wreck.

“The truck is in mint condition, it’s been scrupulously maintained, and has never been in an accident of any kind,” Susan says, adding she’s the original owner. “I have a dealer inspection to prove the truck has never been in an accident. I also have records from the local township, county, and state police department, and the state of Michigan.

“We sent all these records to CARFAX, but we couldn’t get them to remove the false information,” she adds. “They maintain their information is accurate, but they refuse to divulge the specific source of that information so I can correct the erroneous record.”

Susan says she finally sold the truck, but for thousands less than the asking price.

“It brought in $3,000 less because of the inaccurate CARFAX report,” she says. “And that doesn’t include the hundreds of dollars we spent on newspaper ads trying to sell the truck or the amount of time we spent gathering records and going back and forth with CARFAX.”

Susan sums up her experience with CARFAX in one word: miserable.

Buyback Guarantee

Consumers we interviewed also say CARFAX refused to honor its much touted buyback guarantee.

That guarantee promises to reduce the risks of buying a used car — and protect consumers from “unknowingly buying a used car with DMV-reported incidents (salvage, fire, flood damage, odometer problems or lemon history).”

But we discovered it’s not much of a guarantee at all.

On its Web site, CARFAX says it “may buy the vehicle back for the full purchase price” if consumers discover a specific type of DMV-reported incident with their car that was not listed on the original report.

But the guarantee has several restrictions and it doesn’t cover all branded titles.

Many consumers say it’s just a hoax.

Remember Lee W., who discovered his Corvette had a branded title — one that didn’t show up on his original CARFAX report?

“I filed a claim with CARFAX stating that I wanted to take them up on their guarantee, but they said I didn’t qualify. And they wouldn’t give me a reason why.”

“CARFAX falsely represents what it does,” Lee adds. “They’re not honest and they don’t honor what they say they’ll do. They claim to provide a vehicle’s history, but when their records aren’t accurate, they won’t honor their guarantee. I feel this is fraud.”

So does Pam R., whose CARFAX report didn’t reveal the odometer had been rolled back on her son’s Cavalier.

“When I tried to get CARFAX to honor its buyback guarantee, no one there would get back to me,” she says. “CARFAX wouldn’t even acknowledge my claim.”

“Utterly Worthless”

Nationally recognized consumer attorney Bernard Brown, who specializes in car fraud cases, says CARFAX’s guarantee is “utterly worthless except to mislead the public.”

The Kansas City attorney warns consumers to read the guarantee’s terms and conditions and pay special attention to everything that CARFAX excludes.

The guarantee, for example, does not cover salvage titles that are issued because of theft.

That’s what happened with the Corvette Lee W. purchased, and may be the reason CARFAX didn’t honor his claim.

“How many times has CARFAX paid out on its guarantee,” Brown asks. “Why did it pay those claims? And how does that number compare to the number of CARFAX reports sold?”

A “Smattering” Of Records

Brown’s criticism of CARFAX goes far beyond the company’s buyback guarantee.

His biggest gripe — from a consumer protection standpoint — is the vehicle history information CARFAX provides. Or, in many cases, fails to provide.

“Consumers shouldn’t even think about relying on CARFAX to tell them if their used car has been wrecked or the odometer has been rolled back,” he says. “If they think those reports are likely to tell them if their car has a problem, they’re wrong.

“From our extensive experience, I’d say that 9 out of 10 times, if a car dealer is offering a car for sale — and that vehicle has been wrecked — that wreck won’t show up on a CARFAX report.”

Brown says CARFAX only has “a smattering” of vehicle history information — not the extensive records it claims.

And it’s missing what he considers the biggest pool of records about previously wrecked vehicles — insurance company claims.

“If you wreck your car and your insurance company pays $10,000 to fix the vehicle, your insurance company won’t report this to CARFAX,” Brown says. “So how would CARFAX know that your car has been involved in an accident? It won’t and this information won’t show up on a CARFAX report.”

Brown also says information about salvage titles doesn’t automatically — or instantly — appear on CARFAX reports.

“There are delays between the time a state issues a salvage title and when that information is reported to CARFAX,” he says. “Eventually the company may get that information, but it may be a year.”

He adds: “The fundamental issue is that you have a business that says ‘we have all the information in world’ when it only has a tiny fraction of the information that’s available. This is a great misleading of the America public.”

“A Greater Harm”

The president of a nationally recognized used car inspection company is even more critical of CARFAX.

“I think CARFAX represents a greater harm to used car buyers than all the odometer fraud and flood-damaged vehicles out there,” says John Adams, president of Auto P.I. Used Car Inspections in Austin, Texas.

“Carfax spends millions of dollars getting people to buy their reports on the assumption that they have great information … that they’re all things to all people. CARFAX even offers a money back guarantee. If I’m a consumer, I’m thinking this the greatest thing since sliced bread.

“But the dealerships know this is not true. They know CARFAX does not have any type of accident information … but they make sure every car on their lot has a CARFAX report in the window.”

Adams says consumers shouldn’t waste their money on a CARFAX report –especially if they want to find out if a used car has previous accident damage.

“I would say 99 percent of CARFAX reports are in error,” he says. “Those reports don’t have any accident information.”

To illustrate his point, Adams recalls an inspection he did on a Ford Mustang.

“We discovered the front of the car had a different VIN number than the back of the car,” he says, adding those identification numbers are located on different parts of a vehicle. “In other words, the front part of the car was from one Mustang and the back part of the car was from another Mustang.”

The Mustang’s owner ran the two VINs through CARFAX. And both came to back to cars with clean titles.

“Neither CARFAX report showed the cars had been in an accident,” Adams says. “The CARFAX report said each of those VINs went to cars with clean, clear titles.”

“An Indispensable Tool”

A spokesman for CARFAX defends his company’s reports saying they’re “an indispensable tool for consumers to use.”

But Chris Basso, media relations manager, says his company never advises consumers to rely solely on a CARFAX report when buying a used vehicle.

“We never tell consumers that CARFAX reports are the end all, be all,” he says. “Our reports are a valuable tool, but that’s one of a three-step process. We advise consumers to get a CARFAX report, take a test drive, and have the vehicle checked out by an independent mechanic. These steps provide the best protection for consumers.

“We never say that CARFAX has all the information out there about a vehicle’s history.”

Basso, however, says his company has more than four billion records from 8,0000 sources, including all 50 state departments of motor vehicle and the District of Columbia; the Canadian Motor Vehicle department, auto auctions, repair shops, rental agencies, and some police and fire departments.

“We receive two to three million records a day on average,” he says. “And we’re constantly looking for new sources of information to piece together vehicle history information. The number one thing for consumers is the DMV information. Consumers can rest assured that they (the DMV’s) will know if a there’s a salvage or junk tile that’s been reported on a car.”

Basso acknowledges his company doesn’t receive insurance company records, but downplays that gap in its database.

“There are incidents that happen everyday that aren’t reported to anyone,” he says.

Basso says he “absolutely disagrees” with anyone who says his company’s records are not accurate. And he emphasizes his company’s buyback guarantee protects consumers who pull a CARFAX report with inaccurate information.

How many times has CARFAX honored that guarantee?

“Since we introduced the program more than two years ago, we’ve bought back nine vehicles,” Basso says, adding the company pays up to 110 percent of the vehicle’s Kelley Blue Book value.

Basso also claims his company doesn’t ignore consumers who say CARFAX has inaccurate information about their vehicles.

“Those consumers can contact us through our Web site (www.carfax.com),” Basso says.

CARFAX only responds to customer service questions through e-mail and its employee are supposed to answer consumers within eight hours. “If we identify a record that needs to be corrected, we’ll correct it. Sometimes it’s human error … a digit off on the mileage. We’ll research the issue and we verify with our sources.”

Basso also says his company encourages dealerships to pull CARFAX reports for their customers.

“This builds trust and confidence with buyers,” he says. “We’re here to provide information to dealers and consumers so they can make good decisions when buying a used car. We’re an independent third party, but we’re also a consumer advocate.”

“The Biggest Purveyor Of Unverified Automotive Information”

Consumers who contacted us say CARFAX isn’t an advocate they want on their side.

“One can’t believe anything on these CARFAX reports,” says Sandra M., of Sarasota, Florida.

Paul B., of East Meadow, New York, calls CARFAX “the biggest purveyor of unverified and unknown sources of automotive information on the planet.”

Kansas City attorney Bernard Brown says CARFAX has mastered the art of selling half-truths.

“CARFAX gets consumers to pay $20 for a report that’s supposed to prevent them from being cheated. But they’ve already been cheated (because the information will likely be inaccurate). And based on that inaccurate information, CARFAX convinces consumers to spend more money — in some cases thousands of dollars — on a car that may have serious problems.”