If you know about this RS/SS 396 car, pls advise!

[davepl]

By the way, the ad says the car has a TH400. I'm not familliar with the differences in kickdown cables, but I'm guess this looks to have a TH350 from what you've said above.

The dealer has agreed that they owe me "something". When I asked them what the differnce was if they had to re-list the car accurately, he suggested maybe "one or two thousand". I (cough) said I thought it would be more than that, and that I'd get back to them after the weekend.

I paid $38,500 for the car. So the real question is what's a clone restored to this level worth if its not an X22, maybe not an original RS/SS, and has a TH350 instead of a TH400... ie, if you judge the car strictly on its merits of restoration and assume it was a 307 car when built.

[davepl]

So here's my current list of why the dealer, as an expert, should have known:

- Car has a forged factory trim tag falsely indicating its original status as an X22 - RS/SS 396 car
- Car appears to have a TH350 transmission. Advertisement for car indicated that it has a TH400, as all 396 cars would have
- Car is the incorrect washer pump; all real RS cars had a specific pump with provisions for headlight washers
- All real RS cars have headlight washers. From the photos, these appear to be missing
- All real 396 cars had a blacked-out rear tailpan; this car's was body color until the dealer repainted it black
- All real 396/325hp cars would have a return vent line to the fuel tank, but it is absent on this car
- Car may have the backup lights in the wrong location for a real RS, though its inconclusive from the photos
- Car has the wrong tachometer; all 396/325hp cars had a tach with a higher redline
- Car has no clock; all factory console-gauge cars with a tach should have a center clock in the dash
- Car appears to have an incorrect 1968 style intake manifold
- Car has a 1970 or later alternator bracket
- Car has the incorrect power steering pump for an original 396 car
- Car has an incorrect steering wheel, likely from a Corvette or full-size GM car

Can anyone add to the list?

[enio45]

For the money you have invested and the liabilty they should have, get your money back and get an attorney and DMV involved as well as the police....this should be enought of pressure that they give your money back and you find a real car...you will forever have to explain this tag issue if you are an honest person.

Others may have a different opinion....JMO

[davepl]

I plan to give them the choice of recinding the transaction (ie: cancelling the sale and refunding my money) or paying me an adjustment that better reflects the fact that now I've got a car that, if they had to relist, would have to be relisted as a car of unknown oringial status, with the wrong equipment, and a forged or missing trim tag.

I just don't know what the value should be... $28,500? NADA values are all over the map, as low as $16,388 for a standard V8 Camaro, which is all I know for sure.

[enio45]

JMO, mid 20's for the car if an adjustment is to be made, however, if that is the case and you get an adjustment, then the next owner that you try to get your mid 20's out of the car, will want a discount because the tag is not correct...and it continues. A big headache ....the car is beautiful in the pics...

[enio45]

At this point you have nothing to lose - get everyone involved starting with a lawyer. Worst case, you get an adjustment.

[davepl]

Spoke to the dealer this morning, and he offered to completely refund the purchase, which I think is a good offer. I said I would take the car for $28,500 (they originally listed it at $42,500, and I had paid $38,500). He said that have $37K into the car, but would refund $5000. I asked for $6000 back to make it $32,500. They mulled it for a while and agreed, on the condition that I sign a waiver indicating the vehicle was sold in "as-is" condition.

He seemed pretty confident that he could sell the car without the trim tag for $35K, which might be true. He's placing a lot of value on the fact that it has a 396 (numbers matching or not), but i've got a 396 under my workbench, so I guess I don't think of them as that valueable! Maybe I should starting buying 307 cars, sticking 396s in them and with $50 in badges from Year One, turn a profit :-)

In the end, regardless of what happened originally, I think these guys were pretty much a class act in their followup. They were polite, cordial, returned calls and answered emails, and of course, offered to revoke the deal at my choice. I'd have no hestitation buying from them again, though I'd place a lot less faith in the what the ad said and check things more closely on any car!

I've spent a lot of time researching Camaro values this weekend, and I think $32,500 is a decent price for the car. You can find them cheaper in rougher condition and you can pay a lot more to get numbers matching, but this seems to be a sweet spot.