As I said...it's in the MINUTE details
*89x2* said:
you are kidding, right??
it IS the same car :nono
here is the pic from ad at the dealer -
And here is the one on the "new e bay ad" -
The car had been on e-bay before and I suspect that was where the pics came from - the original ad...
Looks like the same car from here
OK...first let's state the obvious...we AGREE that the ebay is a scam, that's what this post is about. So this isn't meant to flame you. (Anyways, Callaway's are your area of knowledge, not mine. However, digital manipulation and photography are some of my strengths.)
I respectifully have to disagree with you that the pics are one and the same.
1) I would assume that Callaway builds all series of a car in a certain way, from a listed process, using the same parts, assembled by the same people, using the same instructions from car to car. The fact that the engines bay are going to look extrememly simliar is no coincidence, and is to be expected.
The pics themselves.
2) One could argue that the pic is one and the same, but the picture from the actual dealer is
closer/zoomed in than the ebay pic. If the dealers picture came first, the ebay'er certainly couldn't extrapolate [graphic/picture] information that isn't there to begin with.
3) If they are different pics, how can the angle be so simliar? Well, you are working with a fixed angle lens, such as a 35mm, you are going to want to take the best shot from the best possible angle. This would be from right off the driver-side front tire, with the hood up. This isn't rocket science. You could have 30 different people take a camera and independently photograph the same car. At least 25 out of 30 of them would be from the same angle, with about the same cropping/border, which is what you see with the two pics.
4) The two pictures have very different contrast ratios, as evidenced by looking at the part on top of (what I believe is) the A/C compressor. The ebay pic has better detail, whereas the dealer pic is higher contrast. If the ebayer stole the dealer's pic and lowered the contrast, he would only be left with a gray patch, not a better, more detailed section. Same goes with the plate on top of the fuel rail or manifold cover or whatever you call it. Again, the 'authentic' dealer pic is washed out from too much contrast (camera flash). Darkening this on the bottom ebay pic would not restore that lost detail.
5) Other minor details that cannot easily be added/subtracted...
5a) Look at the rocker covers with Callaway and the other text on it. The lighting is not the same, nor could it be. Even if the ebayer darkened his picture even more, the rocker cover would take on a much different look.
5b) Look at the master brake cylinder and the hose directly beneath it, in front of the ECM in the bottom picture. Not seen in the authentic dealer pic.
5c) Look at the upper control arm where is mounts under the A/C compressor in the top pic. It's nearly completely hidden in the bottom picture.
5d) Look at the top picture and notice where one of the AC lines goes under the MAF(?) and then make a soft 90° bend around the power steering resevoir(?). Now look at the bottom pic. There's some metallic looking knob or bolthead near that bend, at about the 1:00 position in relation to the MAF.
6) Basically, you have similiar cars but a different person taking a similiar picture, with different lighting and different flash settings. Also, one could postulate that the person who took the top dealer pic was taller (say 6'), which would allow for the steeper angle produced by taking a picture from a higher vantage point. The bottom pic was probably taken by another person in the 5'8" range, thus producing a picture with a more shallow angle.
Thank you. Class dismissed.
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...Now how's this for postulations? The ebay scammer had access to the dealer's car, therefor it could be someone associated with the dealer? Hmmm??? Maybe a honest in-person dealer, but an alter ego internet thief?
Possibly one of the dealers employees trying to scam someone? Maybe a disgrunteld employee tryng to F' the dealer by using his car to defraud someone online?