Tom Snellback, owner of The Last Detail, Inc. Sociopathic Liar, Conman, Cheat, and Dirtbag North Chicago Illinois

I had been in the market for a 1967 Cadillac Eldorado for quite some time. I was chasing a dream trying to replace the '67 Marina Blue Eldorado from Rector Cadillac in Burlingame my grandmother owned. I found this vehichle listed on Hemmings at USD$39,000. It was described as "Flawless and Captivating from Every Angle" according to The Last Detail's website. http://www.thelastdetail.com/1967-cadillac-eldorado--c-707.htm (I assume Tom Snellback or his assistant/co-conspirator Carie Rodriguez will remove this link although all has been copied and saved).

Besides being described as flawless it was also reported to be a historically significant car, but I never received any documentation to support that claim or even any service records for that matter. Tom Snellback might as well have said it was owned by Frank, Dean, Sammy, The Czar of Russia, or the King of Spain. Any story he wanted to tell, no need to be grounded in fact or reality.

Pictures of car were really too shiny to see the true condition of the paint but pictures of the undercarriage showed it to be a little crusty. When I spoke with Tom Snellback he assured this was just surface rust as I was very concerned about it. Obviously now I realize that was not even close to being factually based, and it is my fault not to have had Jeff Hyman (I highly recommend his services) or one of his associates go evaluate the car before finally paying USD$37,160 out the door.

I had the car taken to Mr. Frank Nicodemus at Castle Cadillac in Wappinger Falls, NY. He is the preeminent authority on Cadillacs and their restoration. My thoughts were to have the body and frame separated, undercarriage sandblasted and resealed/painted, the frame powder coated, complete new suspension and underpinngs, etc. The car is on his facebook page some times.

When the car arrived he noticed the gapping rust hole in the left rear wheel well, massive brazed patch on lower left front fender, rusted lower right front fender, brazed patch on trunk lid, and a really suspect rear window and roof (which turned out to be correct-lots of rust). Once on the lift, he could see the driver's floor board was swiss cheese and many holes in the undercarriage. This was all noticeable to even the most casual observer. I have all the picture documentation you could ever want.

Tom Snellback did not hesistate to lie to sell the car as any sociopath is prone to do in order to benefit themselves. It's actually too common nowadays and representative of the lack of morals or ethics to be found in our society at large. I am to blame by not having a pre-purchase inspection, believing him, and paying a very, very high premium for this car. I saw it was trasferred at auction at USD$20,000, so he made a tidy USD$17,000. Even USD$20,000 is way too high.

Web searches show Tom Snellback has been profiled as a high-end car dealer living the life of a multi-millionaire. Screwing over people and profiting excessivley permits that. I contacted him many times after the true condition of the car was known, but of course there was never a reply. It is my hope that others might benefit from my experience and serve as a cautionary tale.