7
months ago we blogged about prepping our jeep for sale and now we want to share
the drama of a story with all its twists and turns. Some of you probably
thought we were out of our mind and wanted to slap us every time we told you
the newest drama. And some of you know our jeep from Hawaii and are snickering.
Its ok, I laugh too when I think about the temperamental beast. I’m certain you
thought it would never sell but made for great gossip and to secretly laugh at our
expense. I would laugh if it was you…haha! In September a broker who we’ll call
Sam (all names changed to protect the ridiculous) contacted us in search of an
engine for sale, for his customer in Tahiti. Oh what a perfect home for the
jeep. Once an islander, homesick and ready to live the good life again where it
can rust away in paradise. He came and looked at the jeep as we were not
selling the engine alone. What an easy sell, he loved it and was
contacting his buyer in Tahiti to send the funds immediately. Since the money was coming internationally it
would take at least 10 days as it jumped from bank to bank and exchanged to
American dollars. Each week we
heard "the money is on its way" but no wire number was ever provided.
A month went by and we had lost hope that it would sell but at the same time
didn't really care because its so much fun to drive. The rumble of the 383 stroker engine is enough
to get the heart pumping and the grin going. And the head turning cat calls on the street
is unreal. Then the buyer from Tahiti got a hold of our email address and
started asking questions about the jeep. We answered politely until he
wanted to purchase parts for the jeep and have them shipped to our address for
Dave to install. We thought for a moment
of charging him for the installation but it just seemed too fishy. The money still wasn’t here and why couldn’t
he install what he wanted after he bought it.
One of the items on the list was a mini chain link steering wheel. You
know the kind you see on a fuchsia colored Cadillac with a hydraulic lift on
the show Pimp My Ride. That’s where we drew the line! The jeep is no longer for sale, this is a
hoax, one of our friends must be pranking us for the last several months. Again,
the buyer went dark and we didn't hear from him for months. We then found out
his business partner was dissolving their partnership and he wouldn't be able
to purchase the jeep until he was free from him. The money months later was
still "on the way", longest wire transfer ever. Finally in February
the same buyer still wanting the jeep received the funds! Great, we are selling
the jeep! Happy dance!!!! The buyer had since moved from Orange County to Las
Vegas and we had moved as well so he was going to fly here and pick up the
jeep. Just when you thought 6 months later nothing else could stop the sell of
the jeep he got stopped at the airport by TSA for carrying cash on him in
excess of IRS requirements to report. They confiscated his cash! Yes, you
heard me right, he was at the airport ready to fly and buy when TSA took his
cash. (You can't make this stuff up right?) He had to hire a lawyer to prove
the money was wired and there was a paper trail and he won. However now the IRS
wants to audit the poor guy who just claimed bankruptcy recently and now all of
a sudden has a whole lotta cash in his pockets. When his money was
returned weeks later do you think they gave him his cash back? Of course not
which added additional days to clear funds again. So as not to go through
another adventure of having his money swiped again by the highly trained TSA
agents he got in his car at 4am and drove out to Los Angeles with no trailer
or transport service to take the jeep with him. Who drives 4 1/2 hours to buy a
jeep with no plan to take it with them? Oh! and the best part! The buyer in
Tahiti who wired the funds to buy the jeep isn't returning the brokers call and
is supposedly going through a divorce cuz his wife knows the other guys wife,
following me? So this man just bought a car with someone else’s money and is
unable to reach the buyer because his is not returning his calls. However, he
said he'd buy it from us because we have been working this deal for 7 long agonizing
months. Sam is a man who does business like they did in the old days on a hand
shake and a promise. So he bought the jeep and Dave drove it to Sam’s sister in
laws house and there it rests until it gets transported to Tahiti. Mahalo or
whatever they say out there!
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| Left: Grant in July when we put it up for sale Right: Grant in April when it finally sold to the originally interested buyer. |
