Art & Inspiration Don't Be Afraid to Stop and Ask

Thought I'd post my run of good luck. I was running home yesterday after getting off work paying my insurance. I was feeling pretty good. Decent day, clear weather. Just warm enough to crack the vent window on the pickup. I've drove by this old service station time and time again almost always some interesting old tin out front. Always wanted to stop and talk to the guy but I've always had really bad anxiety. Bad enough to manifest physical symptoms. Some of you guys may be able to relate. Recently he's been stripping some "Advance Design" Chevy trucks. Think he's had quite a few different older cars he's built. But he's had an F-1 the last couple months. Oh I've lusted after that hulk. Anyhow yesterday something just hit me as I drove by and I was turning around without even thinking about it. I cruise on in. Try to be respectful. Decide to ask permission before just intruding. TV is on. Hear noise inside. Look. Don't see anyone. Decide to step into what would have been the lobby back when. Nobody. Dang. Maybe he went to the latrine? Stand there for a few minutes. Can't speak. Afraid of being ran off at gun point, it is Kentucky after all. After a few a neighbor comes by and I manage to start my "Hello, I'm...." greeting and we got to talking. Shows me the F-1 the guy built. I guess it'd probably fit best in the street rod category but it's all very well done and not 1-800 parts. He's done the work himself. I'm not usually into IFS or anything but I dig that one. Anyway I ask about leaving a note, neighbor takes me inside and shows me where he checks notes and what not. I leave note. Go home sleep. Turns out he's called me back twice while I was asleep. Night shift sucks! I call back and get voicemail. Leave a message explaining I work nights at a local factory and I'll try in the morning (for normal people). All I'm thinking about my whole shift that night/morning is Ford parts. Head home and give the guy a call. He answers! Says come look at the truck and we'll see what we can do. I make myself some dinner right quick and head back to town. Meet him at his shop and we check out all the stuff I could use for my T project. Shock mounts, brakes, original wheels.we talk some more and remembered my family. We used to own 60 acres next to him. He actually somehow managed to straighten the axle on our Ford 601 with a hot wrench after my grandfather let it roll down a gulley into a mature cedar tree. Still holding and one of my current neighbors' father restored the tractor and his son takes it to shows after the father passed away. Anyway, he has plenty of spares he is willing to get rid of and will let me know when he gathers them all up. He wants to keep the complete truck complete and find some of the extra parts he has stored, can't blame him. So I'll be waiting for the phone in the mean time. Now to head to sleep. Hopefully I can inspire someone else to get the courage and make a new acquaintance and if you're lucky, find parts you've been wanting.

 

I know your pain, never that bad but I'm sure I missed out on a lot of opportunities because of it. I've been taking the back roads home looking for a parts car, and I quite mustered up enough courage, or cash in hand, to knock on somebodies door.

 

Don't be afraid. I have knocked on many a door, and made many good friends and connections, not to mention the cars i have hauled home. Just don't walk past the front door or public entrance, and announce yourself, and leave when told.

 

Everyone feels fear, they are lying if they deny it. It is an normal as hunger or lust. We are just programmed to respond to it differently. I train a lot of sales people and this is the area that most struggle with. Just remember the elation you felt after your visit and learn to crave that emotion. You will end up climbing fences soon to feel it again. I hope you have room for the cars you will bring home.

 

Glad to hear you worked thru it and may be into a good project.

Ive not had an issue stopping and asking, agree with park at the end of the drive, Walk up, go to the first door. Only had a gun pulled on me once.
Actually making a deal or having somewhere to put the stuff is what usually eludes me.

 

I wanted to ask about a car once. Nobody would ever come to the door when I knocked. Knew it was an older couple (turned out older widow). I wound up sending a letter. She answered that in just a few days and seemed delighted to correspond. Car wasn't for sale though... But letters still work if you're shy...or they are.

 

How are you gonna know unless you ask?

 

I don't have a problem with people stopping and talking if they see my rides. Hell, I enjoy
it. Then again, I've had a few pains-in-the-butt come by when I've had parts for sale. Just
the luck of the draw, I guess.

If I see an interesting car in a driveway I'm immediately drawn to it. I've gotten over my
reluctance to stop and try to talk to the owner because I want to take photos. I can't think
of one time when I was asked to leave or treated like an intruder. Most times, a good
conversation is started (much to my wife's dismay). These are just a few of the rides I've
run across and have gotten the rundown on:

 

I appreciate your courage to tell your story, thank you.

 

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones, I always stop and ask, more often than not it ends in a win.
Good for you for gathering the courage to stop. Hopefully you do it again!

 

hell i get nervous even when i've already agreed to look at a car and talked to the seller on the phone.

 

I'll have to ask if I can take some pictures when he calls me and says I can pick up the stuff. If anyone in ky needs some AD Chevy stuff, he's got several cabs and frames but he might be boxing the frames and using them on his own trucks. Both grandfathers used to get gas there and my mother's parents rented an apartment on the hill in front of the station for about a year around the time my mom was born and my dad's parents lived on my great-great-uncle's farm beside it. Funny how after all those years my parents got together. Felt good to be there. Great-great-uncle bought the farm in about '48 after getting back from the war and saving up some. Sold it around 2000 and built the house my parents live in now.

 

I've known/seen this chevy pickup for 4 yrs , I saw a 'To Let' sign on the gate and left a message to call if there was no where to store it at the new address , I got the call a couple of months later , happily he accepted my offer .
By all means , go and ask . Polite approach is rarely turned away.

 

What's the deal with that Mercury wearing Chevy Rallye wheels?

 

Keep with it, sounds like a good person to know. Car guys have a common bond in iron, and networking about car parts is definately traditional. Everyone knows another guy that has stuff to trade or knows how to do things we dont.

I have 2 of those trucks located local to me, pretty rough though. I stop by and talk to the guy for a few minutes about the trucks every so often. Never talked price, I dont have anywhere to put them. Hes a good dude, just got sidetracked. Each time I stop, he does a little something within the next few weeks.

 

Don't forget to "Spread the Gospel of Traditional Hot Rods and Customs" when you spend time in conversation with a fellow car guy who may not be aware of the HAMB/Jalopy Journal.

 

If Guy's never asked, none of us would be here and the human race would be a sliver of what it is.

When I started to become interested in Girls, my Dad used to tell me "it doesn't cost anything to ask" and you'll probably find out she's as bored as you are on Saturday nights. If you get turned down initially, make a new friend and keep your foot in the door. If she thinks you're a good Joe, she may fix you up with one of her friends. He said if you're polite and transparent and genuine with people you meet it'll go a lot further than coming across as a bullshitter.

Same goes with cars. Be polite and ask. Pay an honest compliment on the car. At least make a new acquaintance. He may have parts you can use and likely knows of other cars for sale or other car guys that you don't know about.

 

Missed out on 57 2dr. hardtop.
Saw it, figured no need to ask. I was short of cash at the time so no need.
A month later this kid is painting the fire station for community service. I had driven my 67 170 6cyl Mustang to work. That car was the biggest POS I have ever owned.
This kid tells me he is in love with my Mustang....I had a car I would have traded you for that Stang!
Let me guess....a 57 Bel Air?
Yep....it had the six and column shift so it was not worth much.
You sell it?
Yep.....for 1200 bucks.
Was it rusted ?
Just a little around the back window.....no holes....floors and rockers were good..even the seats were good. It ran good too.

 

I sort of thought the same thing. I figure they are aftermarket universal units. Looks good
to me, though.

 

On a delivery run once in the Columbia SC area I passed a guy's yard and it was full of Ford Model A's.... made a mental note to stop by on the way back from my drop and spent a couple of hours being shown quite a collection of cool old iron, and even got my pitcha taken sitting in a RHD Argentine phaeton. Been quite some time and I sincerely doubt I could find that guy's place again, but he was damn cool to talk to and didn't mind the company.

 

OT but relevant, I dont go to many car shows, my wife suggested we attend a local show. I got to talking with a guy about a shoebox Ford that had a ton of custom work, he was showing all the changes and after a bit we were cracking up laughing over some story he was telling.

My wife asked how long Id known the guy.... about 30 minutes. This thoroughly confused her.

Got his number, has a local company not car related and a shop in the back where he does cars. Need to call him.

 

I was in the debate club in high school. In college I majored in a field of study that required lots of stand up presentations in front of lots of people. I learned real fast and have really never been afraid to ask. All of these were acquired because I stopped and asked. I have never had a gun pointed at me and have only been run off once.

 

Sounds like my wife. We went to a car show together this past summer, and she was chatting it up with some old guy about his car, next thing you know she's talking about cars like she's the one building my car.

 

Only once did I not stop and ask about old iron.Was out in the toolies driving around looking for stuff and spied a place sitting a ways off the gravel road and there must have been over a dozen 40's-50's cars sitting around in the trees of a old farmstead.The driveway showed use so it wasn't abandoned.House was ramshakle old place that had seen better days.No paint,sagging roof,etc.Gave off a weird vibe and I just didn't like the feel of it.Went back another time and there was a truck in the yard but I still got the feeling that I didn't like.Passed on going to the door again.
That was over 10 years ago. 3 years ago I checked my notes and drove there again and everything was gone from the cars to the house and trees.Even then it still gave me chills. Sounds strange but it's how it was.

 

In Arkansas its considerd polite to drive up in sight of the front door. And honk your horn. If no one comes out you leave and drive away. A buddy years ago seen a old chevy truck he wanted to try and buy. We where working in the area and rode together. One cold day after work I was driving and my buddy Jim stated theres a car in the drive stop. It was cold and I didn't want to get out of my truck. and YThe horn didn't work. So Jim gets out and walks up to the front door and immediately turns around and scrambles back to the truck. Apparently since it was cold the folks had blocked off every room but the living room where the stove was. and had a mattress in the middle of the floor. The door had a window and no curtain. And the Old folks where on that matress porking!

 

Jim never

I aint afraid to ask. I suppose that is why I have so many vehicles. Ive left lots of notes in mailboxes. and about 25% of the time I did get a call from the note.

 

Faint hearts don’t win fair ladies. Applies to the automotive world also!

 

You guys should be proud of me.
On my regular route to work there is an old run down house across the street from the school, and recently I caught a glimpse of an old panel van sitting behind the garage. So today on my home from work I noticed a truck in the driveway with a large dumpster next to it. I pulled in the drive way and got talking to the guy there who was doing some metal detecting. He told me to go take a look and if I wanted to buy it leave a message for the home owner. I get back behind the garage, and there is a gold late 60s early 70s Ford Econoline 200 used as a storage shed since who knows when. At this point I lost interest in it because there's nothing useful, to me, left in it. I open the back of it and there is a bumper, passanger door, and rear glass from a 70's-80's Corvette. Maybe I can make something of this trip.

 

Some of my best deals and finds are things that weren’t advertised for sale. I’m always looking in backyards and fields. I always looked at it as the worst they can say is not for sale. Met some of my best friends by asking them if the wanted to sell their rusty junk.

 

Hi 59Bones.Do I detect a MA Duce in the background of the first picture in your post?
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo