Another ebay cock-up. That's not what I stipulated, just like the supersized photo's that aren't.

The German chap has been in touch and said pretty much the same thing...well not about the rocket science obviously. He is very affluent and buys lots of cars for his collection apparently. So I've probably pissed him off now, but that's what happens when my emails aren't responded to I guess.

Hello O-N....nice to meet you





Seriously I once sold an aks400 on Ebay. It went to a guy right the other side of France. I didnt understand it, he could of brought one the same without the hassle and cheaper in his own country. He contacted me immediatly after the sale and said he would be over to collect and we agreed a time. He duly turned up with a recovery truck, put the van on the back and was off around England to collect loads of stuff he had brought the same week. He paid cash on the day, and even gave me a bottle of wine, some cheese and some garlic !....some bonkers eccentric that was having a fantastic time buying stuff and even now he sends me an email occasionally just saying Hi, and has done nothing with the van.....it was 8 years ago !

However when I tried to sell a saxophone on behalf of a friend who was elderly and blind, the buy it now option was used (it was a cheapy and only £150) and I was then offered £7500 for it into my bank account from a Nigerian lady ....that annoyed me as I was trying to help someone out ....clearly a scam and I had to cancel the whole dam thing and go through it again

That happened to me with a £50 guitar I was flogging.

The £7 and a half grand bought me my two 2CVs and a fantastic family holiday.

***cough***

Years ago, long before evil bay, I advertised a Volvo PV444 in Exchange and Mart. It was a very early one, and rare, but it was also rusty and it hadn't run in living memory. And I described it as such. I advertised it for £1200 and thought I was pushing my luck, and I'd get knocked on price. A guy phoned up, asked for a verbal description and said he'd have it providing I could deliver it to London.

I wasn't keen and told him so. He then told me that if I delivered it to his lockup he'd pay me 3 grand, cash. He didn't have time to be there himself, but I'd find the money in a pile of old newspapers stacked up at the back of the garage.

This was a long time ago, and I guess I was more naive and less cynical then, but I figured what the hell? The most I'd lose was a tank of fuel; so I loaded the car onto a trailer.

I duly found the council lockup, just as he'd described and the door was unlocked. There was indeed a pile of old newspapers with £3k in between them. There was also a key for the lockup. I pocketed the cash, pushed the car into the lockup, locked it, shoved the key under the door as he'd asked and never heard any more....

There's truth in it John. But most of them have a talent. They might be musicians, unicycle riding jugglers, magicians or dope smoking computer fiends but they all have a talent -Artists all. It's the drunken 'wanna fight?' nutters that I grow weary of. Maybe that's why I attract them? Maybe I'm just as bad but don't like to admit it to myself?

Funnily enough I have far more respect for Europeans than I do British people. My wife lived in Dordrecht for three years and she introduced me to Holland. Such history! Especially in art, and very friendly people. I'm now very fond of the Dutch. Previously I had only been to Amsterdam (of course)

in 2009 we were in Brittany when the wife lost her purse, credit cards - the lot. We went to the village Police station to report it just in case, but the Police spoke no English. There was a couple of people in there already conversing in fluent French, and I asked them did they happen to speak any English? "Of Courshe" came the reply - They were Dutch! I think Europeans forget how piss-poor we British are at languages, although the wife then started nattering to them in Dutch so there was only me left feeling stupid.

I've never really taken to the French, but I suspect that's more my fault than theirs. Even so I respect their culture, and their kids are intelligent and polite which is like Britain was 40 years ago. They haven't gone down hill like us, or not as fast anyway.

I spent some time in Germany many years ago too, and I must say that I like the Germans a lot. I find their correctness appealing somehow. Which is why I was saddened to find that the German fella who bid on my car was offended that I had cancelled his bid. If only he knew eh?

I've decided not to look at the auction now until it ends on Sunday. What will be will be. If another winner baulks at paying up then I will keep it and most likely end up living in a cardboard box because of it. At least I could invite a few nutters round for a party.

tales of dodgy car shenanigans!

When i were a nipper my dad Bought a Granada estate - V6 brown metallic with a tan vynil roof. at a price that was too good to be true.

The drivers door card was never the best and the window kept snagging, one day it stopped working all together, dad took off the door card fixed the window then the car stood in the garage for 3 months before being sold...odd as it really was a mare getting my bike in the family garage never mind a Granada that was 2" shorter than the garage!

He revealed to me earlier this year that when he took off the door cards the door was packed with bags of white powder. If he took it to the Police then the car would have been seized and there would be one un happy former owner. So he tipped the stuff down the drain, then realising that the fomer owner may come looking for it he locked the car in the garage - waited for the shitstorm that never came and then got shot of it.

Sean you know the old joke about filling the car with petrol and doubling it's value?

Right. No one can ever say that I dish it out but can't take it. So here's another twist in the tale, and a very embarrassing one for me. In my defence all I can say is that having been messed about so often (and so recently) I had developed a low tolerance for messers.

The chap from Australia has contacted me and appears to be a very nice fella. He assures me that he is genuine, and I believe him. Here am I ranting about folk, and all the time they appear to have been no nonsense buyers. You've all seen what's happened so far, so who in all honesty could blame me for being wary? I just found it hard to believe that someone would incur such additional costs, that would make this 2cv very expensive indeed.

This sale has gone surreal. I need to re-examine my attitude, I've been surprised by this. The accountant bloke was right down my street, a suedo-respectable blagger exposed. The last two appear to be genuine honest men, and I've struck off their bids! What a world.

This is my first contribution to this thread. I just had to post and say what a wonderful communicator you are Old Nail, I don't agree with some of your sentiments but you are humble enough to admit it when you may have got it wrong. Some of your postings have had me in stitches. "What you see is what you get" kinda bloke.
Like most of us here, I'm really sorry you've had problems in selling your 2cv.
I found your blog, excellent restoration and excellent write up and it's honestly inspired me to start mine Good luck this time round.
all the best.

As for RHD 2cvs here in France I drove mine over here in 1975 and there was queue in the local bar taking turns to take it out for a spin a real novelty for them. Perhaps that's the interest for RHD 2cvs in France, a novelty (plus UK ones in good nick are a fraction of the price of French ones in good nick) I personally feel a true 2cv has to be LHD, as the original mini and moggie has to be RHD.

Old-Nail,
I hope you made allowances for the time difference in any correspondence with your antipodean 'contestant'.
From dealing with customers in that part of the world, there can often be a 12 hour delay in receiving a response, depending what time you've sent an email in their direction.

It can a bit of a b*gg#r if they decide to telephone you at 5pm their time, though...

ken