In the mid seventies my brother in law talked me into joining the De. National Guard. It was an assault helicopter unit and after getting to know some of the pilots they would take me along when they flew. I was soon spotting all of the hidden treasures that guys had tucked away out of view of anyone just driving by. I started taking along a pair of binoculars and could really see what was down there. One day we were flying over Maryland and were over a farm that was in a long lane and in the yard was a coupe with the front end missing but in a shed open on the front was a row of old cars. I couldn`t wait to go see if any of them would be for sale. The next saturday i was heading to Md. i found the drive to the farm and drove in. I was greeted by the biggest dog i have ever seen running at me growling. I stood still and was talking to the dog he stopped growling then a guy comes out of the house carrying a shotgun. He wants to know why i am there and i said i was interested in buying old cars. Who told you i had any cars? I said i saw them flying over the farm last weekend. Are you a cop? No i`m in the national guard. It was very obvious that it was a mistake to come see this guy. His parting words to me were don`t be a snitch and tell anybody to come here.
True story. On a back road south of the town I live in, a 1955 Thunderbird sat under a large magnolia tree. An old unoccupied house and a mobile home was enclosed inside a high chain link fence with the large tree and the Thunderbird. The T-bird had flat tires and a rusted hole in the trunk about the size of a softball. The car was white with a hardtop. After seeing the car unmoved for about a year, I decided to stop and inquire if it was for sale. A gate in the fence was in front of the mobile home. Inside the gate mounted on a pole was a large brass school bell with a rope extended to the fence. My intention was to knock on the door of the mobile home. Some inner voice told me to ring the bell. I did, and four large German Shepherd dogs came from the old house. After a time a guy came out of the mobile home and asked what I wanted. I asked if the T-Bird was for sale, and was told rather gruffly, no. I said many parts for the T-Bird were available for restoration. He said he had no intention of restoring the car. I said it would be a shame for the car to just sit there and deteriorate. He said if that bothered me, that was my problem, it didn't bother him a damn bit. As I turned to walk away he called me back. He said he would sell the car to me when Jesus Christ returned. Five years later the mobile home, fence, and the T-Bird were gone. I asked the neighbors about him, and was told he previously lived in town and had a Model A Ford in his front yard that literally rusted down. Apparently he just wanted people to ask about the cars. Ernie
I chased a truck around for 2 years. 1963 or so chevy stepside, painted orange with some light panel painting running a Pontiac engine. Story was it was built with GTO engine and 4 speed from a wrecked car, custom painted at same time. Show truck and very fast. Heard the story from old gear head, not associated with the trucks ownership. I thought it would be worth getting the engine back to a GTO guy then building what was left. Finally found it, did have a 389, from a big car, had a 3 speed. Panel paint was very cool, but the body had so many holes couldn't really save the old paint job, the asking price was very high for what was sitting there. Just another case of the story growing as it got passed around. Ill go check on it this summer - not a lot left though. I actually deleted the pics to quit dwelling on it.
I just get them talking about it, don't even ask if it's for sale. "Cool car, when did you last have it running" No offers, no judgement, just talking. See how it develops.
I just remembered I saw a 38 or 39 ford in my area last fall while taking my daughters somewhere - driving by. Need to go over there. Could only see the grill thru the trees when the leaves were down, spring time it will be hidden again.
I have over posted these pics as of lately. One of my dad's good friends is a car hoarder of sorts. He had a 64 SS Impala, Vettes, Mustang, and Tri fives. I heard about some old cars that were stashed out in the woods on his property. Seems like the story I heard, they were early 60's bubble tops. At that time, I wasnt interested enough to asked about them. 15 years later, 3 years ago, I found out that they were not bubble top Impalas, but a stash of Tri Five cars..8 of them to be exact! By the time I found out about them, they were in pretty fowl shape. 40 years of neglect. By know ing the owner, I worked out a deal for a friend of mine to buy some trim from the 57 wagon, but he was not ready to part with the cars. Fast forward 3 years....Today I purchased the two 55 sport coupes and what ever parts and pieces that I can use off the others. Its a rough start, but I can see potential.
A couple years ago a cop friend of mine gets dispatched to a job right in the neighborhood he grew up in. As he's walking up to the house he looks in the dirty garage window and there's a rough looking black 59/60 Corvette inside. Knocks on the door and it's an older lady living in the house with a caretaker. So after dealing with the issue he was sent to address, naturally, he asks the lady about the Vette. The caretaker immediately cuts in saying that it's an 80 or 90 thousand dollar car right there as it sits. Needless to say, conversation over. Less than a year later the house is bulldozed and gone with no word on the Corvette. Shortly after that we hear that one of the local slicksters got the car. Couldn't get the story out of his buddy on price or how he made the deal. So close yet so far.
One of my old customers had a pair of 70 Monte Carlo's, both big blocks. and a Lincoln Mark something all low mile cars. He died a couple years ago. His wife is in the nursing home. Recently a local guy bought the estate from the nursing home. I never saw it advertised, don't know anything about the deal. I am told it was cheap for the property and he got everything. I guess that is how some deals like that happen.
I had heard stories of a chopped 32 ford sedan for years new were it was & who had owned it since the early 60s . had asked to see it but the answer was no . A friend of mine who was installing water lines called me up and asked about chopped 52 ford that was for sale without a frame for $600 .told him it was odd for a 52 to not have a frame asked were it was. he told me were. it was were the 32 was supposed to be . told him I would be there in minutes. drove out to look at it excitedly .guy that owned it had sold the place had to get it cleaned up. new guy was hooking up to water unhooking from the cistern . we got there it was rusted top to bottom looked like it had been chopped with an ax no firewall dash floor or rear wheel wells asked about the frame was told it was ruined by an unsucesful corviar graft and scrapped. I looked and looked at it and passed. heard the new owner rolled the body over the hill and it fell apart
These "let it rot" hoarders are hard to understand. My HS buddy's dad was one. He was a Highway Patrol officer and appreciated fast cars when he was young. I bought my first driver car from him. Later though, he just bought cars and parked them and let them rot. Weird deal, he just liked having them but wouldn't sell. No plans for them. Incomprehensible.
No pictures, so you will have take my word for it. My High School was a 4-story building across the street from a Chevrolet dealership. I had a fourth floor class overlooking the dealership. Instead of paying attention in class, I was gazing out the window. What I saw was a crumpled front clip for a 63 Impala sitting on the flat roof of the dealership. I thought this was odd as the 63 model was nearly ten years old at this time with lots of used parts available from wrecking yards. Several years later, the dealership moved to the edge of town for more room and the building was sold. It was about the same time, I found out that the same dealership had sold one of the 57 Z11 Impalas built (430 horse 427 with an aluminum front sheet metal) and later had to repair it due to a towing mishap. I was working construction by that time, and by coincidence my boss got a contract for some school renovation. My first day on the job, I made sure to go view the dealership from the fourth floor. The clip was gone. I knew most of the parts department guys by that time and nobody even knew that it was up there. Where did it go?
The Jalopy Journal
