Over 30 years ago one of the guys in the local car club told us that he found an early hot rod in a garage. It's a 1930 Model A Ford painted robins egg blue. When he knocked on the door he was chased away and told to never come back. Over the years several guys have tried to talk to the elderly lady that always chases them, with no luck. Last week I got a call from a friend and he told me he drove past the house and there was a crew installing new windows in the house and the garage door was open and he saw the car! The driveway was only two strips of cement and 2" saplings have now grown between the strips. I knocked on the door and before I could even say anything the elderly lady started yelling, "the cars not for sale and get off my property". I would just like to see the car and maybe take some pictures. Any ideas!
Write her a nice note, and mail it to her. Get her name from her neighbors, if need be. Explain to her your desire to preserve the car. Tell her that you'll keep it as is and what a wonderful tribute it would be to her late husband.
"My husband was cheatin' on me and I got his car in the divorce settlement! If I sell it he might go to the buyer and get it back! No way that'll happen, I ain't sellin' it. Now get off my lawn!!"
I would suggest that you leave the lady alone. Would you want to be constantly bothered by people trying to buy something from you that you did not want to sell?
I don't think she can be any clearer than that. And no matter what approach you might take, I'm sure she's heard it before.
I think Special Ed has the best suggestion. As far as we know only a handful of guys know about the car. One of the old timers, he's 88 and sharp as a tack, seems to recall a robins egg blue roadster from back in the early 50's, but thats about it. Not to sound morbid but one of the guys suggests going to the tax dept. in town and get her name and read the obituaries every day. If this car has history I don't want someone to get it and destroy it's past.
Years after I was grown and long moved away, people would stop by my widowed mother's house, asking about the old car that had been in the garage behind the house (It was my '30 Model A coupe hot rod, sold years before). Mom got a kick out of it. It amazed her that people remembered it or knew about it.
You better be glad she is a lady,because if she wasn"t you would have a load of birdshot in your ***. It is morbid about waiting for her to die. Respect that she doesn"t want to sell the car and move on. Really sounds like you just want to get the car for the glory of getting it before anyone else does. Wouldn"t it be a shock if you read the obituaries and she is being buried in the car.
I found a 29 Ford Sport coupe that an old lady owned since new and it was also not for sale until I told her how much I would pay . I owned the car a week later. Money talks
Pretty clearly not for sale, like the '32 roadster my wife bought for me... I wrote this about the usual "it's not for Sale go away" people, men, but I think it's worth a try on a woman owner. A woman is clearly MUCH likelier to get her foot in the door and to have a chance at a conversation, since your chance is clearly zero-with-a-chance-of-buckshot... From an older post...written about male non-sellers: If you can afford an offer on the thing...use some fairly available MAGIC LEVERS. Obviously, a bit of beer is good here. (probably not in this case!) WOMEN are the big secret, though. You can use TWO women here...your woman should be the one making the offer ("I heard him talking about your old dune buggy tractor looking thing, and I want to surprise him for his birthday.") The offering MUST be made in front of his wife, as she is going to be greatly impressed by the chance to turn junk into money, and the other magic is that the money should be arrayed right there. You want her to shake a shoebox full of money at his Wife. If this does not produce an immediate sale, it will set the ball rolling ("Honey, I've been thinking about that nice lady who wants to buy her husband a present...do you ever want food or *** again in your lifetime?") A man trying to buy someone else's deuce is a routine minor nuisance, easily dismissed. A woman is an off-the-wall applicant who shakes up the process. Cash money is appreciated by all. Women, oddly, prefer cash money to s**** iron, something I've never figured out but know how to manipulate... I would sure as hell not have a deuce roadster if I had moved on the thing. I knew it was hopeless, as the guy spent half his like chasing away wannabe deuce lovers. When my wife called him up, entirely without my knowledge, he unraveled. And his wife was itching to count that McDonald's bag full of hundred dollar bills... So try that...if it does not work, it's back to reading the obits. On the bright side, though, if she shoots your wife, you are then free to propose to the old bat...
Send her flowers and a short note...include the offer. Then send your SO (wife) to do the negotiations. (take a cake)
Yep mind your own damned business comes to mind. The lady has made it perfectly clear that she does not want anything to do with anyone who is interested in the car, it may well have belonged to her sone or husband who didn't come home from the war or the like. When ever you go around her with thoughts on the car all you do is make her old hurts, hurt worse. Anyway mind you own damned business comes to mind. I don't think I would have told that brother.
Let it go, man, just let it go. There are others out there with more congenial owners. Just keep your ears open.
brad chevy, at my position in life I don't need "glory" as you put it, what ever that means. If you read my initial blog you will read that I only want to photo-do***ent this car. The local car club has been around since 1955 and none of the surviving members remembers the car. As I stated, one local guy remembers a robins egg blue Model A tooling around town in the early 50s. What I would like to do is to do***ent the car. Does it have a four banger or a flathead? Does it have any early speed equipment? Does it have mechanical brakes or hydraulics? What is the quality of the build? Has it ever been raced and where? I would NEVER want to hurt this ladies feelings by bringing up any bad memories and will never knock on her door again. All I want to do is preserve this car's history before someone get's it and puts in a small block and paints it purple and it's history is lost forever.
I like the idea of a nice note. Explain your respect for her and the car. You only want to do***ent the car and would like to see it preserved as is. It is a piece of history you would like to be part of in a small way and share it with others that have the same respect for such vehicles. You might even offer to periodically do some maintenance and cleaning on the car for her just to make sure it stays viable. Send along a picture of you and your wife next to your vehicle. Offer to work with any relative of hers she would want to participate in the do***entation and maintenance. This is process, not an event. Possibly, if she ever wants to sell it, you may earn the right to buy it. But respect the fact that this car may mean a lot more to her than just a car, it may be a icon representing her life. Either way, you could be a nice part of that.
i like the flower idea , send the misses , keep goin for it , see if she goes to church and meet her there , be kind and respectful , when people like you they will always want to please..
" If you read my initial blog you will read that I only want to photo-do***ent this car. " The problem is if she lets you do that she will have to beat off everyone who sees your photos and only make her situation worse. Drop a nice note in her mailbox with your contact info and what you want to do. Wish her well either way, it is her car.
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