BARTOW COUNTY, Ga. -- It’s always a good idea to make sure you have a used car checked out before you buy, but in the case of a Cartersville man, he didn’t need a mechanic -- he needed a drug dog.

You can hardly blame Mike Schaub for his reaction to news that bags of drugs were found hidden in his car. “I’m sure my eyes got as big as a baseball,” said Schaub.

A car audio store was working on a Pontiac Schaub recently bought at Bill Heard’s used car lot on Barrett Parkway in Kennesaw. A technician under the dash found a bag of crack and another of powdered cocaine.

SLIDESHOW: Drugs Found In Steering Column

“Everybody just backed away like it was a bomb or something. Then we just called the police from there because no one wanted to get in trouble,” said Steve Rice, owner of Car Audio Sensations.

Schaub had already driven the car across the state line.

“And I was thinking about getting pulled over by the Florida police and them walking around with a dog and telling me I’m a drug trafficker,” said Schaub.

Rice said no one from Bill Heard wanted to drive the car either. They picked it up from the car audio store and towed it back to the dealership. It turns out Bill Heard bought the car from a major rental agency. Authorities are convinced neither is involved.

“It was hidden in a very good spot, it was in the steering column and I can see somebody missing it,” said Bartow County Drug Task Force Commander Lt. Mark Mayton.

Bill Heard replaced the drug-filled car with an Impala sporting expired plates. Schaub said he deserves to keep the Impala for his trouble.

“I would like to be where I was before all this happened. Same payment, a nearly new car and then I’ll be happy,” said Schaub.

Bill Heard's lawyer told Channel 2 they reversed their deal with the rental agency.

Bill Heard said they are going to let Schaub keep the Impala -- and his payment went down by $10 a month. They are also cutting six months off Schaub's loan for his trouble.