Originally Posted by
OZMDD
You should either commit to the car and inform "Joe" that you will be sending him the bill for the repairs he misrepresented, which he can pay or defend himself in court, or you should sell it as-is and consider this a lesson learned.
If you do proceed with all the repairs you've described, don't count on ever recouping your money. Plan to drive the car for a good long time and get your moneys' worth, or sell it for a substantial loss.
This is the reason that its worth paying a reputable shop $100 to fully inspect a vehicle, pre-sale. The less you know about cars, the better an investment this becomes.
Odd are, "Joe" will not have enough assets to pay when he loses in court, so you'll get nickel and dimed for years, or possibly never get much of anything beyond the $500. If you do get the $500, don't sign anything other than a reciept for the $500. It will actually help your legal case if he gives you a partial refund, because it is an admission of fault. I suspect he'll keep stringing you along.
Good luck, but this is probably your learnign opportunity about "let the buyer beware." Great chance for you to build up some mechanical knowledge.