He Sold a Flooded Lamborghini, the Buyer Had No Idea. Years Later, He Bought It Back

Ed Bolian sold the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder in 2021 when it was 15 years old. The sports car had been the victim of a flood in Santa Monica, prior to the sale. It sat in mud for quite some time before it was rescued and brought to safety. But the harm had already been done.

Ed tried to clean it up and rebuild it but discovered so many issues. The front differential was still full of water, the exhaust system was clogged with dirt, and there was so much mud everywhere. So, he decided to get rid of it.

The buyer had no idea about the background of the car as it was deliberately hidden from him. However, when he found out, it was already too late to back off. The papers were signed, the flooded car was his.

Ed Bolian sold the Gallardo again to someone in New Jersey, as he was trying to make room and money for other projects. He had managed to fix several issues on the car before he decided to let go of it. However, the fuel gauge still didn't work. So people who drove it constantly ran out of gas, despite being warned to be careful.

The new owner wanted to make his debut in the automotive content creator space. Ed eventually found out that the only video that the new owner had ever made of the Lamborghini was driving it once. Then, he parked it and never moved it around much.

The Lamborghini was originally black, but he kept the Blue Le Mans-like wrap. Because he did not need the car anymore, he listed it via RM Sotheby's Motorsport last year, but it did not meet the reserve. So, he was stuck with the car.

But after months spent apart, Ed realized he missed the Lamborghini very much and thought he could have it running like in the good old days, just like it did before it sank into water and mud. So, he texted the seller and made him an offer, which was way below what Ed had sold it for three years prior. The seller came up with another sum, and they eventually met in the middle. So, Ed flew to New Jersey, determined to drive his old/new Lamborghini Gallardo home.

When he checked the odometer, he was shocked. The one who had just sold him his former/future Lamborghini had only driven it 89 miles during his ownership. The only work he had ever done on the car was to replace the battery.

But when Ed tried to start the car, it didn't. No matter what they did, it just didn't. And he had about 1,000 miles to drive home. Luckily, Ed had a friend with him. The two of them pushed the Gallardo down the road, trying to get it running.

And it did when Ed engaged the second gear. The 5.0-liter V10 was alive and kicking, but who knows how much of the 553 horsepower (560 metric horsepower) and 254 pound-feet (344 Newton meters) of torque were left in it?

In its good old days, the Lamborghini Gallardo could do 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 kph) in just 3.2 seconds and run the quarter mile in 11.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of 202 mph (325 kph). But those are long gone now and all that Ed and his friend want right now is to get back home, from New Jersey to Atlanta, with the car on its own wheels.

So, they drove off, determined not to stop the engine until they got home. But that was definitely not a good plan, because they had to put petrol in the gas tank. And that needed to be done with the engine off, otherwise, the fuel release door wouldn't open. So, they had to turn it off and push the car again to get the engine running.

And it was far from over. The rain started while they were driving on the highway, and the car started leaking. So, eventually, they decided to put the roof down and brave the rainfall. As he kept driving, he kept finding issues about the Lambo that he wanted to have back so much!

Late that night, they made it back to Atlanta. He took it to a service shop the following day and was shocked at how much mud was still left in the car after all those years. They changed fluids and filters, put in a new battery, but there was still so much that wasn't functioning properly. Still, Ed is happy to have it back.