This is the real deal. This is the reason i'm the way I am. I've known about this car for about the past ten years. I'm only 22 so I was about 12 when I found this car is a shed by my house. This coupe has been sittin in my backyard for the past fourty years. The guy that owns the car does nothing with it but let it sink into the sand. I had to sneek in and take these pictures. Some older Michigan Hambers may remember this car. It was built by a man named John Schardt from the Chesaning area. I personally know him and we have talked about this car everytime we hang out. He still has pictures of this car on the wall of his garage. He hasn't owned the car for fourty some years, but it still seems it is his pride and joy. John (now about 80 years young) and I have both tried to buy the car to restore it to what it was back in the fifties and early sixties. John even has pictures of when he showed it at the Saginaw Civic Center with trophies sitting around it when he first finished it. As you guys can see by the pictures this thing will not make it another Michigan winter without the shed roof falling in on it. The last time I talked to the owner he told me he was gonna pull it out and redo it. His plans were to put a set of Fiero bucket seats in it and pull the olds motor and put a V6 in its place. I know you guys are on my side when i say this guy is crazy. If you guys have any tips or tricks on how I can get this guy to sell it to me I'd be interested. I guess I'll keep tryin and savin my pennies.
Walk up with $5000 in cash and see what happens. I don't know any of the history of this car, but it looks solid. Might be worth more than that, maybe less. But money talks.
HOLY SHIT!!!! BUY THAT CAR! Sell Crack Whatever but SAVER THAT CAR>>> let me know if he makes an off that you can't meet.
Why are some guys like that???? Good luck in buying the car. It would be a great starting point. My only suggestion would be trying to find out what he thinks its worth and make an offer, you can't make him sell it. Maybe if you and the origional builder went together you could talk him into selling it. John
Nice car. We all know of at least one car that someone has let go to hell and a handbasket. And the claim "I'm going to fix it up someday" is just a lie hemselves about not letting go of their hopes, dreams, and youth. Its sad that it usually means the demise of such possession, but as humans we rarely like to face the realities of our ageing. From hairpieces, to skin moisturizer, we are trying to hang on to "yesterday". I hate the fact that this car will be wasted, but I can't fault the guy for hanging on to his dreams. Good Luck.
go for this big time .......I pissed around for years over a Cobra in a guys garden, talking to him, getting to know him, even offering him money (but not enough!) for the car (a 427 body, frame and suspension but with a 289 motor, it was a real Cobra made at the end of production at the AC factory) over a 15/20 year period the car just went down hill....the last time I went to see the guy the house was being worked on, the garden had been cleared (of the routemaster bus and 52 Rolls Royce) I asked about the sports car to be told it had been crushed along with all the rest of the crap........Just get in and save it....
There is a guy on the way to Bakersfield who has two Mercury's just sitting outside getting ruined! My friend has tried to buy them many times,but the owner keeps saying they are not for sale,like for 20 years!They used to look pretty good,now they are terrible.Last I heard,he made a sign that says not for sale.What a waste...
try a family memeber a son or daughter..they may want it out of there. or just tell him it is gonna die in there and you would really hate to see that happen.by the way thanks for the pics but if i were you i wouldnt do that again.
You hit that nail on the head!!! We've all ran into it at one time or another... Unfortunately, it only seems a crime to guys like us Flatman
Maybe you can offer to help him fix the garage so it will last a few more winters in there. At least you'll know you've done something to help the car, and he'd probably keep you in mind first if he did want to sell.
I say just take it man the guy doesn't sound like he really wants to redo it and if he does redo it, it sounds crapy the way he wants to redo it. Take it and restore it and wait till the vin# clears up
Unfortunately that is not always true. I know where a 57 Chevy convertible sits - I guess I should day rots. It's not for sale for any price. A guy stopped by one day with a stack of Bennies that would choke an elephant - the guy took a shot gun and blew the car all to hell. He ripped the top of and gutted the interior so "People would stop bothering me about it" then he took an axe and worked the entire car over. As far as I know the dang things still siting there waiting for the old fart to die so it can go to the crusher. Fwiw the guy has an F1 and a Model A "skeeter"(cowl and running gear) that he has not destroyed, seems no one around here asked him about them when they saw the 57 tore up.
Those all sound like good ideas. stealing it would be easiest on my pocket but not my record. I think he would know it was me, I think i'm the only one who talks to him about it. As far as kids goes, he has none, probably why it's still in there. It's just him and his wife. I'll just keep bugging him until he gives in.
Along the same lines as my other post, you could offer to help him work on the car. Then you could convince him to restore it to how it was rather than go the v6 route. If you have a garage space for it (i guess you do because you want to buy it?) offer to have him keep it there to work on it. Even if it's not yours at least you'll have something going if he decides it's too much work, he'll know your serious about working on it.
Talk to the guy,but be serious & take money with you,I have bought a lot of stuff when you start laying dead presidents down,let him know you would like to have it,Most of all he will know that you are real,Not someone that pops off with "I'd give you so & so for it" & never shows him any money.I have also known many men that would not take money no matter how high the amount,But I became friends with them & ended up being given alot of stuff over the years.The best part of all of it is the memory of some very good friendships with those old guys.I still have my 40' ford coupe,that an old man named Charles Frazier would not sell anybody.I went by & checked on him,talked many hours about old times,& we became very good friends.He called one day to tell me he was sick,& asked me to come get the old ford before something happened to him,he died a month later,Every time I look at the coupe I think about him,& I am like he was,I would not take anything for it.Keep trying,be real with the guy.You may not get the car tomarrow,but he will know you want it,& you may look around & realize you have a very good friend.
Finally! Somebody agrees with what I've been preaching for years. It seems as if too many folks have a "jealous little boy" mentality when it comes to someone else's car that they want but the owner doesn't want to sell. For whatever reason....maybe the dude got his first piece in this Deuce, drove home his first child from the hospital, took his dying dad for his last ever car ride in it. or whatever, it's HIS car! If he chooses to set it on fire and roast marshmellows, take it to the crusher, let the shed fall down around it or just dream of fixing her up, No means No! I'm not gotten a bunch of cars because the owner didn't want to sell, let one of my own rot into the ground for one of the above reasons and the earth didn't tilt from it's axis. I see a bunch of great suggestions from other members, like offering to help him fix her up or just be a friend to him. If you can't handle doing this without jealousy,anger or envy, build your own piece of history from a car that you can buy.
I always advocat burning the shed to the ground and burning the car up with it. ....I mean, if you can't have it, why let anyone else have it. Seriously. Fuck the owner. Burn baby burn! Just joking. thats so nice. If I found that I wouldn't be able to sleep for a week. .
i've never stollen anything in my life....... but for some reason i agree.... it seems like a real shame to let a car go like that. even if he's going to fix it up like an 80's yuppie rod, its better than letting the shed fall on it.... its to bad he (probably) wont do anything to it. there is a guy around here who's got a few good looking cars, but they're just sitting there, rusting away to nothing. it makes me cringe every time i drive by(every day). dave
Well I guess everyone knows someone who wont sell their old car just sitting around. The guy I know has a 68 camaro, you know the sortof rare SS 302/4 speed ones. Well this guy bought it back in like 73 for a trade in on a mustang, well after a couple years of racing it her parks it on his property. He builds a little shed in the back of his lot to put it in, I'm talking about a shed not a shop, the camaro fits in there with only about half a foot on each side and same front and back. Well it sits there for years, hes gone so far as to nail the back door shut but put a window in for some reason. Well it gets interesting becuase my uncle and aunt move in besides him about 20 years ago become friends, so for the last 10 years me and my brother always go and hop over the fence and take a peek at the car. Always sitting there, always prefect but just in the last few years the blue paint has faded abit. And so of course its not for sale, we thought we might have gotten it for around 5 grand but we learn guys have driven across half the country to offer 25,000 and for him to turn it down. The morale of the story after 30 years of sitting in a small shed, only a couple months ago he called a tow truck had them take it out and now its heading for some shop to get restored even though it probably only needs a paint job.....I guess he really was gonna fix it up one day
Tell the guy that if you sell me this car I want you to be a part in the restoration and let him make some decisions it will show him respect. Do not insult him with some stupid lowball price give him what it is worth because he has done what everyone here has wanted a traditional Hot Rod. And we all thank him for that. I have bought a few vintage Hot Rods through respect. P.S. keep it real. If you have a problem hook up with EVEL.
there's a 52 F100 with a flatty sitting in an old gas station here in town. i've been staring at it for years. i finally started doing some sherlock holmes work and found out who it belongs to. it belonged to a gentleman who owned the gas station, he passed and the truck went to his son. i've spoke to the wife twice and left my number twice with the "i'll give it a good home" story and nothing. forgot to mention the fact that the gas station is for sale and i'd hate to see this truck rot away outside. I understand and respect that it was their family truck but it's not doing any good sitting in there.
one of my friends that buys alot of cars and sells too has a tactic that works for him ALOT. He inquires about whatever yard ornament that appears neglected. The owner does not want to sell. He pulls a new car cover out of his trunk and gives it them. He simply states, "I love these old cars so much, that I'd hate to see it get destroyed by the elements any further. If you are going to keep it, at least protect it so no further damage is done." This gets their wheels spinning and most of the people call him back and he gets the car. Offer to help fix the shed its in. Bring the older guy with you to help. If you chat up the history too much, it may make the guy think its worth bigger $$ than it is.
Wow,.... that's almost a dead ringer for a A coupe I found near Rosebush Mi,.. about 87 or 88,.... the barn even looks like the same barn. that guy woulden't sell it either,...... good luck !
go buy a lamborghini kit car on a fiero chasis and tell him you want to trade him straight up, from the sound of things that would be right up his alley
Tetanus shot has a good idea with the fiero swap. Tingler is a bit rash but almost there with his bonfire theme. If the shed is that bad complain to the local authorities that it,s an eyesore and a fire hazard. Have it condemed. The guys wife will probably be glad if the shed gets flattened and she can plant some roses or geraniums or just plant some grass. The polite way takes ages and gives him to much time to figure out what sort of price he can ask. Drive him crazy, marry his daughter.
§i aint read all the post s here ,because my english is too bad and it takes to much time for me ,but i think its the dream thing ,this car means his youth, if you wanna get the car for free there is only one thing that "could " work , make a deal with this guy like let us restore that car and one day you sell it to me
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