Intermeccanica on EBAY

Speedster Friends,
Please look at this item on EBAY. Item number: 2432786982 It is advertised as an IM but in looking at the photos that seems to be incorrect. Add says built in '98 by another company. Henry did sell a coach model, but all the interior was completed before shipping (I think). I lighted the interior picture and it definitly looks to be a VW pan car. Could be an older IM that was restored using other manufactures interior. I guess. If Im wrong, Im wrong. But I hate to see some one buy something that is not what it is sold as.

I sent a letter to the seller asking him the questions, I am not as tough as our consumer advocate, Jim, but I did ask for a pic of the ID plate.

I guess with Ebay it can be anyones guess.

It's absolutely without a doubt a Vintage Speedster. I met a guy locally who was driving a Vintage. He was sure it was an Intermec, even after I pointed out all of the things that made it a Vintage and not and Intermec, he told me that the dealer in LA said it was an Intermec.

Everything about the interior of that car is from Vintage, seats, dashboard, carpet kit, door panels and the floor is absolutely a VW pan.
-=theron

The auction has been "ended early because of an error in the listing."
Theron & Dale are so right - this is a Vintage all the way. The listing even said it was registered as a VW, which makes the "tube frame" claim pretty questionable.
This could be a car dealer who has no idea what he's selling. Sounds like "the copy" he used regarding the frame came straight from Intermeccanica's website.
Kind of distressing, though, how much misrepresentation there is on Ebay.

Hey,

Who took my ad off E-Bay! The one for the IM? (IM standing for I Mean it's a VS)

Jim

(Ps, John, got your pic! What a funny photo!)
(Message Edited 9/19/2003 9:35:14 AM)

I'm still doing a slow-burn over the degree of difficulty there is in reporting these transgression to eBay and their lack of concern...
My gripe goes to the core of fair play and I guess I am just plain naive.
MM

I dropped an email on Henry last night right after my post. He contacted the seller. The sellers response to me is below, Henry is on it:

Yes, this is an intermeccanica, however, there is an error in the listing and I will be relisting the car.

The car was built in 1998 (or at the least, rebuilt), but is a 1978 chassis. It was traded to us as a 1998 and after some research (and some good questions from people like you) we figured it out. The build decals are 1978 and 1977 (two tags, so I don't know which to believe).

I admit my ignorance in knowing these cars but also hope that it is not done "poorly". I was contacted by IM and will be talking with them today to get the real story on the car. Probably should have done that in the first place, but needed to get the car listed as I was traveling. Thanks for the info.

***
His comment to Henry was that he put it on a lift and suprise it did not have the frame. He said "I hope we were not Duped"

If it is an IM, then it was entirely rebuilt with Vintage Parts.
-=theron

Dale, is there a difference between "duped" and "du-ped" ?
just wunderin!!!!

Gclarke

I don't know, but change the 'd' for an 'st' and change the 'e' for an 'i' and guess what?

Ron

There was an original 356 Coupe from a California back yard recently, advertised as a project car on E-Bay. At the time, it was bid up to about $4,000 on the U.S. E-Bay site. Simultaneously, the same car was being "sold" in Europe on E-bay Germany, by a different seller, with an initial bid of $10,000 plus, same photos and everything...
Maybe they expected to win and flip it in Europe? As the desk sergeant said, "Let's be careful out there..."

I e-mailed the seller regarding the authenticity of his description and he sent back:
"The speedster is an IM, just vintage 1978, not 1998. Was traded to us and represented as a 98, so hence the description of the tube frame, but it is not. It is a pan frame, 1978 IM which was built in 1998. We apologize for any problems and thanks for the headsup...."
A '78 IM built in '98?? Looking again at the pics, I noticed the speedometer was on the right (VS puts 'em on the left). However the dash leather does not touch the leather on the door tops (large gaps at the windshield posts) which is how the VS interiors are done.
It's not completely an IM or a VS...perhaps a kit from one or the other with parts from whomever??
This is a job for Magnum, P.I.

John:

My speedster was a '78 IM that was built in 2000. The coach kit was bought in '78, stored until 2000, and then assembled.

If you look at the top on the Ebay car, it is obvious it is not a tube frame IM. I know Henry would never put on a top that fits as poorly as that one, and a '98 car probably would have the original top.

Bob
>>>
(Message Edited 9/20/2003 11:54:27 AM)

The car is now back on Ebay (Item # 2433723113 ) with an ammended description. The "buy-it-now" price is $20k, which is not a bad deal for a car set up like this.
(Message Edited 9/21/2003 8:15:16 AM)

John,
Is Bob moving in on "detective Bolts" territory?

John:

Just call me 'Harry Crumb, Small Town Dick'

Figure that one out ;-)

I don't know Bob, the other Ron may just have a field day with that one! That's what we call a slow pitch, and right across the plate too...
the other, other Ron

Bob, is that small, town dick, or small town, dick? If it's small town, dick, is it that you're from a small town or you have a small dick. If it's the former, moving would be in order. If it's the latter, then phone Dr. Stubbs.
Ron

Yeah you two repro whatevers! .... oh, you aren't talking about me are you Bob?

To anyone other than you two reprobates, that moniker might mean something of high literary significance ;-)

Okay. In an effort to terminate this ridiculous thread, Harry Crumb was a small town detective (dick), played by the late John Candy, one of my favourite comedians. He wasn't Magnum, P.I., but he always solved the case.

Bob
(Message Edited 9/22/2003 10:25:05 AM)

Hi guys,

I am the guy with the speedster in question. I have been on the phone with Henry and have confirmed that this is in fact an IM speedster circa 1978. The hinges on the hood and deck lid are cast with the IM name and the foil plate on the door jamb is intact. When the car was built in 98, the owner had many "upgrages" (and I use the term loosely) which changed some of the interior (i.e. gauges, etc.). The picture of the top is with the top just laying there since we didn't know how to put it on properly and it had never been put up. I hope that I addressed all concerns.

If you have any other questions, feel free to give me a call to discuss (the number is on the ebay site) or shoot me an email.

Thanks,
Mike

Mike:

Thanks for the explanation. My 1978 was also a recent build, and had the Intermeccanica name on the hinges and the foil build plate on the driver's door jam. Also, thanks for explaining the look of the top.

Looks like Harry Crumb, small town dick, solved another one :-)

Re-pro-bait...I wish you wouldn't use those big words, Bob. You know how they confuse the other Ron

Non repro Ron

p.s. Damn, I miss John Candy. I loved this guy on SCTV!

Ron

Yeah, I hate it when guys use big words when a diminutive one will suffice.