Six in the past, two now. <HR style="COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->My TriFive story I only wish I could have kept that 57 convertible............... In 1966 we moved to downtown Columbus Ohio from Ft Wayne Indiana, I was in 3rd grade. My friends and I would play in whatever cars were sitting in alleys or driveways, I remember one was a two-tone 1956 Chevy. We had car models and Hot Wheels and were generally little car nuts. My stepdad later got a job at a junkyard, I remember walking though the yard, looking through cars. He also brought home some neat cars back than, a 1955 Cadillac 4 door and a 1965 Thunderbird convertible. He was always working on cars and taught me a lot. The first Tri-five Chevy I remember my family having was a maroon 1955 4 door sedan when I was in 8th grade, living in Avilla, Indiana, around 1971. I think it was a Bel Air, I remember the Chevy emblems on the dash. It got passed down to my older brother Kip, he ended up painting it fire red with black tube bumpers. At the same time my older brother Dale had a emerald green metallic 1957 Bel Air, also a four door but it seems like it was a hardtop, I remember thinking it didnt look like a typical four door. Chevies were always my favorite, although I liked all kind of cars. The first Trifive I got, around 1989, was a 55 hardtop I got for $350, a roller with no engine. It was flat black, but had an unusual paint scheme from the factory, Neptune green over India Ivory. It sat in storage for a while, until one day I ran across a 1957 Chevy convertible in the local sale paper for $1000, what a deal. I would get the paper the first thing Thursday morning when it came out, on my way to work, I got lucky and was the first one to call, called in late to work and drove 30 miles to check it out. It had been a drag car, the rear end was even welded to the frame with a piece of angle iron, pretty rusty but complete. I offered $900, not wanting to seem too anxious, as well as that sounds better to a wife than $1000, and he took it. Another lucky break, I had a blank check in my wallet, and paid on the spot. I turned around and sold the 55 to a buddy and started collecting parts. I bought a wrecked 1957 sedan and stripped it for parts, I remember selling the hulk to a guy with a 55 Nomad, he ended up selling the Nomad for $1500, oh the good old days. I also bought just to re-sell a 1956 Bel Air 2 dr ht, plum and ivory, someone had blown and pulled the power pac engine, it also had factory power seat and windows, as well as a padded dash. I didnt have a garage, the 57 was in a neighbor ladys garage, and I had added on to my house for kids rooms. Needing carpet and other materials, I put the 57 up for sale after a couple years, telling my wife I was going to use some money for another hobby car. It only took a few days even at $9500 asking price, a guy was coming from Kentucky and another guy that had looked before got there first and took it. I almost ended up with another Tri-five, I was in Minneapolis and looked at a few, one being a nice Neptune green 55 4 dr 210 6cyl stick for $3000, but somehow ended up with a Sunbeam Alpine, I drove back to Indiana from Minneapolis. Several cars later, I did pick up another 55 hardtop, actually having it painted, swapping an engine, and installing an interior for a decent driver. I ended up getting $8500 for it when I sold it, turned around and bought a Porsche 911. (I told you I like all kind of cars) So now, several cars and years later, I picked up a 1956 4 door hardtop to tinker with, then ran across a 57 4 door hardtop, in a little rougher shape. Somehow I ended up with no garage again, a boat project, a motor home project, and a 1970 Chevy truck project. You ever watch that TV show about Hoarders? Almost me, but I dont have a problem getting rid of stuff if I have to. I do seem to have a problem getting energized in my older age, especially when its hot as blazes outside all time, looking forward to summer being over here in the Florida panhandle. I'm back to collecting 56 parts, and I think I'll hang on to that 57. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
NO ... not really It is just that almost everyone here suffers from the same diease and has let a lot of good stuff slip thru their hands. My pre 1960 ... listing only licensed and insured drivers 3 55 Chevrolets. 1 55 Chevrolet Cameo 1959 Chevrolet 4 or 5 56 Ford F-100's ( all of them but one were big windows ) 1940 Ford coupe 1948 Ford F-1 A couple of 32 Fords Thankfully I have managed to keep two of the last 32 Fords
How come I couldn`t find those deals in the late 80`s when I was in H/S. The only stuff around here was rusty and big $$. I did pick up a nice 55 210 4dr, 265/glide for $3000 in 1990. I had a 55 2dr post that I paid $1500 for in 90 or 91, should`ve kept it, for all the $$$ I spent since then.
There weren't many deals around here either 1978 or so. In fact as kid at 18 I had managed to save $$. Wanted to buy a nice 55 hardtop from a dealer for 4k. His personal car I guess. When I came back to deal it wasn't for sale. Guess he didn't want to sell it to a kid. The car I bought instead I just sold this past June.
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