With all of the snow we've had this winter across the lower 48 - look at snowpack maps and you'll see there's a whole lot of white stuff out there - we may be facing some record spring floods. It's not being alarmist, either, to think this way. It's just that this has been a tough winter, so far, so it pays to be prepared for what might be ahead.
What Might Be Ahead?
In the automotive world, there might be a whole slew of flood-ravaged cars that flood venues like eBay or Craigslist that look like super values but which are anything but.
Here's a true story (only the names have been changed to protect the participants):
A few years back, an truck wash systems upscale dealership in New England bought a car online at what looked like a super price. And, from the look of the vehicle - or at least the electronic look of the digital pictures - the vehicle looked just right. It gleamed and the exterior looked immaculate. So, did the interior - at least from the angles of the pictures.
So, it took a few days of the usual back-and-forth to get things accomplished, but the vehicle was finally loaded on a multi-car carrier and headed on its way from the South to New England. Actually, the first owner (before the dealership purchased the vehicle) seemed very hurried to get the deal done.
Little Wonder
People began asking questions about the whole deal because of the speed at which the seller tried to get things done and, although the people with the questions were pushed into the background, it didn't take long before they started asking those questions again when someone asked where the trailer was with the vehicle.
Well, a flurry of phone calls later, the transporter was located and the vehicle was located the next day the vehicle was dropped off and sent to the back shop for service before it was put out into the front line for sale. That was when the fun began and it was little wonder that people had questions or that the owner tried to ensure the sale happened rapidly.
There's Sand in that Car
Actually, all it took was a trip into the shop of the dealership and opening the doors and you knew something was wrong; new cars weren't supposed to smell like the bottom of mud-encrusted running shoe after moving through some deep ooze. Indeed, the problem was reinforced when you opened the trunk and it smelled like the bottom of a subway car or movie theater. To say it was rank, was putting it mildly.
That's when people started taking a close look at the interior of the vehicle and they asked the head of the detailing department to take a look at the vehicle. It seemed to some people that there had been several deep washings and carpet cleanings done and there was still an odor.
To make this deal even messier, when you looked closely at the interior panels, you could see the very faint outline of what looked like a high water mark.
Taking it a step further, the shop manager asked the technician to remove the interior door panels and they found a whole lot of sand behind the panels, along with what seemed to be plant matter and other ooze.
That clinched it, it was a flood car, damaged in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Indeed, a lot of dealers in that area tried to sell their stock privately - after extensive cleaning - to make up for their losses. They should have realized the factory probably would have taken the vehicles back as they were still under Certificates of Origin, not titles so they were actually still factory property and the dealers had taken loans out to cover the newly delivered cars. That the dealers tried to sell them under C Os rather than as titled cars, shows they tried to keep them in-brand, but sometimes they couldn't and so they did have to put the car on the road for 15 minutes to title it.
Rankly My Dear, That Car Still Stank
No matter how the seller put it, the vehicle was still rank and something had to be done about it. The first thing that was done was the seller was contacted and he did try to fight it. His theory was that since the dealership had taken delivery of the vehicle and that they vehicle's body was as described it was not the dealership's problem. Well, the lawyers got into it and after a lot of back and forth, including a special set of photos, there was little that the selling dealer could do but take the car back and pay damages. The vehicle in question, by the way, was selling then for well over $50,000 and the damages were based on the sale price.
No matter how hard they tried to get around the mobile car wash for sale facts of the matter the vehicle was a real "stinker" in the real sense of the word. The river bottom mud and sand that was caked where it didn't belong and the fact that it never had a chance to dry thoroughly gave the vehicle an odor that only a car shredder could love because no one would buy it.
That aside, there were too many other potential problems with the vehicle as mud,dirt and other bottom ooze were found:
The list could go on, suffice it to say that the more than100 photos sent to court with the paperwork convinced the judge and jury that there was mischief afoot and the sale was reversed. The dealer who sold the vehicle did try to find a way out of it, but the only way was taking the vehicle back and then paying off the debt.
What Does It Mean?
Like everything else, if a deal seems too good to be true it likely isn't. There's always a problem with it. For the average consumer it means that the words caveat emptor have real meaning or let the buyer beware.
Even auto industry experts were fooled, but not for long which brings us to the why of this piece and the why simply is this: once the spring floods hit (after the winter most of the country has had and with the cold as far south as it has settled, there's little doubt that spring rains and river ice dams will push rivers over their banks and into towns along major rivers where car dealerships are likely to be sited and this means that there could be many "great bargains" available with "just a little water damage."
Don't Believe It; Keep Away
If you run into a situation like this there's only one thing that you can do: walk away. No matter how good the deal looks from the outside if there has been water damage to a vehicle it will never be the same again, unless, the dealer takes the time to work out all of the problems beforehand.
The dealership will have to go through the vehicle from front to rear and top to bottom and will have to replace not only the carpeting and door panels, but also the upholstery and seating. The gauge clusters will have to go and be replaced and all of the wiring, relays and other electronic parts will have to go, including the special sound systems.
And, before all of the parts are put back inside, the interior of the vehicle will have to be washed down with a good bleach solution and then an anti-fungal/anti-mold solution. The bare interior should also be "ionized" for at least 24 hours with a special ionizing machine, available to detailing shops and then a final scrubbing and sterilization should take place. The next steps are:
Even More Work Needed
Although it may seem like everything's ready to rock and roll, it's not because you have to have the engine stripped down to the half-shafts and transaxle and all of the wheels have to be removed and cleaned correctly. The engine and brake work needed to finish this job correctly includes:
Costs Way Too Much
Do you notice a trend here? This is a very costly process. To do this properly, the dealer will probably have to invest at least twice the value of the vehicle so there goes any chance for "great deal." And, if you find this type of "great deal" you will be facing similar costs.
The bottom line here is this: if you find a deal that seems too good to be true, it likely isn't, especially if it looks like there's been a high tide in the car beforehand.
Flood Cars, Great Deals With a Catch, Sand and Mud With all of the snow we've had this winter across the lower 48 - look at snowpack maps and you'll see there's a whole lot of white stuff out there - we may be facing some record spring floods. It's not being alarmist, either, to think this way. It's...
What Might Be Ahead?
In the automotive world, there might be a whole slew of flood-ravaged cars that flood venues like eBay or Craigslist that look like super values but which are anything but.
Here's a true story (only the names have been changed to protect the participants):
A few years back, an truck wash systems upscale dealership in New England bought a car online at what looked like a super price. And, from the look of the vehicle - or at least the electronic look of the digital pictures - the vehicle looked just right. It gleamed and the exterior looked immaculate. So, did the interior - at least from the angles of the pictures.
So, it took a few days of the usual back-and-forth to get things accomplished, but the vehicle was finally loaded on a multi-car carrier and headed on its way from the South to New England. Actually, the first owner (before the dealership purchased the vehicle) seemed very hurried to get the deal done.
Little Wonder
People began asking questions about the whole deal because of the speed at which the seller tried to get things done and, although the people with the questions were pushed into the background, it didn't take long before they started asking those questions again when someone asked where the trailer was with the vehicle.
Well, a flurry of phone calls later, the transporter was located and the vehicle was located the next day the vehicle was dropped off and sent to the back shop for service before it was put out into the front line for sale. That was when the fun began and it was little wonder that people had questions or that the owner tried to ensure the sale happened rapidly.
There's Sand in that Car
Actually, all it took was a trip into the shop of the dealership and opening the doors and you knew something was wrong; new cars weren't supposed to smell like the bottom of mud-encrusted running shoe after moving through some deep ooze. Indeed, the problem was reinforced when you opened the trunk and it smelled like the bottom of a subway car or movie theater. To say it was rank, was putting it mildly.
That's when people started taking a close look at the interior of the vehicle and they asked the head of the detailing department to take a look at the vehicle. It seemed to some people that there had been several deep washings and carpet cleanings done and there was still an odor.
To make this deal even messier, when you looked closely at the interior panels, you could see the very faint outline of what looked like a high water mark.
Taking it a step further, the shop manager asked the technician to remove the interior door panels and they found a whole lot of sand behind the panels, along with what seemed to be plant matter and other ooze.
That clinched it, it was a flood car, damaged in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Indeed, a lot of dealers in that area tried to sell their stock privately - after extensive cleaning - to make up for their losses. They should have realized the factory probably would have taken the vehicles back as they were still under Certificates of Origin, not titles so they were actually still factory property and the dealers had taken loans out to cover the newly delivered cars. That the dealers tried to sell them under C Os rather than as titled cars, shows they tried to keep them in-brand, but sometimes they couldn't and so they did have to put the car on the road for 15 minutes to title it.
Rankly My Dear, That Car Still Stank
No matter how the seller put it, the vehicle was still rank and something had to be done about it. The first thing that was done was the seller was contacted and he did try to fight it. His theory was that since the dealership had taken delivery of the vehicle and that they vehicle's body was as described it was not the dealership's problem. Well, the lawyers got into it and after a lot of back and forth, including a special set of photos, there was little that the selling dealer could do but take the car back and pay damages. The vehicle in question, by the way, was selling then for well over $50,000 and the damages were based on the sale price.
No matter how hard they tried to get around the mobile car wash for sale facts of the matter the vehicle was a real "stinker" in the real sense of the word. The river bottom mud and sand that was caked where it didn't belong and the fact that it never had a chance to dry thoroughly gave the vehicle an odor that only a car shredder could love because no one would buy it.
That aside, there were too many other potential problems with the vehicle as mud,dirt and other bottom ooze were found:
- In the rear of the wheel wells
- On top of the transaxle
- On top of the dual exhaust pipes
- Inside the tips of the exhaust pipes
- Underneath the trunk carpet
- In the trunk side wells
- In the toolkit
- Behind the wheel covers
- In the front fender backs
- In the rear quarter backs
- Behind the bumpers
- Underneath the carpet
- In the door panels
- Underneath the seats
The list could go on, suffice it to say that the more than100 photos sent to court with the paperwork convinced the judge and jury that there was mischief afoot and the sale was reversed. The dealer who sold the vehicle did try to find a way out of it, but the only way was taking the vehicle back and then paying off the debt.
What Does It Mean?
Like everything else, if a deal seems too good to be true it likely isn't. There's always a problem with it. For the average consumer it means that the words caveat emptor have real meaning or let the buyer beware.
Even auto industry experts were fooled, but not for long which brings us to the why of this piece and the why simply is this: once the spring floods hit (after the winter most of the country has had and with the cold as far south as it has settled, there's little doubt that spring rains and river ice dams will push rivers over their banks and into towns along major rivers where car dealerships are likely to be sited and this means that there could be many "great bargains" available with "just a little water damage."
Don't Believe It; Keep Away
If you run into a situation like this there's only one thing that you can do: walk away. No matter how good the deal looks from the outside if there has been water damage to a vehicle it will never be the same again, unless, the dealer takes the time to work out all of the problems beforehand.
The dealership will have to go through the vehicle from front to rear and top to bottom and will have to replace not only the carpeting and door panels, but also the upholstery and seating. The gauge clusters will have to go and be replaced and all of the wiring, relays and other electronic parts will have to go, including the special sound systems.
And, before all of the parts are put back inside, the interior of the vehicle will have to be washed down with a good bleach solution and then an anti-fungal/anti-mold solution. The bare interior should also be "ionized" for at least 24 hours with a special ionizing machine, available to detailing shops and then a final scrubbing and sterilization should take place. The next steps are:
- Reinstalling new sound insulation and carpet padding
- Reinstalling all-new wiring looms and runs of wire
- Reinstalling all new under-dash electrical systems
- Reinstalling all of the gauge packs
- Reinstalling all control units and and heads, including climate unit controls and radio unit control head
- Installing the new headliner and door panels with the proper wiring looms installed
- Reinstalling all window controls, the window regulator and glass
- Installing the new center console and automatic PRNDL control as well as storage box
- Installing the new upholstery and seating
- Finishing the interior with bright work
- Ensuring it all works
Even More Work Needed
Although it may seem like everything's ready to rock and roll, it's not because you have to have the engine stripped down to the half-shafts and transaxle and all of the wheels have to be removed and cleaned correctly. The engine and brake work needed to finish this job correctly includes:
- Cleaning and rebuilding the engine piece by piece, including the transaxle, boots and constant velocity joints
- Cleaning and rebuilding the steering rack, as well as relubricating it, along with the idler arms and other control arms
- Cleaning and rebuilding the shock absorber towers and coil springs
- Installing new reservoirs for the coolant and power steering fluid, along with the proper new control lines
- Installing new brakes all around and insuring that the rotors and calipers are properly seated and working. This work also includes new brake lines an a new brake reservoir
- Cleaning and rebuilding, if needed, the heating, cooling and air conditioning systems along with the clutch
- Cleaning and rebuilding and reinstalling the front transaxle and transmission
- Testing the whole car to make sure it's ready to go
Costs Way Too Much
Do you notice a trend here? This is a very costly process. To do this properly, the dealer will probably have to invest at least twice the value of the vehicle so there goes any chance for "great deal." And, if you find this type of "great deal" you will be facing similar costs.
The bottom line here is this: if you find a deal that seems too good to be true, it likely isn't, especially if it looks like there's been a high tide in the car beforehand.
Flood Cars, Great Deals With a Catch, Sand and Mud With all of the snow we've had this winter across the lower 48 - look at snowpack maps and you'll see there's a whole lot of white stuff out there - we may be facing some record spring floods. It's not being alarmist, either, to think this way. It's...
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