russo and steel chop job camaro copo

[HiHorse]

real-muscle-1, Post pictures of the terrible job on the hidden VINs, we would like to determine if in fact it is a rebody

[Drew Alcazar]

I may have used the NSF check designation too loosely. We typically refer to checks that are no good, for what ever reason as "NSF". You are correct, there is a significant difference.

The check was written, pending wire transfer on the next business day - Monday as per our bidders contract. A "Stop Payment" was issued by the buyer on this check.

Thank you for allowing me to clarify.

Drew

[Unreal]

As Xplantdad says: “For good or bad… Drew just tells it like he sees it” – to me that equals one thing: Integrity.

So it's OK to do whatever you want, as long as you are up front about it? So honesty and integrity are unrelated!! Now I get it.

[427king]

Im confused. Its illegal to rebody a car,but OK to sell it ONLY as long as you arent asking market value??

[AutoInsane]

Drew I think we all appreciate your candor and the fact you are willing to come on here and discuss the issue.

I would think you would be a bit perturbed that someone tried to pass of a re-bodied car at your auction. Apparently a Camaro that is well known in the hobby to be a re-body. When someone does that and they create negativity regarding the auction process that can potentially harm your bottom line.

I would think you would want to do what ever it takes to rectify the situation and make things right and not make statements that sound like "oh well, the buyer should have done his due diligence, not our fault".

Considering you are the purveyor of the merchandise I would think you would want to take responsibility for offering a quality no questions asked product. Isn't the first rule of retail: "The customer is always right" ?? I guess the seller is also your customer and I know you guys in the auction biz have some pretty tight relationships with guys who are big players in the hobby. It must not be the easiest job to be the middle man! But that, my friend, is why you get the big bucks!

I do think the buyer should have contacted you before doing any dismantling of the vehicle to speak with you regarding the situation and have gone forward from there.

[704EVER]

It's a terrible situation for all involved. I'm just surprised a collector with such a high end collection and so many cars would be turning this car over already after only owning it for 14 months. I always thought the big guys kept all there special cars.

[RamAirDave]

Many blame the "buyer" for not doing adequate research before buying the car. I can understand that.

However, if the seller (who knew nothing about its re-body status as Drew's opinion states) is an enthusiast/collector with "many, many cars, most well over the 6 figure range", then he should have researched the car as well when he purchased it at auction last year, right?

[427.060]

That's what I was thinking too Dave. Then again, maybe that's why he wanted to sell it.
james

[Racefan]

My question is this....SOMEONE out there performed an illegal act and got away with it. It seems that everyone is talking about it is the buyers fault or the sellers fault-- it really is the perpetrators fault. What is/can be done to track this back to the person who initiated the fraud?

Why not follow the lineage back to see who/where this thing was "restored" by?

I agree that the buyer has a responsibility to perform "due diligence". However, in this case someone (at some point) broke the law and made it a point to illegally mislead future buyers. Due diligence is checking to see if the VIN is a genuine COPO VIN, and it WAS (at one time atleast). It is a bit unreasonable in my opinion to expect the buyer to obtain information about illegal activites which were undertaken. Especially when dis-assembly was required.

It appears that Charley and Drew have a pretty good line of communication. Why doesn't Drew "float" these VINs by some of the accepted "experts" that I am sure he knows personally? Many from this site could have alerted R&S about this car just as easily as the buyer could have found the info. I would think this would make the auction house's lives much, much simpler?

[Charley Lillard]

I have heard from several people on this car. It was apparently built years ago by a guy in Toronto named Frank Macri ? Macri sold it to PhilS years ago. RichP listed for sale on this site for PhilS a couple years ago and I believe Mark Bulaw said he thought this sounded like a car out of Canada that was a rebody and that Macri used a very nice Z28 to build it into the car we are discussing. Phil then pulled the cowl panel and found where the vin had been welded. He did not pull the fender and heater box to confirm the other hidden vin. He sold it to Pat Joiner and told him of the suspected rebody and priced it under 100K to reflect the rebody issue. Joiner then sold it to Corvette Mike's but apparently they say they were not told about the rebody issue. I was also contacted by someone that owned the Z28 back in the early 70's that this COPO was made from and he confirms what I was told about the resto. PhilS tried to contact Macri after he found out but Macri would not return calls and it had been a few years. If anyone involved would like to chime in and clarify the stuff I just posted, please do. I am passing on info that I believe to be pretty close but if anyone has closer firsthand info please chime in so we can put this one to bed.

Someone should check for traces of a 4 speed shift hole. I remember mention of this from before but don't remember the details.


If I am wrong on any of this I will quickly apologise but I think I am pretty close.
As for Drew floating vins by experts he might get some info but who is going to hang their necks out to taint a car if they don't know firsthand. I know I don't need that kind of stress. I get enough crap here on this site because I seem to be the catch-all during disputes.