Stash what you feel the car is worth to you in a bank account that you can pull it out of in a hurry and then stop by to see how they are doing and keep letting them know that you are still interested in the car and mention that you have the money saved back to buy it if they decide to sell or need to sell it. My never will ever sell it 51 Merc coupe got sold to a guy who offered cash then and there, no be backs and no part payment to hold it for x days. He did catch me at a time when I was in a world of hurt and catching hell for having it sit where it was. I lost track of the number of guys who tried to buy that car over the years or wanted to trade something for it or just flat thought I should give it to them. One even towed a trailer up from Portland telling his buddies he was going home with it. He wasn't the guy who bought it though. The guy who bought my Merc still has it and probably put five times what he paid me for it in it and keeps it in a heated garage so it ended up in good hands even if it has ugly wheels and tires on it and the 57 Caddy caps are on his 56 Chevy.
this is very true. and thats why i love your quote! it could have be their father's and it's like he's still there.
Keep after them, they will eventually part with it, even though it might take a while. Fellow I worked with had an original 68 Hemi GTX with a 440 in it. For years we would drive by this house and see this 69 charger parked under a tree. Knocked on the door a couple of times a year, they wouldn't sell it. About 8 years later the car is rotting away, the guy answers the door and says I might sell it but it's in bad shape. I got a Hemi engine in the garage that I bought for it years ago. Engine was rough, dissassembled, crank and pistons shot. Bobby bought it and when he sorted it out found out it was the original Hemi from his GTX. What are the odds of that happening. Ken
Life is good if the worst we have to complain is the fact that someone will not selling a car to one of us. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
Really, that shit is so minor...why just this morning, I stubbed my toe, and now I have this nasty hangnail.
A good friend of mine told me about an old car in a garage and the owner lived 200 miles away. I got her # and she told me it was a 2dr '50 buick she inherited from her deceased mother in law. It had all of it original paper work, 1950 drivers license... She said she would be back in town in a month. 4 month later I drive by and the Garage door is open and I finally get to see a 1950 Buick 2dr Super on 4 flat tires. I went to the door and we discussed the car and she was thinking twice about selling the car. She said she would call when she made up her mind. I was BUMMED!!! Later that day I came back with my then GF and a weed eater and lawn mower and started doing yard work. She came out and said she knew what I was trying to do. It worked and I ended up buying the car.
Be nice and polite. I knew where a 30 model A pick up was. I saw an old man outside the house and struck up a conversation. from time to time I dropped by and the old man would talk my ear off. One day the old man mentioned the Model A, he told me wild stories about driving and enjoying it. Although his neighbor tried to buy it, the old man sold it to me cheap. The neighbor was mad! The old man passed away not long after I got it, the neighbor didn't even know.
At one time, I had 30 special interest cars (running and not) and was looking for more. People were always bugging me to buy but none of mine were for sale. I liked to walk around in the morning with my coffee and dream about driving them after they were finished. Here's some more frustration factor: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=330573
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