Neatest old car you got for FREE?

I turned down a complete 27 chev roadster. I know idiot.
That would have been a pretty neat freebie...


Do it once, do it right.
My idea of fun, 6-71, 642hp, 570ft/lb, 11" tyre, 4.56 gears and two gears....

 

1972, I replaced a clutch in a friend's 3-ton Jeep 4 wheel drive with 6 ton winch on front.
Nobody in town would touch it, too big! I did it for $100 cash, after work one evening at the BMW dealership where I worked. He gave me a recovered stolen '55 F100 that had been stripped of engine, trans, and wheels. Truck was tuck & rolled, blue metallic paint, 1 small dent in body. He said he'd lien sale it for me, I knew his night guy real well; about 9:30 P.M., I called Jim the night guy and he said he'd dolly the F100 to my house, 10 miles out of town...for a case of beer.
He showed up before 10, and placed it on car stands in front of my garage. I carried out a case of beer, then asked him to give me a hand...we went in my garage, and I said "Help me put these other 3 cases in your truck." He was floored. I thanked him.
That is the rust free '55 F100 I still have, and drive daily. I should tell about the free engine, transmission, 9" rear, Toyo Power steering box, and...
Forgot the best part: There was a current registration card in the glove box. It was registered to a dude in San Jose, (I lived in Aptos by the sea, 34 miles away) I got his phone # and called him on Saturday morning. He was a young Chicano dude, in his 20s; his uncle had bought the truck new, 272 stick shift, immediately had dual stacks run up the back of the cab (at Babe's Muffler!) custom paint, and the upholstery was done in San Jose, at Toupal's. (the 'Tony Nancy' of San Jose thru the '50s & '60s) Truck was in some car shows, had wwws and '55 Olds Fiestas, and baby Appletons. Uncle gave young Tony the truck when reached 16.
Tony installed a 327 Chev and M20 four speed, lost the stacks, put Americans on it.
He told me he was sneaking around with a gang banger's girlfriend, and got caught. Gang banger said he was gonna "get him", but members said "No, get his truck!" So they stole his truck, took it to Santa Cruz, (?) pulled the engine, trans, and wheels, and rolled it on the drums off Empire Grade! (only went down 40 feet, but steep enough to burn the clutch out of the Heavy Duty 4-wheel drive 5-ton recovery vehicle!) And that's the truck I put the clutch in!
Anyway, I told Tony I felt terrible in getting his truck this way. Could we make a deal that was fair to him? He said, "No, Mike...I already got my use out of it, besides, they'd just steal it again. Laughing, he added: "I have the pink slip, give me your address and I'll sign it and send it. When you get it running, call me, maybe I can see it sometime."
It was a year before I got it running, after I kicked the ex wife out. A customer gave me a Corvette engine, (out of his '69 'Vette) when I installed a crate engine for him...
when I opened my shop, I was going thru some papers and found Tony's number. I gave him a call, talked with him, and since my shop was in Campbell, he drove over. We shook hands like old friends, nice guy! He showed me the patches in the running boards he had welded in when he removed the chrome stacks!
We went for a ride, he drove. When he asked "Why the damn automatic tranny?" I said it was just the way the moment was structured.
When he was ready to go, he had a tear in his eye...I told him if he wanted to do another truck, my shop was open to him. Last I saw of him.
That's only ONE free vehicle...there were and are more.

 

i got this 1963 dodge for free, cleaned it up, primered it white, got it running and sold it... to build my coupe..

 

At age 15 I was given a 32 Chevy coup that ran.
Cut is up to build a dune buggy.
Never finished it.
Dad get tired of looking at the junk pile I had made.
Sent to the scrapper.
At 15-16 I was not very smart.
That was almost 60 years ago.
Wish I had that car today.

 

That is one cool truck
Enjoy.

 

In 2000 I bought a truck from a lady, then she said she had an old car in the field if I wanted it. She said it was a sunbeam alpine. It turned out to be a '55 sunbeam talbot DHC. I sold the engine and tranny for $700. Traded the body for a 48 ford super deluxe body. I traded the 48 for a 29 A pu, with extra cowl. Traded the 29 for a 60 biscayne. Finally sold the biscayne for $2500. So free plus some!

 

Not quite free, but I got a 64 Falcon Sprint Hardtop from a good friend (who passed a few years ago) who said, "Pay me what you think it's worth when you get the cash." He had several Falcons and Fairlanes, and he said he was never going to get to all of them, so he was happy to see one go to a good home.
I has a 400hp SBF, 5 speed manual and a 9" all ready to go at a buddy's shop. All I needed was the front axle and suspension, and I was going to make a gasser out of it. It was a little rough, so I figured it was the perfect candidate. Anyway, all the stuff was waiting at my buddy's shop for me to get the Falcon over there, when some asshole broke into his shop and stole EVERYTHING. I didn't have the money to get another drivetrain, and I couldn't leave the car at my dad's house any longer, so I ended up having to give it back to the guy. I never felt lower than when I called him telling him I had to bring it back. He was a great guy, and if you've ever been to Ocean City Cruise Week, you know Jim Revis.

 

I was given this 65 International Scout 80 about 5 years ago by a guy in Mammoth Lakes California. I told the guy that Id have it rebuilt and drive it back up the following summer. We rent a cabin at Lake George every summer for one week. The guy who gave it to me bought it in 69 from Wikenberg AZ. It was so clean that I decided to just go through the engine and drive train for piece of mind. It had 89000 original miles on it.. A few pix of the rescue and the return to Mammoth the following summer.... Oops can't find the ones from the following year but here are some of it in Mammoth in 08 after being restored. All stock but a small lift. Stock color.

 

I remember this car from Many many years ago....its jaguar regency red. when i saw Hot Rod build this car I loved that color so much it was the First color I ever painted....Man this car make me a Painter..worked my way thru college painting.....all because of this car.....seeing it really brings back memories....

 

1950 Fleetline. All free. Had a running 235 with a power glide in it.
Here's a pic of me and my boy the day we picked it up...




.. also a '65 Rambler Classic and a '78 Econoline Van.

 

My brother called me one day a few years ago and said his neighbor had an old buick on his property about 20 miles away that he wanted gone.So i hooked the wrecker to the trailer not knowing what to expect.I get there and it is a 63 buick 225 that is complete and crusty.I got it home and had it running in about a hour.Pulled the 401 nailhead out of it and some of the cool odds and ends.The junk guy came and picked it up and gave me a couple of hundred for the rest of it.