When your drunk neighbors invite you for a beer...

Edit: Brought it home Today 6/13/09

Take them up on the offer!!!!!


Decided to shoot the shit with my neighbors a few houses down and toss some horse shoes. After most of the cheap beer was gone it turned into a welding contest seeing who could lay the best bead on some scrap. After that one of them said want to see something that will blow your mind. Being slightly buzzed I said sure. He said grab a flash light and I did and we walked a half block over to his 92 year old aunt's house and look into a garage that was about to fall down. There sat a mint 28 Ford coupe and a clean 56 Buick 4 door. They told me that they played in the cars as kids and have been on their uncle for most of their adult lives to let them do something with the old cars but he won't come off them. All they can do is keep propping up the garage to keep it from crushing some clean tin. They said since I'm a car guy that maybe I could convince him. I'll see if the will take me back over there in the day light so I can at least get some good pictures. I can't believe these these cars are just sitting less than a block away from me just as they have since the '50s.

How was your night?

 

Night was good, played with my toddler. Nice story, good luck.

 

Go down there EVERY day until you either get that coupe, or they tell you to never come back!!! Make friends with Granny and Unk. Tell them you want to save those cars. Maybe they will listen???

Kevin
Ooltewah Speed Shop

 

They probably figure family wants it for free but cash is king right now.
See if the won't part with them for a litttle green

 

I agree.... offer some cash and see what he says

 

Watched the kids play in the snow.....cool

 

a good beer never hurt anyone

 

Cool stuff like that never happens to me...

 

I was at a neighborhood party when one neighbor who I've know since I was a kid said "you know I still got a model A sedan I need to sell, it's been stored since 75"

 

AAnnddd....does he still have it?????
Or do you have it now.

 

you sure it wasn't the cheap beer?

 

I missed a 40 Ford DeLuxe Coupe only 2 blocks from my house about 12 years ago. It had been there for better than 20 years.
Good for you!

 

rufees, had to be. You should see a doctor.

 

No I don't have it cuz I don't have the money right now but it's buried in the back of a very big basement so I might own it this summer.

 

Welding contest? You can't invent fun better than that. But, it does sound like the night picked up at the end. Good luck with the cars and post some pics.

 

Knowing your neighbors is always a good thing ....
Met mine after my ridgeback thought their dog (jack russell) counted as vermin , little bugger took 14 stiches to the neck . Long story short he introduced me to his son , who has a serious horsepower addiction . The young bloke had everything from a hipo mini bike up to his favourite toy a KE corolla with a blown small block stuffed in it !
I drink there all the time now ...
Don't take my dog with me though .....

 

my night rocked, got thrown outta the bar. talked to jimbo from the reverend horton heat in the alley, and he helped me get back in the bar. Can't beat that night!!!!!

 

Hell I'd start going over there all the time. Pull weeds, mow the lawn, and clear snow. Treat them like they are YOUR aunt and uncle and you are the only familly left. Maybe they will adopt you and will it to you. Or you could work it off..... Fixed incomes that relly on the stock market will be down too......

 

And if it does it catches ya when ya ain't got any dough ..

 

well its been awhile, you got a new car at home yet?

 

Pictures dude, pictures
JimV

 

Offer to fix up the barn in trade for one or both of the cars.

 

Nothing like this ever happens to me ... when I get ask over for a beer ... it's can you fix my toilet ... or my car is making this funy noise.

You get people showing you classics ... wow that is great !

Flash so cash and see what happens. Good Luck!

 

No pics, no proof...come on!!!!

 

I was pretty buzzed when I originally wrote that.

no pics yet... They've been over to drink beer a few times since. I am broke and just getting my 54 running pretty nice. I don't need another project.

If I ever catch my neighbors out during daylight hours I'll try to get them to take me over there again so I can take a few pics. I just know I would prefer not to have some stranger looking in my garage.

 

You Gota friend in Jimbo!

 

To Continue the story....

We had a bad storm roll through this area about a week ago... Tons of trees down everywhere. No power for a bit so everyone was outside either looking at the damage, cutting fallen trees, grilling the meat before it went bad, etc. Got to meet lots of people that don't normally come outside. I finally got to talk to the owner of the cars. He's quite a character. The house where the cars are had a large tree fall on it and partially the garage. I offered to help clean it up. and chatted about the cars a bit..
The basic response was there was no way in hell he was giving up the Model A. It was his Grandfather's who bought it new. He told me the story of towing it to IL from Montana with a towbar. He said he ripped the front bumper off in the middle of nowhere in South Dakota and an old farmer welded it back on for him. He said he tried to pay the guy but the Elderly gentleman refused and said "Just send me a Christmas card, My wife loved Christmas cards"...
He said that was almost 30 years ago and He doubts the old man is still alive but he sends a Christmas card every year to the address anyways.
He says if he ever retires that car is going to be his project for a full restoration. He gets people calling and asking about it almost weekly. He's planning on building a new garage for the cars. I helped cut some trees, and told him if he needs a hand dismantling the garage to get the cars out let me know, I'd love to see them in daylight.

This time I have Pics

 

Dang! I'm just glad this story didn't involve anyone getting hurt

...and it sounds like you made a new friend. You gotta love the older generations, they have done some really cool stuff, if you take the time to listen to 'em

 

I've often said among conversations with friends, that I'd like to see every household in town open their garage doors, and we'd take a ride down each alleyway. I think you'd be surprised how many classics are sitting inside them with crap piled on top.

And now here's a case in point.

 

Keep an eye on those cars you might wind up with them yet..My neighbor across the street has three 59 El Caminos, a 50 F1 Pickup with a full dress Edmunds Flathead innit , two 57 Ford 2DHTs etc. He is a traveling paint rep/salesman. This last time he came home he found out his no good son had been selling parts off of the El Caminos, so a deal might be in the works..