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WWCRD: Family member buys my car? With a twist...


zeitgeist57
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So I just came home from seeing my folks for Christmas. My aunts and uncles were regailed by the story of my Lincoln I bought in November by my proud parents until we got there. During the course of my stay, I was mentioning my intent to sell it in the spring, on account of the great deal I got and the great condition the car is in.

 

My father then asks what I think I could get for it. I mentioned a figure commensurate with what I saw the market looking for similar-condition 1978 Lincoln Continentals, to which he said "I'll give you the money if you KEEP IT." Bewildered, my older brother (single, dentist with an RS4 who lives in Virginia) said that he'd split the bill with my father. :eek: Thinking that it was just a passing thought, I didn't say anything until they brought it up again yesterday, when my dad and brother were leaving: Pops mentioned again "When are we going to do the deal on the Lincoln?" To which I said I wasn't even thinking of selling until the spring; we've got time to iron the money out.

 

Now, I know it seems like an awesome deal: family members pay you to keep a car in the family...but I have to admit I feel uncomfortable about the deal:

- I do love the Lincoln, but I wouldn't mind selling it and looking at another Land Yacht (2dr- or 4-dr HARDTOP has always interested me) some point down the road. Albeit for more money most likely...

- What if I had problems with it and wanted to dump it? Would I have to give my brother and dad their money back?

 

Curious what CR thinks...

 

TL;DR - Family wants to pay me to keep my car "in the family". I feel a little uncomfortable being married to a deal I may want out of at some point.

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Keep it as long as you want or until you see an opportunity to give it away to another family member (someone looking for a car to restore, you'd be the favorite uncle/cousin), besides, it's paid for. In the mean time, enjoy it and maintain it as well as you can. Please, don't give their money back at any rate, it's a token or a gesture; the car could become something of a memento.

 

Come on, Clay, snap to it! This is a generous, family-based, likely one-in-a-million offer. Now, give the Lincoln a rather endearing name with a reference to your Dad and brother.

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Since you're soliciting opinions...

 

If it cost the price you posted in your other thread, I wouldn't take their money for it. Keep it for a while, when you get a little more interested in selling, bring it back up to them. They could have been caught up in your story, and the holidays. It'd be a weird deal but maybe tom is right in the end.

 

I'd urge you to think with your heart on this, as financially it's an obvious yes.

 

Good luck. Maybe propose trade for the rs4?

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Take the money and invest in fixing the car up and then give it to your dad. sounds like he has some serious interest in it.

 

Gerg started drinking early today, or he has dried out enough to come up with this gem.

 

This idea will have the best outcome.

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Greg's idea is fantastic. I'm guessing your brothers investment offer is more for your dad and not his own interest. Take the money, do some restoration/restomods, but don't mention any of it to your dad, take it back this time next year and give him the keys.
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Take the money and invest in fixing the car up and then give it to your dad. sounds like he has some serious interest in it.

 

^ This x100.

 

Take their money and let them know the car is theirs too. Use said money to fix up the car, and when you're ready to move on from it, simply leave it with your dad.

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Sounds like maybe you sold them on it a little too hard and they want you to be able to keep something you like when you aren't as attached to it as they think. Wasn't the deal with your wife that you could buy it now if you sold it for a profit this summer? So it's one of those 2 things, either dad loves the car or he thinks you do. So much so he's willing to pay $. If they like it so much they want to invest a little into keeping/making it nice then that's cool too. Clean it up, leave it with dad, enjoy them feels.
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Let your father have it. Seems he has an interest in it, he may enjoy it more than you would.

 

Take the money and invest in fixing the car up and then give it to your dad. sounds like he has some serious interest in it.

 

We specifically discussed that my dad (lives in Cleveland) has no room for a huge Lincoln in my parent's 40's-style house in an older neighborhood. Years ago, Pops lusted after an Austin Healey 3000 Mk II, but other than that he's never really been interested in cars...

 

Every "fun" car I've gotten (from my Corvette to the BMW to the V...) he's never shown an interest in driving. Honestly, I think the gesture is to take the incentive of selling it for a profit off the table so I will keep it. I really don't think he specifically wants it.

 

So, that said...even IF he really liked it (which would be a shocker to me) - I'd still be taking the money, fixing the A/C and treating some of the areas of surface rust and keeping it maintained for him to use whenever he felt the desire. It would certainly be "HIS" car.

 

Since you're soliciting opinions...

 

If it cost the price you posted in your other thread, I wouldn't take their money for it. Keep it for a while, when you get a little more interested in selling, bring it back up to them. They could have been caught up in your story, and the holidays. It'd be a weird deal but maybe tom is right in the end.

 

I'd urge you to think with your heart on this, as financially it's an obvious yes.

 

Good luck. Maybe propose trade for the rs4?

 

100% agree this is what happened. I would've chalked it up to the wine and good feelings had ne not brought it up again when they were leaving. I deflected for now but will certainly bring it back up to him at some point in the future.

 

RS4 is a phenominal car but I love my brother for just having it for himself. He keeps it shiny, parked in a climate-controlled garage, and occasionally drives it but VA/DC traffic is insane. Whenever he gets bored with it down the road, I'll be interested in buying it. I have a feeling he's going to keep it for a long time.

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Don't take the money. At least don't take it without understanding why they want to do this. It maybe that you oversold your excitement about the car to them and they think they are giving you a gift by buying the car so you can keep it, where as you may just be excited at the prospect of the flip whereby taking their money does you no good.

 

If you take the money you may have to keep the car for a long time to avoid hurting their feelings. Something tells me that while everyone is having fun right now nobody is going to really enjoy being married into that car for the next 5 years minimum, and didn't you want a convertible land yacht anyway?

 

I don't think you are hurting for money so this doesn't seem like they are making you a loan and taking the Lincoln as collateral to help you out of a bind. It would be a much clearer situation if that was the case.

 

Here is how I would approach it with them: tell them that although the Lincoln is a great car, you would really like to put the money made off its sale into something a convertible 60's Impala or suicide door Lincoln and when the time came if the wanted to help out with that then you can have the discussion. Tread lightly because even though they are family, questioning their motives even a little may hurt their feelings and you don't seem to want to be trying to extract more money either - just decline and leave the door open for them to do something nice at a future date.

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If I got another car after selling the Lincoln, it'd be more along the lines of a 2dr/4dr hardtop, rather than a convertible land yacht; older car maintenance is a pain...adding a complex and obsolete top mechanism to something that's going to sleep outdoors in the sun and snow makes me nervous.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cadillac-DeVille-Deville-calais-eldorado-coupe-/311510077385?forcerrptr=true&hash=item4887728fc9:g:yZsAAOSw~otWecgL&item=311510077385

^^^Look at this monster...right here in Columbus!

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Take the money and invest in fixing the car up and then give it to your dad. sounds like he has some serious interest in it.

 

 

I had a similar thought as this.

 

Take the money, but stipulate that it will be for the 'upkeep' of the car. So if a major repair is needed then you will use that money to repair/upkeep the car. If it gets to the point where the money surpasses the cost to fix and upkeep, they know that you will look to sell at that time.

 

Get everything out on the table now, so there are no surprises in the future. Eventually, this 'could' get passed on to another family member if it starts to nickel and dime you to death if they REALLY want it to stay in the family.

 

Just get all the expectaions out in the open, so there is no family feud in the future.....sound like a cool brother and dad to have.

 

P.S. me wants RS4 :)

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Take their money

Hold the car for 4 months until spring

Sell it in spring

?????

Double Profit

 

 

 

Kidding- I'm on the keep it, fix it up with some of the money and either gift it or know you have a bad ass car for a really small investment. Tell your wife to get over it. :)

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Years ago, Pops lusted after an Austin Healey 3000 Mk II, but other than that he's never really been interested in cars...

 

New idea. Take the money, save it, sell car in spring, then use combined funds to buy your dad this:

http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/austin-healey/mk-ii/1798811.html

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If I got another car after selling the Lincoln, it'd be more along the lines of a 2dr/4dr hardtop, rather than a convertible land yacht; older car maintenance is a pain...adding a complex and obsolete top mechanism to something that's going to sleep outdoors in the sun and snow makes me nervous.[/Quote]

 

Older American car maintenance is a breeze if you have the right car. The Lincoln is a bit of an orphan so it's not quite so easy and you do have to contend with things like the holocaust of several generations of mice behind the dash, but compared to what you had to do on your BMW this year - forget it. I'll take an old car any day.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cadillac-DeVille-Deville-calais-eldorado-coupe-/311510077385?forcerrptr=true&hash=item4887728fc9:g:yZsAAOSw~otWecgL&item=311510077385

^^^Look at this monster...right here in Columbus!

 

No. Just no. I dig old luxury tugboats too but there is no market for four doors, esp rusty ones. 2 doors are where it is at. Also, old convertible tops are a bit like erector sets in their simplicity. Seriously it's nothing to even remotely be worried about. Your beemer's top is like a piece of the freakin space shuttle compared to the top on my buddy's 1967 firebird. If I could redo the top on my old E30 you can handle a 60's American car top.

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Sounds like your dad is now a partner in the purchase. This is a similar story with my 78 vette, when it sells he gets his share of the profit. Regardless, it sounds like your dad likes it and wants to keep it in the family.
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