Hot Rods Estate sales , yard sale buys

Hello,

When we used to walk to junior high school several miles away every morning, we usually took the same route. Picking up friends along the way, to walk in a group of friends was a good way to meld into the hectic Junior High school scene. On the way, that part of the neighborhood always had stuff in the driveways or front yards with for sale signs on them. Sometimes it was just a for sale sign without anything sitting around in/on the driveway.

There was no such thing as estate sales in our neighborhood. An estate? Ha, that was funny. That section of Long Beach was on the other side of the LA River and LB Freeway, “the other side of the tracks…” On our side of the dividing area, were daily reminders that there was some stuff that was thrown away that was kind of neat. Yard sales on the weekends was the norm. but if they forgot to take down the stuff, early Monday morning our walking direction to junior high school was littered with yard sale signs and some still had their stuff in the yard.

Jnaki

One thing our Westside of Long Beach neighborhood had over the “other side of the tracks” was an abundance of old cars in varying shape and brands. Most of the yards were large and deep. Some yards were quite wide as well, so there was plenty of area to store old cars under canvas tarps. From our own house patio, before my mom had a giant solid block wall 7+ feet tall, (legal back then) built in the backyard, we could actually see several old cars in the back, neighbor’s house. Driving around the block always produced varying amount and styles of old hot rods and cruiser cars sitting in his long driveway.

But, our daily walk into the homes closer to our junior high school provided wider yards and better old cars in various stages of repair or disrepair. This area is where we found the Model A sitting under a canvas tarp. Then two years later, we found our pristine 1940 Willys Coupe sitting in the back yard several houses closer to our school. Then within a year, our friend, Atts Ono, found his hot rod/drag race project, another 1940 Willys Coupe also sitting in another backyard several blocks over.

So, living in those days always provided a flurry of activity in searching for cars to be used as hot rods or street legal drag racing cars/trucks.

 

10 years ago a neighbor told me a buddy’s dad had pasted and his place was sold to a developer. I got in to it late most of the good stuff was gone, but I still did well. A old safety clean parts washer, 3 model a grills, a small pontiac dealer sign, 8 old car heaters (30 40’s) and other small stuff for a 100$. His son told me his dad had 35 model a’s his buddy’s took, than he ask me to “store” dad’s big miller welder, still storing it. The one I wish I had the money for was a fully restored Detroit electric automobile (20’s) for 5000$.

 

My best one yet. Found advertised on a Boise, Idaho Craigslist ad for an estate sale that had happened almost a week before. Somehow the car was still there. A few phone calls and a full day of driving later, it was mine.

 

I bought so much stuff at BobK's estate sale last year I couldn't fit it all into the Transit van I borrowed for the auction, had to have a buddy haul some of it back for me in his pickup truck. This stuff is so perfectly Tetris'd into place there really was no room for anything else, stuff between the front seats and on the dash even. I did get quite a few of Bob's old personalized plates which I have a picture of, and just a mountain of other cool **** that I have no pics of.

Of course I'd rather have Bob around, but I was happy to give all of this stuff a good home.

 

Squablow, I don't know if your aware of it but at early on Bob went by FaatRod

 

Picked this up after driving by a local hoarder that is being made clean up his yard. It is packed solid fence to fence. I drove by and saw it and some other early bikes out for sale. Finally got one about 45 years after I really wanted one. Better late than never. Now to decide full resto or get it going as is.

 

I did not know that. I thought it was hilarious that Wisconsin actually let him get that plate. One of my favorites.

 

At a auction last Sunday, I picked up a unique folding knife from Nixon Motors Custer S. Dak.. On the other side it reads, " Christmas 1950" from your friendly Ford dealer

 

Estate sale a few years ago - bought a '32 frame that was buried in a pile of s**** metal - was missing one front frame horn and the front crossmember but had a clear, legible VIN, a near mint K member and a very nice rear crossmember. $30...

 

At the auction of the contents of the house and barn on a piece of land I bought back in the eighties, I bought an old box of junk, because I liked the box, for $2. After going through some junk I found an S and K 3/4 inch drive ratchet and socket set in a metal box in the bottom .
At another auction I bought a 100% complete rust free2 door 1959 Mercury Crusier for $35.








Bones

 

I love SK tools! They were my first wrenches and sockets. In 1963, my complete ***ortment of tools was stolen as a result of a breakin, and I was forced to buy no name tools because I was temporarily poor, because I was putting myself through university.
15 years ago, as the result of the purchase of a tool chest, I ended up with the same set you have, a 3/4 inch, SK socket set in the green box, with lots of extra pieces. I don't often have need for something that heavy any more, but I have held on to the set, and call it my watch makers tool set.
Bob

 

I too, like the S&K brand of tools. ALL my ratchets are S&K! It’s the only ratchet I will trust and use. I started out S&K, still have some of my 3/8 socket sets, that my wife bought me on our first Christmas in 1972. I had my 1/4 set stolen out of my shop by an a person I thought was my friend.
My 3/4 set is my intermediate set, my big set is a 1 inch set, that goes up 3 1/2 inch sockets. But I work everything from instruments to D-9 Caterpillars. Lol.






Bones

 

Bob,

I can relate. My very first purchase of "real" tools was a SK 1/4" drive socket set with both standard and deep well sockets. Along with the ratchet and sockets it included two extensions, a swivel joint, and a nut driver handle as well. I still have it and is something that I treasure in relation to the car hobby.

 

Found this Riley 4 Port at an estate sale.

 

The other day, I fixed a watch with my 3/4 drive...... Real good!
Bob

 

Not a yard sale or estates sale. Bankruptcy auction.