I need some advise from legacy Americans on a hilarious situation

[Kyiv]

My leased vehicle that I've purchased out and sold to Vroom will be gone in a very short while, so I'm in the process of looking for a salt season beater. I've already taken a look at a 3 cars (08 Accord V6, 07 Avalon, 03 Bmw 3 series) to get an idea of what's out there and for how much.

Today I was going to go look at a supposedly mint condition, zero rust, 1 owner 09 Lincoln Town Car (don't laugh). I've conversed with an old guy on the phone yesterday twice, trying to make an appointment. It went smooth, but I couldn't make early morning time, then he was going off to a funeral, and by the time he returned home it was already to late for me to drive over to him, as it was getting dark. We agreed I'd call him tomorrow before noon to set up a new time.

So I called him half an hour ago. He gave me his address, and then he asked "where are you in Hudson?". "about 3 miles from downtown, in north eastern quadrant", I responded. He then tries to narrow down where I'm. I'm guessing in order to estimate how far away I am, and to give me directions to his place , because that's what some old people do. So he asks something like: "are you north of 303" or "are you closer to 8". Those type of questions .



Naturally, being in my mid 30s, only living for slightly over a year here, and totally using Waze/Google maps for every single drive (or just driving on autopilot on familiar routes) I don't know any of the highways and freeways numbers. Even the 480 freeway that I drive on 4 times a day, 5 days a week, if you ask me what's the number of the freeway - I won't know it of the top of my head. I just know my way to it from my house . I literally only know my street's name. Everything else I just plug into the navigator, always!

***Anyways! After telling him I don't know local highway numbers, all I know is that I'm 3 miles from downtown Hudson going north, he gets extra suspicious, accuses me of being a scammer, babbles some story about fiascos he has had before, tells me he's going to trade the car to a dealership instead, not to call him anymore and hangs up! Now, I have a bad Russian accent and, coupled with my different-from-American way of conversing + modern day topographical cretinism, I totally understand this grand pa .

Wife says all of us (me, her, our 2 kids) should to just drive over there (he gave me the address before getting triggered) and just knock on the door and that'll do the trick. I'm thinking of asking my American neighbor to call in and vouch for us in a proper "American" .

What do you, legacy Americans think? I am really entertaining an idea to maybe buy his car

 

[ace10]

From a native American's perspective, I think he was trying to vet you. After the fact.

 

[daantjie]

You might get shot buddy...

 

[sheward]

Unfortunately, understandable. I would drive over to meet and explain. There is a very good chance that it will result in a mutual understanding and possibly a relaxed purchase, provided you like the car.

drew

 

[JC220]

I would get a american buddy on the phone and go over then introduce yourself properly. In this day and age of so many scams who knows what the guy has encountered I would get there in person and it will be fine.

 

[Duh_Vinci]

I'm trying to put myself in that situation, it's almost movie like scene I'm envisioning!

I'd drive up with the family, and let's hope he is friendly?

 

[Sam SL]

I would focus on an Avalon.

 

[gerryvz]

I agree. Buy a Honda or a Toyota.

 

[JC220]

I have had similar situations to this when I have bought a couple of my cars from England by phone.

The people can be very suspicious about someone with a weird accent wanting to buy their car and especially when not being able to do so in person!

It's takes alot of patience but eventually if they don't hang up they understand you are genuine. Conversely the trust needs to go both ways as for example my S600 seller tried to derail the sale after I paid him by not answering phone to transporter etc..lots of sleepless nights over that one I'll not forget.

 

[Jlaa]

So I called him half an hour ago. He gave me his address, and then he asked "where are you in Hudson?". "about 3 miles from downtown, in north eastern quadrant", I responded. He then tries to narrow down where I'm. I'm guessing in order to estimate how far away I am, and to give me directions to his place , because that's what some old people do. So he asks something like: "are you north of 303" or "are you closer to 8". Those type of questions .


Naturally, being in my mid 30s, only living for slightly over a year here, and totally using Waze/Google maps for every single drive (or just driving on autopilot on familiar routes) I don't know any of the highways and freeways numbers. Even the 480 freeway that I drive on 4 times a day, 5 days a week, if you ask me what's the number of the freeway - I won't know it of the top of my head. I just know my way to it from my house . I literally only know my street's name. Everything else I just plug into the navigator, always!

***Anyways! After telling him I don't know local highway numbers, all I know is that I'm 3 miles from downtown Hudson going north, he gets extra suspicious, accuses me of being a scammer, babbles some story about fiascos he has had before, tells me he's going to trade the car to a dealership instead, not to call him anymore and hangs up! Now, I have a bad Russian accent and, coupled with my different-from-American way of conversing + modern day topographical cretinism, I totally understand this grand pa .

Personally, I think if the older seller told you his address, it would have been a good idea to give him your own address. Both sides express a bit of vulnerability (and consequently sincerity) that way.

Wife says all of us (me, her, our 2 kids) should to just drive over there (he gave me the address before getting triggered) and just knock on the door and that'll do the trick. I'm thinking of asking my American neighbor to call in and vouch for us in a proper "American" .

What do you, legacy Americans think? I am really entertaining an idea to maybe buy his car

To be totally frank, if someone called me and I gave them my address ... and what I got back was no-address and accented English, I would decline any further contact as well. I am sure you meant really well, but perhaps the user interface was not a match. That's okay, live to learn and move on to the next interaction.

Also to be frank, if I declined further contact and that person then showed up at my door ......... I would be ........ I would take the necessary precautions to ensure my safety as I would presume any uninvited person showing up to my door is not up to any good.

PS - I agree with the sentiment above - a front wheel drive Avalon is your friend. With an Avalon, you can get by with all season tires in the snow in northern Ohio. With a car like Town Car ... you probably want a set of snow tires. Its a pain in the butt to constantly switch the tires/wheels back and forth, even if you have dedicated wheels for the snow tires. This is because you never know how much into the spring you should be driving with your precious snow-tire rubber --- lest you wear all that precious snow-rubber-compound away on dry pavement.

 

[Kyiv]

Alright! So I took a chance and showed with my whole family. It went great! Cherchez la femme! It was his wife that spooked him. She found it odd that I did not know highway numbers around me and told him to cut it off .

Anyways, he apologized several times throughout the visit. Ex navy man in his late 70s, who served on a submarine and thereafter was a professional diver for 30+ years. We've had a 30 minute genuaine talk about "life and the meaning of being". We asked questions, he talked. Time after time I come to realization that pre and early boomer generations are more in touch with the common sense then later ones. I get a similar whiff from @TerryA posts.

As far as the car. In my estimation, Lincoln Town Car is a Land Cruiser 100 in a sedan form. Well at least sort of. It drove very solid and surprisingly modern (as much as that's possible). But, fakkkk, the 1 and only owner, who was seller's father in law, was a 400+ lb man who commuted in that thing between his Florida and Kent, OH residences 2-3 times a year.... with his golden retrievers. You can imagine the interior. It's a pig's and dog's den on wheels .

Exterior-wise and mechanically it's 95/100, as it should be for just about all 156,xxx highway miles. Engine compartment looks like it's from a new car on dealer's lot that's been sitting for a few months, waiting for a buyer.

After that we went and test drove 07 Avalon again. It has 217k miles, but transmission shifts smooth and interior Is A- for it's age.

 

[Kyiv]

Also to be frank, if I declined further contact and that person then showed up at my door ......... I would be ........ I would take the necessary precautions to ensure my safety as I would presume any uninvited person showing up to my door is not up to any good.

That's the price of a large city + multiculturalism combo . Out here, in northern middle/upper middle class suburbs of Akron, OH (were grand pa selling Lincoln lives) it's pretty homogenous and generational (who the hell voluntarily would move to Akron, OH?). Most of the interactions are between "nice" people of similar cultural backgrounds. When he opened the door and saw us, he beamed as we were his long-awaited nephews, before I even opened my mouth. The only other Ukrainians he has, seemingly, ever met was one of his neighbors who was a nuclear engineer on Chernobyl station, so I had a good start

 

[Gatorblue92]

Bummer about the nasty interior. The Ford Panther platform is pretty bulletproof and would make a great winter beater.

 

[gsxr]

Not sure I understand the problem. Just do this... skip to 3:30...