Technical Sign of the times I guess

A friend of mine has decided to downsize (I'm 78 and he is a bit older). He has an extensive amount of parts and project cars(39 coupe body painted,40's-coupe and sedan bodies painted, 46-47-all Ford stuff) probably 50 yrs of accumulation. He painted several 40's for us in the past.
Guess it happens but hate to see it. I am helping him with getting rid of it. Ads have been placed in the cars for sale and parts sections. Fortunate that he was able to paint many for us. If mods find this inappropriate please delete.
Thank you

 

It is better to face it when it comes time to downsize rather than leave it for your loved ones. I is lucky to have a friend like you to help him. My better half is after me to start clearing out my stuff, and I am 10 years younger than you are.

 

Yup, mine is a planned downsize happening as I write.
Wife/kids shouldn't have to deal with it!

 

Sadly, that time comes for all of us.

 

I will be helping my father in law sell the 64 Fairlane that was his dad's car. When his parents both passed he couldn't bear to sell the car so he bought it from the estate. I doubt that he drove it 10 miles in the last 25?? years, just kept it in dry storage. I will fix the brakes (and hopefully that is all...he thinks we can start it and drive it on the trailer so I can haul it two hours to home. My wife has been on him to divest cars so that her mom won't be stuck dealing with it.

 

Guess I'm in the same boat - although an auctioneer buddy of mine has said he'd be willing to do it for me - not sure if any kin really wants to deal with it - but my sisters would. Been thinking lately of just donating it all to the SPCA.

 

Having dealt with the estates of loved ones, dealing with things that one knows about so someone else isn't stuck with a pile of things that they know nothing about is a kindness.

 

yep, can't stop "Father Time" & can't take it with you

 

Your lucky to have friends in good health and still cognitively strong to assist in cutting down the collection.
I was just at a friends that the family threw all the early ford and Chevy items in the dumpster I believe 11 in total. I mean everything tools parts nos and high performance from the 1950s and 60s. He was a hotrodder and drag racer with a amazing shop and with several cars and a few projects. Everything was scrapped except the stuff I dumpster dove.

 

I've been getting rid of stuff I've collected that I don't have any actual intention to use. It frees up cash for me and makes space. I'm fortunate that my oldest son is into the hobby as well, and has a car one year newer than mine, so even though he's scrounged a lot of my stuff over the years, he knows what it is and what anything I have left is worth. He has first dibs on anything I don't plan to use anyway. My wife and I owned a parts store for a few years, she knows there's value in the stuff but it's a lot of work to go through it all.

Devin

 

I'm afraid to get rid of my hoard, I'm 66, vowed not to build any more cars, so, I should be able to flog some really good shit. But, my head says, well maybe, just one more? Yet, I know it's time to get rid of a lot of cool shit collected over a lifetime, like, a set of Thompson cast aluminum head light stands for a tee bucket, never seen another pair, thompson cast right into them, just too cool to let go.

 

Yeah,,,your right,,,it’s hard to let go .
But,,,,,,most people have many more things saved than they will ever need .
Like,,,,how many really need 50 intake manifolds,,,,or maybe 10 engines,,,,or 40 cylinder heads,,,,or 20 differentials ?
When the time comes,,,,and it does,,,,,,how many families really try to sort through this stuff,,,,or just toss a lot of it .
After all,,,,it’s your passion,,,not theirs !
Most just want it cleaned up and gone !
I have read where some have 20 or 30 deuce grills hoarded up .
How many hot rods could be built there,,,,,because it would be easier to get an original grill for a decent price .

Also,,,,just how much crap do we want,,,,,LoL,,,,,,,I’m including myself here .
A few years ago,,,,I was at a local parts house,,,,,there was a young man,,(17),, working there that was building a hot rod pull truck,,,,,Mopar,,,,,,he needed a 440 steel crank .
He was telling the other guys that he had been looking for some time ,,,,but just couldn’t find anything.
Well,,,,,my brain went to working,,,,,,and my compassion.
I came home and pulled a near perfect example from a 68 440 block assembly I had under my bench .
It was standard / standard,,,,,perfect ,,,,no blemishes,,clean,,,,,polish would be good as new.
A few minutes later I walked into the store and gave it to him,,,,,,he asked me why,,,I said I wanted to help,,,,,and that I had about 7 more of them,,,no problem.
I told him,,,don’t worry about money,,,he could swap me something back someday.
He was extremely excited,,,,and it was a blessing to me to help,,,,,and like I said,,,,,really,,,how many cranks did I need ?

Tommy

 

That's hard to read...sad...I guess if one knows what they have they should take some time of their 70-90 years and make an instruction aka living will with approx value and then the family who hopefully is loved and deserving can benefit and can call in the auction house and pocket perhaps a significant inheritance...and make a hell of a lot of Hambers happy...

I was just thinking why...perhaps it is that value that is undiscussed or disclosed may be done on purpose sometimes to hide money invested or how much somethings worth as it could be a hot button issue is what I'm saying...kinda' like Gambling...

 

There was an episode of The Jack Benny Radio Show where Rochester told Jack that you can't take it with you, to which he replied, "Then I won't go!"

 

Stogy,
What you said reflect my sentiments exactly.
My wife, and my now also our adult son, either know what our cars and (other assets) are worth, or knows who to trust in finding out.
It’s pretty much been like that since we were married in our early twenties......

 

@Stogy I didn’t understand why just throw it away either. The family raced together for years and years working on the old cars together as well. Heck I dumpster dove a few brand new carburetors in the boxes clutch and plate . Plus boxes of old carbs 2gc 94s and old aftermarket aluminum intakes. I really felt uncomfortable when I was doing it taking crap out of the dumpster and just came the one time. The family are just wonderful folks and sometimes it’s not money it’s just time. Time to move to a different chapter in ones life is what I was getting the feeling what was going on.
I will say I came home and looked at all my crap and started thinking how much of this wonderful stuff consumed my time money and life......... It didn’t take long for me to figure out I need to get organized more and cut loose with some stuff. Well jumping into the roadster and going for a drive f#@k it lol

 

Also many people are not willing to deal with the hassle of selling the stuff, esp now with covid, but also who wants
a bunch of strangers coming around. How many posts have we seen about people calling on something for sale and
then never showing etc.

 

Tommy, I'm with you. I have tons of parts collected over the many years, and I'm always looking for a
young hot rodder without deep pockets that can use the parts. Tell 'em to pay it forward to another
hot rodder. People did it for me, I have never forgotten it. No matter how small the part is, it seems like
Christmas when it happens. Bob

 

Met a fella last year, 75 in failing health. Has around 30 projects laying around in various stages of restoration. I had this very talk with him and would help him if I knew him better. Most of his cars are HAMB friendly. I don't know why he's holding on to everything but that's a man's personal decision. I just hate to see it all end up in a scrapyard. Takes all kinds to make the world go 'round, I reckon.

Joe

 

Bob,,,,,,that’s great,,,it’s also a blessing to be the giver,,,isn’t it,,,,,,a really good feeling inside .
You know,,,,,I didn’t give that young man a piece of crap,,,,,I picked one of my best pieces.
Anyone can give away junk,,,,LoL,,,but he didn’t need that .
Thank you Bob,,, for being a stand up guy,,,,,those people really do remember those things,,,,I think.
Like I said,,,,how much stuff do we need,,,,especially when the curtain is beginning to draw near on the last act,,,,so to speak .
And what we love and admire,,,,and deem extremely valuable,,,,our family looks at it as nothing special.
They might even hold contempt in some situations,,,,,maybe that you cared more for the car parts than you did for them ?
You never know,,,,,,some loved ones are afraid to open up their true feelings sometimes.

Turn some of this stuff loose,,,,,,keep a few pieces in case you need to build a couple more hot rods,,,,but not a hoard,,,,,,even sell it cheap if need be.
Go to a swap meet,,,,price it well,,,maybe high .
Then watch the young people milling around,,,,pick a good candidate,,strike up a conversation,,ask him his plans,,,,,and make him an offer he can’t refuse,,,,and send it to a good home .
A young person might just become a hot Rodder because of you !

Tommy

 

I've got a good friend in the same situation. He's 75 and is downsizing his collection. He doesn't have his own kids so I think he kinda looks at me like an adopted son a little. He's the guy that has this blown SBC I'm planning to buy. He's also the guy that offered to trade me his blown pro street 55 last year. He's sold some stuff, and has plans to sell more. I wish I had more money to buy his stuff and pay him back for always being super cool to me. but he says he's good money-wise. I tell him how much I appreciate him and his knowledge and help over the years, I just hope he knows it. Same goes for any of the guys reading this in the same boat. I hope you realize how much your experience and knowledge is appreciated.

 

^^^^Well said^^^

 

3 1/2 years ago, We sold our house in Connecticut and moved to Pennsylvania. Before we moved, I gave a lot of my 50 plus years of accumulation away, including my homemade car trailer, scrapped some stuff, and still filled 3, 40 yard dumpsters. I now have a 12 x 26 garage still full of stuff that I kept. My roadster will go to my son, Joe, "Dual quad 55", here on The H.A.M.B. I have told my wife to give the rest of my stuff to designated people. My wife doesn't need the aggravation of having to deal with what is left. I have enjoyed my life so far, 80 years, and still going strong, but the tape measure is running out. If you don't know what that means, get a tape measure, figure out your expected life span, substract your present age, and see what you may have left.

 

I'm not consciously downsizing, but am slowly selling off pieces I know I won't use, or maybe I have 2 or more of. I've also been labeling parts, you know "32 k-member, Olds rear end, 40 Ford axle, etc" and mentioned that I'm doing this. That way, if something does happen, they'll know that these parts must be something worthwhile, if I've identified them.
It's just a good gut-check.

 

^^^ this--have done the same and wife knows as well-all labeled or on list.

 

For CFMVW,
Rochester also said, "Mr. Benny,
he's so cheap, when he squeeze a nickel, the Indian come out ridin' the Buffalo!"

 

Algoma, you don't have anything labeled TR1-Y and looks like a tall dual carb manifold do you? Lippy

 

@lippy, only have some Corvette intakes, old iron at that, but if I hear of anything, I'll keep you in mind. Until that goes!

 

It's still a major pain in the ass for most people money or not. There are so many things that often have to be done when a family member passes that digging through piles of crap and sorting out car parts so an auction house would even look at them is pretty low down on the list for most regardless of money coming back in. It basically ends up to being getting paid to do a job. If you actually care about the stuff surviving after you are gone then be real with yourself and sell it while you are still alive and not using it. Don't burden your family with yet another project to deal with after your passing.

 

This is how I've been getting the majority of my parts, all the old timers slowing down and realizing they better get rid of it now before their kids scrap it, and they'd rather sell it to me.