New England Classics Car Company review: Deceptive practice 34

Hi,

I'm from CT and was looking for a MG a few months back, and saw New England Classic Car Co. on the net. All the cars look super nice and the descriptions make them sound like some of the best examples of these cars around. So, I decided to take the hour and half drive to the showroom to take a look in person.

First, I open the door and I was confronted a whole room of British classic cars, almost bumper to bumper. From the doorway I found myself saying "Wow, these are some nice cars". Then I walked in and got closer to them and realized that they were not as good as my first impression. I can see that most of them were slapped together and the paint/interiors on almost all of them were not up to the standards that the asking prices demanded.

The closet I looked, the more I was thinking "What is this guy smoking?"

He starts telling me how he sells cars all over the country and world, and how the cars dont stay for long because he sells them so fast... He was trying to "Wow" me with his stories of the people from Japan who bought this so-and-so car.. yadda yadda yadda. I was then thinking "Yeah, if I was all the way in Japan and going buy your photos and descriptions, then I would probably buy one too... but if they ever saw what they were getting..."

Then he takes me to the workshop... which is basically a glorified basement. The cars down there were so packed in, I could hardly walk through the place without sucking in my gut... and I'm not a heavy guy. He starts showing me cars in progress... Oh my God... what a nightmare. There were a bunch of young guys going at the old cars like spider monkeys on drugs with hammers in their hands. Total hack job, everywhere I looked.

He takes me over to a red TR3 that he said he was working on for a customer and just came back from paint. What a total hack job, they never removed any trim, moldings or rubber like a real restoration shop would of. There was over spray on the chrome, glass and even on the leather of the interior. It looked like a $200 Macco job... for real. (I wonder if this was the person's TR3 who posted the complaint?)

He was showing me MGA's that he was asking anywhere from $25, 000-$28, 000... I seen better for half that amount. He showed me some MG TD's that he was asking double for what they were worth.

Shortly there after I walked out of there with never a look back. I was going to write something, somewhere, and came upon this site and this gentleman's complaint... and figured here is as good as any.

This place is a joke.. hacked cars, their "shop" looks like a chop-shop. The people working on the cars were total hacks and the cars in the place were waaaayyy over priced. I totally believe this complaint and you should too.

Stay away from this place !

Believe the complaints. Sleazebag operation charging twice what cars are worth, and delivering half of what you expect. Cheap paint jobs. Severely flawed mechanics that cost thousands to set right. Black interiors spray painted tan. Cars listed on the website that they don't own - bait and switch. And having sold a car to them only to read outrageous lies about its provenance and condition when listed on their website, I can tell you that it is all intentional. It's all rather appalling.

Let's hope that this depression flushes all rip off artists, scamsters, and sleazebags down the toilet. This is one of those operations that deserves to get flushed. I've had my experience with this company, and of course it was poor. Personally, I think the owner has a very flawed sense of morality and ethics. During my dealings with them, they used absolutely every sleazy used car salesman trick in the book. It was a throwback to a GM dealership in the 70s. If you want a nice sports car, look to a reputable dealer. If you want an overpriced hack job, do business with these ###s.

PS- don't be deceived by their website. They do NOT have all of those cars in stock. The better ones were sold long ago. Can you say bait and switch? SOP with these turds.

Also, don't believe their ads in Hemmings Motor News. Same deal. Someone should report them to Hemmings. Perhaps I will do that next.

PPS - I see that on the new website they've done away with their long winded explanation about how "no rust" means "no rust holes, " "Rebuilt engine" means musta been rebuilt at some point since the car was new because it still runs - barely, and "show condition" means showing it off at the local firehouse, not a real car show. Instead, read the legal disclaimer carefully. Now, they're not responsible for any factual error, which means you can't believe a ###ing thing this guy says on his website.

Marc Evans is a short, fat pompous ### of a man who rips people off like any good used car salesman should and who glories in his minor league racing exploits in the hopes of getting some strange from time to time. He's a ###ing rip off thief. And Marc - if you read this, ### YOU ###. Your mother should have aborted you, troll.

I would like to follow up and say that what the previous person said is true.

Almost all the MGBs I went to go look at, that were shown on their website, were "sold" long ago... If they even had them to begin with. And they now have a new website and they are still listing those same MGB's that were supposedly sold. Total bait and switch. Its funny that the ones that were "sold" looked so nice, but the ones he then directs you to are total pieces of garbage.

Again, stay away from this place.. your better off looking for a classic British car thru local clubs or even craigslist.

P.S. I think I might just send a complaint to Hemmings as well, they should know what a scam this place is and they should not be associated with them.

Write to this fellow at Hemmings Motor News to complain about New England Classic Car Company's deceptive advertising in that publication:

mbrott@hemmings.com

I am facing some real issues with these guys and am looking to get out of the deal we are engaged in...I am overseas and would appreciate any help or advice...

HELP !

I agree with all of the comments from other parties. I can only blame myself for being 56 and still buying based on emotion rather than common sense and research but never the less the owner is a ###.
I overpaid for the car, allowed myself to be talked into a host of extras that would "make the car more reliable", was screamed at when I tried to back out of the deal (hefty deposit already parted with), promised 3 different times that the car would be ready in a few days on and on.
I love the car, luckily it is reasonably sound and I can fix some of the shoddy work done.
BUT I feel a complete fool for letting this guy con me and letting myself believe his pompous nonsense abot 100% customer satisfaction.
I am so happy to see I have company and was not the only one taken in by this weasel.
Ian

Here's my story.I have been looking for a 1965 MGB for some time and Marc Evans had one that wasn't too pricey and needed the interior torn out. The pics looked o.k. I got lazy because it was the middle of the winter and I didn't have the time to get to Connecticut so I made a mistake and bought the car based on the representations on the web about the car and the pics and had them rip out the interior and do some front end work. We got into a pissing match over the cost of the work which was overbilled and beyond the estimate but we worked that out. I was pumped to get the car delivered when it was ready. I had waited 34 years to own one of these cars so I was excited. The car was from New Mexico with no rust. The underside was good and the floors were mint as shown in progress photos. I asked before I got the car if there was anything wrong with the car and told that, " the car runs perfectly drove wonderfully and everything worked properly...no issues". So when I get home from work the car is in my garage in Illinois and I can see on first observation that this car has been seriously misrepresented and not what is shown in the photos. Got to say the interior was done beautifully but the rest was not good. The top which was said to be" pretty good" had three holes in it that were obvious. The left front headlight rim was missing, the doors didn't lock, a piece of the left door handle was cracked off but worked, the doors were way off of alignment, the right turn signal did not flash, the left turn signal worked but did not go off after turning, the were two spots of rust on the passenger door. When I started it the accelerator cable was stuck and the car idled at 3500 rpms making it dangerous to drive, the exhaust was hanging dangerously low and did not have the proper bracketing on it. There is a short in the electrical system draining the battery which I had to replace right away. The fuel pump went, the tonneau did not match the car and I got no manual for the new stereo etc.Worst of all the car has bondo on the rear tire wells so they will have to be replaced. Lessoned learned is you got to see the car before buying it but this guy preys on people buying these cars from far away and seriously misrepresents their condition and uses deceptive practices. He couldn't be more of a pompous jerk as well. I have taken the matter up with the Ct. Dept. of Consumer Services and filed a complaint against him as well as with the Ct. Better Business Bureau, I wouldnt trust this guy as far as I could throw an MGB. He is real dishonest and won't make good on anything. His response to me on these issues is always"what did you want for a $7500 MGB" What I wanted was honesty on advertising and no deceptive practices, Marc. Good luck to all that deal with him. I am considering hiring an attorney to deal with this mess in Court. We will see whether this guy has any integrity and will step up and correct these issues. I am not holding my breath. I would stay away from this guy. Jeff

I'm just sooooo glad to read the truth about this guy before I wasted a 5 hour drive to his place of business. Won't go there ! ! ! Does anyone have any dealing with or opinion of Wilson Motor Company in Missouri, also a dealer in old Triumphs, mainly. They claim to have been in business since 1934.

Marc Evans is a ###, pure and simple. He is a pathological liar, a troll, and a piece of ###.

Time to send a pictoral message to Marc Evans the eunuch ###. ### you, Marc.

Dear Marc Evans:

You vulgar little maggot.

You are a canker. A sore that won't go away. I would rather kiss a slug than be seen with you. You're a putrescent mass, a walking vomit. You are a spineless little worm deserving nothing but the profoundest contempt. You are a jerk, a cad, a weasel. Your life is a monument to stupidity. You are a stench, a revulsion, a big suck on a sour lemon.

You are a bleating foal, a curdled staggering mutant dwarf smeared richly with the effluvia and offal accompanying your alleged birth into this world. An insensate, blinking calf, meaningful to nobody, abandoned by the puke-drooling, giggling beast who sired you and then killed himself in recognition of what he had done. Your daddy was a ###, your mamma was a [censored], and you wouldn't be here if the rubber hadn't tore. I will never get over the embarrassment of belonging to the same species as you. You are a monster, an ogre, a malformity. I barf at the very thought of you.

You have all the appeal of a booger. Lepers avoid you. You are vile, worthless, less than nothing. You are a weed, a fungus, the dregs of this earth. And did I mention you smell?

You snail-skulled little rabbit. Would that a hawk pick you up, drive its beak into your brain, and upon finding it rancid set you loose to fly briefly before spattering the ocean rocks with the frothy pink shame of your ignoble blood.

May you choke on the queasy, convulsing nausea of your own trite, foolish beliefs. You are weary, stale, flat and unprofitable. You are grimy, squalid, nasty and profane. You are foul and disgusting. You're a fool, an ignoramus. Monkeys look down on you. Sheep won't have sex with you; you can only ### trash [censored]s such as yourself.

You are unreservedly pathetic, starved for attention, and lost in a land that reality forgot.
And what meaning do you expect your delusionally self-important statements of unknowing, inexperienced opinion to have with us? What fantasy do you hold that you would believe that your tiny-fisted tantrums would have more weight than that of a leprous desert rat, spinning rabidly in a circle, waiting for the bite of the snake?

You are a waste of flesh. You have no rhythm. You are ridiculous and obnoxious. You are the moral equivalent of a leech. You are a living emptiness, a meaningless void. You are sour and senile. You are a disease, you puerile, one-handed, slack-jawed, drooling, meatslapper. On a good day you're a half-wit. You remind me of drool.

You are deficient in all that lends character. You have the personality of a used condom. You are dank and filthy. You are asinine and benighted. You are the source of all unpleasantness. You spread misery and sorrow wherever you go. You smarmy lagerlout git. You bloody woofter sod. Bugger off, pillock. You grotty wanking oik artless base-court apple-john. You clouted boggish foot-licking twit. You dankish clack-dish plonker. You gormless crook-pated tosser. You churlish boil-brained clotpole ponce. You cockered bum-bailey poofter. You craven dewberry pisshead cockup pratting naff. You gob-kissing gleeking flap-mouthed coxcomb. You dread-bolted fobbing beef-witted clapper-clawed flirt-gill.

You are a fiend and a coward, and you have toe jam. You are degenerate, noxious and depraved. I feel debased just for knowing you exist. I despise everything about you, and I wish you would go away forever.

I cannot believe how incredibly stupid you are. I mean rock-hard stupid. Dehydrated-rock-hard stupid. Stupid, so stupid it goes way beyond the stupid we know into a whole different dimension of stupid. You are trans-stupid stupid. Meta-stupid. Stupid collapsed on itself so far that even the neutrons have collapsed. Stupid gotten so dense that no intellect can escape. Singularity stupid. Blazing hot mid-day sun on Mercury stupid. You emit more stupid in one second than our entire galaxy emits in a year. Quasar stupid. Nothing in our universe can really be this stupid. Perhaps this is some primordial fragment from the original big bang of stupid. Some pure essence of a stupid so uncontaminated by anything else as to be beyond the laws of physics that we know. I'm sorry. I can't go on. This is an epiphany of stupid for me.

I've attached a photo of the 'rust free' $16, 500 1973 MGB roadster that I purchased last month from Marc Evans at New England Classic Car Company. I relied on his representations and the photos posted of this car on the web. Upon the car being shipped here, I examined it carefully and found a bondo crease in a rocker panel. Further investigation revealed that both rocker panels had been stuffed with chickenwire, newspaper, and bondo. The photo shows how one of the sills looked after we stripped it down. The other sill was the same. Since an MGB is a monocoque unibody, the rotten state of these sills renders the car unroadworthy - which means that Marc Evans charged me a premium price for an unsafe automobile.

His response? "How was I supposed to know? I drove it 90 miles back to our shop and it didn't miss a beat. I didn't put it on a lift to look at it - we don't even have a lift here" and "I don't feel like I have any responsibility here at all. I drove this car 90 miles back to our shop and it seemed fine. I don't examine the cars I bring in here. If a seller says that the car's OK, and if I drive iot 90 miles and it works fine, then I sell it."

In conclusion: Marc Evans is a liar and a thief. You do business with him at your own risk. He will rip you off, and he will lie to you even if he doesn't have to. What a ###ing ###.

I dated him, what a mistake...you guys are so right!

Many thanks to all for taking the time to alert the rest of us to your experiences with this dealer. I had been looking at NECC on the web and they "appeared" to have better inventory than Merit or Gullwing, and perhaps about the same as Wilson, for the TRs, AHs, MGs, and Morgans I've been salivating over. Guess I'll go the club route. As for you, ### Evans, your third post was a hoot and I hope you're feeling better.

I'm so glad I've been stopped buying the Ginetta G4 Evans has on offer! Thank you all very much for warning me.
I'd like to buy a nice MG A, TR3 or Morgan in the States - any idea from which dealer I'd not be [censor]###ed?
markustanner@bluewin.ch

regarding the support for NE Classics from "B' I am that guy Zwicker and I did NOT recieve multiple DUIs as you purport. I recieved one out of state dui and in illinois that is an automatic one year suspension. It was a stupid mistake I will always regret and have been 100% dry since recieving the citation in Aug of 2007. Non of this has any significance since my complaint with NE Classics was total misrepresentation. I was told the car was RUST FREE! it is a 1960 tr3 and arrived with two slabs of plywood for a floor.. After spending 32, 000 dollars is it too much to expect the turn signals, brake lites, horn and windshield wipers to work? Isn't that something you pros in the shop are supposed to check out before you ship a car? That safety items are functional?tPart of the frame was missing...MISSING!
A hard top and wire wheels mysteriously disappear.
two pieces of trim that sell for $30.00 at the Roadster factory and go above the rocker panels were missing...You would think in restoring an automobile you would at least replace rotten bushings for Gosh sake It arrived with a leaking main seal and leaking brake cylinder and I still have a 2x8 for a battery box. And you have the nerve to suggest I should be happy with my $32, 000 piece of junk and drive off into the sunset? The man is a liar and a thief and if there are any good revues on e-bay he wrote them himself. Along with everything else oh master Mechanic I had to have the carbs rebuilt and had to replace parts that were totally missing. When this piece of crap arrived it would not start or run! Oh yess, there is the matter of body damage that occurred after it was painted. My guess it fell off a jack stand or was lowered onto something. I should also mention the high degree of workmanship that went into affixing the wrong license plate light. You master mechanics really went out of your way bolting a 1/4 inch slab of metal to the car and then bolting the light to it. Real professional

I had the "privilege" to work for Marc a few years back when I moved to Stratford at the age of 16 to get away from home life with the parents. I ended up living in my friends basement, and managed to get a job at the New England Classic Car Company Straford, CT as a body man. He knew from the initial interview that I really had no knowledge in old cars, or anything other then changing my cars oil. He still hired me, and made me a body man.

After a few days of working in the basement hacking away at a few cars trying to remake missing rusted areas out of duct tape and Bondo with this older man named Danny who would work and drink beer all day Marc realized I had really no clue in what I was doing... He then made me an upstairs guy cleaning cars (using dry dirty rags and Windex), doing electrical, leather, motor work, etc. Everything I did was hacked, or just rushed because he was a man of no patients and didn't really care how it got done as long as it did before a customer came to see the vehicle.

I worked there for a little over a year and in my time saw lots of angry customers, heard lots of lies, and even witnessed illegal things go down in that shop. The place is a [censor] hole, the dudes a thief.

DON'T by anything from him... These cars are rushed, hacked, rushed some more, then sent to Maaco for a $250.00 paint job right on top of the original without removing any trim, chrome, or anything...

He is the duct tape pro!

Signed,

Dan

Yes stay clear of this place! Not honest for sure. Not a Classic car guy most of them are honest.

I bought a car from him last year. Paid more than I should but figured I'd save in the long run. A "mostly restored MGB" car. Said the best he EVER had. Said the compression was 170-180 psi. Should have had him show me. So much for trusting people.

Been repairing his crap for a year. Found missing parts, oil leakes, and more, and now found out I got engine issues.

Having issues with burning oil and low compression.

Stay away from this place. Paid full price no negotiations yes got made when I tried to negotiate! Very arrogant guy.

I know you never know with a 45 year old car and you can never test everything. Guess I will know more when the engine is fixed. If I find that it's possible he told the truth I will post it it and send him an appology, but I dought it more like I'll send him a copy of the bill.

Mike Shelly Not a nut job but a very unhappy customer!

I am about to go after him right now. I'll post pleanty if he is not reasonable. Anyone want to do a class action suit?

About ten years ago drove 9 hours with an enclosed trailer to this so called shop from Ohio and found all the Morgans this guy had to be all piles of crap that were pieced together form spare parts. Filed a complaint over this whole ordeal wtih Conn. and of course that was a joke too-they know he's selling this trash but hey collect the tax so what the hell! And the BBB is a total joke and Marc knows this-all he has to do is answer a complaint and it a done deal-no resolution just a done deal. Morgan I singled out to possibly buy upon closer inspection was put together with new sheet metal screws and had the steering rods spot welded together-"Oh I didn't know that" was Marc's answer Well after two hours of looking at all this rolling junk he had on display was dam glad to have gotten out of there with just the gas and time costs. And to think that Hemmings still lets this clown advertise even after I complained to them about this dork. Believe me every thing that is said against this jerk in here is true and the one glowing comment I'm quite sure was written by Marc or he paid someone to write it.
Parker Higby
parker h138@aol.com

Also while all these people complain about the over priced piles of crap this clown sells the bottom line is he has your money!

I recently had a very unpleasant experience with NE classics car company. I fully agree with all the negative epithats about this business. Untrustworthy, deceptive,
unreliable. There is not 1% of classic or gentlemanly about the proprietor of this used car business. Just another used car salesman hiding under a thin, cracking veneer of civility. He may as well sell used rugs or vacuums. I have been a classic car collector and have interacted with truly superb people in my time. This is not one of them. Please stay away from this one.
S

mean, rude, dishonest

Wow, what a mixed bag of comments. The prior employee seems so level-headed, but the hatred hurled at Marc is something that just can't be ignored of be the work of all crackpots. I spoke w/ him this AM and was going to make plans to chk out an English classic w/ time and expense, but now I'm given pause. Yes, he is a bit overbearing on the phone, pushed me towards his fav car--(perhaps the one I inquired about was not there?) but now, hmmmm. Now I know what his former employee is talking about--Classic cars are not for the light of heart. I was looking at a car in Fla, when another guy flew in just to chck a Jag XK-150 DHC, and this 100K car broke down on the friggen test drive! And believe me it was a beautiful sorted example. So, expectations should be tempered.
But one weird thing--did anyone else get a e-mail from when Marc was in Europe, that he had been robbed and was asking for money? Was that an internet scam or was he really asking complete strangers who happened to be on his contact list for money so he could get home? That gives me pause as well. Moral of story: Never buy a car sight-unseen, w/o a thorough PPI by an objective specialty shop, w/ compression or leak down numbers and if the owner won't let you, as it seems Marc discourages, fogettaboutit!
Buy a Miata or Move on!

I was at NECC very recently. First, let me say I have a long experience of owning and maintaining old sports cars and was expecting a shop selling first class examples of British sports cars. The asking prices are certainly first class. As I arrived, he was pleasant and took time to discuss his likes and dislikes of some specific models and recommended that I look at MGBs, of which he had a few nice examples. He then tried to steer me into a specific car. In spite of his glorifying remarks about the car I could see a number of obvious shortcomings, and I could find an equivalent MGB locally for maybe one fourth of his asking price. For half, I could get a really nice one.
When I started talking about a test drive he cut the discussion short and just vanished. Not that I was serious about it, and he probably had figured I was not his typical customer.
After this visit none of the posts on this thread was a surprise. This guy built himself an image through the specialized medias and uses it to sell way overpriced cars to unsuspecting customers, either from far away or unknowledgeable people who walk in the place.

I've had the misfortune to do a transaction - one transaction - with Troll Evans. His cars were rusty pieces of ###. I unfortunately wound up with one. I had to spend a fortune getting the car to the point that I could sell it. Redid his Maaco paint job. Replaced his Mechanic's hack job work on the electrics. Found the sawdust shavings in the gearbox - nice touch, Marc! One rocker panel was duct tape with bondo and paint over it. The horn was inoperative because the bolt somewhat attached to the end of the steering column (because the tapped part of the column had broken off) took up the horn's space in the steering wheel hub. Had to replace the entire damn steering column to get a working horn! (I have to admit, that was one might clever bodge, staggering in the safety risk it created).

I should have known. I had a strong urge to walk out of his shop when I first saw the man. He looked like a troll and he smelled bad, like a putrid combination of stale cigaret smoke, bad whiskey, body odor, and commercial building sanitation products. I guess I felt sorry for the guy. I couldn't listen to him amphetamine amped "I love me" speech. I couldn't see how the man could earn a living, he seemed so f***** up..

They guy's a troll, he's a troll, he couldn't get laid with an American Express card stapled to his forehead (apparently he tried; check out his story about the chick for whom he built an MGB racecar for; probably built it for her with his own money and STILL didn't get laid), a loser, who manages to rip off people like me. I'll give him that - he ripped me off good. He's a good con man.

But I ask you to consider the totality of Troll Evan's existence. You can see it from his photos. He's a short, fat guy who looks like Chester the Molester, who stuffs his fat ### like a sausage into a racing suit and goes racing somewhere in Canada, and looks like the man who most needed a blowjob in all of history and who was least likely to get a blowjob in all of history. My wife, still a looker, and her friends all laughed their ### off looking at his photos. None of them would have ever touched Troll Evans because, in the words of one of my wife's friends, "He's in a sleaze job and he looks like a sleaze used car salesman."

So buck up, I say. Perhaps Troll Evans did clip us for a few thousand. But as that beautiful blonde, be she your wife or your secretary that can't type, sucks your swollen cockhead expert, remember that Troll Evans never had a woman not a hooker do that to him, and never will. And laugh because all is right in the world. It is fair in the end.

Dealing with Marc right now. If he fulfills his (somewhat vague) agreement on an MG I intend to buy a Spitfire from him. He really should tell prospective buyers up front that delivery of cars as promised may take several weeks. If you want his full attention, you'll need to purchase his most expensive car. His priorities seem to be governed by dollar signs. Nothing illegal here, just an example of what is most wrong with American capitalism. If you're fortunate enough to catch him on a slow day and he already has your money, (caveat emptor) you'll come to believe that he actually cares about his customers. If someone comes along displaying interest in one of his precious Morgans, you may find yourself out in the cold. Stay tuned for further updates.

I recently bought a 64 sprite MK2 from New England Classics, sight unseen over the internet. I agree with the comments here. Mark Evans is a crook. The condition of the car was obscenely, shamelessly exaggerated. Not really exaggerated--lied about. Pictures were cleverly taken to hide the numerous flaws to go along with the totally dishonest description. I would strongly recommend that no one even consider buying a car from these guys unless you examine it carefully yourself, and if you are not an expert, take one. Hire one if you have to. actually, I still wouldn't buy from them. They are just too crooked.

I sure wish I'd seen this first. I am yet another victim.
Photo of my "rust free" "meticulously restored" MGB

Of course. All I got was a song and dance about vintage cars not being perfect.
This car was described as not having "a trace of body putty" and as "rust free" (see rust photos above and below)
"near perfect" "the nicest MG we've seen in a long time" etc.
"I went over all of the edges of the body with my kitchen magnet, couldn't find a trace of plastic filler."
This claim is true if you don't count the RR fender, left rocker panel and LF fender. Full of bondo.
The clutch slave cylinder had to be replaced immediately ("clutch works perfectly") as well as leaky rear shocks.
And here's the kicker: I offered to have him pick up this MG, keep my trade-in FOR FREE ('67 Morris Minor
Traveller wagon) if he would just refund the difference I paid. He never even acknowledged that offer.
He claims the post office lost the title I mailed him so he's been busy making an issue out of that.