OK ya know I can read this stuff and I know your talkin' about me, but my stuffs not rotting.. cuz its very dry here in central Ca. Yeah, I'm one of those 'fix it up someday' guys. Its my motivation to keep this old body goin'. Had 40 cars a few years ago, down to 38 now. You cant have my COE but I was recently thinking about selling one of my Divcos.... but not yet. Maybe I'll....
I work with a guy that has a 67 Triumph motorsickle in a shed behind his house. It was wrecked many years ago, but it's all there. Apparently, it just needs new forks and a little work done on the frame. That's what he says. I'm sure the engine is seized and it's a rusted hulk, because he doesn't take care of anything he owns. Now this guy is terrible with money. He is in WAY over his head, financially. I've asked his about the bike several times, but he won't come off it. He keeps saying he's going to fix it up someday. It's been 10 years that I've known him that he's been saying this. I know this guy well enough to know he's never going to do a thing with it. Granted, it's his bike and he's free to do (or not do) whatever he chooses with it, but it's just a damn shame to see this happen to vintage iron.
Before I got my Sport Fury,I chased-unsuccessfully-a '64 Savoy. Set up for racing(had a rollbar) and was VERY solid,having sat for many years. Was still streetable;hadn't had legal equipment removed. Left my number,spoke to people,and never got a response from those folks. Heard the same line: "Gonna fix it up someday...". Probably should have displayed some Benjamins,but I told them that I had $$ and seriously wanted to purchase the Plymouth. Bummer;their car would have had a good home. As far as I know,the Savoy is still sitting,and I'm happily committed to my current ride.
I have my comeback to the ones who say they plan to restore something---Here's my card(with phone number). When you're ready, call me and we'll discuss when I can get started on it and a total price. I require only $10,000 up frt and when that's used up, I'll tell you how much we need to go to the next step. After the body and chassis are ready, we'll need about 7500 to 20,000 for a good engine. I love see the faces then as I'm leaving. It's funny as home videos on tv.
In high school I worked in a Standard Chevron Station. A fella, a couple years older than me, would come in every once in a while to see family he had in the area. He drove a 56 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery, with a dual quad 225 HP 265, and a Hydro trans he had built and installed. It was a "street" Junior Stocker. That's where my love for these cars started. The guy was drafted, sent to Viet Nam, and died there. I learned of his death from the family, and where the car was. It was at his fathers' house on Beacon Hill in Seattle, inside a one car garage on an alley. The garage was covered on the sides with roofing type material, had a sagging roof, had no electricity to it, and looked like it could fall down in a good wind storm. I would check as often as I could on the car, the father would'nt sell for obvious reasons. I was always sure to leave my phone number, would make him offers, send X-mas cards, and I'm sure he thought I was a nuisance. One summer day I stopped on my way home from the drags. Neighborhood kids playing with matches/fire had burned the garage down. All that was left was scorch marks on the concrete slab, everything had been hauled away, including the car. I'm sure the power train might have been usable/rebuildable. The father had no insurance on his house/garage since he had "paid off the mortgage" many years earlier. We were both just sick, for different reasons. That's been over 43 years ago, and I've always looked for the right car to build, I've had three 56 Chevrolet Sedan Deliveries, a 57 Delivery, and many other tri-five cars; none come close however. That car was only 14 years old at the time, and had been well taken care of. Most 55 year old cars today don't even come close. I still have two 56 Deliveries, and no they are'nt for sale, "going to fix them up one day" (one is a complete running, driving, high dollar car, and already "fixed up"). I like to think that eventually, the father would have sold me the car. I might have told this story once before on the HAMB, and I probably won't tell it again. There are lots of reasons people hang onto their cars, and junk........it is part of them, a memory, a symbol of something, no matter what it looks like. Butch/56sedandelivery.
In high school I worked in a Standard Chevron Station. A fella, a couple years older than me, would come in every once in a while to see family he had in the area. He drove a 56 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery, with a dual quad 225 HP 265, and a Hydro trans he had built and installed. It was a "street" Junior Stocker. That's where my love for these cars started. The guy was drafted, sent to Viet Nam, and died there. I learned of his death from the family, and where the car was. It was at his fathers' house on Beacon Hill in Seattle, inside a one car garage on an alley. The garage was covered on the sides with roofing type material, had a sagging roof, had no electricity to it, and looked like it could fall down in a good wind storm. I would check as often as I could on the car, the father would'nt sell for obvious reasons. I was always sure to leave my phone number, would make him offers, send X-mas cards, and I'm sure he thought I was a nuisance. One summer day I stopped on my way home from the drags. Neighborhood kids playing with matches/fire had burned the garage down. All that was left was scorch marks on the concrete slab, everything had been hauled away, including the car. I'm sure the power train might have been usable/rebuildable. The father had no insurance on his house/garage, since he had "paid off the mortgage" many years earlier. We were both just sick, for different reasons. That's been over 43 years ago, and I've always looked for the right car to build, I've had three 56 Chevrolet Sedan Deliveries, a 57 Delivery, and many other tri-five cars; none come close however. That car was only 14 years old at the time, and had been well taken care of. Most 55 year old cars today don't even come close. I still have two 56 Deliveries, and no they are'nt for sale, "going to fix them up one day" (one is a complete running, driving, high dollar car, and already "fixed up"). I like to think that eventually, the father would have sold me the car. I might have told this story once before on the HAMB, and I probably won't tell it again. There are lots of reasons people hang onto their cars, and junk........it is part of them, a memory, a symbol of something, no matter what it looks like. Butch/56sedandelivery. OOPS! double post.
My dad used to say it all the time about his HD shovel head. I knew if he kept that mentality it would never happen so decided to motivate him by restoring it myself. It was a great moment. The phrase I will fix it up someday only means that you don't have enough money to do it or your not going to do a damn thing about it. Let's be honest. If you really want something you do it. You don't put it on the back burner unless you financially can't and it's just there as a reminder and motivation to actually do it. Just my 2 cents. Man after reading that I confused myself....uhhh...don't think just do. There you happy.!
Exactly... That goes for pretty much everything you buy. It's always good to do something though even cleaning it can inspire you do something else and that something else turns into another thing... In no time you are actually doing something productive and not even realizing it.
I'll get to it eventually. That's what I always say anyway. Ah hell I already posted on this thread. But I told a fella just last weekend who happened into my garage up north uninvited about my '38. "I'll get to it eventually" followed by, "Who are you, and why are you in my shop?" See I am not just an ass on line, you guys really get the toned down version.
I don't think we had another "gonna fix it up someday" post scheduled for this week. please repost next week.
I'll sell anything.. but I usually trade. But I always trade down for some reason. I suck at this car thing..
A fellow in town talked with a heavy nasal twang and when asked about a model A coupe in his garage he says"don`t think I`ll sell it ,gonna put a Corvette engine in it someday.Which buy the way never happened.
This thread irritates the hell out of me! ..I have heard that a hundred times! But I have made some scores though!
The worst one I ever heard was its my storage shed to which I replied I'll build you a nice 8 by 10 she and pay for the shed and the car to which I was told no thanks!
Lots of conversations I have about projects ends up with folks telling me I don't have enough time left to finish them all. I usually end up shrugging my shoulders and telling them they can come to my funeral, kick dirt on my coffin and say "See, you didn't make it". Larry T
But I am going to get to is some day. I am slower than the advent OK? I think that it is good for the everything is for sale and you don't move fast enough crowd to know that everything is not for sale and some of us are just never going to move fast enough to suite them.
This car showed up in front of a pawn shop in my home town in Florida my junior year of high school. I offered the guy a couple of thousand for it my junior year and a few more my senior year. Both time 'no no no... I'm going to fix it up.' When I came home after basic training I offered to buy it again, and again after I came home from my deployment and Korea. Last summer was my ten year reunion and guess what is still sitting there after 12 years, untouched.
Your world will turn a lot easier,when you learn to get over it. When a person owns something,that means it's theirs..... They can do whatever THEY want to with it.
Used to hear "I saw one in Hemmings for sale for $$$$" Now I hear '" Saw one sell at Barret-Jackson auction for $$$$$" My reply has stayed the same though. "Were they using it as a chicken coop?"
I totally agree but it's also sad sometimes. I know an old guy who has a '65 Ford pickup, I think he owned it since new. Lots of guys have tried to buy it but he says "not yet", but he can't drive anymore and his wife has to drive him around.
Holley shit. Most of you guys are talkin about me and ya don't even know me. My favorite cars are a Model A coupe and a 1940 Ford coupe. Traded the Model A for a Model T. Still have the 1939 Ford coupe I bought around 1975. Looks almost like a 40 but with factory air. Wrote this a hundred times already in here someplace. The 39 Ford with a 283 Chevy and 55-57 radiator got a little hot on the way home from work around 1976 (?) When it cooled down I started it and drove it into the garage. Heard a "ping" and the top tank broke. "I'll fix it someday." It's been started once, June 1994 to load it on a trailer to move from Illinois to Florida. Still gonna fix it someday! (?) And I've got several others on my signature thingie waiting for "someday." May never get any of them finished. But whenever I offer to part with one, which I really don't wanna do, I get so pissed off by the offers. I know they aren't perfect or worth a million dollars. But I do sort of know what they are worth. So I'm taking them with me when I go. There's a large gold plated garage in heaven and a bunch of topless angels who are gonna help me finish them someday! May not make much sense. But like some wrote, I can still dream and they are mine!
When somebody says "I'm going to fix it someday," it doesn't always mean no deal. It just means they've got a lot of emotional equity in the thing, and you've got your work cut out convincing them you're the right guy to take over their dream. The speedster in my avatar was covered in weeds when I found it. Tracked down the property owner and he told me it belonged to his brother, who bought it in '69 and a string of guys had asked about it since. I get in touch with the brother and sure enough, "I'm going to fix it someday." I spent months talking to the guy: who'd you buy it from? What were your plans? Eventually, he decides to let it go (after I offered visitation rights). Be respectful, and good things can happen.
Yup been there on some myself. But I also had a young man stop in recently and he wanted to know if I would like to get rid of my old junk.I niceily told him IT'S NOT JUNK! I'M GOING FIX IT OR US THE PARTS. Point being it there 's to do with as they wish. Maybe you'll get luck at some point and get the prize and maybe no.
The Jalopy Journal
