HELP ! Trisll Sports Cars have sold me a vin switch

[goodtogo]

A sorry story here I'm afraid.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche- ... witch.html

I have posted this on the bird as a central thread, looking for advice on what my rights are, if any, and whether anyone else has experience in this sort of thing. I will be updating the thread as time goes by and hopefully as matters progress.

Of course a big problem I have is being in the UK whilst the dealer is in Alabama in the US. Does anyone here have any experience in pursuing a US dealer through the UK legal system, specifically whether any subsequent judgement can actually be enforced in the US ? I am aware that the US have very different consumer protection laws to the UK.

[kitesurfer2]

Better tell the whole story on here as Pelican appear to have pulled it.
Friends of Trisll Sports Cars?

[hot66]

read it earlier briefly .. so in summary , thought you bought a 65 car .. tuned out to have had a 65 vin stamp welded in place of teh shells original vin stamp.. all other shell no's point to the shell being a 67S , but fitted with a normal 67 motor , yet the dash trim etc etc was '65

Previous owners of both the 65 vin and 67S vin tracked down .. non report either as being stolen ?

Did the dealer know is the question I gather ?

[kitesurfer2]

And dealer washing their hands by saying "Sold as seen"
Says a lot about the US dealer.

[merbesfield]

This is very disappointing. I have contacted them once about a 930. Makes me want to steer very clear. Suggest your post more info here for all to read. Maybe also the Early911sregistry.org

[barryb]

Hi

Better tell the whole story on here as Pelican appear to have pulled it.
Friends of Trisll Sports Cars?

Smells of legal action by the garage.


Barry

[Berny]

With lots of years in the motor trade I have quite a number of vin nos re stamped or welded in but I dont think I have ever seen one like this where no attempt was made to cover the underside, but looks as though it was done some time ago. interesting!

[ken c]

You don't seem to have much luck. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=38166&p=300601#p300601

This is a shocking tale and far worse than the blue 68L, which as far as I recall did turn out to be a matching numbers car, even if the auctionhouse wasn't as upfront as it might have been about its history. I cannot believe that it is legal for a dealer to completely misrepresent a car and then hide behind "sold as seen", even in America.

[Mike]

'Sold as Seen' has no basis in law, no matter how many pieces of paper may have been signed with that at the time.
The car has to be as described, anything else is misrepresentation.

Now it's down to how big your wallet is for the legal fees.....

[goodtogo]

Now it's down to how big your wallet is for the legal fees.....

Mike

That is the crux of the problem that you have identified and that is what I am deliberating on !

I also spent a lot of time thinking about should I just flip the car on. If you think about it there were apparently a whole load of early Porsches nicked and cloned, esp around LA in the states (google the film 'No man's land'). What happened to all of the other cloned cars where surely a lot have survived and been restored ? Caveat Emptor.

Anyhow I decided against it, after all - your integrity is like virginity - you can only loose it once.

At the end of the day I take the view that the car is a product of its time with a story to tell and isn't that what a lot of true classic car buffs are interested in ?

Pelican thread is back up as a strictly anonymous thread. Please don't anyone post anything on there that will blow the dealers identity and ruin it.

Tim

[210bhp]

My advice,

Save all the heartache and grief and stress and sleepless nights worrying about it.
Put it down as one of life's lessons.
Spend all the money you would pay lawyers into building the sweetest little hot rod this side of the pond.
Document the build. Be totally open about what you do to the chassis.
Make no apology for the switch in vin numbers.
Call it the little ba$tard if you like.
Turn all the worry into something positive.

The car will never be what anyone wants it to be, an original 65 or a 67. So turn it into something beautiful and desirable even as a vin cut car. Paint it a wicked colour. Fit a hot engine.

Otherwise your life will turn into a series of knots which will do your health and well being no good at all.

Regards
Mike

[goodtogo]

Mike

From a pragmatic perspective that is sage advice.

However from the heart and wallet perspective..............

I have been reasonable, more than reasonable, throughout this sorry saga and tried to agree a deal with the dealer, where they paid me SOME compensation and I would have happily kept the car and done something along the lines you suggest, even spent £5,000 so far with an Alabama Attorney to try and get there, but no deal.

Its just the injustice of it and the dealers tack that if they stonewall me long enough I'll give up and its that attitude that I can't stomach.

I've met some brilliant people so far in my 'quest', can't give up now, but thanks for the advice.

Tim

[Mike]

^^^ Wise words from 210bhp.

[KS]

Indeed. Let's face it, if every Carrera RS owner looked in detail at his VIN number, he might not enjoy his car quite as much...

[goodtogo]

Indeed, I believe there are 3 times the number of genuine RS's in existence than genuine RS's that left the factory.