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Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Was I a shady CL seller?

May 25, 2009 12:59 p.m. zoomx2 New Reader

So the story goes like this. I posted a set of Miata daisies (wheels) on CL last week. Got a few e-mails with some interest but didn't sell. Yesterday I got a call from a kid that said he wanted them and how soon before we could meet. No questions were asked by him. We agreed to meet at a place 45 min away. Now when I posted these I put the size, bolt pattern, offset, and that they fit Miatas. Use Google to find out if they fit your car, I would not speculate what else they fit besides a Miata.

He shows up with a early '90s Civic and I already start thinking that these MIGHT not work for him. Mind you I am NOT a Honda guy but recall reading somewhere that the hub bores are larger on a Honda. Plus I know that Miatas are hub-centric while I am not sure about Hondas. When I got home a quick search confirmed that the Civic hub is larger. Both share a 4x100 bolt pattern.

So my question is to the GRM'ers is would you have stopped the sale based on your hunch or let the kid take them? He took them so know I hope he can make them work, but my conscience is still bothering me a little bit. At least I figure he can sell them for what he paid for them if not more.
May 25, 2009 1:06 p.m. Goldmember Reader

You did the best you can do with you original post.

"These are MIATA wheels, may not fit your non-Miata car."

If it were me, it would depend on the person purchasing. If he/she seemed like a decent person with honest GRM character, I would probably clue them in to my suspicions. If they were a typical ass hat then get the cash and see you later.

The selling price has a lot to do with this also: greater amounts of money will trigger stronger acts of consious.

I know I've been burnt before buying used parts that I didn't do my research on. Shame on me in that case.
May 25, 2009 1:07 p.m. Goldmember Reader

Bye the way, your pic is way creepy. I hate clowns. . .
May 25, 2009 2:13 p.m. patgizz Dork

maybe he has a miata at home?
May 25, 2009 2:17 p.m. jwdmotorsports Reader

There's a Civic on a used car lot up the road from that has Miata rims on it. Not sure what they did to get them to fit. They look pretty good. They painted black and the center covers are gone. I think those rims look better without the center covers.
May 25, 2009 2:18 p.m. zoomx2 New Reader

patgizz wrote:

maybe he has a miata at home?

Nope, when we met he mentioned that he was putting them on his Civic. He said he was looking for a set of these wheels because they look like some Rota's that he wanted.
May 25, 2009 2:32 p.m. Hal HalfDork

zoomx2 wrote:

He said he was looking for a set of these wheels because they look like some Rota's that he wanted.

Then he probably has researched the wheels and knows what he ahs to do to make them fit.
May 25, 2009 2:52 p.m. Salanis SuperDork

Worst case scenario: he needs to get the center bored out a bit. Not a big deal. You did not advertise the wheels as anything other than what they were.
May 25, 2009 3:06 p.m. Travis_K HalfDork

I had E30 wheels on a B13 sentra that had to be bored out to fit. its not that big a deal.
May 25, 2009 3:24 p.m. VanillaSky New Reader

Boring out wheels doesn't cost a lot. There's a machine shop here that does it for the Nissan minitruck guys for $50 a set. Common bolt pattern on those trucks, but a much less common large center bore.

He knew what he was buying. Like was suggested above, he probably knew what he was getting into when he layed out the cash for them. The mistake would be his, not yours.
May 25, 2009 5:39 p.m. jrw1621 HalfDork

Worst case senerio is that he takes out the same free craigslist ad that you did and sells them in a week for same or similar money..
May 25, 2009 6:13 p.m. Appleseed HalfDork

No, you weren't wrong, but I would still have told him they might not fit.
May 25, 2009 8:05 p.m. Type Q HalfDork

VanillaSky wrote:

Boring out wheels doesn't cost a lot. There's a machine shop here that does it for the Nissan minitruck guys for $50 a set. Common bolt pattern on those trucks, but a much less common large center bore.

He knew what he was buying. Like was suggested above, he probably knew what he was getting into when he layed out the cash for them. The mistake would be his, not yours.

I have a set of Miata wheels on my Civic. At sometime before I got them they were machined to fit a Honda centerbore and lug nuts. The threads one Civic and Miata wheel studs are identical so you can just use Miata lug nuts.
May 25, 2009 8:53 p.m. dyintorace Dork

Nope...no shadiness. You were selling Miata wheels. He chose to buy them for another application. End of story.
May 25, 2009 9:04 p.m. curtis73 Reader

Amen. I sold a set of Vortec heads to a guy who was going to put them on a stock 305. Its not my job to tell him that it will drop his compression to 7:1. He did his research. Either he didn't do enough research, or he actually wants 7:1 compression... but that's for him to decide.

I've been on the other side where I bought before I did enough research, and I never blamed the seller. He offered something for sale, I bought it, THEN I found out it wasn't what I wanted. My fault, not the seller's.

Sleep well. I'm a Libra, and I'm super sensitive to that kind of thing. I hate leaving people feeling like they're slighted, but even I would sleep well after that sale.
May 26, 2009 1:11 a.m. Osterkraut Dork

So this douchebag sold me these Miata wheels off Craigslist today and didn't tell me they wouldn't fit my Civic...
May 26, 2009 1:50 a.m. speedblind New Reader

Hondaguys can get any wheel onto any car. True story.
May 26, 2009 6:08 a.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

zoomx2 wrote:

So my question is to the GRM'ers is would you have stopped the sale based on your hunch or let the kid take them?

Let me flip the question over, and put you on the buyer seat. How often are you ready to throttle a clerk who doesn't want to sell you a set radiator hose for a Chevy because you've got a Toyota? Never mind that the Chevy hose fits better.

You both knew the wheels were Miata wheels. The buyer is entitled to do the work to fit those Miata wheels.

Now if you'd been advertising them as a drop on fit to a Honda, that would have been dishonest.
May 26, 2009 8:13 p.m. Strizzo Dork

i think we're all missing the point here - what kinda funky rota wheels do the miata daisies look like?
May 26, 2009 8:26 p.m. Carson HalfDork

Strizzo wrote:

i think we're all missing the point here - what kinda funky rota wheels do the miata daisies look like?

Maybe Rota RB if you squint. And tilt your head to the left. Then shut your eyes and imagine Rota RB wheels.
May 26, 2009 8:26 p.m. Carson HalfDork

Also, daisies do look really good on late '80s Hondas.

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