Projects 34 Ford coupe nicknamed "Blown Income"

Just reading about this, Good for one and not Good for the other. Wouldn't it be great if these two could make some kind of compromise? Let's Hope So. Buyer Beware, Fellas.

 

Wow, what a story! I wonder what's going to happen to all the parts that GTO Muscle installed?

I would never start work on a car until the title was free and clear in my name. What kind of title did he get when he purchased it? Hopefully after the pain has worn off a bit he can come and tell us the story. And hopefully he can find the guy who sold him the car!

 

^^^^^This! I hope all works out for the OP.

 

What terrible news for GTO Muscle

 

Well that is just completely F*cked! When I saw this thread pop back up, I was expecting to see it blasting around, not this. It would suck having a car stolen, but hopefully for OP, something can be worked out so he doesn't lose out so much. Wouldnt the original owner have already been paid out from insurance back when it happened if it was stolen?

 

That's some bad, bad news.

 

Wow .....I’d sure be pissed my bitchin survivor hotrod got cut up in to this... I guess at least he got it back :-/

 

thirty two,
I’m probably going to regret saying this, but I was thinking the same thing. The car was cool as hell with the Oldsmobile dual quad in it. I was shocked there was so little discussion on the history lost and the new direction.
The rightful owner bought the car when he was 13 and built it in the late 50’s. Stored it on his family’s ranch and had it stolen, and by the sounds of it, I’m assuming it wasn’t insured. In all due respect to GTO Muscle, I’m glad it’s heading back to where it belongs. I wonder if the parts sold off of it can be recovered in the same manner as the car. I also hope GTO muscle can recover the parts he invested...... just not sure how that will be offset by the originality sold.

What was wrong with this?

 

I tried real hard not to comment on the car build as it was “his car” I’m just really surprised at the lack of respect and appreciation on a traditional hot rod site for an actual real life persevered, surviving 50s built hotrod that you could tell was built long ago by loving hands..

I like building my own style too and that’s why I start with pieces, no way I could of justified digging into that car other than repairs, its a sad story all around , I wouldn’t want it back after the changes , maybe he will still be able to buy the new version back

 

It is definitely a very difficult situation . . . pretty much a "no win" no matter how you look at it for the recent owner. Talk about learning a lesson a very hard way - this would be it. Even if he wants to keep it . . . he basically ends up paying for it twice . . .

As far as the direction he took the car - while I have my opinion on what I'd have done (preserved it), he did what he felt he really wanted to do. He didn't drop a SBC crate motor in it, he built a late 50's engine - one with a lot more "grunt" than what he took out. That was his vision for what he wanted the car to become -- I have to respect that. I happen to have a 34 coupe that is being built in a very similar way . . . something I ALWAYS wanted to do since I was about 20 years old. Luckily I had my original coupe as a starting point - in his case, he had to buy one to get started . . . and I'm sure he paid some substantial $$$ for it.

Given the time and money he obviously put into it - what a pisser for it to end up being a stolen car (one that the original owner has every right to get back). Hopefully the original parts are available - if the original owner wants them.

 

I'm not sure if it would fall under CA law, or WA law...but does the current owner have the ability to pull any parts off he installed? I know it really doesn't help, but this thread is proof of all the work he did? Like others mentioned, it's a lose/lose.

 

My guess is the state police impounded the car as soon as it showed up stolen. Probably weren't to keen on letting the guy take it and remove any parts since no way of knowing really (the police that is) what belonged to the car or not. I'm always amazed how many guys build a car then start the title process. Title is always first in my book just for this reason, you never know.

 

Or ....maybe the old owner can sell the new stuff to put an olds back in and return the car back to the way it was

 

I'm confused. The OP said he had a 1963 registrations and determined that the guy listed on there had passed away in 2011. But AL T said the guy that the car was stolen from owned it since the 50's?

 

If you read the news story, it's all there.

https://www.modbee.com/news/article214787850.html

I'm wondering if the guy he purchased the car from told him the owner had died...... hence the "estate sale" comment on page 1.

 

The details of the timeline are very screwy. I read elsewhere that the car was in storage in Modesto for the last 35 years before it was "found."

 

I can't imagine the unholy, kick-in-the-balls feeling it must be to go from getting your year's long hot rod project inspected so you can enjoy it to realizing it is no longer yours (and truly never was) and it leaving your possession, all because of a thief.

It's also not lost on me how conflicting this is because there's a bright spot in this.... a man gets his hot rod back.

I'm sorry @GTO_MUSCLE_SS. It really sucks that this happened.

 

This is really sad story re: the builder (GTO Muscle),
The owner that had it taken/stolen, (Perhaps Godsend) and lastly a lesson for all HAMB readers.

I’d say that many Hot Rod enthusiasts walk away from a garage, swap meet or even a posted classified advertisement thinking”I just scored!!!!”

I’ve felt it a few times myself. The OP I could imagine felt the same way... This has got to be a total nightmare for him and A great day for the legal owner.

This really hits home as when I saw that 34 5W, I felt a pretty cool vibe on its previous condition. It was a timeless build. It is now a continuation of its previous build, still in a timeless sense.

I own a 34 3W that by its previous California Regs goes back to 1949. (yes, I still have the paper 1949 issued “pink slip”). That car looks so similar to mine along with another 33 3W, almost the same hue of blue. I guess the best lesson learned from this experience would be to research a title or VIN previous to a purchase no matter how good of a deal it may be....Paperless transactions can sometimes be a real hassle or work out just fine. Just be carefully spending some hard earned dough.

 

The owner whose Hotrod disappeared said it was stolen in 1997 jiving with the officers reference and Ministry's inspection...a terrible end obviously to GTO...the thief fabbed a believable story with GTO unknowingly falling for it.

The owners paperwork given to GTO was either fake or the original in the car at time of theft another bonus for the thief.

In the thief's favor was GTO's innocent handling of something that is probably more common than we believe.

Sad.

 

What a devastating story, So so sad. Conditions are such here at my house that because of my wife's on set of dementia, (mild now), I may have to put my 34 on the market. I don't want to, but some time life deals you a bad hand and I am just about to have to walk away from the poker table.

I truly do wish GTO get back what he has put into it, but don't know how that would work with the Cali fellow. What a can of worms.

 

Hopefully the cops don’t just stop because the hotrod went back to its “rightful owner” and do the leg work to punish the people who took it in the first place

 

Totally agree!!

 

Wow. A lot of you guys sure hammered on me quick there. The story on the car and being bought at 13 is bogus. The owner is 73. Born in 45 and his mother’s name wasn’t on the registrations till 61 and 63. The 1960 registration is in the old owners name. So that was a lie. It was last registered in 1963. So if he did drive it, it wasn’t in his name and he only drove it a couple years. His mother died in 1994. The claim for stolen was 1997. Nothing about his story has checked out. I’ve been in contact with the guy I bought it from and the guy he got it from. Long story short the 34 was never in the name of the guy claiming it stolen. I still have plenty work to do getting it back. But to the guys saying I ruined a 50’s Hotrod. You can keep that piece of shit 49 olds 303 and 48 Ford 3 speed. I built the car I always wanted and I built it 60’s traditional. The car is still In Impound and as for the people saying I should have titled it before I worked on it. I couldn’t. Because of the modifications done to it I had to have it inspected as per what the DOL told me back in 2014 when I bought it. I did everything I could. The media story also says that the dash is the same dash just painted. As all of you well know I built the dash myself. The patrol figure it might be a fraud insurance thing or the guy just never had any papers. But I can’t just speculate . That’s all I know for now. But I’ll keep an update. If you have negative things to say, saying I cut it up? I’m not quite sure what I cut up? The firewall had been cut so many times it had a half inch of filler over the entire thing. So I’m not sure what I did so wrong. I put stock parts of a firewall back in to make it look good

 

great keep detecting sounds like u on track to keep it. good luck & hang on to 60s car u want. best wishs

 

What a cluster f***. OP did what he thought was right. Built the rod he dreamt about. A little support is in order here.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Man I hope this all works out for you. What a shitty thing to deal with....

 

I'm the guy who said you shouldn't have built it before you had the title. I guess in my state we do things differently. Too bad they don't do it that way in your state.

I hope you can get the ownership issues straightened out. Don't believe everything the newspaper says, and it sounds like you have already researched a lot about the old family.

I did notice the thing about the dashboard in the newspaper article. Your pics should help prove the old "owner" is not telling the whole truth.

 

The media lady was trying to contact me getting specifics on the car to see if she could have give him more things to say he did. Like the electric door pops? Not sure where that came from. There’s nothing electric in the doors. And since I have the passenger window I’ll show you just how custom the paint job was that was claimed. They painted right over the windows and rolled them down. Drivers door didn’t have a window

 

Here’s the email the media gal asked the WSP and forwarded to me trying to get more in her story.

Do you know how much the man who bought the stolen Ford paid for it and when he bought it?
I was told he bought it on Ebay four year ago. Is that correct?
Do you know what modifications he made to the Ford and how much he spent on them?
Will he be able to keep any of the parts that he purchased and had installed in the Ford?
Has an investigation been launched to try to find the person who stole the vehicle or does 20 years exceed the statute of limitations on auto theft?
The woman who contacted our auto theft task force in Stanislaus County sent one picture to the detective here but do you have any others you can send; specifically some close ups of the dash or other features?


Erin Tracy
Crime/public safety reporter
Modesto Bee
(209) 578-2366<tel209)%20578-2366>
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/ModestoBeeCrime<http://twitter.com/

 

Always two sides to a story. I hope it works out well for you. Seriously. You’ve done a ton of work on a car you obviously love.
As far as the comments about the changes you’ve made, everyone has an opinion. I would have refreshed (as you considered) vs. a rebirth. Just my opinion, and it doesn’t need to agree with yours.
I hope this ends well for you.