Older guys....ever scrap any old tin you now look back on with regret?

Was just wondering.......way back when,when certain cars were maybe more readily available/cheap (and yet probably just as rusty as projects now lol)did any of y'all ever pick up the odd project for parts/the odd panel n now looking back thought 'damn,i went to that show at the weekend n saw worse cars in worse condition driving around than i scrapped out?!/should've kept that one after all etc?

I've certainly seen rides getting saved within the vw scene in the uk that took a heap more work than some stuff i bought cheap/trashed back when i started.....n looked at the prices now n thought, 'why did i do that??!'*doh*

 

My uncle rolled a '40 ford deluxe convertible, and blew up a deluxe tudor sedan with 4 sticks of dynamite. Ironically, he's the same guy that found my '40 deluxe tudor...

 

The dynamite sounds a bit extreme but yeah thats' the kinda thing i mean.....as i say,came over from vws,look at the prices of some projects/cars for sale nowadays (particularly buses,prices of which have shot up here)n think,damn, i gave away better shape cars than that......

 

When i ws about 19 was searching for some top bows for my 32 pheaton. Somebody gave me an address in town where a rodder had some tub parts. Was his parents place an they said he was in jail. The stuff was in thier garage and he could use the money for bail. It was 2 model A, 2dr tub bodies and assorted parts all piled up on top of each other. I only had 25 bucks and they said take it away. Well the top bows were too much to figure out and then my parents started complaining so I gave it all to a buddy. About 5 yrs later went to Jim Babbs antique radiator shop, noticed a bunch of parts being boxed up for a customer. Amazingly ! it was those very same tubs an parts, were being sent to Australia, and sold for a ton of money , [for those days]! Oh and my 32 tub? I sold it for $1200 and some pontiac 8 lug wheels to a guy in town. yeh man i was a smart cookie!

 

Well,

there was the 30 Model A pickup that I sold for 1800... all it needed was paint. (1980)

The 66 Mustang with the ralleye pac dash, 289/4spd that I sold for $250 (1977)

The 69 Cutlass S Convertible that I sold for $700 cuz I was too lazy to do rings and install tie rod ends (1979)

The 71 Chevelle that I ran for 7 years and sold for $200 (1985)

And probably the all time bonehead move... The chopped model A coupe body with a boxed A frame with sbc mounts already in it.

The body pieces were separated and it just looked like too much work. I cut a front frame horn off to fix another A frame that I had and sold what was left for.......







Are you ready?.....























$30.00 (Yes, that's correct. thirty bucks)

 

...

 

no complete cars but... My second ride was a 29 A c-dan.. It came with a 283 with a dontov cam and a 471 jimmy (v belt drive) and 2 600 carters on top. A big ass olds rearend and real spindle mount spokes on the front. I sold the wheels for like 75 and the guy i sold em to sold em for 85! I dont remember what I got for the blower but I fucked myself again.. I think i gave the rearend away cause it was too wide and i sold the cam cheap. The bastard that bought it still owes me 7 bucks.. Oy ya the rear wheels were slots with posatraction tires on em and i think i got like 40 bucks from the neighbor and he put em on his chevy pickup.. Im a lot smarter now..
Dave

 

I wonder what ever happened to a 40 Mercury coupe we used to rip around in at my buddys grandfathers wrecking yard? It had a flattie and no rad....when it got too hot we had to let it cool down before ripping around some more. It was in mint condition if I remember correctly.....

 

Yellow 64 Comet Cyclone it had been flipped by the PO and I bought it for the black bucket seats with matching rear seat. The only damage was scratches on roof and hood front no rust. I towed it less seats motor and trans to the scrap yard Cyclone badges 6,000 RPM factory tach factory fake chrome wheels and all. Man I could use one of those inside door Cylone badge on my 65 Comet now!

 

What's up with that one? Looks like a standard rusty 600 (I don't see the front radiator that would make me regret chopping it). I'd probably cut that up even now.

I regret cutting up my first car, which could have been saved. I also regret not having bought a bunch of stuff when it was cheap (like the $3800 Hemi Cuda back in the 80s).

 

It was a 500.

It was pretty bad, but if I had it today I know what I'd build with it...

 

1957 Stude Silver Hawk. Rod started knocking, so I took out the engine turned dash and the grill. Scrapped the rest. Gave the grill and dash away. 1956 Buick Century 2 dr hardtop, trans started slipping, sold it to a junk yard for $15. Dad scrapped my '56 Ford Victoria 2 dr. hardtop 312 Y block for $15 when I went away to college. I had taken the front bumper off and replaced a damaged fender with a different color one. He said "It was ugly junk, here's your $15, that's more than it was worth!" I refused the money.

 

This is what ive been doing all day this was a 38 plmouth i do it all the time . The scrap yards in and around my place call me when they get any old car or truck and i buy them and save them or i cut them up . I try to sell the stuff for as cheap as i can . dont get mad and say im killing cars its just not how it is. This car would have been in china buy now if it wasent for me . Need any plmouth parts i take everything good before they go and the frame in this was rotted in hafe and the floor boards where gone . I like telling people about this because we all should be doing it . Go to your local scrap yard or junk yard and give them your number and tell them the same thing and i beat they will call and always look in scrap peopls truck and trailers i find stuff all the time . people get mad thats why im explaining because some ass will pm me all mad and bust my balls

 

My friends and I sure tore up a bunch of 50s and 60s stuff circle trackin' back in the early 70's..........but back then the big guys iin the late model division were racing hemi cars and stuff, too.

 

Yes, but I don't want to think about it.

 

Now that I like. There's a guy near me with one. He thinks it's valuable though, which is why he still owns it and I don't.

 

'63 Impala Sport Coupe, yanked the 327 and sent it to the junkyard because it had rust in the lower quarters behind the wheelwell. Bought a straight and rust free '64 SS less engine and trans with driveshafts, pedals, consoles and shifters for PG and 4 speed both a few weeks later for $75.00. Sold it for $125 a month after that to buy a '64 Malibu Hdtp. for $100. Damn I miss 1974.

 

I abandoned a 27 T coupe body when I moved.Scrapped a 67 Mustang rust free body after I took out the running gear.Worst regret I have is I passed on buying a GT350 in 1971 for a thousand bucks cause I wasn't into Mustangs.Got a divorce in 78 and sold my 59 Vette for 3200 bucks.I would bet we all have a thousand regrets but you can't keep or buy them all.

 

Now that you mention it, all most 46years to the day,I had one of those moments.
I had less than a week before I was to report for active duty with the U.S.N.
I had purchased a 40 LaSall cp.,it had a very nice body and chrome,an unbroken
grill ,no broken glass and a really nice gray pin stripe interior. The flathead motor
had a cracked block but the transmission was in good shape. The plan was to swap in a OHV cad motor ,quick paint job and it would be good to go.
Well long story short........ I had all of 35.00 in to it, no place to store it till I returned ,I traded it off for a set of tires and a battery for my 53 Stued. cp.


...........Jack

 

Well, 30 years ago when my buddies and I were hunting in Nebraska we stumbled upon some old junker and guess what happened.....

As I came of age and aware of hot rodding, I learned it was an A-400.
Sorry.

 

While in high school in 1960 my first car was a 1946 Chev. Fleetline 4 dr. sedan. No rust, no dents, too many doors and a 216 c.i. 6, I threw a rod on the freeway and did not want to fix it so towed it by chain from Hollywood to Gardena and gave it to the junk yard. Got a 1950 2 dr. slant back next. Guess what, threw a rod a year later and chain towed it to same yard. I gave it to him because he always supplied me with parts free. Looking back both cars are desireable now but then little or no interest them. If only I had a crystal ball......

 

Yeah,,, I junked a complete 40 Ford pickup.

In all fairness it was a rough POS,,,but that was long before anybody was building rough POS cars and trucks and calling them,,,,,well you know! HRP

 

Passed on a 57 chev convert for $300. in 1967 because it was a 6 powerglide also a 54 vette same year for $800.Ive learned my lesson.

 

I once sold a 57 Chevy to a guy with payments (I think it was $700), he gave me $300 and said he would pay the rest in a month. The month came and went and I ran him down, he said he couldn't come up with the money, but he had a 32 Ford 2 door sedan he would give me for the rest. I turned him down, and I never saw the rest of the money. I know, I didn't scrap anything, but I have a feeling the 32 got scrapped.

 

I did pick up a 40 ford coupe that i'd havent seen since 1969 when iI saw it in a local yard.Ive always wanted to know where it went .Turned out it wa less than a mile from where I live.

 

My brother and I flat tracked a 1948 Indian bike. Stripped it to the frame then thru all that bulky tin in the dumpster......Sick!.............OLDBEET

 

Three in particular always come to mind with this topic.

First was a really clean early Topolino shell I'd gotten for $25.00 and traded away. Even had the flip-up turn signals, working.

Second was my first toad wagon build. Got caught in a '71 smog trap and had to choose between the toad and getting married. Marriage went sour at 7 years and folded at 12, should've fixed up the toad.

Third was my second toad wagon build. Sold it to a guy to use as a chicken coop up in the high desert (when it sprang a small rear main leak) around the middle of a year & a half medical depression.

There've been others of course, but those really bug me.

 

1962 Olds Starfire fully optioned car, 12,000 original miles when i bought in 1983. sold for the same $$ 2 years later with 14,000 on the clock.
$500.00!!!!!!

 

I scrapped out a 64 Impala SS cause I found out the floors were junk... I had the trunk floor pan (if DIRTYT reads this he might know where that went) to put in it, but when I found out the fronts were shot I just pulled parts off it and sold them, then towed the hulk to a scrapyard and "dumped" it with the title on the front seat.

But what I really regret is when I thought we were gonna move to Tennessee last fall, I threw that old Chrysler/Dodge cowl on the scrap pile. I saved the firewall, but I still kick myself for throwing away the cowl... It could have been saved.

Sigh.

Jay

 

In 1971 Ibought a 63Dodge 330 tudor, 413/4spd. Drove it for3 yrs. Married a gal with 3 kids. The 63 was traded for a 4-Valient
and a 58 Dodge pickup. Wish I still had the 63 and the 58. I still have the 3kids.

OLD HEMI