Vintage American Steel Leaving The U.S.

Don't forget a lot of our cars in Europe and probably Australia too were there since new.
With 9 US cars only my 51 Buick and 52 Desoto were later imports (both in the early 90's)
My Model A, four 32's and 39 Merc were all sold new in Europe so you don't 'miss'
them cause they were not in the US anyway.

 

Well when the guy I sold my beloved 53 Panel truck to was in England. Yes I was concerned about this topic at one time. But all the people I have met from overseas have always been straight up and very courtious. Him and his wife love the panel and always send me pics. I now rest assured its in good hands with folks that trully care about it

 

Only a problem if the ship sinks.

 

As long as the car is going to someone who is going to enjoy it, that's all that matters.

The euro is down now, that's good for us too. $1 = .8189 Euro

 

I'm just waiting for the payback...got my eye on a nice early Skoda. Mmmmmmm, a guys gotta have a dream right?

 

What... is Bluto moving the rest of his collection to Poland?

 

B.S. I know of several Hemi musclecars and a Ford Thunderbolt
thats sold back to U.S.A

 

We have imported alot of cars for many years but some really rare cars are going back home this days.
2 skylarks going back to USA.

 

I sold a Sunbeam Alpine to a guy in the UK. I thought that was odd but I guess they are all rotted to hell over there and hard to find in good shape.

 

There are many reasons why we buy your stuff, probably first and foremost is that although the US has always exported 'new' cars, they've always been in low numbers and of limited choice. 1930's Ford Coupe's and Roadsters were never sold here as you may already know. Our Ford plants have always produced small engined cars Anglia's etc. Then WWII steel drives and petrol rationing made US cars even rarer. Like has been said already, when the dollar is up on the Pound, your classic guys buy up MG's Healey's, Jag's and Bentley's.

The generation of UK guys like me that grew up having seen American Graffiti at the movies first time around (and had the world of US cruising shown to them for the first time!) are now old enough to sometimes afford the dream cars we saw in that movie.

Don't worry my '34 is in safe hands and buying it from Kennedy on here (and Kennedy Sr) was a lifetime achievement for me, I never thought I'd own a car as cool as it is.
High fuel prices won't stop me driving it either and if Euro legislation ever prohibits me from driving it on UK roads, I will ship it back, store it there and fly over and drive it for vacations! Fair enough?

L.P.

 

I've dealt in motorcycles for years.I've heard this "ain't coming back" drivel for years. My mentor years ago pointed out that this is all a matter of currency flow.When the dollar gets strong, this stuff will start coming back.I've seen bikes go back and forth.
America's hey day was when we were EXPORTING cars truck,airplanes,motorcycles ,medical equipment, etc.

 

Who cares? We've got more old cars over here then we need! I figure that either our brothers over seas get the cars or they get crushed. It's a lot easier for guys in America to buy a project and get it going than it is over seas. So If "we" can save the cars "here" and get them to a sellable condition. Then sell the cars to "them" over seas and move on to the next project, we both win.

 

I just love it when common sense and reality make a statement.

Hey we took 'MacDonalds' the Hummer and Disney crap so you owe us anyway.

 

Can't speak too much for cars, but in recent years I've sold many ww2 warbird parts. Some of the best and most historic parts went to overseas buyers, and I got the same grief from a few people- "You are sending our history away to other countries"

While it's no secret that most warbird goodies don't go for shit in the USA, and the museums expect you to donate everthing to them, to the crybabies I say step up and pay what the stuff is worth, or quit yer bitchin!

 

Can't speak too much for cars, but in recent years I've sold many ww2 warbird parts. Some of the best and most historic parts went to overseas buyers, and I got the same grief from a few people- "You are sending our history away to other countries"

While it's no secret that most warbird goodies don't go for shit in the USA, and the museums expect you to donate everthing to them, to the crybabies I say step up and pay what the stuff is worth, or quit yer bitchin!

 

We'd better ship em all over seas, China may decide to foreclose.

 

Ok! So im a BAD guy. I imported a 1941 Ford Tudor and a 1959 Mercury in 2008. Please dont hate me for that?

 

Could you say that again?

 

I already said it twice, Nadeem.

 

best reply in the thread.

 

The news tells me the president saved us all and everything is great, but still no one here is buying cars, so like I said before, I don't care where you're from as long as the money's green.

 

highest bidder/ offer wins

 

It' going both ways fellas. A friend of mine just picked up a pair of Kaisers that made their way here from Argentina a couple of years ago. It's a fact, that every year more our beloved old rides are gone. Some to rust, accidents, natural disasters, scrappers and some to over-eager individuals who don't know what they are doing and end up destroying them beyond use. We've been exporting these cars since they were new. I see no difference between a "saved car" in the U.S.A and one in any other country in the world, as long as someone is giving it the attention and affection it deserves. Barring those bound for the smelter in China, most individuals who are buying these cars are not buying them to watch them rot, or be otherwise destroyed, so why is it an issue? If anyone is worried about the loss of project materials in the US, I invite you to attend your nearest swap meet, or go on a tour of backroads and barns. The deficiency of these beautys on the American Roadway is not due to lack of cars, it's due to a lack of interest, mechanical ability and of pure gumption amongst the masses. Everyone wants a car they can drive for 100,000 miles without touching, that starts when they turn the key and doesn't require any warm up time. Have you ever noticed how many people with flat tires on the open road have a cell phone glued to their head as you pass? Are they calling to say they will be late because they have to change a tire, or are they calling a tow truck because they don't know how to change a tire? This is what separates us from them. Borders should not separate us from our hotrodding bretheren. Luke

 

Its about time the overseas guys catch on to what a real car is....

 

Well the USA has spent the last thirty years importing gazzillions of metric cars, and destroying your own car industry, so maybe it is a good thing that you're now exporting American iron, do something to pay off that huge foreign debt you've go going.

 

some of the piles of crap that have come over here, come here because they are unsaleable in the US....stuff that has been passed over by more "choosy" rodders who have a massive choice of raw material to work with.
Even "finished" cars coming to the UK generally need a shit load of work before they are legal to drive...just because of our rules and construction regs and registration process....as has been stated just to get a car here from the US will cost half as much again as we have just paid for it. That my colonial cousins is dedication to our art of rodding
99% of the "American" replies on here are positive and in the real world..A rodder is a rodder where ever they are from..I would rather sell my A to a rodder overseas than to some arse "collector" in the UK...but...at the end of the day it comes to the size of the cheque... those who appear to be concerned about loosing US metal may moan but if they can get $10k more for their beloved US only Hot Rod by selling it to Europe or Japan I bet they would sell!!

saying that i do know of a couple of UK rodders who agreed to by a 49/50 shoebox via the web...on showing up to collect it the owner wouldn't sell..even when offered more cash than he had agreed on..because they were English and not Americans..

 

some of the coolest rods and customs i've ever seen have been across the pond.

 

I definitely not happy to see them go out of the country but reality has hit us and we are our own worst enemy. I quit taking stuff to swap meets because everyone wanted it for nothing. Same with any of my older cars. Now I get less but I know they are going to be sold and the money is there before the car or part leaves. It's called Capitalism.

 

actually i think its kinda kooll

 

North Western Europe has got some of the most talented 'gear heads' that I have ever seen.
I'm glad to see American Iron going over to guys that have the real old time tools (no I don't mean "old skool") needed to work on our cherished hotrods and originals. The Mechanical ability of our European Neighbors is second to none. Let them have Mercs

Australians,
has anybody ever seen the paper thin rust infested scale covered metal that these guys have to work with? The Australian climate and soil turns cars into dust faster than it takes to rebuild them. Aussies will take a pile of rusted dust and rebuild everything from damn near scratch. The bodymen of Australia aren't scared to touch metal that turns to dust when you touch it Because that's exactly what their climate leaves them to start with.

We North Americans have always thought that the Muscle Car Era was a phenomena that happened only in the USA/Canada. As Americans, we seem to forget that when we were having our 60's muscle car shoot outs, so were the Australians. Power to them, and power to the fantastic bodymen that were born out of necessity for they are the ones that are sharing all their rare Utes with the world. And If I had my way, I would be trading 32 Deuce coupes for Aussie built Utes any day. Who wouldn't want to own a 40 Willys or 36 Ford Ute? International Trade is a good thing.