E Bay Mystery Box Firebird!

[ProdigyCustoms]

So I bought the E bay mystery box. Well, kinda!

SO, I am cruising E bay (something I have been doing to much lately) Looking for this 79 Trans Am that is keeping me up nights for some reason, and while searching Firebirds I see the following.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=016&sspagename=STRK%3AME WN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=260080582228&rd=1&rd=1

I'm like, oh man, I don't need to find this right now! But I have been wanting to do a 69 Pro Touring Trans Am convertible since we finished Michael's car. So looking at the ad and see it is local, 15 miles away in Da hood, I call the owner, discus the car and get directions. Keep in mind at this time the bid is $4400 before I go look at it.

Michael and I go look with 2 hours left to go in the auction. The old dude tells the story of taking it from his then adolescent daughter because she was being a bad girl and put it on the side of the house. That was in 1982! He had bought the car new, then later gave it to her ad he said it was " too fast for her" Which quite honestly, it can't be that fast, it is a 350 two barrel car. He says drove it beside the house, turned off the key and walked away.

So anyway, Michael and I are looking it over. It is 100% complete, Michael checks the radiator, full (down a couple inches), air cleaner lid on, oil looks good, brake fluid is up. I am really believing it was simply parked!

Now here is the mystery box part of the deal. The car has sat so long, it is literally sunk in the ground. There is no way to look underneath and while there is a inch or 2 of clearance to the ground, I ain't stickin my hand under there! Good only knows what is hibernating under there! So there is no real way to check the frame rails. So it is a bit of a crap shoot. I know there is some floor rot from the disintegrated top allowing the rain in, just don't know how sever the rest of it is structure wise.

I told the old guy, " you must be pretty happy with the bidding" He admitted he was hoping for $3000 to $3500, but yes, was happy very with the $4400

So now this is some pretty impressive dealing if I do say so myself On the way out to look at the car, my friend Rick calls to let me know the high bid has just been retracted and the bid fell back to $3400. So I asked the owner why the high bidder retracted his bid? Long story short he said the guy seemed to choke after talking to him. I asked if he would end the auction early, and he said no, that would not be fair to the other people. DAMN!! Well, I really want the car, and I like it at the price it is, $3500 sorry, but I do not think I can pay more, but thanks for taking the time to show it to us.

We leave and Michael assumes all is lost. He's bummin! I tell him hang tight. 1/2 hour later, 1 hour before the auction ends, I call George back and tell him I was the guy just there. he tells me what a nice young man Michaels is, all those niceties.............

So anyway's George. I have been thinkin. I see you have not done much e bay stuff, and I see you had a bid retracted. Do you know that there is a high likely hood if someone from Ohio or long distance, some yankee (I am talking to a certified redneck, BTW, I transplanted from NY, LOL!) buys this car. When they get here to pick it up they may be disappointed and turn and walk away and then you are screwed? As you and I know, the car needs a lot and it may blow some people away. Here, with me, you have a guy that has seen it, Knows what he is getting into, and knows what he is buying. So I know you wont end the auction early, but I would like for you to agree to sell me the car and end the auction. And I would like to pay $3500 for it which just happens to be the amount you and I are both happy with. And you can get Paid Monday AM and I will take it away.

Now remember. the $4400 bidder jumped over the second bidder which means the second bidders high amount was $4300 even though the bid fell back to $3500. I even explained that to George, but he also told me that guy was asking a lot of questions he could not answer, and he was from........... LOL! OHIO! just as I had used as an example!

So he agreed to let me high bid the car, and no matter what it was mine for $3600. That's $3500 + E bay fees + $50 to his daughter for running the sale. I through a $10K bid in there

So we are super excited and nervous all at once. We have to take down a fence that entombed this thing 10 years ago, remove post, everything. Also, there is a substantial tree that has grown behind it that we have to cut down to get it out.. I have a roll back scheduled to winch it out to the street, but the car is so sunk in, I bet it pull the front wheels off the ground of the wrecker.

Right now I am sitting here thinking? What do I do if the wrecked hooks the rear axle (still have not figured out who is doing that little part), starts tugging on it and the car tears in half!, LOL! That is the Mystery box part of the story.



Michael is meeting the wrecker at noon. I will get some pics of it coming out and report!

[69TAPoser]

Awesome story Frank and it's great to hear of another '69 Bird in the making. As I have learned, as long as the tail pan is good, everything else can be fixed.

So....what are the plans?

Phil

[ProdigyCustoms]

Oh, just you ordinary Black and Gold (ala Bandit) 69 Trans Am bodied convertible, 600" All aluminum Poncho, custom made 19" Gold anodized snowflake (ala bandit) wheels, gold carbon fiber trimed, Prodigy inspired Pro Tourer. You know us, Nothing to outrageous, LOL!

Carter will have the rendering done soon, and the Milf Project is no longer the Camaro, Lisa has snagged the TA project and pushed the 69 Camaro convertible outside.

[Steve68]

I can't wait to see pics of this one, Call michael and tell him to start digging the rear wheels out! make a path for them to follow,

[69Nova]

Cool story. I defintly cant wait to see a rendering of this project.

[69TAPoser]

Very cool.

So who is Bandit and who is Buford T. Justice?

Phil

[ProdigyCustoms]

Very cool.

So who is Bandit and who is Buford T. Justice?

Phil

Well, when I was 17 Years Old in 1978 and had my cowboy hat in my then new Trans Am, I kinda thought I was Burt Reynolds. But as everyday passes, hair gets greyer, and pounds continue to add up, I probably more Jackie Gleason like now!

[6'9"Witha69]

Frank, you can be Buford and Michael is Jr.

Now that's funny.

[Leadfoot1]

Neat!

I can't wait for the next segment on that one! Congrats Frank.

...69...convertible...I wonder why i like this idea?

Def keep us in the loop!!!

Hoping the pull goes well.

Lead.

Oh and read my signature just for fun... i can definately relate!

[CamaroAJ]

I even explained that to George, but he also told me that guy was asking a lot of questions he could not answer, and he was from........... LOL! OHIO! just as I had used as an example!

that was me that was bidding on the car.....you snaked it out from under me
















no not really

[JoshStratton]

Do you know that there is a high likely hood if someone from Ohio or long distance, some yankee...

Yankees suck. Go Sox!

[dhardison]

Thoroughly enjoyed the story Frank. Can't wait to see some pics of the dirty side.

[O'Neall]

Oh, just you ordinary Black and Gold (ala Bandit) 69 Trans Am bodied convertible, 600" All aluminum Poncho, custom made 19" Gold anodized snowflake (ala bandit) wheels, gold carbon fiber trimed, Prodigy inspired Pro Tourer. You know us, Nothing to outrageous, LOL!

Carter will have the rendering done soon, and the Milf Project is no longer the Camaro, Lisa has snagged the TA project and pushed the 69 Camaro convertible outside.

Congrats on the deal!!! Can't wait to see those custom snowflakes. I've been wanting a set in 17" for a long time, but can't bring myself to fork out the scratch to get them custom made!!!

[formula]

Yeah, I bet we could get a good number of guys together on the custom snowflake idea.... I have no idea how custom wheels work, but if it would end up cheaper for all of us to run more than one set of them, I'd almost definitely be in for a set after seeing the design.

[dropit69]

thats sweet frank..cant wait to see the unearthing pics..lol..i have my 69 bird for sale but am thinking twice about it ..

[Restomod]

Great story!! Got it out yet????

[bingham72]

looks cool. I noticed the thing has the fiber optic option on the fenders. That's gotta be rare! Good luck on the restoration!

[ProdigyCustoms]

Got the car, all is good, long follow up story and pics coming. But apparently some Puerto Rican guys tried to buy it for $5500 this morning, and the guy turned them down! Thank Goodness for us the seller is a redneck! Michael has a great story to tell, Later.

[Steve68]

Orlando-PR's (EDITED BY TYPER) Figures

[muthstryker]

thats cool man but i think sinking cars is a new trend. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1970-...QQcmdZViewItem