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One owner/all original Rant/question


Jeramy

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Disclaimer: the following are the ramblings of a middle aged man whose family could care less about his car obsession and are intended for discussion and to find others opinions not start a war or discord.There is much i do not know.

I have been vehicle shopping lately and that has led to the following.

Seriously? What does this affect and what are the parameters to be able to say it is a "One owner " car. Why does it even matter? That one owner car could have been beaten on and treated worse than any multi owner car on the street. I see people asking ridiculous amounts for heaps of junk because of the one owner, low miles,"all original" claim. Tired of listening to people that bought a car from their buddy who's uncle got it from his grandpa running around saying its a one owner car just because it makes them feel special. News flash , If you think that is a one owner car you are special sunshine.

If anything on the vehicle has been changed it is no longer "all original". see tons of vehicles claiming this with non stock parts in plain view on photos.

Honestly in my opinion unless you are the original owner and purchased it direct from the dealer your car is NOT one owner.once the money was paid and keys changed hands it became multi owner-ed whether you transferred the title in your name or not.

If it is not 100% stock with factory parts, minus wear items IE belts and brake shoes, then it ain't all original.

If it has been restored then owner count,mileage, and original don't matter.

Just like all the goobers in a dodge 1 ton think they gotta go around saying Cummins all the time.Or ford owners shopping for wipers gotta tell you its a Powerstroke. We get it they only had one diesel engine. ........sorry got side tracked.

Any ways whats you all's opinion?

Also nothing I own is all original or one owner and feel free to do with your car as you please cause its yours fix it as you like it.

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Busted.................... I was only 17 when the 71 Monte I ordered arrived at the dealership. If I was 18, I could have gotten the vehicle title in my name but since I was 17, it was put into my fathers name for about 4 months. Oh, and I had to give my dad $3735.00 in cash so he could make out a check for the Chevy dealership in Rochester, Michigan since I didn't have a checking account. Yes, I changed the ft anti sway bar to 1-1/8" from a BB Chevelle and added a rear AS Bar. Yes I added a second air inlet snorkel to the air cleaner since I could not afford to order A/C so it had lots of room. I also did a low budget restoration with new fenders, 1/4 panels and used doors in the mid 1980's and I added tinted glass everywhere. There are many other things changed after 162,142 Michigan Miles and 48 years, 7 Months,  29 Days but I'm getting too old to remember them all....... Sure am glade I still have this car, my second one, can't forget the 1956 MURRAY Pedal car (I also still have) used in my I.D. picture. 

Bruce 

 

1971-06-01 Bruce Monte (1).jpg

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That is pretty cool.

Two things

1.Your situation is one of those i seldom think of. But since you have been the"owner" since day 1. yes i would call yours one owner despite the title transfer.

2. Do you call it all original? If not I have no issue with the modifications/restoration. That is just you making the car more "yours". If you did call it all original then we wuold just be at a difference of opinion. beautiful car either way.

I knew that if I asked some one would come up with a situation or point i hadn't thought of. That was why I did.

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I don't understand the rant. If you find the right car what does it matter how many owners it's had. Unless that's what you are looking for. I found a car that was as close to original and have spent my time making it as correct as possible. With the help of members on this site. Good luck with your search

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32 minutes ago, 1970mcss said:

I don't understand the rant. If you find the right car what does it matter how many owners it's had. Unless that's what you are looking for. I found a car that was as close to original and have spent my time making it as correct as possible. With the help of members on this site. Good luck with your search

I guess my problem is more with some one wanting 5000 for a 2500 truck because they claim one owner. But that led to my existential crisis of what is one owner and what effect should it really have. part curiosity part no one at my house wants to talk about or cares lol

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I somewhat understand your frustration.  My current Monte was originally purchased in Williamsport, Pa by the grandparents of hall of fame pitcher, Mike Mussina (First Owner) who gave it to a family friend Frank Tobias (Second Owner), who sold it to a resale dealer (They didn't drive it but became the Third Owner) and I bought it from them and became the Fourth Owner.  I purchased it in 2000 with 36,000 Original Miles.   So it is now a 4 Owner Monte.  To me the low miles on the car were more of a consideration than it already being a 3 owner car.

I was looking for an original car.  When I purchased it, it had all the original suspension so I installed all new ball joints, springs, shocks and bushings into the suspension along with new brake pads on the front.  I went with all "as original" parts.  I installed NOS wheel well mouldings and rechromed the bumpers.  Most members who have seen my car would vouch that it is a very "Original" Monte.  Yes, after market ball joints, bushings etc were installed but they were the same as replacement original because I wanted to keep it as original as possible.  Since the original ball joints were rivited into the control arms, to keep it as original as you speak I would have needed to find NOS control arms with the rivited in ball joints.

I will say when I bought my Monte someone had installed turn down exhaust tips and I have left them on so that to me would be the only detractor on it being ORIGINAL.

i will also say anyone who would be driving around on "Original factory tires" would be a fool to go above 20 miles per hour.

I did not mean to turn this into a rant of my own.  I do get tweaked a little when I see a car being sold as "All Original" and seeing things like double snorkle air cleaner, added on rad overflow bottle, etc., etc and feel I should point that out if I really feel like arguing with the seller but most of the time it is a dealer who bought the car to flip and doesn't know anything other than what they have been told by the previous owner.

rob

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Jeramy,

You asked for opinions and mine agrees very much with yours.  Tangibles like actual equipment, condition and factory documentation can have significant value to many buyers where intangible claims about originality, ownership, location, storage and even mileage may have little value to most buyers.  In fact, when sellers make intangible claims about their vehicles, even if they have some means of verification, they usually limit their potential market if they try to use it to justify a premium asking price. 

I also agree with Rob that seller's claims that are obviously incorrect because of visual evidence to the contrary or known false statements are a real turn-off to knowledgable and observant buyers.  

As the Romans used to say: "Caveat emptor!"

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Original owner is an advertising claim. It is supposed to imply a car not mistreated or changed. All original, to me, implies everything but wear parts. Survivor means the same thing. Time capsule or museum piece means non-functional, parked and not moved for 30 years. 

Mine has been wrecked. It was repaired with NOS parts in the 80s. My grandfather's name is on the dealer paperwork, and it's mine, so I can say that my name is there. I don't drive it nearly as much as I should. 

All these terms have a relative meaning. You can tell provenance when you look at a car. It's the factory overspray and the little fasteners, etc. There's something about an original car surviving that speaks a peace with the ravages of time. 

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Had a guy at a car show last year selling a 70 W30 Olds convertible. Had "One Owner" in vinyl on the windshield. I looked him dead in the eye and said "Boy, you might be thirty years old, take that crap off the windshield"

I owned that particular car in 1997. At 48 years old today, I wasn't the original owner either.

My second favorite is "needs attention" on anything. That is code for needs replacement,.

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On the other side. I have sold several cars though the years and one of the fist questions that people ask is are you the original owner. It must be important for so many people want to know . The last car I had for sale I was the second owner and people seemed upset that they weren't getting a one owner car. It's kinda hard to find a one owner car that is 48 years old but people still want to find what I call the "Gas Monkey " TV to good to be true story and deals.

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Here is something to consider when looking at a car this old. I purchased my first 70 Monte Carlo brand new off a dealer lot in September of 1970.  So I was just barely 20 years old. 

I never beat that car at all BUT most 20 year old guys back then did so an original owner of a 70 Monte back then would be around 70 years old now but the chances that 70 year old Monte owner didn't have a heavy foot back when they were in their 20's are slim.  

My point here is the only advantage of an original owner of a car that old would be the owner could share the complete service history OR the number of races they won.....or not

rob

 

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I never beat that car at all BUT most 20 year old guys back then did so an original owner of a 70 Monte back then would be around 70 years old now but the chances that 70 year old Monte owner didn't have a heavy foot back when they were in their 20's are slim. "

I am one 20 years old that did not beat my new 70 Monte..  The 68 Nova I had before the Monte got the living heck drove out of it though. I got 8800 miles on the factory tires. 325 horse/327CI with a 3:73 posi and close ratio 4 speed. I hit a tree going sideways and catching a chain link fence. Got it fixed and sold it so I could get the Monte.

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I know that I’m happy my Monte was not my first car. I got a few things out of my system with my first car (76 Cutlass S) before buying my 70 Monte when I was 19. I’ve always treated my Montes well.

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  • 2 weeks later...

its all just words to help make a sale or make others jealous.... My Monte has been in the family since new... sounds  cool but i have no idea how to justify asking more for it because its been in the family since new... unless im selling it within the family only. But that is almost kinda creepy.

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