Found Chevy Express Van Access but...Need Advice ASAP

[keightley]

You all seem to have steered me in the right direction once.  I am hoping you can do it again.  

So I have found a 2003 Chevy Express with the Access Panel Package.  Woohoo!  I had a pre-purchase inspection done and all seems to have checked out.  There is a small oil leak that I am hoping will not be too costly to fix.  The guy that did the inspection was incredibly thorough and bent over backwards to do this inspection.  And there is where the but comes in...

The guy that is selling the vehicle is cautious... very, very cautious.  In my opinion he is so cautious it is a fault.  The van is located in LA.  I have so problem flying in to get it and driving back.  I thought I would make it a road trip with my roommate.  We would stop off in Vegas for a night for some fun.  Anyway, this guy refuses to give me his residential address.  If his vehicle is located at a business, he refuses to tell me that address.  When he sent me the picture of the title and registration, he whited out his address.  

In setting up the inspection, he did so without hesitation.  Yet he set the inspection to occur at a different location than his house or business.  Then he just did not show.  When the inspector called me to tell me, I called the seller.  No response.  I texted him.  Response... he accused me of being a SCAM.  I did finally convince him that I was not a scam.  In doing so I admit that I was pretty livid about the how thing.  There was so many things the seller could have done to verify who I was before just not showing up thereby wasting the money I spent for the inspection and for the inspectors time.  I did brow beat him... hard.  He obviously felt bad as he dropped the price from $4800 to $4000.  The inspection was then rescheduled for today at, of all places, the local police station parking lot.

So now I am at a cross roads with this guy.  Do I continue with this deal?  A part of me wants to keep looking yet a part of me thinks this head ache with this person will be worth it simply because of the access panels. I understand why the seller is cautious.  That is why I have not give up all together.  Philosophically I am see this as the birth of my new home on wheels.  The actual birth is horrendous yet in the end I will have something beautiful to mold into something more beautiful (to me that is... LOL).  

I think the major problem is that I just don't know how much it would cost to retrofit the access panels.  I mean... there are other cosmetic issues that I will need to deal with that could not be an issue with a Chevy Express that doesn't have the access panels.  It looks like if I want to perfect exterior I will need to replace the front passenger door.  There is a dent in it.  The radio speaker on the passenger side is not working; but I do plan on installing an awesome sound system... eventually.  The exterior paint is pealing in several areas, but I already intend to repaint whatever I buy.  Oh, and I should mention cause it is important, the inspector found no rust.  But he didn't pull up the cargo area covering so that part is an unknown.  He did get underneath the vehicle, inspected it, and took pictures.  He said he did not find rust there and the pictures confirm that to my eyes.

So I guess the question is... will retrofitting the van with access panels be more expensive than replacing the right front passenger door?  And do I take a chance on a guy that is so incredibly cautious.  

So what do you all think.  Should I keep working this deal or move on?

Keightley

 

[KathyC]

I would try to separate the issue with the seller from the vehicle itself. The seller may have been burned badly in the past and, as a result, is extremely cautious. Not sharing your home address is not unreasonable. And while not dismissing the fact that he didn't show up as scheduled, I would have zero problems meeting someone at the police station -- in fact, I'd welcome it.

I would say that, given the vehicle is 14 years old, the issues seem very minor (dings/paint/speaker). If you really, really want the access panels, I don't see any reason not to go for it.

 

[CautionToTheWind]

Right-hand door will be approximately $200 for manual or $350 for electric at salvage yard. http://car-part.com

Access panel van is VERY rare.

 

[hangtownmatt]

I'm surprised I don't hear more about side access panels.  I'd think they'd be very popular among van dwellers and contractors alike.  I've never seen one in person and never advertised as a feature on a van for sale.  Pretty rare it seems.  Other than a loss of storage space to keep the view what are the negatives?

Matt

 

[akrvbob]

I wouldn't let his fear stop you. Remember, our society does everything possible to keep us afraid so we are docile, he is just more susceptible than most of us to that brainwashing.

I have one friend with the opening side panels and he went through the same ordeal of buying it in another state from a guy who made it hard. That friend has NEVER regretted everything he had to do to get it.

 

[werdstrave]

Hey all,

I'm also in search of the illusive access panels. Does anyone know if you'd be able to purchase a chevy passenger van with windows and buy the access panels from a GM parts dealer and put them in place of the windows? Sounds like it would be doable, just wondering if anyone knows if it can be done or if they have done this. Thanks!

Drew

 

[breeze]

You all seem to have steered me in the right direction once.  I am hoping you can do it again.  

So I have found a 2003 Chevy Express with the Access Panel Package.  Woohoo!  I had a pre-purchase inspection done and all seems to have checked out.  There is a small oil leak that I am hoping will not be too costly to fix.  The guy that did the inspection was incredibly thorough and bent over backwards to do this inspection.  And there is where the but comes in...

The guy that is selling the vehicle is cautious... very, very cautious.  In my opinion he is so cautious it is a fault.  The van is located in LA.  I have so problem flying in to get it and driving back.  I thought I would make it a road trip with my roommate.  We would stop off in Vegas for a night for some fun.  Anyway, this guy refuses to give me his residential address.  If his vehicle is located at a business, he refuses to tell me that address.  When he sent me the picture of the title and registration, he whited out his address.  

In setting up the inspection, he did so without hesitation.  Yet he set the inspection to occur at a different location than his house or business.  Then he just did not show.  When the inspector called me to tell me, I called the seller.  No response.  I texted him.  Response... he accused me of being a SCAM.  I did finally convince him that I was not a scam.  In doing so I admit that I was pretty livid about the how thing.  There was so many things the seller could have done to verify who I was before just not showing up thereby wasting the money I spent for the inspection and for the inspectors time.  I did brow beat him... hard.  He obviously felt bad as he dropped the price from $4800 to $4000.  The inspection was then rescheduled for today at, of all places, the local police station parking lot.

So now I am at a cross roads with this guy.  Do I continue with this deal?  A part of me wants to keep looking yet a part of me thinks this head ache with this person will be worth it simply because of the access panels. I understand why the seller is cautious.  That is why I have not give up all together.  Philosophically I am see this as the birth of my new home on wheels.  The actual birth is horrendous yet in the end I will have something beautiful to mold into something more beautiful (to me that is... LOL).  

I think the major problem is that I just don't know how much it would cost to retrofit the access panels.  I mean... there are other cosmetic issues that I will need to deal with that could not be an issue with a Chevy Express that doesn't have the access panels.  It looks like if I want to perfect exterior I will need to replace the front passenger door.  There is a dent in it.  The radio speaker on the passenger side is not working; but I do plan on installing an awesome sound system... eventually.  The exterior paint is pealing in several areas, but I already intend to repaint whatever I buy.  Oh, and I should mention cause it is important, the inspector found no rust.  But he didn't pull up the cargo area covering so that part is an unknown.  He did get underneath the vehicle, inspected it, and took pictures.  He said he did not find rust there and the pictures confirm that to my eyes.

So I guess the question is... will retrofitting the van with access panels be more expensive than replacing the right front passenger door?  And do I take a chance on a guy that is so incredibly cautious.  

So what do you all think.  Should I keep working this deal or move on?

Keightley

I just spent 5 years in LA, and thank goodness I'm gone. It's the biggest Craigslist site in the country I believe, and you can get the best selection of goods. But you also have the biggest group of con-men and professional sellers and resellers in the country. What I found after a lot of wasted time, going 200 miles in the N. CA mountains, renting a van (and trailer) for a motorcycle, and seeing a bomb bike that was not what was advertised or pictured in the ads:

1. the ad is only good if you catch the sell within a hour or two after it was posted (since everyone and their brother has already looked at it by now),
2. all sales are cash on site (some will not give you the address in 'advance,' so you might steal it, but yours sounds like they do not want recourse of action from a bad deal gone sour - i.e. ripp-off alert, DON'T take a chance imo and from my experience, and you'll be sorry!),
3. it is hard work to find ANYTHING in LA Craigslist that is not a pure junk rip off (times are real hard now), and 
4. the only way to beat the professionals and cons who have programs to scan the ads, is just look at EVERY ad for motorcyles, cars, etc... because the GOOD deals are usually put in WRONG by the seller which gives the small time buyer a chance (if they comb through ALL the ads per whatever you are looking for.) This means blowing a half day about twice a week (Friday's are a good day.)

O/w, I'd rather buy new or do without (** or in your case, just got to a junkyard - they are interconnected by the web now to find any part at 50% wholesale plus shipping.) 

Craigslist is a lot of work most people don't understand! And while it is a random chance you could get a good deal, in LA, it's a cold hard fact that you are not going to beat Professionals with programming aids and con-men who make their living on LA Craigslist. The good deals will not be found where they are supposed to be located since those are highlighted within a half hour. I was desperate twice, worked hard once, worked hard as hell once, and got lucky twice. Ymmv.

Good luck.

 

[Grizzly708]

Red flags fly for me on this for a couple of reasons. 
1) You will have no address if you need to contact them or have a lawyer contact them.
2) Flood damaged cars are being dumped on people in that area.
I would walk away from it myself.  There are several vans on craigslist in Spokane that are rust free and in good shape.

 

[John61CT]

#1 is exactly why CL is done that way.

Very likely *they* are the scammer, be ready to walk away, that price drop is a red flag to me. Might be stolen all you know, ask for the VIN before you spend another cent.

Title transfer and insist on making a DL copy, together at the DMV before handing over *any* cash.

 

[Minivanmotoman]

The fact he went to a police station makes him legit.
Address will be posted on vehicle title. Make sure his driver's license address match. Ask. Danger of flying in for a vehicle. Always a risk. Always better to deal local and in person with a detailed phone assessment of person and vehicle. If all goes well, progress to visit. If sketchy, hop to the next one.
Does he trust you not to be a scammer? Goes both ways.
Are those panels worth the risk, travel and expense over a solid local vehicle? Your call. I've seen them and they are cool but, worth it? Bugs, water sealing issues, insulation aspects, etc...

 

[John61CT]

Didn't realize the second inspection meetup had already happened?

Still sounds sketchy to me, but of course depends on the result of the inspection, put up on a lift, compression test etc?