Car Bros: How to Score a Deal on a Project Car

Watch as “expert” car-flipper Jack Diamond shows us his tricks to scoring a deal on your next project vehicle. Please don’t be that guy.

If you have ever tried selling any big ticket item by placing an ad in your local classifieds, then chances are you have run into this guy. You know, that guy that always tries to lowball you on the “fair” asking price that you placed with your ad.

Even though this video from our YouTube friends at Car Bros was made to be funny, it reminded me of the first time I tried to sell something on Craigslist which didn’t go as smoothly as planned.

A couple of years ago, I was looking at getting rid of an extra set of Nitto Invo tires that I had purchased for one of my project vehicles. The tires were for a staggered setup I was running on a new model Mustang GT, and the size was 315/35/20, which most people know are a very wide tire to run in the rear and also quite expensive if you purchase them straight from the factory.

Because I was running a 275/40/20 tire up front, I decided not to go with the 315 setup and instead went with a smaller 295/35/20 tire for the rear. I was much happier with this setup, and it gave the Mustang a cleaner look without having to worry about tire rub because I was also planning on lowering the vehicle.

So that left me with a new set of 315’s that were just sitting in my garage. I could have very easily put the tires up for sale and gotten almost full price because the Nitto Invo’s were very popular that year.

It was also getting close to SEMA, and when checking the car forums, the Invo’s were out of stock on most of the websites that I had checked.

But I decided to post an ad on Craigslist and offer them at a reasonable price to someone that I thought might be a true “car guy” and could use them for their personal build. And boy what a nightmare that turned out to be.

More from Art of Gears

• 3 Reasons the 2024 Mazda CX-50 Is Among the Best Small SUVs
• The Jeep Renegade Is Discontinued: Here’s a Look at Its Legacy
• 2023 Nissan Armada: A Decent Full Size SUV With 1 Glaring Issue
• Best Minivans: 3 Options for Families With Solid Performance
• Here’s Why the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E Is So Popular

The first couple calls and emails I received about the tires started off with something like “How low will you sell them for?” Are you kidding me!

The price that I had listed on the ad was already a great price, and I honestly was not even looking at making any money off the sale. It was car season, and I was in the giving back mood.

Maybe I was thinking too much into it. I guess I was expecting someone to email me back with a cool build story that would make me feel like I was contributing to his or her project build.

I was even willing to drive an hour out of my way to find a deserving owner if it meant that I was somehow helping out with that build.

When I finally found someone who I thought would be a good fit for the tires, the guy that showed up reminded me exactly of Car Bros Jack Diamond. He had no real appreciation for the price I was offering, (you can tell when people are genuinely grateful), and when I asked him a couple of simple questions about the build he supposedly was using the tires for, I kept getting conflicting stories.  And it was a real eye-opener for me.

The funny thing is I would have given those tires to a deserving build for free. I also have no idea if that guy even had a car that those tires would fit or if he simply went and reposted them back on Craigslist for a higher price!

Next: Could Aaron Kaufman End Up A Misfit?

The Car Bros skit had me cracking up the entire video because I really have run into guys like this. Have you ever run into a “Jack Diamond” when trying to sell a vehicle or car part that meant something to you? Hit us up @Twitter and let us know.