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I really agree with John!! If there is no title (and maybe even current
registration), I would not touch it. As to the cash requirement, carrying
$40,000 around is not prudent, when a stranger or his buddies know you are
coming into town with that kind of cash in your pocket.
Bob Brooke
JOHN SEIDTS wrote:
>
> *This message was transferred with a trial version of CommuniGate(tm) Pro*
> FORGET IT! Too much money for too little vehicle, and a squirrelly owner at
> that. Bide your time. The M8 is not rare - the M20 is.
>
> And if the owner is not conscientious enough to go to Broadway Title and get
> a title in his name for $145.00, I'd really be suspicious.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dean L. Kellogg, Jr <kelloggd@uthscsa.edu>
> To: Military Vehicles List <mil-veh@uller.skylee.com>
> Date: Tuesday, March 07, 2000 10:32 AM
> Subject: [MV] HELP! Reality check on M8 Greyhound Purchase
>
> >*This message was transferred with a trial version of CommuniGate(tm) Pro*
> >Hi Listees,
> >
> >I have need of your sage advice once more. I have been looking into M8's
> >for several months and have gotten some GREAT suggestions from
> >ya'll...(Doug Greville, Claude Vaughn, John Steids, Mel Miller, and more).
> >I have read loads on the vehicles and studied all the manuals I can get. I
> >went to College Station, Texas and inspected Brent Mullins M8 (NICE!). I
> >thought I had one last week, but I am not so sure now. SO....I need a
> >reality check on this......ya'll are learned....so....let me have it!
> >(fitting for the day after the Alamo fell!)
> >
> > Over the past 2 months I have been investigating an M8. It can be
> >viewed at http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Lane/9475/ (or I have more
> >photos if interested that I can email to listees). This is the story.....
> >
> > It is a 1943 model...(hull #6700). It was brought back to the US in
> >the early 1990's from Italy by a Mr. Allen Cors of Virginia and "restored".
> >It was traded to the current owner for a beautifully restored M5A1 Stuart
> >in 1991. The only modification was the conversion from the hydraulic
> >throttle to a "boat cable" system (not an uncommon modification that was
> >picked up by Doug Greville in a photo I emailed to him). It was repainted,
> >but was not sandblasted prior to this.
> >
> > I corresponded with the current owner and had him take 56 photos of
> >the vehicle (interior and exterior....though he did not take too many of
> >the interior despite my requests). The current owner characterized it as
> >restored with no mechanical problems and lots of extras. The owner had
> >"mechanically maintained" the vehicle and had done no further restoration
> >work. He said that he is getting older and wants to concentrate on his
> >Model T's. Everything was reported to be fine...not perfect, but fine with
> >the M8. No mechanical problems. The photos looked great...even Brent
> >Mullins thought it looked good from what he could tell in the photos.....SO
> >I told the owner that I'd take it if all checked out on a visit to
> >Kansas...which happened 3/4/99......
> >
> >THE FIRST REALITY CHECK:
> > SO, what did I find.....Well, it does need to be repainted. There
> >is some body filler in parts of the sand skirts. There are lots of modern
> >nuts and bolts on the vehicle. The brakes pull hard to the right when
> >applied. Shifting into second gear is hard. The gears do not clash at
> >all, but a lot of force needs to be applied to shifter in order for it to
> >go into gear. The other gears take only a "moderate amount" of force.
> >Break fluid was spilled from the brake master cylinder and it has blistered
> >most of the glossy white paint under the driver's feet and on the area in
> >front of the driver. The boat cable throttle works fine, but the
> >reservoir, elbow, and lower half of the throttle master cylinder are gone.
> >The hydraulic lines for the throttle seem to be there; however, there are
> >some cut hydraulic lines barely visible near the gas tank. The
> >transmission leaks loads of oil when it sits....a seal probablly. The
> >water pump leaks probably because of the teflon packing used in a rebuild.
> >There is some surfaace rust at scattered places around the vehicle that
> >should not be too bad to fix. It does not have the correct front bollards
> >and lacks the correct tow cable. There are some other minor issues, but
> >those are the main ones with the vehicle. It is an older "restoration". I
> >would really consider it more of a "motor pool" level vehicle.
> >
> >On the good side it has lots of extra parts. It has a working radio
> >(SCR-508) and interphone system (the wires for the interphone are modern).
> >It has a nice 50 and 30 cal machine gun set. It has all the extras for the
> >turret (37mm shells, etc.). In short it has good potential, but does need
> >the work as outlined above. I managed to argue the owner to....$40K. He
> >would not go lower.
> >
> >REALITY CHECK #1-does the above make you think that I am an Alzheimers
> >Patient or does this sound ok?
> >
> >NOW FOR THE SECOND REALITY CHECK.....
> > The owner never had a title for the vehicle.....so he has had a
> >friend write out a bill of sale and is using that to get an antique vehicle
> >title. It has always been insured, but never officially titled.
> >REALITY CHECK #2-does this sound ok?
> >
> >NOW FOR THE THIRD REALITY CHECK.....(saved the best for last)
> > After we agreed on the price, I went to pull out a check to put
> >down a 10% deposit with the rest to follow by cashier's check. The owner
> >stated that he will only accept CASH.....greenbacks....the real thing. NO
> >CHECKS OF ANY KIND. He stated that chasiers checks could be canceled by
> >the bank so he did not want that. He says that cash is how it is done in
> >the "old car" clubs, and that is how he wants to do it. He figures that I
> >show up with cash and just take the 7.5 ton vehicle.
> >REALITY CHECK #3-does this sound ok? Sounds dangerous to me.....
> >
> >SO...pour on the reality......I need your experience and advice... I am
> >really interested in getting an M8, but maybe this one is not it.....POUR
> >ON THE REALITY.
> >
> >thanks,
> >dean
> >
> >
> >
> >I
> >
> > ****************************************************************
> > * Dean L. Kellogg, Jr., MD, PhD *
> > * Department of Medicine *
> > * The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio *
> > * 7703 Floyd Curl Drive *
> > * San Antonio, Texas 78229-3900 *
> > * (210) 617-5311 FAX (210) 617-5312 e-mail:kelloggd@uthscsa.edu *
> > ****************************************************************
> >
> >
> >
> >
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