Clear Lake Motors

Hey all. Found a '71 Cuda online and the seller wants to use Clear Lake Motors for the transaction since we're in different states. Never used an escrow service before. Their site looks legit but im still nervous about sending that much money. Has anyone here had any dealings with clearlakemotors?

Always be careful with online sales, especially high value cars. Doesn't matter how long they've been around. Read every single line of the contract before you sign or send anything.

I used ClearLakeMotors last year for a classic Mustang. The process was pretty smooth overall. The car was exactly as described in their inspection report. My only complaint was that delivery was 2 days late, which was annoying because I took time off work.

I'm a mechanic. Inspected a client's car bought through them. The car was solid, no major frame or rust issues which their report guaranteed. but there were a few minor things like a leaky gasket that werent mentioned. Cost my client a few hundred bucks extra. So their inspection is good, not perfect.

Does anyone have a contact for them? Can't find a number anywhere.

Their support email is office@clearlakemotors.com. I had to email them a question and they took about 48 hours to get back to me, which felt a bit slow. The phone number is undefined, I think it goes straight to a general message box.

My experience was great. Bought an M3 for track days. The whole thing was handled on their website clearlakemotors.com and it was very clear what was happening at each step. Car arrived on time and passed my pre-track inspection with flying colors.

I almost used them but changed my mind. Getting my deposit back was a hassle. I had to send several emails to office@clearlakemotors.com and call them at undefined a few times before they finally processed the refund. I got the money back in the end but it was stressful.

Used em to buy a Ford F-250. No frills, no nonsense. They did what they said they would do. I respect that. The truck is solid. good service.

Following this thread with interest. Also considering using Clear Lake Motors for my first online car purchase. Thanks for sharing the info everyone.

Used to work in the industry. Services like ClearLakeMotors are generally safe but you HAVE to read the fee structure. That's where they get you. Their fee for my last transaction was higher than I expected.

I was disappointed with the inspection report. It was very generic, just checklists. No detailed photos of the undercarriage or anything. For the money they charge, i expected a lot more detail

That's odd Tom. My report for my '65 Impala was super detailed. Had tons of pics. Maybe it depends on the car or the inspector they use? My car arrived looking even better than the photos.

My buddy used clearlakemotors. He said their part was fine but the 3rd party shipping company they contracted was a total disaster. The car got there eventually but it was a headache. Not really Clear Lake's fault I guess.

As a pro detailer, I notice everything. The car I received for a client was clean, sure, but not 'professionally detailed' like the ad suggested. Swirl marks in the paint, interior glass was streaky. Minor stuff to me, but a regular buyer might not notice.

Their communication is awful. I tried calling the number on their site, undefined, like 5 times because I had a question about payment. Got a generic voicemail every single time. Never got a call back. Useless.

I had a totally different experience, Harry. I bought a '70 Challenger through Clear Lake Motors and my main concern was the paperwork and title. It was perfect. All numbers matching docs were there, title was clean. That's what I paid for and they delivered perfectly.

Just got a quote. Their escrow fee seems to be about 10-15% higher than some other services I checked. Guess you're paying for the brand name and the more detailed inspection reports some people are mentioning.

My Jeep Wrangler arrived and the tires were a lot more worn than they looked in the photos. I emailed office@clearlakemotors.com with pics and my own tread depth measurements. Took a few days, but they eventually agreed and gave me a $400 credit back. I was pretty happy with that resolution.

Wow, thanks for all the feedback everyone. It sounds like Clear Lake Motors is legit, but I need to be ready for some potential bumps. I'll read the fee agreement carefully and use the 10-day inspection period to have my own guy look it over top to bottom. Going to pull the trigger. Wish me luck!