lets hear some of your horror stories, a few of mine, 1970, found an old farm in central iowa, early - mid 50s fords and a 38 deluxe 4 dr in the barn, the owner was the town drunk and said i could have anything for 75 bucks, i was only 15, and dad said no, 1974, a guy i worked with had a 40 ford deluxe coupe uncle daniel, 100% original and rust free, he was going thru a divorce and needed to sell it, 1000 bucks, just bought my 340 duster and wanted to go street racing 1977, my uncles neighbor had a 68 dodge hemi r/t, 3500.00, just bought a new dodge truck, 1978, some chick up the street had a 70 boss 429 mustang, blue with white interior and a 4spd, bad quarters, engine needed gone thru, 2000.00 obo, didnt feel like messing with it!!!! and somewhere in there is the 64 impala ss, 425hp 409 4spd for 2800.00, lets hear some of yours.
way back in 2008 I had the chance to buy a 34 ford 5 window coupe for $2000.00!!! and like a dummy p***ed,,LOL!
1988 1967 chevelle ss396 4 speed, black on black, drove it home for 400.00, broke the trans and thought I did well for selling it for 975.00! or how about the 340 challenger and the 69 dodge superbee both runners, and 4 speeds I sold for 1700.00 for the pair!!!! ARGGGGGHHHHH
About 30 years ago, I had been after a guy's '37 Chevy cabriolet. I touched base with the guy just about once a month for several years to see if he was ready to sell or not. After a while the inquiries became fewer & farther between as I lost hope. I bought a house about the time I gave up on the car and sold about everything I owned for the down payment and closing costs. About a month after the house closing, the guy contacted me and said he was ready to sell - I didn't have a pot to piss in or anyone to borrow money from and let it go.
The year was 1966, and I was making good money but Viet Nam was going on and this guy I worked with asked if I was interested in buying his car cause he was wanting to by a XKE Jag and needed to sell his Blue Sports Car. He wanted $3,200.00 for his Car and I wanted It but I was going in the Navy in two months I thought about buying it and storing it on blocks b ut really what was I going to do with a used sports car. The Car I p***ed on was a 64 Shelby Cobra. .... Doah!
back in the early 80s when I was not working I found a 66 comet cyclone with a FE and 4 speed sitting behind a house,it was for sale for 75 dollars and all I could come up with was 60 and would not sell. The car was rough and none of the chrome was on it and someone cut out the entire floor,sometimes during the next couple of weeks when I got the money the car was gone. Jeff
This list is way too long. The one that bothers me the most is a 56 Chevy around 1977. Car was perfect 100% original. Black/white 235 3 spd 31,000 miles. I was 16 and wanted it bad. Couldn't come up with the $1500.
Mid-1960's, corner of 5th and Quince Street, Escondido. Sickel's Upholtery Shop. 1932 Ford Roadster Complete, non-rusty, tattered top, but bows were still good, Flathead V-8 had a miss in it. Mr Sickels said it might be a plug or plug wire, he didn't know, and frankly didn't care. I asked my Dad for the 500 bucks he wanted for the car, and my Pop said "that damn car wasn't 500 bucks brand new, NO WAY am I lending you 500 bucks for the decrepit old pile that needs a ton of work" I use to show my dad the Cl***ified section of Hot Rod, Rod and Custom, and later on, print out ads from the HAMB, about what a number-matching, all-steel, Deuce Roadster was going for... ooops
Well, the cars we missed out of the one junkyard - that got crushed - because we just ran out of money, or weren't there on the right day to keep them from crushing them: '26-7 T tudor, top cut off, but complete and in pretty decent shape otherwise - crushed while I was gone '38 Buick sedan - nothing special but was totally complete and intact. They smashed it to pieces ripping it out with a loader, I got the hood ornament later. '41 Pontiac coupe - frame bad, perfect dash, grille, steering wheel - crushed Two '58 Plymouth hardtops - rotty, but good parts cars '29 Chevy pickup - I did nab most of the body tin off it. Had '51 plates on it. '46 DeSoto coupe - complete car, as parked 1958 going by the plate '38 Chevy tudor - had frame issues but a good body There were a few dozen other good buildable cars or good parts cars; one '55 Ford looked like it was ready to put out on the car lot. They mashed the top in while I was there. A '65 Pontiac with 8-lug drums still on the front. A good solid Hudson sedan I ended up I could sure have used it for parts. A lot of money went for $100 or so a ton instead of $100 for a single part. The one that hurts most is a '47 Ford convertible complete body - I never could find the damn thing, then someone else did and bought it. For like $100. And it turned out to be easy to find once spotted, I just had somehow managed to miss going through that one spot.
In '65 I found a C-type Jag, with a bent fender, for $75. My dad would not loan me the money because he said my tools would not fit it! I kept driving my '53 Chevy 2-door. In '67 I paid $75 for a 37 Olds coupe. a couple weeks later, I didn't have enough to go to the US Nationals for the weekend. Told him my dad would not let me have it, and got my money back. (We went in my '57 Bel Air.) About 1968, I found a white '61 E-type Jag coupe for $1300. Dad would not cosign....because my tools would still not fit Jags! :-( (It's hard to forgive him for keeping me from owning the most beautiful car ever!)
cars may be slightly o/t, but when i was in highschool i saw a pair of AMPHICARS in the recycler for $1500, i ran but leaked, and i was a parts car. my dad was looking for a car to restore at the time, so i showed him the ad and he said "whats an amphicar?". this was just before the internet days(for most people), so all i could do was describe it, couldnt show him pictures of one or anything.he said "what would i want with that". then about five years ago we were watching history channel, and they where talking about the amphicar, and he said "thats cool! i wish i could find one of those!" i just laughed. i didnt even tell him he couldve had two of em' for $1500! he ended up getting a 69' q-code
Way back in the last millenium a neighbor out the road had his barn kept car for sale. It was the motivating force for him to come home from Viet Nam. Thankfully,he did. The car was a Black w/Gold striped 70 Chevelle SS.396 4 spd.1st and 2nd gear were out of it,but the Goodyears on the factory ralleyes were neatly stacked in the corner with no miles.The car had Cragars and ? tires on it. $1800. This was around 1980 and with a lousy job,it was as far away as the moon for me. A local idiot got it and .....I won't proceed with the story.
Mid 80's p***ed on a 69 Chevelle 396, absolutely complete down to wheels for $1500. Did buy neighbors 69 Roadrunner convert for $500 minus motor, straight body. Bought 68 Newport for $200 and installed 383. Just didn't give a damn about Mopar at the time. Genius sold the running RR for $1250.
It was 67', there was a 55' Chevy Nomad for $750. The car was perfect. Black with a black diamond tuck interior. 327 with a 4 speed. I was 16 and could only come up with $500. Lost the car to someone from northern California. In 73', I had a 55' Chevy 210 with a 350 and 4 speed. There was a guy that wanted to trade for a 41' Willys drag truck (it was registered for the street). He was even will to swap my motor and trans and do all the work. I said no, because my 55' was my daily driver. The Willys didn't have wipers or a heater.
mid 70's on my way to work and kept p***ing by this 62 Impala for sale. Black with red interior, 1/4s were kind rough and thought, hell I don't want that rusty thing anyway. I finally stopped to look at it and old man that owned the farm said it had sold about 1 hour ago but he let me look at it anyway. Yep, you guessed it, bench seat, 4 speed and 409 2 4's all stock and all there. Oh yeah, he had sold it for 200.00 I could **** myself right there
In the 80's I had a 37 ford flat back .No money or time or tools worth a **** sold it for cheap .Seven years ago we were having our first child sold a 72 pantera L really didn't mind that sell pretty good money miss the car a little 351 cleveland.My 2 cents
1968 i was 15 and a friend of my uncle offered me a running and driving `32 ford 5-window coupe for $125..my father called it a piece of junk and wouldn't let me buy it. (a year later i got my first model A after much begging) fast forward to 1984 and i buy and drive home a `32 ford 5-window coupe for $4800. my father come over and checks it out and says it's great car..i asked him for the $4675 extra i had to pay over the earlier one, his answer ..sue me
I think about 5 years ago, friend called to tell me about a '69 corvette #'s matching 4 speed, two new tops with weld wheels and hideous "corvette summer" looking front clip, 2500 asking but 1600 bottom dollar to me as they new I'd bring cash and no haggle...like anyone would at that price!! But, before I could get there within the hour I had been beat, sold it for the "full" price to a guy who lived about a mile from me!!! It only got worse after that when the car got totalled out while sitting in the new owners yard mindin' it's own business, his driveway was parallel to a bad curve in the road and some drunk lost control and took it out!! What a freakin' mess, more missed deals but this was the worst.
A lot of them over the years,. but the one that still haunt me,... in 1975 a Friend of mine found this perfect original 50's Deuce coupe,.. drove it for a while and in 1976 decided to sell it,... $6,500., This was a ton of cabbage for a Hot Rod back then,.... I tried to sell everything I had to raise the cash,... but no dice. The guy that ended up getting it screwed it up and wrecked the mighty Olds engine,... when I found out, I tracked him down but the car was sold again to a kid that built a Graffiti clone out of it,..... what a shame
My Dad is still mad about his Dad not letting him buy the 1934 Ford Tudor 4 cylinder that my Great Grandfather traded in on a new Nash in 1955 or so. My Dad also showed me pictures of a 33 or 34 Ford sedan delivery that he p***ed up around 1968 or 69. The asking price was $200. He also told me about p***ing on a Superbird Plymouth for $200 and a Boss 302 Mustang for $150. Both were beaters around the late 70's.
My brother was offered a 1956 Nomad,less engine and trans, but otherwise complete for $50 (1976). Mom said no way was that going to sit in the yard. We've never let her forget.
I had a chance to by a driving 69 Talladega in high school, $800 bucks. It's a little obscure but an interesting car. There was the $400.00 56 Nomad and the...hate thinking of it...the $1200.00 32 3 window when I was 14 or 15...begged my Dad..."anything just lend me the dough" John Butera knew a good deal when he saw it...he made a nice rod out of it. Bakersfield Boy
My story makes me want to throw up but i'll share anyhow, my parents bought a red on red t tops corvette for their 1st year anniversary together, it was too fast for my mom and overheated so my dad never drove it, so they parked it in the driveway, growing up i would sit in it and pretend i was racing, it was going to be my first car, so i thought.... when i turned 13 all i could wait for was to get older so i could drive it, they sold it that year, for 2k, they bought it for 5k.. i cried when the truck driver loaded it on the flatbed.. i cried that night.. hell i still cry this day.. i never let my mom and dad forget how they crushed my heart that day and everyday i see one on the road, my mom says i would have killed myself in it.. i tell her.. alittle peice of me died that day. -Anthony
In 1990 when I gradutated High school and was USMC bootcamp bound, I was given a 1968 Cuda with a 4 speed from a rancher who I had worked for 3 summers. The black vinyl top was immaculate and factory green paint looked very good but both rear panels were cut and someone badly tried to flare them out for wider tires. The someone was his son n law! He told me that he would rather give the car to someone that would be grateful since his son-in-law had destroyed both his 1957 Chevy 4×4 pickup and a superbee, which all three were bought new from the dealer to the point two vehicles had to be parked permantly. Since I was getting ready to leave I p***ed on the offer!! Later I found out that it was a 1968 Formula S , with a 383 , 4speed that some tow company ended up with when he wrecked it and didn't pay the storage fees!
I'm still mad at myself for not buying Danny's '32 sedan. I also had a chance when I was 19 to buy a Superbird for 4,000.00 but I couldn't raise the money. Lost loves. Doc.
1973 and I was 15. Found a 1940 ford standard 2 door sedan in a guy's back yard under a tarp. Car has a small block chevy in it with a red and white tuck and roll interior. Car was partially dis***embled with the front fenders just sitting on the tires and the hood lyingin the motor. Han an old faded red paint job. Price:$50.00. Took my dad there and he said it would take to much work. So I p***ed. Then summer of 1976 I was drag racing my 68 1/2 428 CJ fastback mustang (factory drag pak with heater delete and radio delete) in C/SA. Decided to go to college and let the car go for $1,350.
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