All right. There are two vehicles on a farmers land. I really want to try to get both but I don't want to pay too much for stuff that's really not worth it. One was his dad's truck and they used it as a logging truck for a local lumber yard up until about 1960 when it was parked where it sits now. He tells me that it's a 38 but I'm thinking its more like a 34 or 35. It's huge and a dualie. It has a 21 stud flathead. The aircleaner has been off of it and the hood rotted in the center and I'm pretty sure water has been dripping down the carb for the last 50 years or so. It's really rusty, there are bullet holes everywhere and a tree fell on the roof. I was looking for a cab to throw on a chassis that I am planning on doing a modified on. The other is a body of what looks to be a 33/34 Ford Tudor. It's half buried in the side of the mountain. I'm going to get up there and clean the debris off of it and hoping to find that the rest of the body hasn't rotted away in the dirt. I really would like to pick these up if I can get them cheap enough. What would be a good offer where I get a good deal out of it but I don't insult the old farmer? Do either of these things have much value other than scrap?
Beat a path to the ole mans door in the morning. That 34 two door is like gold, the 35 truch has a nice grill & some good meat. Offer $800.oo and you both WIN.
I figured the 32 was worth some money but literally half of the car is buried and I can only see bits and pieces of it. So it's still worth exhuming even if it's not in all that great condition? The grill on the truck is super rusty and a ton of bullet holes. I was thinking the grill was worth taking but in the condition it's in I didn't know if they were that desirable that it would make it worth taking. I just bought a 49 Buick Sedanette last Saturday hanging from a tree. I found it quite funny that I ended up finding this car buried in a mountain in the same week! I don't really need anymore cars at the shop but I guess two more can't hurt....right? Haha
I thought about that too Temper. I was going to offer him $500 for the pair and see what he said. I figured I could pull the grille, motor and cab from the truck and scrap that thing for at least $200 and I'm almost halfway there to making my money back. I have so much money out in projects that need more money that it's hard to justify buying more stuff that needs more money. Ugh....the vicious cycle!
Don't scrap ANY of that stuff. What you think is rusty and too full of bullet holes is cherry to some one else. Put everything in the HAMB classifieds, you will be suprised what guys are looking for. Whatever doesn't sell, put it on ebay. If you sell it, it lives on and helps some fellow hot rodder out. If you scrap it....bad hot rod Karma... P.S. Make me a deal on the 35 truck window regulators if you don't sell the truck whole.... Good luck, -Abone.
The car is definitely a 34' tudor, by the parts that you can see you could make double on a $500 offer on those alone. Good Luck!
I would only scrap the frame of the big truck as a last ditch effort. I don't scrap anything as is evident in the parking lot at my shop. It's getting quite full and I really don't have the room for that behemoth. I will see if he'll take the $500. I would really like to get them out of there before they rot away to nothing. Abone....shoot me a pm in a few days. If I get that truck, those window regulators are yours.
I'd just tell him you'd like to get the 34 uncovered to see what's left of it before you give him a price on it. It's nice to score something cheaper once in awhile, but I think the best thing to do is be honest with each other and work out a gentlemens agreement. $500 is not much nowadays...Guys pay thousands for riding lawnmowers that are not worth hardly anything in 10 years and that 34 is 75 plus years old...hard to find anymore. Heck, you could get $500 for just a roof section off that 34 if someone really needed it. Discuss a fair price, agree on it, you will both sleep better. Good luck!
I'd be all over that stuff that sedan looks pretty nice actually and the cab is a builder too. I am the type who who lose sleep over not getting to hurry and go get a deal made on that stuff.
Looks like the truck still has the hard to get small hubcap on the back wheels. Also a guide headlight on the running board. I,d say theres a good days work there and worth it too.
I would definitely NOT go over $500 for an opening bid. The higher you open with means the end will just be more. Give yourself some room to negotiate. Those things have been sitting there a looooooong time and your not the first to want them. $500 will let you see where it's going and the lower the starting point the lower the final price. Frank
Did the tree hanging Buick come from Effort,Pa?? Had too. cant be too many 49 Buicks hanging from trees. That 34 sedan looks like a good score. Good luck!
Yeah, I know everything has value. The headlight buckets on the truck are completely rotted through. The truck really looks 100 times better in the pictures than it does in person. I figure it's good for a really rough cab and really rough grill. I would hope there's some other parts there too that other people can use. These cars have been sitting there forever. They were the guy's father's. They're in the middle of 60 acres of farmland that's not farmed anymore. I doubt anyone even knows the 34 was there. This guy didn't until I started walking around looking at stuff. The boyfriend of the owner's daughter is one of my students. I'm going to make him go up with me to help dig it out of the mountain. Hopefully he'll get some inside information on how much he's going to want. Mazdaslam - you are correct. I got the buick off bob in effort. That car is in amazing shape. I have to run back up there in a few days and pick up the rest of the parts that I couldn't fit in the truck or on the trailer.
I can't believe there's anything like that still hanging out in Pennsylvania. You are very fortunate, and lucky. Keep us posted.
Finds like this are always worth the wait. I can't wait to see the other side of the 34 Tudor! It'll be total junk or very usable, either way there are many saleable parts on each of these vehicles to finance another project like the Buick you mentioned.
I would make a deal based on the '34 not being total rust when you dig it out...then pay him (or not) after you dig it out. That way you are covered if it is really nice.... Great finds (both) by the way... Good luck !!
Those old dual wheel trucks are really cool. They make nice ramp truck haulers. One was at the Carlisle several years back and the guy put a modern diesel truck engine and drivetrain in it and hauled around cars on the back.
If the sedan is fixable even by Jim Sibley standards, it's gotta be worth a grand all by itself. Maybe the condition of both just looks good from the pictures, but I'd say if you get both of those for $1000 or less you'll be getting a screamin' deal. We're getting $285 a ton right now for sheet steel, a $500 offer is scrap price. Obviously they're rough, you wan them cheap, and you have to dig them out which could be a pain, but don't insult the guy, if you do, the stuff will just continue to sit there.
Well, I'm going to call him today or tomorrow and see about going up to start digging it out. I'll keep my fingers crossed and see if he goes for it. Anyone who has said they want parts, I'll let you know if I get them and if I do and decide to part them out, you'll get first crack at them. If I do get these I'm definitely going to have to get rid of that 62 Galaxie 2 door hardtop, big block I saved from the crusher. Any takers? Haha.
Oh....when I looked, we couldn't tell if there was a frame underneath it but there might be. Pasadena - as far as the buick goes, that's last in a long line of cars that need to get done. I bought that for my nice kustom. I want to take my time with that and do a 100% build. I'm sick of driving cars that need this or that. I want to do that one completely and have it roll out complete.