I was wondering if this has ever happened to anyone. A few weeks ago I attended a local show and while walking around looking at the cars that were on display, from a distance I noticed a 39 Chevy coupe. Now like most people when I see a car that is a year and model of one that I once owned I always like to take a closer look at it just to stir up old memories. As I got closer to the car I began to notice a couple of things that really got my attention. It had a couple of small lights attached to the inner side of the headlight buckets that were exactly like the ones that I installed on my coupe. Upon closer examination I noticed some other things like the custom dash that I had fabricated and the fiberglass front fenders that I had installed that told me that this was actually my old car. It had obviously been around the block a few times in the 45 years since I owned it but there was no mistaking the fact that it was my old 39 Chevy. The 241 Dodge Hemi was now replaced with a small block Chevy and the body and suspension had undergone a drastic transformation/degradation (Broke my heart) but there it was, a car from my distant past still cruising the highways. I never did get to talk to the owner so I couldnt find out anything about how he acquired the car but it was good to see the old blast from my past. Then Now
from a guy who wishes i had every car i ever had back, thats cool. sure wish i could happen across my old 55 chevy that way.
I had that happen with a 36 chevy truck. I sold it to a friend, who sold it to his cousin that drag raced it for awhile, then he sold it to a guy who was suipposed to take it to Chicago from Colo. I found the truck in pueblo at the nsra nationals, and it was made into a extended cab that had about 230,000 miles on it. The guy that built it into the extended cab which I don't have a picture of said he found it in a tow yard in bad condition in pueblo. I guess it didn't make it to Chicago.
Cool story. In high school ('67) my bud had one like your before painted black, 283, 3-speed. Big fun in that thing.
Nice story. I like your version of the car better. The same thing happened to me. I saw a photo of my old car on here. I was able to buy it back, so keep in touch with the guy, he may want to unload it later.
Neat story. I have only run across one of my old cars. Actually the very first car I bought when i was 14. It was a 61 VW Dune Buggy. The fiberglass body Manx style. When i had it was just basic stock VW drivetrain with adapters to run Chevy slot mags and Firestone Super Sport tires. The new owner had changed the color, and added a big turbo engine. I kind of liked my version, but the new version would have been a whole lot of fun with considerable extra power.
Very cool !,.... And yes it has happened to me more times than I could think possible.... It's cool and weird all at the same time. ( I always feel like I need to rescue them). Cool car.
Very cool Moose. Any desire to get the old Gal back and return it to it's former glory? Can't be valued too high in it's present condition. Like hooking up with an old girlfiend at the 45 yr. HS reunion-or maybe not......
I was at a rod run in the late 70's or early 80's standing beside a 47 ford coupe listening to the awards. I glanced inside the car and noticed an old style black and white naugahyde interior. Hey, my old 47 had an interior like that. Wait a minute, mine had some marks like that on the white headliner, and I recognize the flaws in the paintjob on the dash. It is my old car. Instead of the black laquered stock trimmed car I had it was now grey and shaved. Hated the color, but was happy to see it. I know where several of my old cars are. Just saw one on Kijiji for sale a few weeks ago. Can't keep them all and I am a builder, always need a new toy. Pat
If you have ever attended a High School reunion you know that your better off just keeping those old memories!
Built this in 83 and found it 20 years ago now. It was tubbed with huge M/T tires and had the bed hydraulically rigged to raise and tilt like a mini truck of that era. It broke my heart. The new owner said he'd call me if he sold it. I did not have the nerve to say don't bother.
3 things usually happen with me: 1. I sell a car for way too cheap because it's a stalled project, then I see it driving around constantly, mocking me, making me wanna kick my own ass 2. I sell a car, and I tell the new owner to PLEASE send me pictures of the progress and what happens with the car, and I never hear from them again (happened 4 times here on the HAMB alone) 3. I sell one of my NICE cars, then see it a couple years later in the junkyard, wrecked and stripped.
We ran across my old 3o Model A pickup in Pigeon Forge a few years ago,,I had not see it in close to 30 years,,but a few thing stood out,,like the metal ribbed bed cover and the rolled pan under the bed,the dash was unmistakeable and it was still red. The test of the truck was just embarrassing. Billet wheels,a friggin' wing bolted to the bed cover,,,the bench seat was gone and it now had high back bucket seats with Ford sewed into the head rest part,,,I almost threw up! A guy walks up and said he noticed me looking at his truck and starts telling me how he built the truck from a totally original old truck,,I just politely listen and told him cool story,,and made a hasty retreat. This guy likes it but in my mind the truck had been destroyed,and I can't seem to get the ugly thing out of my mind. HRP
That shit always cracks me up! I had a guy do that about 10-12 years back-so i started asking question about 'his' work,i almost choked to death from all the bullshit in the air,the real crazy thing is he beleaved his own lies! a buddy that was with me stood there with this shit eating grin ,i think he told the guy later the truth-cause the new owner couldn't even look at me later when i went back to look at again....good by ole girl!
I like the 39 the OP posted when it was his. Looks like it's been thru alot of shit since "THEN". Poor thing Maybe the new owner just bought it and is going to do it right.
The Then pic is cool...the now not so much. I would have waited all day for the owner to come back , would have been cool to talk to him
I found my old '55 Chevy sedan I built when I was 18 years old about 12 years after I sold it. Walking through a car show I recognized it from 100 feet away. Knew it was my old car from some mods I did to it years ago but it was quite a bit different then the last time I saw it. Started talking to the guy and figured out from some of the first words out of his mouth how much of a dick he was. He proceded to tell me how much money it cost him to "fix" it when he got it. It was .030 over 327 with ported heads and a solid lifter cam, 4 speed (M-22) and an original Dana 60 from a B-Body mopar with hooker fenderwell headers when I had it. Now it had a crate 350 with a TH350 and an 8 3/4" mopar rear axle. He threw away the fenderwells and put the headers inside the frame. He had to replace the chopped up inner fenders. When he started talking about how he didn't like how I had mounted the seats (because I didn't have enough seat travel and rise to fit his short fat ass) I walked away. Never saw it again..
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