Hot Rods Whats the best way to approach the owner of that old car in the yard????

Just knock and ask, i've done it more than once, worst thing that can happen is he shoots at you, then you just have to shoot back

 

Realize that knocking on the door of someone you don't know and have had no introduction to is at the very least an unwanted interruption of their day. I hate it when anyone comes to my door and interrupts whatever it is I'm doing unless they have phoned first to let me know they are coming. I often don't answer my door if I'm not expecting anyone and I'm unwilling to be interrupted, or just don't want to have to interact with anyone at the moment.

I always find someone I know that knows the person with the car so I can get a proper introduction from someone we both trust. Smooths the way considerably.

And like others have said, be ready to buy the thing and haul it away the moment you ask, because old car deals have a way of quickly evaporating. Have seen many such deals go bad in just hours when some relative finds out the car is about to leave the family and moves in to block the sale.

 

With a large visable handful of "Pictures of the Queen" (Pictures of Dead Presidents for USA guys) in your hand.
As a former cattle buyer It also works there.
Don

 

Very important point in the deal.

 

As what was said earlier, NEVER, EVER leave a note in a mailbox. That is illegal, and the Post Office people take that shit seriously, believe it or not. Leave a Sticky note on the door, but never IN a mailbox.

 

Back off of the front door after ringing the bell, bring cash in hand and be polite if they say no.

 

Im glad I live in Canada we dont get shot at for innocently knocking on doors.

 

I have scored alot of "Old Tin" this way, and what I do is SIMPLY BE POLITE AND A STRAIGHT SHOOTER! Knock on the door, if nobody is home, leave a note of interest about the vehicle on the door with your number and leave it at that. If it is meant to be they will eventually call. If they anwser the door, make sure you step back or off the porch so that you don't cramp their style, and give them respect. Strike up a conversation of interest in the vehicle, and if they say that they don't want to sell it, ask if you can atleast look at it. This will show them that you are not just a scrapper, or looking to turn it, but that you truely are into it. Leave your number with them afterwards, and tell them if they ever decide to sell it to give you a call. I have got alot of call backs even after they have said that they don't want to sell it. If they say yes that they would like to sell it, make damn sure that you have the amount of money that you are willing to spend on you!

 

we are in america right be strong and ready just
stop and ask em ????
then
if its ok take a closer look with them along for a view

keep comments good or bad to your self!

ask these questions in order after review if still interested.........
is it for sale?
who owns it?
have clear title ?
last time driven / licensed?
last time it was run/started?
any known problems when parked?

how much is it?

at this point if "dunno what is it worth to ya"

be quick thinking
item / work to trade or $$$$ value and be prepared for a honest price you'd pay now or later same day cash if need be
hopefully your prepared as noted to put money down and get it written down as a bill of sale ..

now if they say haul that crap away

be ready for lots of issues of ownership,previous theft ,outstandingtickets that go with the vehicletitle and so on..

or its just parts ,do the deed fast and don't hang onto the mess

also do not get angry if it is not
for sale
or owned
or running
anything good

thank them for thier time leave a name and number to put with the title card if you have any interest if they want to sell in the future

i left a name and number and 20 years later with the family who owned a big window 55 chev p/u they tried to find me but the numbers addrss were no longer valid i stopped 3 hours after it was sold to some one else ... oh so close

other times i have scored good luck

 

show up with cash,negotiate a price and have a way to remove it pronto! got to strike fast and silent. last thing you wan't is someone that doesn't know shit about vehicles to consult with someone else that doesn't know shit about vehicles because that really will queer a deal fast! i only speak from experience.-55 dude

Do exactly as 55 dude states in his entry. Show up with cash and be prepared to act fast! But, always be polite, don't trash their stuff in an effort to make it cheaper and be willing to walk if they think it is gold plated. I lost out on a 49 5 window Chevy truck not long ago because of this. Lady was talking to me one minute and said she would call me the next day as she wanted to think about it for sure. Next day the damn thing was gone-literally gone! Anytime I look at something I make sure I am ready to go for it if it materializes. Don't take a trailer with you on the first trip neither, makes the people think you do this regularly. If I know something is in their back yard and can't be seen from the road, I tell them someone mentioned to me that they knew where a car was. I had a guy tell me one time when I asked him if a car was for sale, "Do you see a blanky blank sign on the windshield". It would creep me out if someone showed up and just said they knew I had something in the back yard, especially the way my yard is concealed from the road.
Good Luck...

 

I buy cars all of the time to part out. That being said I had my eye on a68 Monaco 2 door hardtop that supposedly had a balanced and blueprinted 318 "shook my head" and a 727 with a shift kit as well as a Sure-grip rear diff. The owner said he saw the bills when he bought it. The car was never driven and now is half rotted into the ground. I pulled up and offered him a c note for it and he said he was going to someday fix it up. As we shot the shit and looked around at it he saw just how much he had to do to get it back to driving condition. He conceded that it was too late for the car and we shook on it...I,ll be picking it up on Saturday.

 

Yeah nor do you have the right to protect yourself from people who dont knock but kick in the door and they usually bring there own gun to shoot with!

 

with a bullet proof vest.

Been greeted by a shot gun before.

 

Am I the only one who really likes "Miss-B-Haven's" avatar??? Oops! OT, sorry!

Far a shot. BEEN there. I really don't wanna be on EITHER end of that proposition again.

But, I've never even been threatened when out asking about old cars, ya know? Where's the harm?

 

But, SPEAKING of bodily harm or inconvenience, there are some barns and other outbuildings with no paint, weeds and sapplings grown up around, etc. You KNOW the scene!!! I would LOVE just to park my truck traipse through the brush and just SEE what (???????????????????????) might be sitting in there, undisturbed for 30- or 40-years!

But, if you can't find anybody who can tell you shit, I still think it's better NOT to risk getting tossed in the slammer overnight when the barn may have been EMPTY anyway. Some things are not worth it.

The barns I mean are 75-80 miles away, so it's not convenient to break off other plans on those camping jaunts to hunt all over town (courthouse records, e.g.) to find out what surviving relative there are and where to find them, IF they might be home anyhow. Damn, I'm tired after writing that paragraph!

My point: Chasing your tail doesn't necessarily turn up a T roadster or a 33 three-window coupe! All you can do is keep trying, as time, money and opportunity present.

I'm not a cinic, though! Honestly, from the looks of stuff sitting outside for 80 years, I honestly DO think there are GREAT cars still under roof -- somewhere!!!

 

Be ready for some weird answers,

Experience #1

looking for a '52 chevy parts car for a buddy.
other buddy knows of one hidden in a shed on some land he hunts on.
I show up drop the hunters name - do all the right things and the old lady show me the "car" ..hulk is the better word.

no glass
no chrome
no interior
no wheels
sitting frame on dirt for God-knows how many years
not a straight panel on the car

I thought what the heck maybe my buddy can get some small parts off of it.

Old lady says "My bingo partner says old cars are worth a lot of money and for me not to take less than $10,000"

Its still there

.........................

Experience #2

Recently found out about a '59 Buick that's been in a garage since '69.
Friend of an Inlaw
The owner situation is murky
The Inlaws friend is 58 and she has never had a drivers license.
She lives with her parents, the last to drive the car, they are in their 80's
and are a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic if you know what I mean.
Their daughter ( only child-never married ) is not much better.
I've been asking to see the car since I heard about it 6 months ago.
The daughter liked the idea of me seeing the car and maybe buying it.
I don't know if it is a parts car, a 4 door survivor, or a cherry full load convertible.
The car is buried under junk in the garage for so long that the daughter can't remember how many doors it has and she has lived in the house 20 feet away all her life!
every 2 months I ask again

 

ElGordo, I know what you mean. Back about '72, my sister needed a solid car. My dad heard about a '62 (?) Dodge Seneca 2D in a barn. We all went to look and talk with the ol' gent. His eyesight had gone BAD for some time. He showed us the car -- banged up both sides where he'd failed to put it away well when still driving. He wanted a grand for it, then. Wasn't a good deal, then.

My dad understoofd the old man's situation and THANKED him kindly for his time. On the way home, I asked him his thoughts. He said he couldn't hurt the man's feelings, because HE was remembering the car years before he'd banged it up. You know.

 

i was in this same situation, i just walked up and saw the old 90 yr old lady watering and asked if i could see that beutiful old car in her garage. she had no problem showing it to me. it was a 1st gen t bird. and now she wouldnt sell it, keeping it for her niece or something.

but dont have the first words that come out of your mouth be "how much you want for that old car"

then the guy nextdoor to the old lady has a ford 28-9 AA on the side of his house. walked up and asked if he would like to sell the truck. "no i going to restore it" door slams.

 

I spied a 69 Dart 2 dr sitting behind a house out in the country. Being the Mopar fan that I am, I knocked on the door. Nobody home. I left a nice note on the front door with my number. The next day I get a call - asked if I was the guy who wanted to buy the Dodge. "Yes" I replied . . .

"The car isn`t for sale and don`t ever come on my property again or you will be shot".

I tried to apologize but the guy slammed the phone down so hard it hurt my eardrum. . .

 

JunkFiend, you are so right, man ("Dont have the first words that come out of your mouth be, 'How much you want for that old car?' "). That's just bad psychology and, in fact, could INSULT some people, if they still have fond feelings for the car as they remember it NEW. Be a little circumspect instead of so direct, first getting up a friendly conversation about THEIR car. The "ask" should come LATER, just like when you do a job interview. Tactful not tacky.

 

Just like practically every other thread that I've had the pleasure of reading on this board, the comments and suggestions offered by members appear to be helpful and informative... When approaching a "stranger" about almost anything, it's always advisable to conduct yourself in a calm, cheerful and friendly manner, and of course if you're inquiring about a car/truck on somebody's property, same applies... It also doesn't hurt to compliment the person you're approaching in some way, whether it be about their appearance, home, gardening, adorable bird feeder on the front lawn, etc, etc-- Make the person feel "at ease" with your presence, and then they may be more accepting of when you "pop the question" regarding the jalopy on their property... There are still gearheads these days who do actually find cars in this manner and do convince their owners to sell 'em-- Maybe it doesn't happen quite as much as it did in the past, however, I still do occasionally hear stories where gearheads have acquired cars this way... Good luck... "The Doc" (Celebrity Drag Racing Authority & Visionary)...

 

Just knock on the door and ask, one of my dads tricks was to show up in a ratty old pickup wearing old clothse, if he was in the Z-71 the price would almost always be higher than if he was in the '72 F-100, if the lady of the house is there leave a business card or phone number, try to get the owners phone # if he isn't there.