REALLY REALLY bad day today.

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks Mark, too far away. I've got options closer to home. If you really want a nice one, there's a '93(?) all black one for sale on I think Autotrader. it's 15 grand, but only has 35 hundred miles. I spelled that out so you wouldn't think it was a typo.
I'm waiting to hear on a local one I can get for next to nothing. They stopped driving it a year or so ago because of a bad air suspension. The guy I talked to was renting the house from the Mark's owner. They gave him the title to the car and told him to get rid of it. He said it ran good, but he thought the mileage was over 100k. he's going to find the key, hook up a battery and let me know about the mileage. They were getting ready to call a salvage yard when I talked to him. I was hoping to hear something yesterday, but didn't. I'll go back by there later today. He said the salvage yard would give them 200, I made sure he understood it would be worth more than that to me if the mileage was low enough. wanted to make sure he didn't take the easy way to get rid of it.

[RICH MUISE]

Today has started out really really good. I was checking the insurance auto auction site again, when I noticed they also had a used parts division, so I did a search. Came up with a '95 Lincoln Mark VIII engine with only 33k miles! I called and it was still available. Price was good at 884., shipping from Ohio was great at 185! I jumped on it. They've confirmed the order, will let me know when it ships. They did include the vin number, so I can verify it's what they actually send.

[hiball3985]

Awesome Rich, I hope that works out well for you.

[CobraJoe]

X 2!   

[fdlrc]

That is good news, you should be in good shape.

[Ecode70D]

Rich
     I hope that this works out for you.  You need a break.
Jay

[Wirenut]

I'm pulling for you Rich, I wish I lived closer, I'd come get in your way!!

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks all! this is going to be a long process, I just can't spend more than 3-4 hours spread out over the day, and my work rate is very very slow. Lack of energy.
The engine shipped out today from Ohio, and I did get my valve covers and some brackets dropped off to the powder coater. I'm hoping to round up some help for Saturday and get the engine pulled.

[RICH MUISE]

I ran a vehicle vin history report on the engine I bought. The car spent it's first 19 years in Vermont, the only title work being done in 2014 in Ohio. The report did not state if that was due to an ownership change. Mileage at that time was 27k. No negative reports on the car including collision, water damage, theft. etc. Not sure why it ended up being parted out, except the high probability now was that it was a rust victim seeing as the two states were Vermont and Ohio.
Oops..misread the report. It's always been in Ohio with one retitle in '14.

[RICH MUISE]

Not a good day. I received the engine, and I'm waiting for some feedback, but I believe they pulled a switcheroo. The engine I got looked like it had been sitting for a while. There was masking tape on the intake ports that was obviously there for years. The packing slip with the engine showed a different vin number than what was given on the 33k mile engine ad. I ran a vehicle history report on that vin number, and it came up with a car with no mileage reports thru out it's history, and the donor car was given a salvage title back in 2012, in Texas!! I pulled one valve cover, and it's not too bad underneath, but definitely dirtier than my current engine with 80k miles.
I calmly called the Parts Market company in San Francisco and explained the problem. She was very nice, said they did not operate that way, That the engine I ordered was verified by the salvage co. in Ohio as still available, so there was no reason they should have switched. She's passing it on to a manager, and I should have some info as to what happened, and what will happen. She emphasized I would be taken care of. we'll see.
sheeeeet..........looks like I may be back to looking.
I did tell her there was no way I was accepting an engine with unknown, or high, mileage. I could buy them all day long locally for a lot less than what I paid

[gasman826]

Be traveling some place warm and I'm slow on the up swing.  Ohio?  What city?  If feet on the ground would help, I'll be in Cleveland this weekend.

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks, but the people I ordered from are actually in San Francisco. I'll let them deal with the salvage yard in Ohio, which is in Swanton, OH. One of those times when I wished I had used my Paypal account. The only reason I didn't was I believe paypal won't accept orders  which the billing is different than shipping. I had it delivered to my friend's shop.
My first conversation with them left me feeling like they were an upstanding company, and they would take care of it. Of course, what I really want is the engine I paid for, not my money back.

[djfordmanjack]

Rich, on a side note- it is no problem at all to have several different shipping adresses with paypal. I have had parts shipped to other locations than stated billing adress and it always worked fine.
Let's hope that they just switched palettes.

[Ford Blue blood]

Dang Rich, talk about bad luck.....I feel for ya.  Sorry but I am just at a loss for words for all you've gone through.  All that can be said is hang in there, it will get better.

[hiball3985]

Well that enough to piss off the Pope  Hard to believe people would do such a thing.