Of all the ups and downs that go with the used car market, one of the craziest things buyers and dealers have to put up with is the things people leave behind. Whether youre buying a used car at a market, a local dealership, or through the want ads, chances are you might find something left behind. Here are some wacky examples provided by buyers.
1. Vermin
1. Vermin
One dealer tells a story of a great car he bought at a sale, one that was worth a lot of money. But every other dealer had passed it up, despite the value, because it had a strong, shall we say, ODOR about it. Turns out, the owner had left the window slightly cracked, just enough for a bird to get in, but not enough so it could find its way out again. The bird perished under the drivers seat, and the corpse created the awful smell in the car. The dealer removed the bird and paid someone to drive the vehicle back to his dealership but notes that when they stopped for lunch, this particular driver didnt have much of an appetite.
Rats are another common squatter in cars and sometimes, not even in abandoned ones. They like to make nests in dark places out of, among other things, paperso a glove compartment fits their needs quite nicely. Its a common story to hear of people finding a nest, and sometimes a litter of rats, in their glove compartment.
2. Drugs and Alcohol
The most common story heard from dealers is about finding joints or bags of marijuana tucked into various nooks and crannies of a car. One dealer thought one was a discarded gum wrapper until an associate asked, Did you want to keep that? and then took it for himself! Another story involved a sale of a car in the edge of the Appalachian mountains, where the buyer found a half-gallon jar full of homemade moonshine in the back seat.
3. Weapons
Theres a funny story on an internet message board about this topic, where the buyer found a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver between the seats, engraved with the name of the owner of the dealershipwho was likely pleased to get it back. Another user on the same thread tells about finding a rifle with telescopic sights welded on; perhaps the previous owner of his car was a bit of a stalker! In addition to guns, people report also finding knives of all shapes and sizes.
4. Romantic or Not Momentos
Another car buyer talks about finding a marriage license that got stuck behind the dash pad of a Corvette he bought. Even though the license was seven years old, he looked up the mans name in the phone book and gave him a call. Unfortunately the couple was already in the middle of a divorce, but he returned the license anyway.
Another story involves a man who found a Dear John letter from a woman breaking off her engagement. The diamond engagement ring was enclosed, and the letter concluded with You can do what you please with the enclosed. The buyer presumed that the fiance was pleased to pass the diamond on to the cars new owner.
5. Body Parts
Imagine buying a car and finding a severed finger under the floormat! Unlike the dead animals, this one didnt create a smell, as it was old and fairly dried up. The car had previously been in a wreck, but no one knows if thats what caused the person to lose their finger or not. The county coroners office picked up the severed finger from the new owner.
6. Cash and Jewelry
One used car dealer found a bag stuffed full of cash in the glove compartment. Unfortunately, the contents turned out to be all one-dollar bills, wadded into a pile and totalling about $40. That didnt add up to much but a few years later, the same dealer found a diamond watch in another car, which helped supplement his income quite a bit!
All in all, if you buy a used car, you may not find anything extraordinary; chances are that the previous owner will have cleaned it out, if not cleaned it up. But you never knowkeep your eyes (and nose!) peeled and you never know what you might turn up.
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