Sold 8/11/11 - I heard this did sell at some point. I haven't heard any details yet.
6/30/11 Update - No more question about the title. He does indeed have it in hand. Check the photo gallery. The description has also been updated.
5/1/11 Update - Posted a Carfax report for it. Not a lot of new information, but good confirmation. Also received the following in-person report:
So I saw this coupe a couple of weeks ago (Apr) when it was for sale in Laurel, MD. All the body panels did in fact have matching VIN tags; I connected my Peake FCXII and there were no codes; a couple of door dings; no M badge on the hatch; no M Grills; you can hear a clunk when driving- owner says it's because there is a rubber gasket missing between the upper strut mount and the shock tower but I'm not so sure about that story.
5/26/11 Update - The saga continues... The new listing is evidently the previous seller's brother. I'm not sure why the price hike (from $11,500 from $16,000) or the location change. Not sure if the paperwork is actually straightened out or not. It actually appears to be posted on Vancouver Craigslist as well which has happened to one other NY listing I've seen, so it could be independent. Just a weird situation...
5/4/11 Update - It's a pretty weird situation. I talked to two people who were planning on buying it today. The seller did not show to meet with either of them (one for a PPI, one was planning on driving it away). Evidently the seller was rearended in one of his other cars. Still doesn't explain how he was leading on two different buyers.
4/26/11 Update - Here's a little more information on the "paper work error":
I talked to the seller on the phone in January before some one else gave an offer before me and was told that he got the car from a friend who owns a towing company and looks like this car was seized and the owner never claimed it and they had to get the duplicate Title because of pending litigation and hence the Salvage title. But again, someone with some knowledge on this issue have to correct me on this one :)
It sounds like this may be straightened out now when he says title in hand, but definitely be aware of it.
4/25/11 Update - Evidently this never ended up selling back in January. Now back on the market for a palty $11,500. Wow!
1/11/11 Update - Heard from someone who was able to get ahold of the seller. The seller says he's had the car since 2009 which doesn't line up exactly with the vehicle history report. I still think it's worth checking out for the price.
1/10/11 Update - Auctioned ended with a high bid of $10,100 which did not meet reserve. The car got a lot of exposure though, so I'm thinking it will probably sell soon off of Ebay once someone is able to have a PPI done.
1/10/11 Update - Buy-it-now lowered again to $13,500 from $16,500
1/9/11 Update - Buy-it-now just lowered to $14,500 from $16,500. Now it's a great deal!
1/7/11 Update - The seller added a buy-it-now price of $16,500. I think that's a pretty good deal and less than I would have guessed it to be. It will definitely take some TLC, but I think the right buyer could make this a really nice coupe.
The good: it's a 2002 steel gray M Coupe! The bad: rebuilt title that is not mentioned in the listing, the sale listing photos were taken in the rain, the rear wheels look awful, Z3 fender gills rather than M gills, it does not have a 6-speed manual as advertised unless a transmission swap was performed, and I kind of doubt the numbers matching statement (but it could be true). With that said, it's still a steel gray S54 coupe. Take all the other things into consideration with price though (which there is not any indication of what he's hoping to get). As for modifications he has an H&R suspension, an intake, and an aftermarket shift knob. The new brake pads and rotors are nice as well.