How much should I offer for it?

I'd be careful with that one too....what if he needs 10 grand to finish the Impala?

 

If your smart, ask him if you can spend a SATURDAY HELPING him put his stuff in order so you can get a better look at it. If you do a good job organizing his mess, It will put you on his good side, when you get around to talking $$$.

Buflochp

 

My neighbor's '31 model A sitting in a garage since the late '60s sold for about $5400 at auction a few months ago. The car was complete, unrestored, and uncut but far from a showcar.

 

He probably saw in the past Barrett Jackson Auction and thinks it is worth $ 25,K because it's not finished and it would be $ 70, K finished .LOL . That is what sucks about people selling cars that saw ridiculous $ spent on the TV auctions. With the economy like it is these days even our old cars in reality don't sell for shit. like others said on here let him say $ first to see what he wants before you waist your time . Ask if it has a title. Its a pain in the ass registering without one.

 

HillBilly, good luck.

 

Heres a little update on this car. I've run into this gentleman numerous times throughout the summer. We are now on a first name basis, and he's met my family. Another thing that helped out was running into him at a "kids fun fair" his church was hosting. So now I must appear to be an upstanding citizen HAHA

I went over there on Tuesday in hopes of finding a Powerglide tranny for the motor swap I'm doing in my Desoto. No such luck on the tranny. I stayed and BS'ed with him for a bit then he had to leave for a church function. His son was there so I hung out with him for a bit, talked cars. He showed me his '70 Impala that he is building(he's really going all out, he had the frame galvanized) Finally it got to the point when I just couldn't keep it in anymore. "What the hell are you going to do with that hotrod?"

This is where it got good.... he says "Nothing! Its his! Yeah he gave it to me, but that was when I was like 9 years old. Then he took it back when he realized I'd have killed myself in it." I guess when he was growing up street racing was huge around here, and thats what he wanted to build this car for. He went on to tell me that he would really like to see the car put back together and out on the street. He also said that he wants me to get on his fathers case about doing something with it. He even went as far as to tell me to make a deal with his father.

This is where it got a little complex. "Make a deal with my father where you build the car for him, then have him will it to you when he's done with it." At first this sounded like a sweet deal, I'd supply the labor, they provide the parts. Then I got to thinking about this, what happens if the car gets destroyed? Stolen? or the family protests the will?

Any thoughts?

 

Advice anyone? I really want to go over and get the ball rolling for a winter project, but...

 

Ding!


bound to happen. Death unfortunately plants the seed of greed in most situations.

 

full ownership of the car or nothing. what if he lives for another 20 years? doesnt leave it in a garage? too many variables IMHO

 

Sounds like your getting played, one says the others owns it and the one who decides to sell it or not and the other guy says the same thing ... make a fair offer and if BOTH dont accept then look somewhere else ..... otherwise they are wasting your time.

 

Build the friendship and keep bugging him to sell it to you.

 

Maybe slip into conversation prices you have seen other similar cars go for.

 

Be careful.

I lowballed a guy that wanted $450 for a 29 chev truck in pieces(body/frame). It was all apart,roof upside down full of snow,etc in Mich.
I offered $250 saying I had to rent a trailer,pull it back to Fla.He said he'd think about it and mentioned it to a relative who said he always wanted to fix up an old truck!!!Goodby truck for me!!!

Also in your case....get good paper work with that shaky family....no deal on fixing up and willing it to you,only a sale.

 

I wish I could find these parts for these prices!!!!!

 

I would walk away from this deal sounds fishy

 

Run Forest Run.

Otherwise you fix the car up & after the old guy dies, they will want retail for it - including retail on your work. People go funny when theres a body, a will and anything of value.

 

Good way to piss him off and never get a shot at buying it. I moved into a new (well old pos) house and my neighbors friend saw a model a tudor that I had. He asked my wife if it was for sale. She told him that I paid 2k for it and she didnt think I wanted to sell it, but she would ask. He tells her "I'll give him $1000 for it". She tells me, my response was "screw that asshat".

We get done moving, and I list a different car online for sale. He calls and leaves a messege. I recognise his number off his card. I never bothered to return his several cars because I know he is a waste of time, even though I never met the guy.

 

Hmm, sounds like 99% chance you would come up short on the deal, even if their intentions are honest. Too much risk.
Years ago a co worker had a motorcycle I was interested in but it did not run. He would not name a price, just "get it running and then we will talk price". I walked.

 

Forget the "deal". The next door neighbor's Model A -'31 also- was a similar situation. Dad shows me the car 25 + years ago. Will not sell, says it is the son's. Son shows up year or two later driving a '49 Ford, says he drove the A in high school but it belongs to the dad. I tell them both I'm interested. Eventually the Son dies, Father dies, sister has the Model A pulled out of the garage after forty years then sells Model A at auction for highest bid...end of story.

Good Luck but don't hold your breath while waiting for them to sell

 

If it has paint on it and would clean up with minimal fuss, $3000 sounds low. Wampsville in 2009 or 2010 the one guy who always has Model A stuff had a roller coupe shell on an A chassis and got $3200 - it sold there on the spot. On the other hand, same show the next year another guy bought a '36 3-window coupe shell on a crappy frame, an old stock car, for $600 - and after someone else backed out. What he got's worth about $4500 all day long.

As to the actual value, again it depends what it looks like. You can replace the entire floor in it for around $750, less if you just buy the repop subrails.

Was it me I'd push them for a number, or offer what I was comfortable spending on it and see what happens - the worst they'll do is say no. If they want a crazy number then you know it's not really for sale. And if they come up with a number that's cheaper than you thought, then jump right on it (without seeming -too- eager) and have yourself a nice rod. Or something with some flip potential in it.

 

upon getting a better look at it, its not in as good of condition as I originally thought. Don't get my wrong, for a car of this vintage in upstate NY its friggin gold. I noticed some rot near the drip rails, and the chopped grill is in sad shape. Covered in surface rust. So it has a few issues, but a real walk in the park for any old school HAMBer thats willing.

Honestly, if the day ever came that this car ended up in my possession I doubt I'd sell it off. It would be on my list of keepers. I mean what are the chances of finding another "real" '50s hotrod in my reach?

 

Since you are on speaking terms with this guy-Offer to buy the car and allow him to help or be involved in some way with the restoration. You will get a history lesson and he will have the joy of seeing his old car back on the street with someone who cares about it.

 

I wouldn't touch that "will" idea with a ten foot pole. Looks like they want someone to do the work and they get the enjoyment. Bad idea. I also wouldn't buy a "Shit Filled Twinkie". I'd drag that car out and inspect it before I'd even think of making an offer.

 

I would say you're doing the right things, show interest in the car, it sounds like father and son would both like to see it on the road again. If they trust you and believe you are capable, they will probably make a clean sale to you.

I think doing anything prior to a clean sale would be trouble. I helped a friend with his car and once it was running he thought he had a goldmine, it still sits 3 years later.

Good luck

 

So i ran into the son today at Advance. We talked for about a half hour in the parking lot. His father's house burnt down in January. It's real sad, the guy was a life long collector of things, at 84 years old you can imagine he acquired a lot of stuff. Its all gone. There old man is now living in a duplex some where.

The son owns the property and doesn't know what he wants to do with it yet.

After a while of shootin the shit he asks "you still want that coupe? I'm never gonna do anything with it. " Ofcourse i said "hell yeah i still want that car!" I told him how I've been building it in my head for years, and how i want to bring it back to how it was originally built.

I said "how would you even get that thing out of the barn?" If you saw how this thing was stuffed in there you'd think they built the barn around the car. He said you just take the door off the barn and roll it out. Funny, cuz i remember a literal wall of shelving full of crap between the car and any thing resembling a door...

I didn't press him to hard, the family is going through a hard patch now with the loss of the house and all. But it looks like there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Funny thing is I've been looking for another project the last few days..

 

There's nothing like the smell of money when it comes to settling an estate. Bend over and grab your ankles. Sand and Vaseline not provided.

 

Sounds like your still in limbo until he prices the car.

 

Has this soap opera really lasted eight years?

 

Something is worth whatever someone will pay. I think your real question is "How much should I pay?" Offer as much as you won't mind spending.

 

..............For real!