In my old car glass business I get into peoples shops and see cars that haven't seen daylight in years but they are going to build them someday. some I know will happen and some I know will be someones gold mine when the geezer dies (I speak as a old geezer) I was sitting at a stoplight yesterday and across the street on the trailer was a 30-31 roadster full fendered chopped windshield tattered white canvas top and faded wide white big and littles and faded old gray primer. barn fresh, got my heart pumping if I had my camera with me I would have chased him down! ten minutes later I'm at a customers house and he shows me his latest find a 40 Willys ex-gasser. this was one I've known about for years (sorry Dave its gone to a new home) they ran him off with seven grand cash then he got to talk to the 80 year old lady that held the title and ten grand later its in his shop I find that these cars are everywhere buried deep in shops, barns, garages small towns big towns you name it. you youngsters are in the right place for easy pickins,all the guys that were cool in the 50's are 70+ and dieing off fast so save your cash and follow any leads no matter how far fetched they sound. like the 33 three window and 32 vicky I saw sitting side by side with 50 years dust and original paint and pin stripping, both stock and probably could be driven out with air in the tires. or the 34 cabrolet and 40 ford coupe both have faded paint but not a mark on them. NOW DON'T BE ASKING ME FOR ADDRESSES, THESE ARE CUSTOMERS AND I'M LIKE A LAWYER I HAVE ETHICS LOL!! but you guys all have the same stories lets hear some that you have found and I'll post some pictures of mine
Too bad these things aren't true in Michigan. Any car that was still in decent shape here in the fifties got eaten up by roadsalt in the next two decades. Argh.
Yes, they are. A couple of months ago I finally got into a barn that alledgedly had a 32 coupe and a 39 convertible in it. The 32 coupe was actually a 31 roadster that had been restored 10 -15 years earlier. The 39 convert had been given a fresh coat of maroon paint about 10 years ago and the stainless trim had still not been put back on. Other than that, the car was completely stock and original. The owner died about 8 years ago. So far, the widow ain't selling. I'm not giving up and I'm not giving out the address. The guy I bought my 32 roadster from has a few other treasures stashed away in his barn too. Over the years he bought things that he saw that he liked. At times he had dozens of cars. Now the collection is down to about 7 or 8 including a 40 convert, a 34 3W, a 34 cabrio (recently completed rod), and a 55 Nomad, none for sale.
My old buddy tld me of a 36 5window that might be for sale bout a year ago.Said it wasn't going anywhere soon.Well it wasn't the right time for me to go get it so I let it sit there. A guy comes to look at some stuff I'm sellin at my shop.Hes a hotrodder and we get chattin.He says guess what I just found?!He then tells me yup he just bought the 36 5 window I knew about.Under $5000-cdn!Its a complete,original nice car.Never benn owned by anyone outside the neighborhood its in now........Shiny
I agree, a lot of stuff still hidden away. I used to have a job that allowed me access to the behind the house areas, a lot of stuff still in or behind the barn or over the hill out back. A guy was telling me of his friend who recently died who had a lot of cars and was going to help the widow sell them off when she was ready. Ran into him a couple weeks ago and asked about the situation, there all gone. The kids sold everything to a dealer. Tried to buy a 32 five window that my dad tried to buy in the 60s, still not for sale and still in the same place. I need to check on that one again. It's in the timing and the next guy usually has it nailed.
back in '77 i bought a 37 chevy coupe, got all the parts together for it, and ended up in what was to be my first divorce... needed the money so i sold the car for 300 bucks to a friend of a friend... he took it home and put it in his dads barn,, went home to start the planning of his newly acquired coupe.. then.... a phone call... his girlfriend called and said hey ... i am pregnant... well.... 26 years and 6 kids later the coupe is still in that old barn... in the exact same condition as when he brought it home.... so i guess if there is one,,, there is a million of em out there somewhere. bob
Tried to buy an early 30's coupe a buddy of my dad has had since he was 14. Everything was going well and I mentioned that I'd like to put flames on it. The whole damn deal fell apart because he didn't like flames. Ugh! And to think he was going to sell me this flatheaded, super solid oldy for $5500. I hate myself
screw your ethics buddyboy,start coughing up some names and addresses before we gotta work you over hamb-style
Its all true one block from house is 30 31 Ford pu that the guy has had since he was 16. He is gonna sell it but not just yet, I ask if he knew where I lived he yup its kinda hard to miss your place. He said he would give me first dibs. Just hunt and gather something will turn up. Danny
I know of 3 interesting, but very different, cars tucked away. The first is my late uncle's '48 GMC pickup. Still stashed away in the barn. Its been there for nearly 30 years. Of course my cousin won't sell it because 'someday I am going to restore it'. I learned to drive in that truck when I was 12 or 13. The second and third are in my neighborhood. The first of the two is a 1960 TR3 (yeah, I know not traditional). The owner fixed it up 25 years ago and parked it under a pine tree. I looked under the pine tree two weeks ago. The car is sunk up to its axles in dirt. Doors handing off. Its a real pity. The third one is a '67 Camaro. Been in this old ladies driveway for at least 15 years. Flat tires, faded paint, rusty. I've written her 3 letters asking to buy it. Apparently she has trouble with the bottle so I doubt if she is ever sober enough to remember abour the car. Its a damn shame............no matter what type of car it is!
Still keeping an eye on that A roadster just a few blocks away. Parked in a two car garage next to a dune buggy. The caretakers are interesting to say the least and way more into the buggy than the A - "But we can't sell it. We're gonna get it running again for our Aunt someday". Sure, man. Good luck. Let me know if you want any help. I'm going to own that roadster in the next few years. Hop up the banger and drive the bejesus out of it.
I know of a 40 Ford more door in a barn near here, the barn is ready to fall in around the car, and the weiner that owns the car won't do a thing with it. The car is really decent, hasn't been moved since the mid-60's and probably won't til the barn collapses.
When the town dentist in a neighboring town died, his widow parked his 50 ford club coupe in the little checken fence and it sat outside with the chickens. That was wgere it was when I found it. I offered her $300 and when she hesitated, I told her I'd be bcak in her town for T'giving in 2 months and I'd stop to see if she was interested in selling....gave her 2 months to plan how to spend her new money. At T'giving, I stopped in to talk to her and she accepted my offer. My kid REALLY wanted the coupe [had a magazine fold-out of Cole Cutler's red 49 coupe on the wall above his bed] so I turned the car over to him...he still has it. My 48 Pontiac was bought from the same little town after the father of a father-son project, died of cancer... I find many hot rods/old cars for sale this way.
When I left my home town 11 years ago. A friend of mine had Eddy Hills original "Texas Twister" and the home made pipe trailer he used to pull it on. He made me promise not to tell of it because he did not need the money and didn't want the publicity.It was in original shape with flat motor and still had the hand pump on it. Said when he got through looking at it he was going to donate to Garlits museum. I 've often wondered if it ever happened or if he still has it.
I got a chance to look at a 34-3win a couple of years back, this baby was a highboy with an olds and hydro molded rear finders and old peral white paint, the owner him hawd around till I said you call when your ready. After awhile I called him back and his number was disconnected with no new number.I've been buy his old house done everthing I can and he is not to be found
I can't rememeber if anybody ever told me any stories, I forget about an hour after they tell me!! -peter
That's how I got my car. The guy who had it finally realized he was never going to do anything with it. He pushed it out of the barn and into his driveway. A buddy of mine drove by it and called me right away. The next day it was on a deck truck headed to my house!
I just bought my car that way in Dec. It is a 56,000 original mile (original everything) '51 Ford. A legit 3 owner car (I am the fourth owner) Stored in a barn for 30 plus years and only started every couple of years to move it out of the way. The last I can tell that it was on the road was 1966, judging by the road tax sticker in the window and the verbal history that came with the car. So yes they are still out there. TDC
My Uncle in the Texas hill country has an all original 29 Model A two door sedan sitting on jack stands in a metal barn, been there as long as I can remember. In another barn, he has an early 50's Chevy gas tanker truck. The chrome grille still shines, and it still wears original white paint and the gas company logo. He won't sell any of them.
I used to drive by this big house in the country sitting out in the wheather was a decent 51 olds 98 fastback. I kept meaning to stop by some evening and talk to the owner.after about 2 years I saw the car leaving the portland swapmeet on a trailer sign on the windshield said $100.00 OBO the new owner said he got it for 60 bucks that was a car that could be seen from the road and the pickin' are slim there but they are still out there. heading to Paso one year I stopped for gas about 50 miles away and was excited to get there early friday. a young mexican came up to my car and instead of telling me I had a cool car (that I expected!) he told me that his uncle had passed away and left a 37 chev coupe in the garage that still had the pin striping on the wheels and if I had time to look at it and tell him if it was worth anything. I didn't even ask his name 25 miles later I started kicking my self in the ass one that dumb move
the year was 1975 and one of my friends and i were out scouting for 55 chev parts when i spotted a motorcycle in the middle of a driveway on an old farmstead... we stopped and drove up into the farm,, and found an old harley, if i remember it was either a 49 or 50 dynoglide, completed, very weathered, sitting sunk in the mud to the axle shafts, spokes rusted off at the ground, leather rotted off the saddle bags, and seat,, looked horrible... knocked on the door,, and had to wait for dad to come home to talk to him about it,,, waited 2 hours... when he showed up i asked what he wanted for it,, he said "what does a new harley go for?" i told him maybe 3500 or so.. he responded,,, " well 3500 is what i want for that one then" i asked him if we could pull it out at least and drag it into the barn,,, he said "hell no, it has been there for 20 years and it will sit there until it sinks" some peoples children!!!! bob
Yup, they're in garages and barns and there's still some rough stuff out in woods' too. Slowly gettin a 32 Chrysler cut loose of a tree growin through the rear axle and wheel right now. Body's cut off at the top insert so there's only front sheetmetal and a frame. But it's complete from there forward, kinda, it's parts for my 34 Plymouth 2Sd and Free at least. Still waiting on more info from my neighbor about a 1921 2-dr. 'Something' sittin in his girlfriend's gramma's garage for 25yrs. Husband's been dead 6yrs. and she's finally thinkin to sell. Should be interesting...
Hey Bruth. The leatht I can do ith offer to trade you thraight acroth for a Thtudebaker. Howth that thound?
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