The Chevrolet Bel Air is a famous car from the 1950s. The 1957 version is especially well-known for its stylish design and is a popular choice among classic car enthusiasts.
Ford is a well-known car company that makes many types of vehicles, including popular models like the Mustang and F-150 truck. It has been around for over a century.
Nissan is a car company from Japan that makes many different types of cars, including the popular Altima and the electric Leaf. They have been making cars for many years.
An independent repair shop is a place where you can take your car for repairs that isn't part of a car brand's official service. They often work on older cars and can be more affordable than brand dealerships.
A daily driver is the car you use every day for things like going to work or running errands. It's usually a car that you can count on to get you where you need to go without any issues.
Flipping a car means buying a car and then selling it again quickly, usually for more money than you paid. People do this to make a profit after fixing it up a bit.
Bring a Trailer is a website where people can buy and sell special cars through auctions. It's popular among car lovers looking for unique or classic vehicles.
Bias ply tires are older types of tires that have layers of fabric inside them arranged in a crisscross pattern. They were used on many classic cars but are not as common today because newer tires are usually better.
Tire aging is when tires get old and start to break down, even if they look fine. It's important to replace them after a certain number of years to stay safe on the road.
A clean title means the car has no serious problems in its history, like being stolen or having major accidents. It shows that the owner has the right to sell the car without any legal issues.
Actual cash value is how much your car is worth right now, considering how much it has lost value over time. Insurance companies use this amount to decide how much to pay you if your car is damaged or stolen.
An extended warranty is like extra insurance for your car that covers repairs after the original warranty runs out. It helps you avoid paying a lot of money if something goes wrong with your car later on.
Gap insurance is a type of insurance that helps pay off your car loan if your car is stolen or totaled and is worth less than what you owe. It fills the gap between the loan amount and the car's value.
If a car is 'totaled', it means it's damaged so badly that fixing it would cost more than the car is worth. Insurance companies might decide to pay you for the car instead of covering the repair costs.
Repair costs are how much money you need to spend to fix a car that's been damaged. This can depend on how bad the damage is and what parts need to be replaced.
A salvage title is given to a car that has been in a serious accident and costs too much to fix compared to what it's worth. If you buy a car with a salvage title, it might have problems and could be hard to sell later.
Salvage history means the car was damaged badly enough that an insurance company decided it wasn't worth fixing. This can make it harder to sell the car later or get insurance for it.
A reconstructed title means the car was fixed after being considered a total loss. It shows the car is now drivable again, but it might not be worth as much because of its past damage.
An infotainment screen is a screen in a car that shows information like music, maps, and other entertainment options. It helps drivers find their way and enjoy their favorite media while driving.
A module in a car is a small computer that controls certain parts of the car, like the radio or engine. If a module has a problem, it can affect how those parts work.
Lower profile tires are tires that are shorter from the rim to the ground. They help cars handle better in turns but can make the ride feel bumpier.
LIVE
Hey folks, Lenny Lawson here, the car guru, ready to frolic around in this automotive
landscape.
I call your car life, and it's really important that we get your car life right so the rest
of your life can work extremely well.
Because we all know that if your car isn't running good, or if you pay too much for it
and your payments are too high, or the price you paid, the money you took out of your checking
account was excessive because you weren't paying attention to the four targets.
Well, then we need to fix that.
And sometimes we all make bad decisions.
I made a bad decision.
I've always wanted a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air.
Just in the back of my mind is Lingard there, even though I am a Ford dealer.
We were Chevrolet people since 1929.
So and my dad joined Chevrolet in 1957.
I did and no, he joined in 1956 when I was born.
I joined him in 1978.
And we were Chevrolet dealers and Mazda dealers at the time.
Now I'm Ford and Nissan.
Go figure.
But that's just how this business works.
Sometimes you start at one thing and end up at something totally different.
A lot of things in life go that way, don't they?
How many times have you changed jobs, careers, mindsets, you know, it just happens.
So I was desperate to get this 57 going.
Well, I wouldn't call it desperate.
I was just anxious and I wanted to make it for the Christmas parade.
Didn't make it.
So I sent it out to a an independent repair shop that works on old vehicles.
And they spent $1,200 of my money and it's better.
It's way better.
But still no heat, the heater doesn't work and it's cold outside.
The speedometer sits there and bounces and it's not accurate.
It makes noises.
The gas gauge isn't working.
What else?
Oh, there's a tear in the fabric on the seat that I have to get fixed.
The transmission shifts okay, but when you first take off, it has to think for a minute.
So it kind of hits neutral and then immediately jumps into gear.
That's not ideal.
I'm hoping that driving it after some adjustments were made will take care of that problem.
But see, I have car problems too.
Now, this isn't my daily driver, obviously.
I just want to get it right so that I can flip it, make a little money on it.
Because when I bought it, I got it at a really low price, I thought, you know,
you wouldn't think that if you're bidding against thousands of other people online
that if you're the winner, did you pay too much?
I mean, that could be the assumption.
You paid more than a thousand other people did.
And you know, sometimes when you buy a car and bring a trailer, people say,
congratulations, a great buy.
Well, was it?
Well, I thought it was.
I thought I bought it for about $15,000 less than I could sell it for.
And I don't know why these guys let it go.
They had to drop the reserve significantly in order for me to be for my final bid to get it.
So that's why I felt like I did OK.
Well, I didn't realize it had some of these issues.
They weren't disclosed.
So that happens.
OK, today we're going to continue the little game that I was playing yesterday.
It's called what would you do if this happened to you?
And these are common things that happen to people who own automobiles.
And well, when I say automobiles, you know what I'm talking about, right?
Cars, trucks, fans, the whole caboodle.
So let's think about what you would do.
Oh, one more thing about the 57 Chevy.
So I was I took it on a drive and there's a lot of play in the steering wheel.
I mentioned that to the guy that was working on.
He said, oh, it's those old bias ply tires.
So I went out and checked the tires.
They're not bias ply tires.
They're radials.
And they shouldn't feel that way.
So there's some work to do on the front suspension.
But because tires age, typically you should replace your tires anywhere between seven and
10 years.
If they get that old, I don't care if they aren't worn out.
You need to replace them because rubber deteriorates.
And the manufacturers say seven years is the limit.
Yeah, but they just want to sell tires.
I'm going to say 10 years is the limit.
These tires were installed on this vehicle in 2000.
No, I'm sorry.
These tires were made in 2002.
They're long overdue.
And they're wide white walls.
Where do you get those?
Well, you get them from a place in Chattanooga, believe it or not,
called Coker Tire, C-O-K-E-R, Coker Tire.
Corky Coker is the guy who founded that business.
And he is world famous for making OEM style tires for everything from,
you know, 1929 Dusenberg to a 57 Chevy like mine.
And they're radials.
So they're getting replaced.
There's more money I'm dumping into this thing.
But let's get to some of the things that this show is supposed to be about.
What would you do if this happened to you?
You want to buy a car from an individual.
You've driven it.
You've inspected it.
You like it.
But he tells you, well, I can't find the title.
And he's looked everywhere.
What would you do?
Would you pay him and take possession of the car?
Well, if you do, you could be sorely disappointed later.
I have a good friend who bought a car that had a title problem.
Matter of fact, the car had been stolen.
He had a title, but it had ownership issues.
The car had been stolen many, many years ago.
And I don't know whether it was the FBI or the state police,
but they came to his house and they wanted to arrest him.
I don't know the exact story, but it was not good.
He was able to get out of it.
I think he had to go all the way to the governor's office
to get some relief on that deal.
But no, you do not want to buy a car unless they hand you the title.
Now, what if they hand you a title that's in somebody else's name?
Like, for example, their father who has passed away.
And they have a title.
It's not signed on the back.
There is no power of attorney.
As a matter of fact, the person who has the car and is holding the title,
they have no legal right to transfer that to you.
Now, what a lot of people do is they just have the relative
sign the title in the owner's name,
or the name that's on the front of the title.
Is that legal?
No. Will you ever get caught?
Probably not.
But what if it's an issue with other family members?
What if, you know, the person died and there was an estate
and they were supposed to sell the car,
but they were supposed to split the money?
And this particular family member who has possession of the vehicle
has no intention of splitting the money.
You could have a problem.
They could get your money and come repossess the car
and you'd be up, you know, what creek without a paddle.
So just because there's a title present doesn't mean you're out of the woods
because the title needs to be in the name of the person who's transferring it to you.
If they've lost a title, they can go apply for a new title.
What if there's a lien on that title?
What does that mean?
That means that somebody has borrowed money against that car.
The loan's not paid off.
Or they got a title loan.
You know, a lot of people do that.
They run a little short on cash.
They take their title to this place and pay,
you know, big interest rates.
Those places charge a lot and they hand them a title and borrow,
I don't know, in any amount.
Well, there's a lien on that title and you're trying to buy that car.
That loan has to be paid off if you take possession of the car
and you try to apply for a lost title, whatever.
Guess where that title is going to be sent, that replacement title?
Not to you, not to the previous owner.
It's going to be sent to the lien holder
because they are registered lien holder with the state.
So you just got to be careful with those types of issues.
Okay, I'm going to take my first break.
I'll be back here in just a minute.
Okay, I might have to go pretty fast with what would you do
if this happened to you?
So you want to buy a car for a child or a grandchild,
but you can't afford full coverage insurance.
What do you do?
Well, you certainly don't buy an expensive car.
You need to buy something cheap.
You really must have liability insurance.
That's state law in most states,
and it's just smart to have in case this child goes out and hurts somebody else.
And just also, if they're legal age, if they're over 18,
put the car in their name, not yours in their name,
because if they, God forbid, are in an accident and somebody gets killed,
then they're coming after you and everything that you own.
So watch out for that.
Okay, what would you do if this happened to you?
You need to trade your vehicle,
but your payoff is significantly higher than what you're being offered for the vehicle
or the actual cash value or market value of that vehicle.
Well, one of the first things I'd do is I'd check to see if there are any cancellations
available.
For example, if you bought an extended warranty,
gap insurance, any other insurance-related products,
not like a dent and ding protection or a fabric and paint protection package,
those are not cancelable.
There'd be no refund on that,
but if you bought an extended warranty or gap insurance,
you can get a refund on that.
And they can apply it towards the loan, so that might help some.
You could also chase after any vehicles that are for sale that have really big rebates,
because the rebate, you know, it's kind of funny money, but it's real money.
And it could be used to reduce the amount that you have to finance on the new car that you're
trying to buy.
You're still going to be upside down, as we say.
You know, the other alternative is just grin and bear it.
Don't trade cars.
Just do the maintenance work that needs to be done on your vehicle.
If it needs breaks, needs new tires, go ahead and do it.
Just live with it.
Don't trade.
Just wait until the unpaid balance is close to the market value of the vehicle.
And over time, it will get there.
It may take a few years, especially if you financed it for a really long time,
but sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and stick with what you got.
Okay, let's see.
Oh, you wreck your vehicle.
It's pretty much totaled.
Your insurance company wants to total the car.
But you want to keep it.
You don't want it totaled because you have seen how expensive cars are,
and you don't want to have to go out there and buy a new one.
The amount of money that they're willing to give you is not sufficient.
And maybe even your car is paid for.
And it's a decent car.
It's just crashed in the right front.
Or, you know, it's just not that serious of damage.
You can fix it for maybe $3,000 or $4,000, and the insurance company wants to total it.
Well, I hate to tell you this, but they have the right to total it.
And you can basically buy the salvage value if you want to, or buy the salvage.
Instead of them taking possession of the vehicle and taking it to a salvage auction
and selling it, or somebody else will fix it and then resell it,
you can take the salvage.
They'll just pay you the difference between the ACV of the vehicle and the salvage value.
And so you'll have some money in your pocket to be able to repair it.
I mean, that's what I did with my grandson's truck when he was in an accident,
an insurance company.
You know, I thought the truck was worth $12,000 to $15,000.
Insurance company was willing to pay, what was it, $4,000?
Because it was a 2005 model, but it only had 8,000 miles on it.
So they weren't willing to budge, and they wanted to total that incredible vehicle.
And I said, no, you're not totaling it.
And also requested, I said, listen, I don't want this to have salvage history.
And so we came up with a number that they were willing to pay me.
They fought me on it, but they were willing to pay me a certain amount of money for repairs,
which didn't near cover it.
I mean, the repairs were like $7,000, and they paid me like $4,000.
So I had to pay the difference.
But I got to keep the truck, and it doesn't have salvage history.
It doesn't have a reconstructed title.
I fixed it.
It was easy to fix.
It was just hitting the passenger side door.
We replaced the door, fixed the rocker panel.
Did the paint work?
And it's back to normal.
So everybody's happy.
But then I can't get full coverage insurance.
So what I did was just got liability, so I'm protected.
OK, let's say this happens to you.
You co-signed on a note for somebody to buy a car.
It could be a kid.
It could be a friend, relative, whatever.
And you find out that the car is being repossessed.
You find out from, like, your nephew who you co-signed for.
Now, they should have notified you since you're on the note,
but if your address wasn't on the note and theirs was,
you probably weren't notified.
And so what can you do?
Well, you don't want to repossession on your credit report.
So the only thing you're going to be able to do is to,
if the bank will let you, is to catch up the unpaid payments
and then just keep paying for the vehicle
and then try to sell it if you don't need it.
But the worst thing you can have happen
is to have it repossessed and to have that destroy your credit,
because I can promise you, it will.
I mean, you could be an 800 beacon score.
And the next thing you know, you're a 600 beacon score
because you have a repossession on your credit history.
I know you weren't responsible for the payments according to your,
you know, the person you co-signed for.
But according to the bank, you're just as responsible
as the person you co-signed for.
Doesn't matter if your name's first or second on the note.
That doesn't matter.
What matters is that you're on the note at all.
So this is something you just have to work out with the bank.
Okay, another thing.
What would you do if this happened to you?
You have one of those nagging, intermittent problems with your vehicle
that every time you take it to the dealership, they cannot reproduce it
or to the repair shop.
This happens.
It's probably happened to you.
You know, you've got a squeak or a rattle that only you can hear.
The vehicle only makes this particular noise
or does this particular thing when, you know,
you're driving in under certain circumstances
and the dealership just doesn't seem willing to drive it long enough
or keep it long enough to try to fix it.
If it's legitimate, we have a new tool in our arsenal, right?
It's called a cell phone.
And if it's something that you can record, then do that.
Or if you can get a witness, somebody to ride with you,
say, yeah, I saw it do it.
I mean, it was definitely doing it.
That infotainment screen was going blank.
Oh, by the way, my wife's infotainment screen on her new 2026 Armata,
we did a reprogram.
That's the first recommended fix.
It didn't fix it.
It's still flickering.
So now we have to replace a module that's in the dash
that controls the infotainment screen.
Now, this is all being paid for by Nissan warranty, but still, you know,
it's a pain.
Does this just happen to Nissan?
No, it happens to everybody.
It happens to Toyota and Chevrolet and Volkswagen.
Everybody has issues.
Matter of fact, there's a lot of recalls that happen real early on.
We have a couple of vehicles in stock right now that we can't sell
because it has a recall.
We're not allowed to sell vehicles that have an open recall.
The problem is there's no fix for it yet.
So they just get to sit here, unsold.
We just pull them off the line and park them out back and let Ford pay the interest on them.
And that's just the way it is.
And when they come out with a fix, they'll release it.
We'll install the parts or do the inspection or whatever,
and then we'll put it out there and try to sell it.
But at that point, we might be into the next model year.
And so the manufacturer has to help us come up with some kind of big rebate or something
to help us sell these vehicles.
We had that with a transit van.
We kept for over a year and could not sell it.
Finally, they released it and they offered like a $15,000 rebate to help us sell it.
And we did pretty quickly, but it was kind of scary.
All right, so intermittent problems like this.
I mean, you have to work with the dealership.
You go in and talk to the service manager.
If that doesn't work, you go to the general manager and say, listen,
I've had my vehicle in here four or five times for the same problem.
Would you be willing to let me turn it over to you?
You get one of your people to drive it and see if they can get it to do this thing.
If you're a good customer and they're a good dealership,
they'll be happy to do that for you.
Sometimes the vehicles just have to be driven for 40 or 50 miles
and be left overnight and driven under different circumstances to get them to act up.
And if they're worth their salt, then they'll go ahead and help you with that.
If they're not, maybe you need to find another dealership.
Okay, I'm going to take my last break.
I'll be back here in just one minute.
Okay, I am back.
What would you do if this happened to you?
You just got a new car and your husband, he bought it for you.
He's so proud of it and he said, honey,
now you take care of this thing because it's black
and it shows every dent and ding and scratch and don't take it through a car wash.
And you know, just be careful with it.
And she, oh yeah, I'll be careful with it.
You go to Walmart.
Somebody unleashes a shopping cart on your passenger side door.
Causes a big ding.
What do you do when you don't drive to a body shop and get an estimate?
Okay, you go back to the dealership.
Worry about it and say, when does your dent doctor show up?
That's what we call him.
Well, that's what we call ours.
Or that's what he calls his business, the dent doctor.
And so they come around the dealership every week and any vehicles that we have,
any vehicles that we trade for or that we buy at the auction,
or that, you know, we get door dings just like everybody else does.
We have them fix them and he pushes them out.
And he charges about $30 or maybe $50 per panel.
It may cost you a hundred bucks to get the door ding fixed,
but your husband doesn't have to know.
So watch out for that.
Also, we have a bumper guy and all he does is paint bumpers that get scratches on him.
We have a wheel guy.
I think he has a wheel girl with him and they fix wheels.
I saw a Hyundai yesterday.
I went to Southern Craft, the barbecue place here in Greenville.
And as I walk in the door, I look back and I see this brand new Hyundai
and the wheels look like they've been through a battle with a curb.
And maybe they don't care.
I mean, I would care if it's my car.
I mean, they're just horrible.
And the reason that happens is because the wheels have gotten wider.
The tires have gotten wider as well, but they're lower profile
and they don't stick out from the wheel.
The thing that sticks out the most is the wheel itself.
And so they get scrubbed when you go through the drive-thru or on a curb or wherever.
So we've got these people that fix the wheels and make them look pretty much like new.
Don't go to the dealership and order a new wheel until you let the wheel guy or girl
inspect your wheel and see if they can fix it.
I guarantee that probably 75%, I guarantee probably, how's that for qualification,
that 75% of the vehicles have the wheels scrubbed on them out there.
And a lot of people just don't care until it's trade time.
And then they try to trade the vehicle and they say, oh, we got to deduct $500 for a new wheel.
No, you don't.
Why wouldn't you think we need to?
Because you've got a wheel guy.
How do you know that?
Because the cargo route told me so.
See, I probably already saved you $500 the next time you trade.
Well, folks, it's fun to have knowledge and to gain it so easily when it comes to your car life.
And that's what I do with My Car Guru.
If you need me personally, you can send me a text to 423-552-2020.
And if you want the My Car Guru guidebook, it's 32 pages of sheer automotive brilliance
that will save you money.
I'm talking about big money, especially if you go out and trade cars.
If you have that in your arsenal, you won't pay too much.
There's no way you can.
It's bulletproof because it's been developed by me over my 47-year career.
So just send me your email address and I'll send you a copy of it.
Or if you don't use email and you're just old school,
then call my dealership, Gateway Forward or Gateway Nissan, 423-639-5151.
Leave your mailing address, your name and mailing address with my telephone operator
and she'll lay that little sticky note on my desk and I'll send you a copy.
I'll print it out right here on my personal computer and send it to you.
Well, thanks for listening to this edition of My Car Guru and I'll see you next time.
About this episode
Lenny Lawson shares personal anecdotes and practical advice for navigating common automotive situations. He discusses his challenges with restoring a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, emphasizing the importance of understanding title issues, insurance coverage, and vehicle maintenance. Listeners learn about the risks of buying cars without clear titles, the implications of co-signing loans, and strategies for dealing with trade-ins and insurance claims. Lenny's insights are backed by his extensive experience in the automotive industry, making this episode a valuable resource for car owners.
