Ok, I am still slightly shaking as I write this. I just confirmed the whereabouts of a bone stock '32 Ford sedan, that I thought was a "suburban legend" until now. Years ago, while visiting back in the midwest, my dad went with a buddy of his to buy some hay from a farmer for his buddy's horses. Well, as they are getting the hay loaded, my dad's buddy says "You should see the old car they have here. The farmer's dad drove it into that barn in 1968 and parked it." So my dad goes up to the barn, removes the 2x4 leaning against the doors, holding them closed (!), and there sits a '32 Ford sedan, complete with '68 tabs and the stock spare tire mounted on back. It was literally buried with stuff stacked all around it, making it impossible to check out the rest of the car. But he swore it had original paint and he wiped the dust from the back window, to look in and see the original mohair interior, complete. He didn't notice if it was a tudor or a fordoor. I didn't believe him when he told me about it. Over the years, the story was relegated to my subconscious. Eventually, it turned into one of those "too good to be true" fantasies. I even made the mistake of mentioning the story to a gearhead friend back there, who then checked it out later, but came up with nothing. Fast forward to today, and I'm driving past the barn with my one-year-old in the car. We had just dropped "Grandma" off at my sister's house, in the area. I pulled into the drive, spur of the moment. It didn't take long for the old farmer to spot us, walking onto his property. I gave him a big wave, a "How ya' doin', mister", and struck up a conversation, name dropping my dad's buddy. He confirmed that yes, indeed, he had a 1932 Ford ("one year only car, y'know, first year with a fuel pump, too, son, those cars are worth a lot"). And no, he did not want to sell it. Oh well, I asked if I could at least look at it, since I really love old cars, as well as my son. He just shook his head and pointed to the barn, which had firewood and various used farm implements stacked and wedged up to the doors. No go. Oh well. So now what?!! My dad asked him to sell it to him years ago, and he said no. Said he had just sold a prize cow that nearly started a family feud between his brother, sister, and himself. He's pretty damned old now, and I didn't see any siblings around. Part of me wants to sell my car, my guitar, amp, and all my old car parts, just so I can wave some cash under his nose for a year or two, until he gives in. This farmer apparently has at least a million in the bank, according to my dad's buddy. So who knows how much cash would need to be waved? This deuce needs to be saved, damnit! The goddamn barn looks like it could cave or go up in flames any moment. He obviously has no plans to er, um, "restore" it, as I would. What would you guys do?
SOUNDS GOOD, GREAT STORY! The only thing to do now is start stopping periodically & make friends with him. tell him you want to "RESTORE" IT TO ORIGINAL & "YOU WANT (NEED) IT BAD! Ive been there before. ive learned that if i want it bad enough i end up with it!
What ever you do, don't tell him what you want to do with it. Some of those old guys turn stone cold if they know you want to hot rod it. Try and become his buddy, asking about it every chance you get. Ask him what his plans for it are (even though you know he has no intentions of doing anything with it). Tell him, you'd sure like to see it saved and that you are worried the barn will collapse on it or something. Maybe he'll leave it in his will for you, you never know what goes on in the minds of guys like that. I say play it cool, but be persistent.
Great story, nice to know another car is still out there. I don't think this one will be moving by the sound of things, but I'd stop by to check on it from time to time.
Be persistent, for sure. That way, even if you don't get it, you'll be able to sleep at night knowing you tried. I have the same type of story. Back in high school, I went over to a buddies house for the first time. When I spied what was sitting off to the side of the driveway, my jaw hit the dirt. There before me was a complete, original deuce five-window, pine needles up to the running boards and a couple of snowboards resting against it. Awestruck, I said something about it. He responded somewhat indifferently to the tune of 'Oh, that old Model A'. Realizing he had no idea what it really was, or what it was worth, I tried to hide my excitement. From that moment on I mentioned it every time I saw it, but couldn't quite convince them to sell it. That car became my white whale, so to speak. I can't stop saying 'what if', and thinking of what may have become of it. After I graduated they moved away, and last I heard they were thinking of giving their old cars away to the school auto shop [whatever the case, I hope that didn't happen. I can't imagine the horrors a bunch of H.S. kids could inflict on it]. I never heard what happened to it, but I doubt they just gave it away. I keep meaning to drive up and see if it's still there, but it keeps getting put off. I think I'm just afraid to find out.
The one thing that won't work is money. He doesn't need it,and it won't impress him. If you have a non-radical old car you might start stopping by occasionally while driving it to just talk to him and let him get to know you. If you have something like a chopped and channelled Model A coupe,leave it at home. After you get to know him a bit,offer to move all the firewood and other stuff yourself so you can look,and promise to restack all that stuff once you get a look. If he asks you what it is worth,don't try to blow smoke up his ass. Give him your honest opinion. If you can't afford to pay that,tell him it is more than you can afford to pay,but you would be willing to make payments until it was paid off. I once had a farmer GIVE me a 1934 Ford coupe that came off the drag strip in 1954,because when he asked me what it was worth,I told him "Unfortunately,more than I can afford to pay for it." He then told me I could have it if I wanted it "because you are the first SOB to look at it that wasn't going to do me a favor and haul it off for free." In your case nobody has tried to screw him because nobody has seen the car. If he lives alone you might be able to get it by offering to paint his house or do other work for him. Farmers are practical people,and he just might reason that a freshly painted house and barn are worth more to him than a old car that has been parked and taking up shelter space for 35+ years,and that he will never use. Find out what he needs and see if you can provide it for him in exchange for what you need.
I have an old geezer buddy here, been here 1/2 his old life. No one knows he's a closet rodder from way back. He went over & bought the widows 30 coup , no one thought to ask if it was really for him. He signed the title over last week.
Sounds alot like the one I just picked up. Good luck man, the unmolested ones are few and far between. Still good Hotrod material though
My Dad used to tell me about a Model A that sat in a barn couple of miles from his boyhood home. We would go visit my grandmother, and pass that barn and he would alway tell the damn story. "when I was a kid I used to load hay in that barn and there was a perfect model A in that barn. I wonder if it is still in there" Grandma dies and we are going back to her house after the funeral. We pass by that barn and the years have finally caved in the barns roof. You could just see what was left of a Model A under the gigantic beam that crushed it. I don't know if it was the funeral or seeing that car. But I'm pretty sure it was the first time I saw my dad cry
I agree........ He's done more than anyone that would have taken it, chopped it and dropped it to the dirt and splashed some paint on it. If it was me.... I would buy it... get the thing running and never touch a piece of metal on it. Want to be different??? Try that on for size. How many do you see like this?
theres a biker i know was first real "biker" i met when i was say 15 in a shed at his moms place is a 28 ford 2 door with like 40 tho miles his grampa bought car new when he died in 60s it went in shed grand kids shot bb at windows in 70-80s so has all broken glass but saw car last week again first time sence 80s still looks same just more dusty hes not a biker any more just a getting old dude that spends every day drunk his mom died last fall so car & house is now his i know he will never touch car if he lets me i will take pics of it soon his moms was offered larage ammounts of cash for it over the years but wouldnt sell give him some time broke & not being able to get a bottle & he will sell car but prob more then i could afford
Thanks for all the suggestions. I've never stumbled onto anything like this before. And I can't even think straight. This deuce is threatening to take over my priorities, so it's good to hear some level headed opinions. BTW, if I ever got my hands on this car, it wouldn't receive any radical treatment. I'm a closet purist, myself. I'm thinking: get the original flattie running, dropped axle, juice brakes, and steelies. Or not. The thought of having an unmolested, unrestored, running deuce is very tempting, as well. Jake
You didn't "find" anything. The old guy has known it was there all along... I doubt you'd talk him in to moving the pile of fire wood either since he probably put it there to keep thieves out of the barn. I have tools out in the garage that belonged to my Father and before that, my Grandfather. As far as I know, some of them might have belonged to his Grandfather. Some of them I've never used. They are big truck wrenches and Farm implement tools and a few that say "FORD" on them and they don't fit anything I've ever had a need to take apart or put together. How often do you get a call for a 24" long Crescent wrench? Grandpa had a 48" Crescent wrench too, but I think my uncle got that one. If I had a more convenient shiny new one hanging on the garage wall, and using it didn't run the risk of buggerin up Grandfather's copy of the tool I use it. After all, 9/16" sockets aren't the only tools that just dissappear into the ether without reason while one's working on stuff. But sometimes I go out in the garage and open up that rustoleum silver tool box and get them out and just hold them. Keeps the sense of Family balance together in an otherwise fractured cosmos.
He could probably use a good friend - someone willing to help around the farm a little - more than he could use the $$. Something else to think about..... everyone near Seattle that sees this will be looking for the car now. Here's my two step plan: Become a true friend. Delete this thread and don't mention the car again until it is in YOUR barn. JH
I say kill the man. Kill any siblings he might have. Kill your dad's buddy and anyone else who knows the story. Steal the car, burn down the barn and move south of the border with your new ride. Okay, maybe not. I think the trade thing has the most value. Most of my customers are farmers and they don't sell much. They trade for things they can use and time and labor are good ones to hard workin folks like farmers. Painting or fixin the barn or something might be worthwhile offers. Get to know him first though. I'd try that perspective too. There is always the chance that the thing won't ever leave his hands. I know of two stashes of unbelievable cars here in Indy that only a handful of folks know about and none are for sale. There are no kids to take them over either. Someday, they will be auctioned or something but right now they are absolutely not for sale and money is no object. Keep us posted though. There are still an amazing amount of cool old cars tucked away so if you don't get this one, there are plenty more.
I'll consider myself lucky just to ogle at the ol' Henry one day. The idea of befriending the guy, or doing some favors for him, for the sake of gettin' my mitts on the car, seems kind of shady. Like 37Kid mentioned, I'll stop in from time to time, just to keep myself visible, and remind him that I'd give it a good home. And no, I won't be a dick and offer him a couple thousand. Hell, it would probably fetch $20,000, or more, to someone more wealthy than myself. Oh yeah, it's not in Seattle, either. Like I mentioned, it's in the midwest, somewhere. That's all you're getting, guys. I might have to subscribe to the local paper, to watch the obituaries, as macabre as that sounds. Because if there is an estate sale there, I'm camping out, man!
I know of a 32 three window sittin in a field the old man died and gave it to his son he is now dead and gave it to his brother hes holding on to it to remeber his dad and brother.And so on and so on and its only 10 miles from my place and I have not been back in 10 years but there is also a 30 coupe in the back yard that I see almost once a month and it isnt going anywhere but back to the earth.
I'd say just leave the guy alone. It's his car and if he don't wanna sell, you should respect that. Besides , it's just a deuce. Josh
Amen,brother,Amen! Not everything has to be hotrodded or restored. I'd walk right past any hot rod or restored car to look at something like this. Do what you have to do to preserve it in the state it is in and make it safe to drive,and then drive the hell out of it.
[QUOT The thought of having an unmolested, unrestored, running deuce is very tempting, as well. Jake[/QUOTE] You betcha! Dare to be REALLY different. Preserve history while getting a chance to listen to all the (true) old fart stories about how "I remember having a chance to buy one just like that back in 1962 for $75,and could have driven it home." It would probably even lead to tips on where other hidden treasures are hidden.
Well if you are serious I have a cherry patina 32 tudor in Norcal with awesome original frame for 15K. I have never advertised it to sell. It was parked in a garage in 1961 with a sick tranny.
I love stories like this and I believe it! It happened to me 23 years ago I went to a swap meet at a place called Ballarat in Victoria Australia to find panels for my 38 chev project Across the road from the swap meet there was an old house with a huge shed (barn) The sign at the front said parts for sale This old bloke had been collecting stuff since the depression and like most old guys did not throw a thing out. I cannot begin to describe what was there but he tried to sell me his "home made" 37 chev pickup A sedan with the back cut down with an angle grinder. Neat enough but the patch panel that formed the new rear was a sheet of gal steel pop riveted to the roof etc. I thanked him for the tour of his shed but noticed in the far left corner an old tarp covered in dust. He said "oh thats my sons he has not touched it for 10 years" I asked if I could take a look and under was a fully restored 1934 chev roadster complete with mechanical linkage breaks. Maroon in color with a black rag top in mint condition. Son had gone to teachers college, got married, lost interest and parked it. I got the sons number and contacted him re selling this lovely old unit he laughed and told me how much he enjoyed the rebuild when he was a youngen Did he want to sell it? well had not thought about it but make me an offer and well........ This was 1982 my wife had 1 at foot and 1 in the oven I worked 7 days aweek and had zip in spare $ But wife had nice 74 fairlane and tried to do a swap but no go I dont know who ended up with this beauty but I still dream about it Dont you love old guys sheds you can smell the history
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