1st and 2nd gen's going to waste

[68firehawk]

I thought Id bring this up to a group of guys that can appreciate my frustration.

I have found some of my best projects in the back of someone's yard or barn just waisting away so I always try and keep my eyes pealed. Well few months ago I was driving in a little known back woods part of the state (Washington State) and I almost got into an accident from what I saw. It was like one of my biggest dreams come true. A 1st gen camaro sitting in the weeds on the side of a trashy little house on the side of the yard. It looked pretty straight with little to no rust.

"This tactic happens to be the same way I got my Firebird. Walked up and offered a guy that had it sitting in his yard. It was complete and straight with no rust. I thought $600 was a steal but after a walk through a local swap meet a year later guys were selling 1 gen cars that had no floor panels or frames for $1200 plus."

Anyway back to topic. After a couple months I finally got the nerve and money to walk up to this guys house and make an offer. When I walked up to the front door I was awe-stuck again. I saw at least (3) 2 gen Camaro's, 2 more 1st gens and at few more 1st and 2nd gen firebirds. All of these were in chest high weeds in the back yard. There was probably even more but the distance and weeds kept me from getting a full look. I immediately thought "This can't be real." then i thought "there's got to be a 396 camaro or formula 400 bird with those kinds of #'s of cars". I knocked on the door and a middle aged man answered the door. I politely explained my situation and what I was doing on his door step. He then gave me a brief grin and told me that he was not willing to sell any of them and abruptly closed the door. I almost fell over due to shock. I thought of asking why but the way he said it sounded like he would rather see them rot. Why would someone let such good cars go to waist. Is he trying to save them for retirement or something? It was a beautiful weekend for working on cars however, he had no shop or even looked like he ever worked on a car. Man this kind of think just makes me so mad.
I think this is the kind of person that deserves to get his cars stolen from him. :).
What a shame.
Jacob

[Mean 69]

Er, uh, please discretely send me the address of such cars. As well as any intelligence on dogs, etc.

Just kidding, obviously. Nuts that this can happen though, as precious as this metal is these days. I guess he knows what he has?! I really hope to find a great stash like this some time soon. Hasn't happened so far in life (life of course, isn't getting any longer....).

M

[Nine Ball]

Happens all the time. But, if they own it, I suppose they can do whatever they want with it. Hopefully they come to thier senses and sell/repair those cars before they rot into a pile of crap and become worthless.

Keep sending the dude letters with begging offers, maybe once a month. Sooner or later, he might give in. :)

Tony

[cad]

uhhummm....a d d r e s s please...if you have the address, we can earth.google and try to see what else is there....

[Andrew McBride]

I has the same deal happen to me last year. I got a tip that there was possibly some old camaro setting in a field in the middle of nowhere. Well I went to check out the car and there ended up being two camaros. One was a 67 RS/SS and then what really caught my eye was the 69 SS 350 hugger orange car disc brakes 4 speed setting in weeds taller than me and all the front sheet metal was off the car laying everywhere on the ground. I gave the guy a call later that evening after seeing his name on his mailbox. The house he lived in was about to fall down and trash was everywhere. I called him up and asked him if he wanted to sell the cars, he said NO. He told me that the 69 camaro was a #'s car. Who knows?

Another car a few miles from me is a 70 Challenger 440 coupe 4 speed #'s I was told?! The guy said he would not sell it. The car has been setting since 84 in the same spot and was tagged last in 84. Great condition, but just rotting away setting on the ground without wheels.

[toxicz28]

The same thing happened to me quite a few years back(1989). Cruising through the outskirts of town, and drove past a house with a '69 Charger sitting in the front yard. On the way back, I noticed the guy getting his mail, so I pulled over to talk to him. It went something like this:

Excuse me, what year is that Charger?
'69
Are you doing anything with it?
Nope.
Do you want to sell it?
Nope.
So you're just going to let it rot there?
Yup.

I couldn't believe what I heard, and just drove away. Nineball is right, it's theirs and they have a right to do with it what they want, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating.

[DarkBuddha]

I'm in a slightly similar situation now, except I'm not trying to get some vintage musclecar... nope, just a mid-'80s Corolla GTS. Sure they're popular now, but this thing has been sitting unmoved for nearly a year. The owners are never home when I drop by (or they don't answer their door) but I've left several notes. No response. Oh well.

[StaticAGE]

I went through the same thing with a few people when I was building my T/A. It kills me when people would rather have their car rot away than let someone else build it and get some enjoyment out of it.

Unfortunately my dad happens to be one of those people. He has a '79 corvette pace car that is falling to pieces. He can't do anything with it due to money and health problems and really has no interest in the car what-so-ever. I've tried to get it from him for years to no avail. He said that the reason he wants to keep it is because everyone else wants it so bad. Just like dealing with a little kid.

[TA219]

StaticAGE hit it on the head, it seems like they enjoy knowing that they have something that someone else wants but could care less about the actuall possesion.

[paul67]

Also you are probably the only people that visit them and because you want something off them it makes them feel important in there boring lives.
paul67

[jy211]

I always get the "I'm planning on restoring them response"...makes me laugh when their house is falling apart....

[toxicz28]

My wife's father is another one of those types. He's got 2 '65 Chevelles, one a 283/ pg car with 40 years of documentation, in nedd of a resto. The other an SS327 4spd 12 bolt "basket case" rotting in the yard. Plus enough parts to do a third one. An extra '65 327 and a 4spd sitting on the floor of the garage. Rumor has it, a neighbor was re-doing a '65 vette that wa missing it's 327. He offered my father-in-law $10k for one of the engines (it would have made the vette really close to #'s matching). Guess what he said...... No!! :hmm: I joke that it would take more work to get the basket case from him than it would to restore both of them.

[Stokes]

Also you are probably the only people that visit them and because you want something off them it makes them feel important in there boring lives.
paul67


Actually, with the examples above, I'm willing to bet that they get A LOT of visitors who are asking the exact same question. :)

Chris

[Damn True]

Keep dropping by from time to time. Eventually the guy will need some money. Just be sure you are ready to act with cash if the time comes. You might try an occasional hand written letter as well. There is a chance that his wife, who is probably tired of those cars in the yard, might lean on him a bit as well.

[gchandler]

Did you actually make him an offer, or just mention that you would like to buy it. I find that make an enormous difference.

[68firehawk]

Didn't actually make an offer. I didn't get a very good look at the cars and I wanted to see how bad off they actually were before I did. I might wait a few months and try again, with a cash offer.
This guy seemed pretty cynical. Definitely no wife.

I think the others hit it on the head, he must feel some sort of power having something he knows other people want. Not that he is actually going to do anything with the cars but let them rot.

Jacob

[OHCbird]

It took me 2.5 yrs to get this old guy to believe that his 17, then 18, then 19, then 20 yr old wasn't going to do jack squat with his 68 SS/RS. His kid had started building a low-rider monte carlo (85-ish) that needed a motor & trans. I wound up getting a motor & trans, installing it, and dropped him $2K for a BBC (now sbc) SS/RS. SoCal rust free, and worth the wait.

[Gonzostyle]

Ok so here is the other side of the coin. I keep several of my cars at my parents place and my parents are as bad as I am with collecting cars. Currently there are about 20 cars at their place (most pre 72 chevy). I currently insure and drive 7 of the cars (parents about the same). The cars there range from finshed cars to projects.

Ok, now if someone shows up out of the blue that has never been seen in the neighborhood before, it makes me suspicious. I have even had guys show up with trailers asking about cars. Not a good first impression.

My sugestion is to leave a card with your contact info and then revist the guy in a month or so. That works with me, and netted a guy a 55 chevy big window deluxe cheap.

-Jeremie

PS almost all the cars have covered parking and are not stuck in the weeds.

[Brandon Miller]

Sounds like a nut job here. He has at least 2 69 Chargers I've tried to buy. No they're not for sale. Also has a 69 440 Super Bee which he went on to say too many people have ended up dead over that car. He had several other older Mopars but I didn't want to risk my life trying to catch a peek.

[nancejd]

It's a dirty trick, but you might call the county planning department and check his zoning regulations, or even with the health department. A letter from the government threatening to haul his stuff away might put him in the mood to sell.... :evil:

[PonchoJohn]

With a "dirty trick" like that, hopefully you'll be the receipient(sp?) of equal treatment. I can't believe you'd suggest something like that. We've got enough problems w/ tree huggers and enviro-nuts :pat:
Have you ever considered that some people may have spent a decent amount of change on the "project" that you found sitting there and are building funds to work on it?
Have you ever considered that when you grow up and become a big boy, the: wife, kids, mortgage, car payments, Harleys, PG&E, $3.00/gal gas, etc become major sources of income depletion?
I've found a lot of rotting cars over the years (even had to stop people from trying to steal parts off of them), but I'd NEVER call the authorities out to leverage some guy out of what his.

[primate]

dirtpoor is trying to save a 72 442 vert from the same fatality.... no luck either....

[protour_chevelle]

I remember my dad telling me the same story but back in the 80's...Atleast I think it was the 80's when the government was going around cleaning up yards and farm fields... Long story short my dads buddy acted like an official government dude and managed to get the titles for a Chevelle and Camaro(The years I can't remember but I know their between 67-71)

You could always try that... lol.

-Matt

[madmax]

You should show up with a wad of money. Money almost always talks. I'm convinced people can smell the bills in your pocket.

--Max

[boodlefoof]

Go out some night and pull the vins... see if any are insurance payoffs and you could get a salvage title! = )

P.S. - this is a joke really... you might get yourself shot trying it...

[Nicks67GTO]

This might make some of you physically ill. Theres a legend that goes around Iowa. Ive heard this legend from several people and several people ive told it to said they either know of the guy or have heard the same thing. Its the ONLY reason i believe it...

Supposedly theres a guy in northeast Iowa. Hes a farmer. and sure as hell in his barn he has 6 original Hemi cars up on blocks. and WON'T sell a one of them. As lore has it he has one that is 1 of 10 or somthing like that ever built. I didnt get alot of details out of anyone but the story's allways the same. Im not a mopar guy and dont know much of a Belvidere from a Baracuda but i do know the Hemi cars are gold, especially originals.

A good story i do know the details about goes like this

A friend, Brad, is a die hard poncho man. Mainly GTO's. He was out mushroom hunting a few years back and he runs across an old barn. happens to peek his head in because there isnt a house anywhere around and curiosity got the best of him. Low and behold what sits in front of his eyes but an un molested 65' GTO. 389, tri power, 4 speed and 3.55 posi. on blocks all original and i believe it still had the protect-o-plate in the glove box. He finds the house and asks them about it. I believe they said it was their kids, he went off to vietnam and never came home. If he wanted it they would just need $500 bucks. Brad almost ***** himself. Got the car for $500. Figured out he wasnt going to be able to work on it being that he already has a 67' project that had been going on for what seems like eon's and sells it on ebay. I think he got around 4,000 for it but i cant exactly remember

[Restomod]

This guy busted a NUT over you asking him about those cars,people like the "no its not for sale" get off on it!! The "Im gonna fix it " guys are just as bad but they really think they are going to. If you are lucky he will die and his kids/family will sell it before they crush it.

[MStennes]

Where I live there are quite a few classics but their on the reservation and none are for sale. We have pictures and directions of all that we have found so far. I do have a buddy though that has some sort of charm and with the exception of those he has been very successful. We even found a field up by the border where there were between 50-60 classics of all types. We found a REAL yes REAL Yenko, it is in deperate need of a full restoration but it appeared to be all there with out a lot of rust. aActuall it appeared to be just serfuce but it was a rats nest. We didnt spend to much time as people up their are either hidding from the law or just dont want to found. They like to shoot and since it is so far from anywhere you would just dissapear but anyway he found the owner and he said it could be had but he wanted 250,000 for it. We check on it from time to time just to keep tabs. This friend of mine also scored a hemi Charger off the reservation back in 2000 it needs everything but he got it for 10,000, a carton of cigs a Ruger Blackhawk and 4 cases of beer. He explained alot of bartering is what time of the month and how much you can talk while having a drink or two????

[PRO TC]

novaguy i live in dubuque and was told the same story. i think the guy is suposed to live around lamont. im sure its just a story.

barry