Everyone knows the saying, “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” That phrase might have saved Nick Rienzo a lot of time and money had he taken it to heart. This is the sad supercar story about Mr. Rienzo’s $85,000 Lamborghini Gallardo that was not, in fact, in “terrific condition.”

The $85,000 Lamborghini Gallardo in terrific condition

Florida can be a treasure trove for those looking to buy a supercar. There is no snow or ice on the roads to rust a car like up north. Plus, people can drive supercars all year round due to the weather. Nick Rienzo found a great deal on a 2006 Lamborghini Gallardo in Tampa, Florida. Select Motors of Tampa listed the attributes of the supercar in the ad.

In the original listing, it said the Gallardo was a “stunning Italian masterpiece.” It also said, “This High Profile EXOTIC SUPERCAR is in terrific condition and is priced below market value.” The crux of the whole issue is within that one sentence. Why is a place in Tampa selling a stunning Italian masterpiece in terrific condition below market value? Remember that pesky phrase from before, “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”

The Lamborghini Gallardo had been wrecked, repaired, and repainted

According to his FaceBook page, Rienzo lived out of state when he found the deal. He ended up buying the Gallardo sight-unseen based on the photos provided by Select Motors of Tampa. At this point, a pre-purchase inspection might have been a good idea. One of the first red flags came when Select Motors sent a video of the Lamborghini Gallardo getting loaded up for transport.

In the ad photos, the brake calipers were gold. In the video uploaded by BigKleib34 on YouYube, the calipers were bright green. Rienzo said he tried to back out of the deal at that point, but the company hung up on him multiple times. Upon receiving the cheapest Lamborghini on the market, it was apparent he had been bamboozled.

The list of issues with the car is astronomical. The door panels did not line up and looked off. Upon looking at more of the panels, it appeared a previous owner originally painted the car yellow. It had been repainted white, but not well enough. On the back end, the frame around the taillights was loose. The car was leaking fluid upon getting it into the garage, and the tires were dangerously bald. The state of the Lamborghini Gallardo engine couldn’t be any better.

There was a random dent in the driver’s side door, and when he turned the Gallardo on, the dash flashed “BRAKE WEAR.” The calipers that had been “powder coated” had been spray painted. Underneath, the car showed signs of significant scraping, damage, and missing pieces. Rienzo found out the Gallardo had been wrecked on a track and “repaired with a little more investigating.”

The importance of a pre-purchase inspection

There were a lot of rumors about the Lamborghini supercar. It had been in a flood and owned by a drug dealer. It was also part of an exotic car rental fleet and someone wrecked it. Overall, Rienzo did not win this round. Spending $85,000 without an inspection is just asking for it.

The Yelp page for Select Motors of Tampa is full of one-star reviews from buyers and those who read this story. Cars sold with bald tires, bad paint jobs, and even the delivery guys running tolls en route and charging it to the new buyer. As you can guess, Select is no longer in business. Nick ended up keeping the car and fixing it up, which is admirable. What’s the lesson in this story? Always get a pre-purchase inspection on your Lamborghini Gallardo.