"I'm gonna restore it someday" 54 in the woods!
01-11-2012, 09:58 AM
#21
Race Director
Thread Starter
01-11-2012, 02:03 PM
#22
Race Director
I have a friend who has a 1957 T-Bird. He bought it right out of high school in the early 1970's and in 1978 he took it completely apart to hot rod it. He got married, later wrecked his back and now he walks with a cane, has grandchildren now...and the car is still apart in the garage with 99% of everything in piles. I have been after him to sell it but no dice. When I finished restoring my '54 Corvette about a year ago he got motivated and went to Prestige Thunderbird and asked for a quote to put it back together (it needs paint, chrome redone, etc.). They quoted $62,000. Since he's on permanent disability he has little money to do it. He hates car shows because they depress him. I think the family will end up getting rid of it after Jesus calls him home.
01-11-2012, 02:52 PM
#23
Le Mans Master
We're going to stay after it!The problem I have is that it's a 54. By trying to restore it, the chances of being way upside down in it, are pretty good. If it was a 53 or 55, it would be a lot easier to justify, the money it will take to bring it back. Turning it into a resto rod, now that may be a whole different story!
I'm going to mentioned this car to a customer of mine. He has a large collection of 53-54-55's, as well as other year Corvettes. He doesn't buy cars to resell, and has a full time employee who just restores and maintains his collection. As such, he doesn't worry as much about what he pays for a car, or what it costs to restore it. He could be a good candidate to save this poor 1954.
Resto-rod or original, it's really about the same $$$$ if you build a quality rod. More fun to rod it than an NCRS car though.
Last edited by Vette Daddy; 02-01-2012 at 08:59 PM.
01-11-2012, 03:40 PM
#24
Burning Brakes
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........snip....I remember a few yrs back, my father had a friend who's sister got divorced. She got the house, and it's contents, including a 69 tri-power car, and a mountain of spare parts - blocks, heads, muncie's, rears, and wanted about 10k for everything. Dad emailed me the photos. I was amazed. In hindsight, I should have hitched up the trailer that night, and said, let's go. Right now. Some shlep like the pool guy or something came over and took it away for less, as he was the first to offer to make it go away, prob so she can spite her ex.........snip....
01-11-2012, 11:42 PM
#25
Melting Slicks
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Literally show him the money, the stack of cash. Tell him you'll allways have the cash, just call when he's ready, leave a couple of cards. He needs to know that you're not interested in flipping the car, making money off of him.
01-12-2012, 12:17 AM
#26
Le Mans Master
I have a friend who has a 1957 T-Bird. He bought it right out of high school in the early 1970's and in 1978 he took it completely apart to hot rod it. He got married, later wrecked his back and now he walks with a cane, has grandchildren now...and the car is still apart in the garage with 99% of everything in piles. I have been after him to sell it but no dice. When I finished restoring my '54 Corvette about a year ago he got motivated and went to Prestige Thunderbird and asked for a quote to put it back together (it needs paint, chrome redone, etc.). They quoted $62,000. Since he's on permanent disability he has little money to do it. He hates car shows because they depress him. I think the family will end up getting rid of it after Jesus calls him home.
01-12-2012, 03:02 PM
#29
Burning Brakes
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My buddy in my village has a 57 Chevy 2 door post that originally had a fuelie motor (which was stolen). He has this car sitting outside since the 60's. The car has moss growing on it. I don't know how many people offered to buy this car, but my guess is a lot. His attitude is if someone is going to offer him this much money then the car is got be worth more, so the car never sells. He is in his 60's and has grandeous dreams of restoring it. What's going to happen is that the 57 is going to go to scrap yard and never get restored.The same is going to happen to the guy with the 54 Vette.
What a crying shame.
What a crying shame.
Last edited by wonderful; 01-16-2012 at 10:26 PM.
01-12-2012, 03:26 PM
#30
Le Mans Master
Since we're swapping "they won't sell it" stories, I've been after this 65 BB convertible for many years. 1 owner, 30K miles, marroon, blk, blk with side pipes, all stock. He bought it new and in the late 60's his son took it without permission and brought it back with a rod knocking. It's been in his garage ever since and hasn't moved. I told him that I'd restore it like new and he could be the first to drive it. We agreed on a price but when I told him I'll be back with the money, he changed his mind. A few years later he said he wanted a new Harley. I told him to go pick one out and I'll buy it for you and you give me the car. He said okay but then his wife wouldn't let him get another bike. Now he's in his 70's, failing health, will never do anything with the car and he still won't sell it. Hopefully I can talk some sense into his wife/kids when he kicks the bucket.
Jim
Jim
01-12-2012, 03:39 PM
#31
I had a friend that would load $8000 in twenties in a briefcase and flash the money to the guy that would never sell the car. If the wife was there it was a definite plus as all of a sudden the car that would never be sold was being loaded on a trailer. It works, believe me. Be street smart on your surroundings as you are carring cash.
02-01-2012, 08:35 PM
#32
When the owner says "no"....
I'm sure half this board has a story about sticking with the car you want. It's not just about being a pest...that can backfire on you pretty fast. It's about being there at the right time.....figuring out the right time to approach the seller. Good luck...stick with it!
02-02-2012, 12:22 AM
#33
I know of several, a ‘57 Corvette that has been taken apart, I thought I had it about six months ago, but they changed their mind. I know of another ‘58 Corvette, it’s been sitting under the same oak tree for 28 years, the guy says he’ll never sell it, and a ‘62 Corvette that has been passed down to the son after the father died, the kid keeps talking about selling it someday, but not now, and finally a ‘63 Roadster, fuelie with 30k miles plus a second motor, bought in ‘64 in case he blew up the first, the guy was a hermit, he passed away but the brother doesn’t want to sell it, it’s not seen the light of day for 30 years. All of these are within 30 miles of me and I’ve seen them all.
02-02-2012, 12:43 AM
#34
Melting Slicks
Just around the corner from where I live there's a 64 convertible that been sitting in a garage around fifteen years.The last time I saw it running it smoked like crazy.I wasn't sure if it was still there but a neighbor saw it sitting in garage buried with junk when the guy had to get his garage door worked on.
I'm just going to bide my time and hope that him seeing me drive by in my 62 all the time might just get him thinking.
I'm just going to bide my time and hope that him seeing me drive by in my 62 all the time might just get him thinking.
02-02-2012, 07:13 AM
#35
Burning Brakes
About 20 years ago, my brother and I came across a fenced in lot that contained about 16 or 18 GTO's from the 60's in varying states of decay from nice drivers to parts cars. After several drive by's we saw a guy in the lot. We stopped and asked him if he would part with one 65 project car, and he said he wasn't interested in selling anything. We figured he was methodically restoring them and selling the finished cars. Well we drove by many times over the years, and it seemed like nothing had even moved. A few years after the first conversation, we saw him again and thought for sure he'd sell something to us now. Nope, not interested. Those cars sat for about 10 years and one day they were all gone. Never found out what happened. Maybe someone with deep pockets bought the whole fleet.
02-02-2012, 01:40 PM
#37
Instructor
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54
You guys are getting all hepped to buy a project to put $50 or $60K into from a guy who doesn't want to sell it. When you are done you will have a $75K car with more into it than it is able to be sold for.
Sounds like you are seeking pain lever 9 or 10.
Ken Joseph
Sounds like you are seeking pain lever 9 or 10.
Ken Joseph
02-02-2012, 03:08 PM
#38
Team Owner
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St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-‘19-'20-'21-'22-'23-'24
For some, it's not the destination but the journey that is the fun. To take something which is a total POS, and wind up with a nice looking Corvette. It's not about what you can sell it for, it's about the satisfaction of making something out of almost nothing. Some folks don't understand it and that's fine - there are many who do.
02-02-2012, 03:42 PM
#39
Le Mans Master
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For some, it's not the destination but the journey that is the fun. To take something which is a total POS, and wind up with a nice looking Corvette. It's not about what you can sell it for, it's about the satisfaction of making something out of almost nothing. Some folks don't understand it and that's fine - there are many who do.
02-02-2012, 06:01 PM
#40
Burning Brakes
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I've heard rumors about this car for years, and finally saw it.
The way I understand it, the owner bought this 54 back in 68, as a running driving car. In the early 70's, a restoration was started, but since he didn't have a garage, it was being disassembled in his driveway. After being sited by the township, he rolled it into his back yard, put a tarp over it, and it has sat there ever since.
The engine is in the car and is complete, right down to the shielding, carbs and the correct 2 round air cleaners. The seats, doors, top, trim, etc. are all supposed to be stored in the owners basement and have been for 40 years.
Unfortunately, the elements have taken their toll on the body. The gauges are falling out of the dash. The wheels were pulled, and the frame is sitting directly on the ground! One wheel is in the interior, and is so rusted that sand blasting it would probably blast right through it.
I friend of mine was the one who showed me the car. He has talked to the owner, and made him a very fair offer. The owner said that he doesn't want to sell it, because "he's going to restore it someday". He's in his 60's, has had his hours cut back to about 10-12 a week, and has his unemployed son and 3 grand children living with him.
When do you think he's going to restore it? We're going to follow up with him from time to time, to see if he changes his mind.
The way I understand it, the owner bought this 54 back in 68, as a running driving car. In the early 70's, a restoration was started, but since he didn't have a garage, it was being disassembled in his driveway. After being sited by the township, he rolled it into his back yard, put a tarp over it, and it has sat there ever since.
The engine is in the car and is complete, right down to the shielding, carbs and the correct 2 round air cleaners. The seats, doors, top, trim, etc. are all supposed to be stored in the owners basement and have been for 40 years.
Unfortunately, the elements have taken their toll on the body. The gauges are falling out of the dash. The wheels were pulled, and the frame is sitting directly on the ground! One wheel is in the interior, and is so rusted that sand blasting it would probably blast right through it.
I friend of mine was the one who showed me the car. He has talked to the owner, and made him a very fair offer. The owner said that he doesn't want to sell it, because "he's going to restore it someday". He's in his 60's, has had his hours cut back to about 10-12 a week, and has his unemployed son and 3 grand children living with him.
When do you think he's going to restore it? We're going to follow up with him from time to time, to see if he changes his mind.