Folks Of Interest Veterans..Did you leave a car in someone's care when you went into service?

Left my 64 Catalina 2 door post, 389 4 speed at dads home. Also a 32, 3 window. Chopped, channeled, zeed frame , split bones, olds r.e., 327, 4 speed. The car was a roller under construction.

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Didn't leave it in someones care, but sold my '56 Olds 88 to my best friend. He proceeded to total it.

 

I was drafted in 1966 and owned a Deuce 5-window that was under construction at the time. I hauled it from MI to IL to store in my grandma's barn. She had several offers to purchase it but I turned them all down. I picked it up in 1969 and towed it back to MI. I proceeded to finish it and later traded it for a 3-window Deuce.


Here is the car after the war. I was into racing and so that is why it is so high in the front.

 

My story is a little different.
My Dad was in the SeaBees during Vietnam (two tours). We jumped to Midway Island during the slow down in Vietnam, then in 1974 got back to Port Hueneme, I was 20 and in college. OK so here it is.
My friend worked on base, there a woman he worked with had a problem. It seems that the last time her husband shipped out (back then you would be gone 9 to 12 months), she didn't drive their cars enough, 1948 Plymouth sedan and his 1963 Impala and the mufflers rusted out (ocean air). So he was shipped out and wanted to know if my friend would drive the Impala as she was afraid of it,,, dual quad 409 and rock crusher Muncie.
So once a week we took that poor under driven Impala to Wednesday cruises in Ventura and Saturday trips to the power plant road, 1/2 mile long four land wide concrete strip and practiced power shifts . It took Supreme to run it (.75 a gallon!), and if you powered it hard you could watch the gas gauge drop...

 

Drafted late 1968, and sent to VN late 1969, and my three hot rod stayed with my folks. All were not sold or damaged during my overseas tour. In late 1970 I was released to go back to grad school. I got home late in the week and headed 400 miles south in my 1957 Chevy Tudor to Stanford on a Friday to start classes on Monday. The 327-4speed car ran fine, so I guess they were given good care during my absence. It was a crazy time of my life and I don't remember a lot of the details.

I still have the cabriolet and finished restoring it back to better it's than ever early banger hot rod condition in 2016. The 1929 A/SR roadster lives on with a closed cab pickup body and a mild sbc motor. The '57 was sold in 1973 to help pay for a new washer and dryer.

 

Was drafted in 1967. Shortly after I left for Nam ,my Mom had a guy haul off two 1957 GM Limiteds
and seven 1955 Chevrolets,none wrecked and three ran good . said state of Kentucky told her to.

 

Went to Australia for four years and left my O/T car with my eldest brother who drove it as God intended...like he stole it, he even put a new battery in it. All I had to do was buy new tires, car runs great still.
RIP Rob.

 

In 1966 when I went to Viet Nam I left a built 55 Chev 2dr Hardtop with my newly married wife. The car was an outstanding street racer for 1966. 327" 4-speed that ran in the low 13's. The car suffered a mild dent to the left hand rear quarter panel. Not a real big deal. Her parents along with my parents encouraged her to sell the car. Yep, she sold it and sold it for cheap. My brother tried to talk her out of it with no success. Did not comunicate with her for 6 months after she told me what she had done.
Tracked the car down when I got home in 1968. Tried to buy it back, but the guy that had it would not sell. Still miss that car.

 

I worked at the power plant at the end of the road. Ormond Beach Generating Station doing turbine overhauls. Watch a lot of races. There were 1/4 mile lines painted on it too.

 

In 1967 a buddy was drafted and was luckily sent to Germany. While he was overseas he left is car with me. 1953 210 hard top with a 283 and Muncie 4speed I had helped him build. In 69 when got out he sold it and bought a 69 SS396 El Camino and sold the 53.... Stupid me I didn't buy it.

 

Joined AF in 62 left my 46 Ford Club coupe home with mom.......after basic and on to tech school mom sold my car and tons of flathead speed equip to my best friend for 50 bucks to get it out of garage.......never spoke to friend again and was really pissed at mom for about a year and a half........ she knew it and cosigned for me to get my first new car a 64 Impala.......so all was forgiven.....

 

My neighbor, when I lived in Des Moines Iowa, told me that while he was in the Marines his mother sold a bunch of flat head speed equipment including a pair of Ardun heads. She may have been getting even with him for all of the crap he did as a kid. She was hard of hearing and him and his brother used to shoot squirrels out of the upstairs window with a .22 rifle. Him and a couple of friends made a convertible out of one of those friends dad's car using an ax and lots of alcohol. He had settled down a lot by the time we were neighbors.

 

My Grandfather never owned a car and farmed with horses so when my Dad bought a 36' Chev coupe it was a pretty big deal. Dad enlisted during WWII and left his car on the farm. Grandad wanted to take good care of it till he returned so he proceeded to build a garage around it to protect it from the elements. Trouble was, he didn't allow suffficient room to open the doors. Dad said when he returned after the war the car was still there and in great shape. However, he had to slide over the roof and climb in a widow to take it out of gear before they could pull it out.

 

my sentiments exactly

 

How many people got their money back after it was sold from under you?

 

American Siberia? I can't seem to find that place on my map.

 

mine's the usual story. '61 impala convertible. asked dad to please drive it once a week. he didn't--guess it was too much of a p.o.s. for him. he wound up selling it; talked to a couple of guys who had checked it out. all they would say was "it was sad." i did see it later, broke down on the side of the road...

 

It's actually not that hard to do legally, Butch. It sucks, but all that has to happen is for the person storing it to change their mind and report it abandoned on their property. They can then have it towed away, or file a lean against it and get clean title in their name. You gotta be real careful who you leave your stuff with!

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When I left for the Navy in '89, I sold my ot road race Camara to a friend of the families son (never saw it again), and left several other cars with my folks. My 1964 El Camino daily got sold to a buddy for $700.00 (I had more than that in the fresh 327 I had just put in it), and my mildly wrecked 1968 Camara got parted out and the remains sold. I had signed a general power of attorney of to my mom, so that's how they were able to sell them. I also had a 1930 Model A hot rod, and a steel '26 T roadster project under way, and she was smart enough NOT to let my dad near them, because the fallout from one of them being sold would have been massive! Also had to give up a 1969 RS/SS big block convertible in 1997, got orders to Hawaii, and had too many cars! Kept a couple of Vette's, a big block El Camino, and a ot S10 blazer custom (the ONLY new car I've ever bought!). Should have kicked any of them but that Camara to the curb. Don't see myself EVER being able to afford one again! Oh yeah, let Dad drive the S10 for a while and he totaled it (not his fault though, he got T Boned by someone running a red light. Can't really hold that one against him.

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I joined up with uncle sam the summer I graduated high school in 66. My old 55 ford was getting pretty ragged but I couldn't do without it! I drove it up until the morning I left on the bus..drove it to the bus station and a block away was a used car lot....they gave me 35 bucks for it and I got on the bus..
Came home on leave in '68 and bought a 57 Pontiac. Mom said I could leave it in the back yard 'till I got back to "the world" in a year and a half. My little brother was 14 and said he would wash and wax the car while I was gone saving the world.
When I got back in late 69, my car was still on blocks in the back yard, all clean. Only had to buy a new battery and change fluids. Thanks Scotty!
Holy shit! I just looked again at these photos, both taken at the same spot 3 years apart. Look at the giant oil spot on the street in front of my 55 ford. The rear main seal was out of the 272 and it leaked oil really bad! It appears the oil spot is still there 3 years later but smaller. I think the old Pontiac leaked a bit too before I swapped the original motor out for a 389.

 

2 stories. First, when I joined the Air Force in 1997, I left my OT high school beater (1973 Ford Capri). Asked my brother to take care of it. He did't. It sat for 4 years until I went home and got it. Got it running over the weekend, drove it 750 miles back to base and it immediately threw a rod. Second, got my hands on a 68 Triumph. Deployed to the desert and left it at friends house. Got back and I'm like,"Where's my bike." buddy says, "Oh, some guy I know looked it over and said it wasn't worth anything, so he hauled it away for free." Our friendship dissolved pretty quickly after that.

 

The hopped up '57 BelAir 4 speed stayed home, and older Mom got a kick out of driving it, getting eyes from the local youngsters.

 

I left for SEA in Dec 66 and returned in Apr 68 . On R&R in Hong Kong I purchased a TT 120 bonny and shipped it home. Back to cars My 60 ford with 406 power was left at my Aunts house. When I returned home I installed a new battery and fresh plugs and it ran great after I used all the old gas up... drove it for about 2 weeks and built a round track car out of it. I then purchased a 55 F 100 409 powered. finished my time in Georgia and came home to stay .

 

Joined the Navy in '60. Left behind my '50 Ford with a 265 Chev. engine and a '36 Ford two door sedan with no engine. The '50 Ford went into rental storage that my folks were paying for. After a while it was decided that since I probably wouldn't be home for four years, it might be best to sell the car. My brother asked me if he could put my spare '50 Ford flathead in the '36 and sell it. I agreed and we split the money. Initially I wasn't to happy about getting rid of the cars but, as it turned out it was the right thing to do.

 

When Uncle Sam invited me to come and play the game (1971-73) I left my 1940 Ford sedan delivery on a friends farm and so many folks stopped by to try to buy it he put it in the loafing shed with the livestock and the critters rubbed the paint and left me a dozen eggs....

 

Taught my wife how to drive my '49 Ford before I left for Korea in 1952.

 

My Dad left his '34 Ford Roadster with his Aunt Clara in a garage behind her house in 1952 when he was drafted. Two years later, he returned from Austria from his time in the Army. He found out a couple of kids from the neighborhood asked her if there was a car in the garage. She replied, "yes," and told them they could have it for nothing. To say the least, my dad was pissed and the original bill of sale was found in his valuables when he died a few years back. I guess that was the one that got away.... Add it to the list...like when my mom made him sell his '51 Merc convertible but that story's for a different topic!


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I went on a tour in 85. I left my 71 GTO in my parents driveway. When I came home, my friends had put the top end together on my 427 Chev (not the simplest engine swap).

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That wild, I grew up in Waukegan. Thanks for your service.

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I enlisted in Navy Seabees late 1965 ,went to boot camp Jan 1966, deployed to Viet Nam Sept 1966, Saved Every penny I could save ..Feb 1967 Ordered a 1967 Nova SS,, A Deuce of another sort, When returning home on leave May 30 1967,,Payed Cash in full. Put 22,000 miles before another deployment in Jan 1968 ,Stored in a Uncles garage when I returned Hooked up battery and was off to crusing again ....Traded it for a 34 3/widow some years later...Bought it back about 3 years later ..But than got weak and sold it again...Sure wish I had not sold either one, Deuce or 34 ...