Craigslist FAIL: Know when to say when to alcohol, death when posting car ad

Craigslist ad offers you shot of whisky, mentions wife's suicide. Oh yeah, its a five-speed, want to shift gears? The photo alone says a lot about the nature of this Craigslist automotive ad. You know this can't end well for the seller or the buyer. Seriously? A line about a miscarriage and a suicide follows the photo of the 5-speed shifter wrapped in a Crown Royal bag. This should instantly give pause to anyone in the market for a used 1989 Nissan Maxima. The ad, which appeared on the hugely popular, classifieds website, Craigslist, is a reminder of the painful desperation that can be uncovered by scanning a few of the millions of CL ads from around the world. Consider this a lesson in car buying and selling. Don't try this at home.

Placing a Craigslist automotive ad is easy. Selling a car with a poorly written and photographed ad is nearly impossible.

New clutch, wife committed suicide, trade for guitar

The text that appeared with the photo and Craigslist advertisement for the 1989 Nissan Maxima is shown below. (Spelling and capitalization corrected slightly)

"Got an 89 kouki maxima, factory 5 speed, need something small, new clutch, fairly new tires (80% tread), clean title, no mechanical issues, will trade for anything japanese, rwd, manual transmission (really want a miata or a 240sx hatch). Will consider certain Hondas also. If its worth it, I have a Fender Strat Squier and amp to trade, if it is worth it... I just need something small because I had a baby on the way but it miscarried and my wife committed suicide shortly after and I don't need it anymore. will also trade for a small truck..."

Sad ad

  I'm sure the joy of shifting the Maxima's 5-speed manual transmission can never overcome the buzzkill created by this morbid Craigslist ad. 
  Don't worry if your having trouble selling a vehicle. There are millions of cars and trucks posted for sale on the internet everyday. Plenty of those vehicles remain unsold due to inept sellers. Junkyard Life has some surefire tips for you.

Bank on these Craigslist selling tips

1. Don't mention the death of anyone related to the ownership of vehicle you are selling.
2. Highlight the vehicle's positive attributes. (New tires, Excellent heater.)
3. Do not take unflattering photos of your vehicle. (Clean it, inside and out – remove bumper stickers, photos of your ex)
4. Don't focus on what you want. Think about what the buyer wants. Buyers want a vehicle that:

• Runs good – dependably.

• Gets good gas mileage.

• Looks good, no dents or mismatched paint.

• Smells better that a trash can.

• Has not been used in a crime spree.

• Is affordable (Note: this item may override all above wants)

Jody Potter
— Junkyard Life

Have you seen a kooky Craigslist ad? Know of a quirky junkyard that we need to visit?  Send emails to junkyardbull@gmail.com.

LOL Cars: Transformed Jeep Cherokee hides under Ferarri Testarossa body kit, ‘Miami Vice’

Transformer meets ‘Miami Vice’ in homebuilt tribute to the 1980s. Crockett and Tubbs may have taken a new job with the police department in Birmingham, Alabama. A co-worker called me and said 'you've got to see this car.' I grabbed my camera and headed to the street. That’s where I saw what used to be an ordinary, two-door, Jeep Cherokee Sport transformed into a Ferrari Testarossa, via a body kit and some bondo. Is a ‘Miami Vice’ reunion show in the works or was this the handiwork of a visionary craftsman. Really, don't laugh.

The famed ‘Miami Vice’-era Ferrari was inspiration for the Jeep-Testarossa.  

A closer look

  Think 'Miami Vice', their sleek, white Ferrari hopped up on steroids. The creator of this custom Jeep stayed true to it's Ferrari roots in keeping the slight angle extending over the rear flanks and onto a wrap-around rear wing. The Chrysler badge over the license plate is the crowning achievement. A Jeep badge would look out of place on this nod to high end exotics. The roof wings may be a bit over the top on this boulevard bruiser. At interstate speeds you may see this 4,000-pound Mopar-Testarossa take flight over Birmingham, Alabama.

Why ask why?

  If you ask yourself 'why', when you see a custom car, the builder will say 'why not?' Most of the time their passion and desire are only limited by money and skill. I respect the effort put into vehicles like these. I say build it, enjoy it and keep the custom car art alive.

  

Got wings and a cut-out in bumper for exhaust, also notice the Chrysler emblem over the tag? All about the details.

 

Hood vent and vinyl/fake 'vert top on this Jeep are clues that this is a one-of-a-kind creation.

 

Compare the real Ferrari to the Jeep-errari

  Instantly, you know the inspiration for this car. From 1984 to 1991, Ferrari built 7,177 Testarossas. All of them have since been repainted white in homage to the ‘Miami Vice’ hero car that Don Johnson drove, during three of the series’ five seasons (1984-1990), as detective ‘Sonny Crockett.’ The director of ‘Miami Vice,’ Michael Mann, had the two Testarossa's, which Ferrari delivered in black, repainted white, so it would have better contrast during the car's primarily night scene filming. 

  Oddly enough, I photographed a real Testarossa less than a block from the imitation Testarossa. Compare the images below and you can see that the Jeep's owner spent a lot of time and money on the imitation.

Jody Potter
— Junkyard Life: The Story Beneath the Rust

Real 1988 Ferarri Testarossa in white, of course!

Real 1988 Jeep Cherokee Sport with a Ferrari face lift.

New 1988 Ferrari Testarossa's listed for $102,000.

  

It took a labor of love to transform this Jeep into a Jeep-errossa. 

A flat 12 cylinder engine powers the Testarossa to speeds of 180-mph, while the Jeep's 4.0 liter, in-line, six cylinder fights to reach triple digits.

Know of a LOL car or a junkyard I need to visit or want to send me photos and info about a barn find, car or junkyard?  

Send emails to junkyardbull@gmail.com.

LOL Cars: Monster ‘dub’ rims for Halloween

Frankenstein rolls on monster dubs. You've seen 30-year-old donk, box and bubble Chevys transformed into flashy rides just by adding 22-inch chrome rims. Lately, the wheels have been getting scary big. 30s are the new 20s.  
  Look up and you will notice the bodies on these cars are rising. The latest 2-wheel drive monsters use a 6-inch, up to a 17-inch, suspension lift to raise the car above the enormous chrome wheels. These extreme lift kits cost around $2,500. Factor in another $10,000 on wheels and tires and the accessories quickly add up to more than the value of the car.

A Chevy Monte Carlo SS on monster dubs looks ready to crush cars on Monster jam. 

2-wheel drive looks like 4-wheel drive

Raising your box, bubble or donk requires money and courage. Like-minded car builders will marvel at your monster dub machine. But stares, chuckles and comments about the lack of 4-wheel-drive are sure to follow. 

Handling

The handling of a high-rise dub monster will likely suffer as much as a lifted truck on 35-inch tires. Broken suspension parts can make a mess out of lifted G-body in a hurry. I imagine roll bars and KC Lights will be the next step in the evolution of these monster dub machines. 

– Jody Potter, junkyardlife

A bubble Caprice with a suspension lift dwarfs a VW in downtown Birmingham.

1976 Pontiac Grand Prix on monster dubs.

That is the drive shaft connecting the tranny to the rear end.

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Email junkyardbull@gmail.com