Still good folks out there? Here's proof!!!!

I put an add on Fordbarn that I was looking for a model A firetruck dash rail for my roadster. A hard part to find. Guy emails me and says he has one, " I'll send it to you, and if it looks like what you need send me the money, if not send it back..."

He did and I did.

 

What he said!!!

 

This kind of stuff happens all the time out in rural USA....and the HAMB too. It almost makes me want to tell these overly-trusting guys to be careful, someone is going to take advantage of it and rip them off. Oh well, it's sure nice to see.

 

Aaaaaawww.... That's sooo sweet.

Almost makes me feel guilty for being such an ass-hole.








Naaah. I like being an ass.

 

Mr Harland sounds like a cool cat. It sounds like his fuel of passion is Hot-Rodding and his qualities are high. You shoud feel fortunate to have met such a cool dude. I hope he is a H.A.M.B.er>>>>.

 

if i make someone make me an offer, i usually try to beat them down in price too... and i give one hell of a cheap design service... all thanks to a good friend that once helped me out when i needed it.

 

I sold a basket case but complete (pan to air cleaner, exhaust, fan blade to flywheel) Chevy 409 / 380 hp engine to a guy. I even delivered it myself because it was local to me.

I was disheartened when he began dropping the price by $1000 after I arrived. He kept going lower and lower. We had agreed on the price by phone before I had loaded it all up and drove over to deliver it. That stuff was heavy, even for a guy my age.

So, I closed my tailgate, getting ready to back out of the deal as he began looking through one last box. He asked what was all that junk? That's every nut, bolt, bracket and mount needed to put it back together and install it in the car (his 62).

I suspect he realized these were the 'real' hard to find items in any restoration, cause he changed his tune and paid the price we agreed to when we sealed the deal.

I was glad to see the engine go to a nice 62 rather to sit on an engine stand (which is what another buyer had it planned for).

I had decided to not deal this way anymore, but this thread has changed my attitude. There are good guys out there.

 

Yea, you can't let the occasional jerk, liar or deal breaker get to you. I had a guy come drive my 37 ford slantback and negotiate a price. I took off work to transfer the car, and he called and said he changed his mind. I told him Look, i've spent several days dealing with you, and skipped work to handle this, get over here and get this car, and bring a certified check.

He did too !...

 

I live in KC. in 2000 I made a deal (sight unseen) to trade cars with a guy in Sedalia.

I took off in my car, headed to his house, south of Sedalia. I was almost there when I realized my bonehead forgot the title to my car!!

I got there, explained it to him, and we made a deal. He didn't know me from anyone!

I took his car, and his title, back home with me....

I got home, went to the post office and next-day-aired my signed title to him.

He called me the next day and thanked me after he got it.....

8 years later he calls me once in a while to ask me about parts!

Ax
KC

 

There are a lot of great people out there. We'd be surprised at just how many there are. I've had many people off to get my car back on the road but I'm a proud so and so and figure once I can get my health a little bit better I can handle it.
That's one thing you find about car guys/gals, they usually are there for one another. Of course I'm talking about real car guys/gals. I guess you could call it a kindred spirit. The being there for a fellow hobbyist is worth more then the money for the part. We're all in the same game.
Yes, I know, there is the dark side with the shysters, con artists and BS artists.

 

the ole dude is a great example of a true hot rodder , wish there were more like him out there

 

Ditto. The people like that are what makes this hobby great! Unfortunatly, there are a$$holes in every group.

 

OK, here’s another good egg story that happened about three weeks ago. I thought I had fixed a stalling problem I was having with the flathead in the Model A. Turns out I hadn’t.

So there I am, dead in the middle of a three-lane highway about 20 miles from home. With @$$holes flying by at 70 mph and flipping me the power finger, a young fella pulls up behind me in his Dodge pickup and asks if I need a push. The hotrod had gotten mighty heavy on that slight grade in the road, and I’m figuring he’s going to get me off to the shoulder. Well, he comes up on my rear push bar and smiles, and starts to pick up speed. Next thing I know, he’s pushing me down the interstate at 55 mph!

I about messed my drawers when we passed a cop. Don't know if he didn’t catch on to what we were doing or didn’t feel like hauling the two of us in the slammer. We ran into another one about 2 miles from the house. The kid eases on his brakes so we get some distance between us, and I coast up to the red light. The cop in the left turn lane just looks over at the car and nods Sweating bullets, I nod back. Jeezuz, at 47 I should have more sense than pulling a stunt like this.

So we get to the house and I try to give him a Coke or some money or something. He says he was just happy to help. I let him steer the hotrod and pushed it into the garage. We bullshit for about ten minutes and I finally got him to take a twenty as he hoppd in his truck to leave. You know, I never even got his name...

 

Subtitle: Young guy has seen the light and been shown the way.

I'm still amazed at this one. I was looking for an R10 OD so I posted it on my site. I get an email from a guy in Mass. who tells me to call a guy in TX. about one out of a 53 Plymouth. I call him up and he says he has a rebuilt one, but I'd need to find all the other parts. I said that's o.k. as I figure I have plenty of time to find the stuff and the OD would be a good first step. He sends me some photos. One of the OD I'm looking for and one pic of the cable, kickdown and relay. Called back to say we have a deal. He asks if I saw the other pic. I said yep, that's all the stuff I'll need to find. That will be good as a reference in the search. He then says, I'll sell all that to you for an extra $125. SOLD!!!!

I have a complete OD now after just a 1 week search thanks to two guys twice my age that I've never met. I still email the guy in Texas just to talk cars and ask questions. I told him that I was surprised that he sold all of that stuff to me and wasn't expecting such a deal. Here's what he said:

I actually need a relay myself now that I set you up. I'm not going to be able to get on that project until next year and by then I'm sure I will have what I need.....God always gives me what I need, when I need it and I have had more than I needed for quite some time. So glad your project is coming in to place for you and it must feel good to have people excited for you. If I can help with anything...just let me know...

Now that's cool old guy stuff right there!

So to John in TX, Thanks again for the tranny!
Gerry in Mass, thanks for the lead and cheers!

 

That's because there are some damn good, honest people left in the midwest. Sure I was born and raised here, but I've lived all over the US after I graduated from college, and I came back because of the people.

 

Ok, I've got one for you. This one goes back a good 20 years ago. My mom and dad were moving down to Ga. from Long Island. We were meeting for dinner at a nice restaurant. We decided to take the 40 Ford coupe. About half way there on a 4 lane divided highway my electric fuel pump decides to take a dump.

I'm laying under the running board checking the electrical connections and banging it with a wrench. Then I hear some guy say, you need some help? I turn my head and see these gray dress shoes and think, what's this joker going to do for me? So I say, sarcastically of course, Only if you have an extra electric fuel pump with you.
He replies with, Not on me but I do have one at home. But, you are going to have to take it off because my wife and I have a dinner date and we haven't got much time.

I slide out from under the car and sitting on my ass, while cars are buzzing by us and I look up and say, You're kidding me right? The guy says, Nope. Just replace it when you can. He takes me over to his place and he's got three cars in his garage. His Deuce, a 39 Ford sedan with the fuel pump and another car which I can't recall.
I grabbed a creeper and slid under the car and removed the pump.
He drives me back to the car and says, Just replace it when you can, Ok? So I said, Done.
Now that's a true Rodder. I bought a brand new pump and kept the one I took off of the 39 Ford which was like new anyway. Fellow's name was Joe from the Vintage Tin CC of Long Island. His last name is on the tip of mt tongue.

 

Frank Swygert, from the AMC-list site and here also, has talked me through a lot of problems with my Rambler wagon. Unprovoked, the guy is sending me a replacement piston for my latest problem. Said he's been saving it for someone in my situation. So add one more to the real car-guy list. Glad that there are still super-cool people out there, although vastly outnumbered.

 

Now it's our turn to step up to the plate and become the "older guys with values".

I think this might be a 52.

 

A good word and good craftsmanship goes a long way. Add honesty to that....wait that would be just like the old days.

 

It's not just the "old guys". I recently bought something from Zach Suhr.It was such a great experience, dealing with someone,who deals in such a personal, honest fashion."Traditional Values,never get old".