Art & Inspiration Unbelievable grove find (32 Vicky)

Matt, this is why I posted on this thread. I always get a little upset when I see that the focus on an old car as a cash cow. You lost me me when you said "I'm asking a very reasonable 10% finders fee" and I saw that you only had 15 posts on the Hamb at that time. If I didn't think of '32 Fords as a religion like I do, I might be like the guys that just buy and sell them for the money they can make off them. I'm way better at keeping them than selling them anyway!

In my phone conversation with the owner before I visited, I told him I was happy to just see it and take a few pics of it, so that's what I did. He really didn't want people knowing about the car due to past problems with theft so I respected his privacy, and kept it quiet. I didn't pressure the seller to sell it to me either because I thought he was sincere about wanting to have the auction and sell all the cars on the farm at once. I think that due to my visit and especially the visits of my friend Bert, who brought the wheels and tires over to get it into the barn and out of the weather, convinced the owner that the Vicky deserved better care.

I'm a still a South Dakota guy at heart after living there 58 years before I retired and moved to Prescott, Arizona, mainly for the better weather and to be closer to the GNRS, LARS and other old car events in Arizona and California. In fact, I waited as long as I could and just established my residency in Arizona this year. When I came through the Midwest this summer I visited many of my car friends in South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Kansas, seeing a lot of fantastic collections along the way. I have a lot of friends in Sioux Falls, like long time hot rodder Rod E****. You and your Dad visited at his shop south of Sioux Falls some time ago. Rod's patina-ed Deuce 5W is called "Best of Grove".

Here's my Vicky. Behind it is a big banner poster of downtown Sioux Falls on Phillips Avenue circa 1930, advertising the Automania event there in 2006.

 

My mistake, I just counted them and it's a 20 louver hood and is worth $500-$600 here.

 

@vintagehotrods - I don't think I've ever met Rod E****. The name, car, and shop location doesn't really sound familiar? Maybe I'm mistaken, it just doesn't ring a bell.

I guess I can understand why it would upset you to think someone was treating this as a "cash cow".
However, that was definitely not my intention.
I want to give you a little context from my perspective, and I'd like you to keep in mind that through it all I never once told anyone where this car was.
It explains in great detail my experience with this car after posting this post, why I didn't think anything of requesting a finder's fee, why I mistakenly thought that 10% was incredibly reasonable, and why it kind of pissed me off to have people question my integrity about this whole ordeal.

Back in 2016, after I posted these pics here, I also created another post in a Facebook group. Within hours, I received a staggering number of messages and insane offers on Facebook. And I even got a few PM's here on the HAMB that were pretty crazy. (pic attached).
I was completely blown away by the response, especially considering that I had specifically said on Facebook that I didn't own the car and was only posting the pics as a tribute to all the cars that might still be out there. Within days I had to delete the Facebook post after being bombarded with messages. I kept this post up because the HAMB PM's I received were always far more respectful, and members always left me alone if I didn't reply.

Some of the most crazy Facebook offers I can remember -
______________________
An unrestored but complete Model A in exchange for the front grill.

A nice looking fiberglass body 32 coupe in exchange for the car.

Tons of "sight unseen" offers around $15K

Countless "no strings attached" cash offers for just the sellers info.
The most memorable was one for $1000 for the name, address, and phone number of the seller. When I didn't reply, he sent me a follow up message every few hours saying "Have you considered my offer?".
I finally responded with "Absolutely not. I keep getting these kinds of offers, but I'm not going to be responsible for someone finding out where this car is and stealing it.".
Then, he offered $1000 for just a phone number. When I didn't reply to that message, he sent me a message including his phone number, and said he would send "$1500 THRU PAYPAL THE SECOND MY PHONE RINGS WITH A MINNESOTA NUMBER" if I had the seller call him.
I ended up blocking him after he sent several more messages asking if I had considered his offer.

The biggest offer was from a guy who said he owned a resort near Yosemite NP. He offered $20K and one week of all-expenses-paid VIP accommodations at his resort if I would purchase this car and deliver it to him.
_______________________

I'd never dealt with this sort of thing before. I posted on this board before anywhere else because I didn't know exactly what the car is and was skeptical that it was worth the $11k the seller mentioned he was offered. When the first offers started coming in, it seemed crazy to me that someone would actually pay a hundred bucks just to get a phone number. Then, a few dozen messages later it became clear that there were even more people who were willing to pay considerably larger amounts than that.

I'm not a wealthy man. A thousand bucks is a nice chunk of change to me, and it was a lot more valuable to me back in 2016. But I was also raised with some integrity, and it was obvious that if I sold the seller's info to any of these people on Facebook he would be hounded relentlessly. They weren't going to pay a thousand bucks just to make one phone call and leave it at that when the seller said no. Who knows how far some of them might have pushed? I wasn't willing to find out.
I deleted the Facebook post and ignored their messages, and never once told anyone where this car was or gave them the sellers info.

I was going through pics a few weeks ago and came across the pics I took of this car. After that, I couldn't stop thinking about the car and about what I would do with it. Specifically, I kept daydreaming about cleaning it up (just a little), getting it running or putting a running flathead in it, and then bringing it to Back To The 50's still looking "grove fresh".
Eventually I would have done more with the car as money allowed, but I think for a while it would have been a lot of fun just to watch people's reactions. The majority of people would probably walk right by the car without a second glance - but there would be a few people who knew exactly what it was. I'd love to watch their faces as they stopped dead in their tracks like they just saw a ghost.

I met with the seller and unfortunately the car wasn't destined to be mine. I was already being extremely irresponsible financially when I made the offer that I did, and I couldn't argue that he didn't deserve a lot more for the car than that. While talking to him I remembered of all the astronomical offers that I had received by posting pics of this car, and I told him that I might be able to find him someone willing to pay top dollar for it. He said he was always open to offers, but his plan at the moment is to get this car ready for auction next fall.

After that, I spoke with him a little about the events that happened with the car since the last time I was there. He said that even though there's always been a circle of people who have known about it, this past summer word must have gotten out beyond those people, and he'd gotten a lot of calls from people wanting to see it or meet with him about it. He seemed a little annoyed by all it, so it was nice to know that I had absolutely nothing to do with getting anyone in contact with him. On the positive side, the increase in awareness about the car was also part of his motivation for getting the car safely locked away in a shop. So in the end, it's probably for the best.
The ball is rolling now, and I think it's going to work out well for him.

Anyway, I started typing a while ago and must have forgotten to stop.
Sorry about the novel, although it was enjoyable to write out the whole story of my experience with the Vicky.
- Even if I'm the only one who ever reads the whole thing, LOL

- W∅ZZY

 

59 years in the hobby and I've never read of heard of someone else trying this. Bob

 

I'm starting wonder if you just like to write posts that mention how long you've been in the hobby, Bob.

Anyway, I forgot to attach that pic I mentioned in the earlier post -

 

Today is the big day, the Vic is being auctioned off with over a hundred other cars by Girard Auctions.
http://www.girardauction.com/weber-car-auction.html

I think it will bring over $20k. I know people with deep pockets that will be bidding on it.

Sent from my SM-A505U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I hope it finds a proper home, final hammer bid should be around $25,000 in good times. Bob

 

I've relayed this tale here before.
Year was 1955, in Tukwila Wash, me walking home from high school. Passing
by Mr./Mrs. Smiley's drive way. (I was 16, had been cutting his grass for years, him in his
early 70's at least.)
Mr. Smiley, "Hey Larry you driving yet"
Me. "No, don't have a car, and no license".
Him, "Want one".
Me, "??????????????????? SURE"
Him, "Come see if you want mine"
"Mine", was a '32 Vicky. He had painted purple with a brush sometime and the wires on it were yellow.
Started right up in his garage, and my first ride in it was in shotgun.
Making this short, he gave it to me, no money just a promise to keep it in good running shape.
He drove it a short block to my dads place/ leaving it parked in front of the house and walked home.
Four ten PM. Dad get home same time from Boeing every day. (Mom had boogied out in '49).
Dad to me. "Where'd that junk car come from"?
Me. " Mr. Smiley gave it to me."
Dad. "WHY"?
Me. "
I Don't know"
Dad. "Take it back to him, this ain't a junk yard."
Dad ruled, Dad ruled, Dad ruled.
Never saw the Victoria again, never spoke with Mr. Smiley again.
Left home at 18.

 

Hammered at $19,500........The Half cab EB brought 9k

 

It went to my good friend Mike. He would have taken it to $22K. he seller said it comes with extra parts too.

Sent from my SM-A505U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Vintage: Did you ever get info on underside rust? Just wondering...after performing many rescues of early iron that sat in deep, damp wooded areas...
Thinking of Deuce Heavy axles, gennie frames...

 

Sounds like a happy ending, and start of a rebirth all at the same time. Bob

 

For having sat all that time, it honestly doesn't look that bad. I've seen so much worse. Glad it survived all of those years and now I'm sure it's in the hands of someone who will build it, best possible ending.

 

No, I didn't see underneath but I'll know as soon as it gets down here. What worried me was the wood was in bad shape and will need replacement.

 

Sioux Falls,,, lived there back in the sixties when my family moved 'home'. Dan and Mom where from there, but I was a California kid, having been born in a Quonset Hut in Camp Pendelton Marine Base. We were wild animals as kids going all over town for our entertainment. Old cars were all over the place especially on the farms,, get a new one, park the old one over by the barn.
Moved back to California in 69, Vietnam War for my Dad. Finally got 'into' cars. Dad retired and moved back to Del Rapids. I went back a couple of time and showed pictures of the old stuff I was looking for,,, got the,,,, yea we see those all the times out hunting,,, really? Where?? Don't remember just old stuff,,, I gave up asking,,,,
So the stuff is still out there, if you live there or have family that can remember,,,, I'll one last trip soon for my Dad, and I wont ask,,,,,,,