This did cross my mind but any more effort expended for tampering would have been further used or mentioned as well to get the price downward. People with questionable ethics are too lazy in general.

Also to consider. Say I need a new battery. So I go test drive a car and switch batteries or whatever. Some idiots even try to break cars on so called test drives or want to see how fast it will go. Can leave you in a hell of a situation if they just leave a scene and you did not really even know who they really were.

My episode of the week. Told a young fellow staying with us that he could use the Honda 100 dirt bike when he got tall enough for it. Got it out of storage and it started and ran but not quite right as the needle valve was not closing tight enough.

So I told him it needs a laquer thinner bath to dissolve and burn the dried gas residue in the carb. So when you get back we can drain the tank and get some thinner into the carb.

When he comes home the bike is on a trailor. I asked him why. He said a couple of guys took the carb apart to clean it out. They seemed to know what they were doing. At this point he passes me a tube that they broke off inside the carb. This is just great.

We have moved on from a laquer thinner soak on an intact carborator to a probable major carb internal situation. All I told him was I would now get to the bike when I had time but if the tube is broken off flush with the casting another carb may be required. Plus the competent guys that tried to help you would not have a replacement gasket set on hand and we have no Honda dealers in our area.

Fortunatly when I looked up the parts layout of that carb it was the overflow tube they snapped off. May be fixable but will not know until I get In there. I did not want to over react and get the episode out of proportion. Even though it pissed me off somewhat. He meant well and had no intent plus he learnt something.

My cheapest out is a Chinese aftermarket carb from china for 22.95 including mailing. But I am concerned about the jetting and quality. There would also be no parts available for it. New Honda carb is about two hundred delivered. Other used Honda carbs are a bit of a crapshoot. Will cross that bridge when I get the original carb apart and if it is not repairable.

I have personally seen the battery theft on test drive job with the elderly neighbor, He usually calls me for any car help.

He says the car wont start, battery is flat. When I bring out the jumper cables I look at the battery and find an ancient everstart battery with fresh hand marks on it, cradle missing etc. I was the one who replaced his car's battery with a NAPA battery 6 months ago.

Then he tells me that as he was selling it a person took it for a test drive and when he came back the car wouldnt start.

How cheap can one get, stealing batteries??

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

I've seen a returned computer at Best Buy. It wasn't working because someone took out the CPU and returned it.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

After letting a "mild mannered school teacher" Test drive a restored MGB; I could hear his boy-racer antics 3 blocks away as he flogged & over-revved my poor pristine car with fresh rebuilt engine... Mr. Mild brings it back with smoking tires and very hot engine; frickin joyrider says he'll "think about it"...
Now I ride with prospective buyers to answer questions, and point out features & flaws and controls etc. They don't seem to mind, and appreciate the ride along. I leave them alone with their loved ones so they can talk about it after the drive. No pressure, I don't care if anyone buys my car; I just want them really want it.
I will discourage car/buyer mismatches. (Collector car, project or motorcycle for a 16 year old or clueless person) I don't want them calling me later complaining that I swindled them somehow.

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"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration...
don't Fail Us Now"

Um, I had a project car when I was 16-17 -- 16 year olds typically have more time than money, therefore a project is perfect for them.

As did I...however, common sense isn't too high in that age category.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

You give me a signed statement that I provide that says that there are no warranties expressed or implied.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

The parents would. I'm not sure if a minor could be held to understand such a contract.

Yep. Absolutely lesson learned here. We live in a small, rural town. Low crime, everyone-knows-you kind of deal. I guess we just didn't see the real world creeping in. Ah well. I had bolts that fit, and it looks like he just removed a hose clamp from the bottom hose of the radiator and drained it as one was missing. It's holding coolant just fine now and I can't see anything else wrong.

I don't know how many test drives I've been on, but I've never had the seller ride along with me. Sad that's what it's coming to.

My uncle had it happen with a battery and spare tire once.

Back in the 70's, someone took one of his cars on a test drive, and never returned. The car was found a few hours later on blocks in a abandoned parking lot missing the Cragars it had.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

I nearly always will take a prospective purchase to redline at least once to make sure the engine is sound. I have had several people get all pissy about it. I probably would ask permission to do so now to avoid such a reaction.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

THAT is fair enough. If he doesn't give permission, you either take it as is and bargain from there or walk. Crooks were EXACTLY why the dealership in town where I lived refused to work on cars and only for commercial trucks.

Guy comes in, flogs the car on the dyno, it breaks and he blames the shop for reckless handling.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

^^ better him blowing it up testing it than you. I tend to like to do the testing for others, unless they seem very trustworthy. Even then, I am riding shotgun.

If it's got bad syncros (like my Jetta has), I don't want it handed back to me worse if they don't buy it.

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)