The OneThat Got Away

[Shadetree]

Several years ago I made the owner of my uncle's `34 Ford rumble seat coupe sitting in his barn an offer I didn't think he could refuse. His father had bought it many years ago along with other collector cars. The father had passed away and I had heard they were selling the cars. I told him if he had an interest in selling the `34 I would pay him more than anyone else for this car and gave him my name and telephone number.

A couple of years ago I got a call wanting to know if I had any `34 parts for sale. When I asked how he got my telephone number his reply was the previous owner of the `34 coupe he had just bought had given it to him.

You win some you lose some...

[Sixseven]

Sounds like the previous owner had intelligence problems.

[r_reed]

that's a double insult.

[Vanspeed]

I lost out on a 34 Tudor that had been sitting since the 50's on abandoned land. I stalled when I had the chance. All the cars on the property were sold for scrap and the house and out buildings were torn down for new construction. I stopped and asked what happened to the cars and they told me they were taken away by the local recycler. I was and still am bummed I didn't get the 34 when I had the chance. This was about 20 years ago.

[Barry-ct]

I had the chance back in the 70's to buy a 48 Ford 2dr coupe that was running and fairly complete for $150.00 . That was a lot of $$ back then for a kid of 20 years old to come up with. He sold it to someone else and I missed my one and only chance to be able to get a 48 Ford for a good price. Sure do kick myself for that one! NoW they're so far beyond reality in price, I could never buy one. Oh well........

[37 Coupe]

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The one car I have always regretted not pulling the trigger was not really that old of a car at the time. It was 1967 and the car was a 10 year old '57 Thunderbird for $1,500.00,really was a hefty asking price at the time and I was not making big money as a Navy 3rd class PO. The car was at a shipmates fathers Sinclair station in Tenafly New Jersey,low miles in the thirties. I actually could come up with half the money and Navy buddies mom said she would float me the rest and I walked away from it,always regretted it.

[Bruce in southern OH]

Shadetree, once got a call from my wife's uncle, told to come and look at his 36 pickup and 30 model A coupe, he was going to sell them. Traveled to his house and spend several hours looking at the truck and model A. Asked what he wanted and he told me prices, I told him that was fine. Couple of days passed and he called while I was out of town working and said that he had told a man in Tennessee several years ago he would call him if he ever sold them. ( he had fixed Model A up ) Also his wife said that none of his children had never shown any interest in the two cars, but they should ask them first, son took truck and parked in garage. (has not moved to this day) Man in Tennessee came and got Model A, sold it coupe of months later. After uncle passed away son told my father in law that they sold all the other parts, did not know I was into old cars, win some, lose some!!!!!!!

[rotorwrench]

Over the years I have come to the conclusions that it's all about being in the right place at the right time. Some things are meant to be and some are not.

[Mike in Mass]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

Over the years I have come to the conclusions that it's all about being in the right place at the right time. Some things are meant to be and some are not.

You are SOOOO Correct Mr Rotowrench . Unless I owned a ramptruck and could go get it right then ! I have missed out a few more times than I care to reflect upon, without pulling my hair out ! . nice 39 dumptruck comes to mind that I was a day late for. Gone,, guy said he was ME ! ,

[Alan O'Connell]

I had been looking for a 57 T-Bird for a while when I saw one sitting in a driveway about a mile from where I lived. One day I pulled in to see if they wanted to sell it. The woman said that it was her son's car and he was going to restore it. I gave her my card and said, "If he decides to sell it, will you have him give me a call? She assured me that she would. I made it a point to drove by the house at least once a week. After many months the car never moved. I stopped in again and asked the same question and got the same answer. I gave her my card again and told her to have him call me if he wanted to sell the car. I repeated this procedure several times over three years. One day I drove by the house and the T-Bird was gone. I pulled into the driveway, knocked on the door and asked the woman, "What happened to the T-Bird?" She said, "My son sold the car." I said, "I stopped by here at least three times in the last 3 years and gave you my card every time. How come he didn't call me?" She said, "I don't think I ever gave him your cards."

[roadster36]

When I was a teenager working one of my first jobs in the afternoon after school at a gas station, a neighbor came in and told me he was heading to Alaska to work in the pipeline as a welder. He wanted to sell me his '37 club coupe because he was not going to be able to work on it. I didn't have a place to put it and my parents didn't want a 16 year old kid working on a hunk of junk so I declined, even though I really wanted that car. It was clean with no rust and complete. He had taken some parts off but they were all there. About a month later he drove into the service station late one Friday evening and told me that if I wanted the car I could have it for free. He was heading north right then and there with his camper and would not be back. I didn't take him up on his offer and to this day I regret it.

[Walt Dupont--Me.]

I'll tell you what stupid kid did in 1950, I was 14 years old, bought a 34 roadster that was an every day driver, nice car, engine craped out and I bought it for big bucks $20.00 I don't remember where I got the money, hauled it home, ripped off the fenders, picked up a 37engine, installed it, put a glass gal. jug for gas in the batt box under you feet. Put a batt on the passenger floor board, drove all over the back country dirt roads, only one cop in the little city and I lived in the country. Wish I was 14 again. Walt

[malpais]

Many years ago, a farmer in my neighborhood had a solid 37 (I don't know designations well - guess it'd be a 5 window) and a 46 Merc sitting by his house. As a high school kid, I stopped several times and made reasonable offers. No dice. He drug them back into the woods on his Ohio farm. The humidity and weather reduced them to unstable piles of rust. My sister then married his nephew, who said "come and get them". Got a few mechanical parts off of em.

Gordon

[Cody_1948]

Would have to be my grandpa's 37 business coupe he got for $200.00 in the 70's and drove it an hour home. Growing up anytime I was over at my grandpa's house it was knowed as my car lol. I was only 10 but every day I was over there in the summer I'd sitt behind the wheel and act as if I was driving. growing up I never did get to ride in it. My grandpa stopped driving it in the late 80s. But anytime I was over I was always doing something with it. at that time the motor and trans where pulled out sitting in the barn, Grandpa always wanted to put a newer ford motor and trans in it. But never got to it. The car was green and had little to no rust. My grandpa died and my grandma sold it. I was sad to the point where I didn't want to sleep and I begged my grandma to buy it back. she also sold a 1930s Ford pickup running and driving truck to the same guy. I hunt on C.L and ebay everyday almost hoping to find the 37. But as it looks I never will.

[T Scott]

I remember being in New Hampshire years ago. A guy had a 32 5 window for sale. it had some rust in the quarters, not much, but some. He wanted $75 bucks for it. We told him he was ------ nuts! Jeezum! It was a nice car, original paint and upholstery. I think we were called dumb kids for a reason. Also there was a guy in Billerica Massachusetts. Mickey Farren I think his name was. he had two 32 roadsters, a banger and a V8. He wanted $750 for the banger and $1100 for the V8. Both were complete cars and running. As fairly priced as they were, I wasn't in a position to buy either one. However, while we were talking, I got kicking at something a little bit shiny that was protruding out of the ground. I got it loose, pulled it out of the ground, and it was a two carb manifold for a Model A. I know this sounds like a crock but it is not. I gave Mickey $10 for the manifold and I am running it to this day on a Walt DuPont 32 banger in my model A. So at least the manifold is something that didn't get away.

[Bob NH]

You guys are making me laugh when I think back some years. I was hunting one time behind an old farm and came across the back half of two 32 roadsters and a model "A" back half all neatly lined up. I knew the old guy who used to own them and he had made tractors out of the chassis and cowls. I looked at them and said to myself, who would want those old things ? Some time later I realized they might have value and went back to get them, you got it, gonzo ! Walt makes me chuckle also, I had a buddy who got a 29 Che - - stripped down and I had a 33 International pickup. No money for gas but used to syphon a gallon or two from my mothers 40 coupe and mix it with kerosene we used for heating the house. Had a square tank from a gas refrigerator mounted on the firewall and away we went chasing each other on the dirt roads where I used to live . Never bothered by bugs with all that smoke. Never wrecked but many close ones ! One cop in town then so not to worry. Those were some fun days in my lifetime.

[Shadetree]

I had a close friend the same age as me whose dad had bought him a Crosley. I would walk about two miles to his house to ride on a dirt road in that car. I wanted so bad to drive the car but he would never allow me. I would have given anything for that car.

[Seth Swoboda]

My grandfather had many early Fords, some Model A's and many early V8's. Among them was a '32 five window coupe that he had restored back in the late 1980's. I was only in grade school at the time. I would drive the '32 coupe around the farm. He sold the car to a Ford Dealer near Richmond Virginia in the early 90's. I just hated to see him sell it. I figured it was time for me to get my own Ford. In 1998 I bought my 1931 Model A Victoria. I was a senior in high school and started the restoration. Grandpa told me when I bought the Model A that if he knew I was interested in old Fords he would have kept the '32. I was too young at the time to purchase the car but had I had the opportunity and was a little older I would have. My grandpa passed away before I finished the Model A Victoria restoration in 2001. We had some good times in his Fords that I will never forget and he inspired me to become involved in the hobby.

[coup34]

Small town 40 coupe true story. I am old enough to remember this coupe when purchased new. Orig owner passed. Second owner passed. (car still well cared for and good condition.) Second owner had told his wife they had a gold mine. (he passed) The car sat for some time and I tried to buy it 3 times!!! No sale. Some time later I learned they were pulling it with a chain to an auction, brakes failed, rolled it at the bottom of the hill where they lived. (less than a quarter mile.
coup34

[Vic Piano]

The number of cars I've missed out on... almost equals the number of women I've missed out on... Thankfully, I've found a good number of vehicles, and the best women, that didn't get away.

[34pickup]

I also passed up on a 57 T-Bird for $1500. It was in the 80s so it was a lot of money but still a good deal. It was also an E Bird that had the intake changed to a single four barrel. Someone put a battery in the trunk and it leaked and rotted out one of the quarter panels so I went home to think about it. I thought too long. When I decided it was still a good deal with the only rust was in the trunk but needing a restoration, I went back and it was already gone.

[37 Coupe]

The Thunderbird I mentioned in an earlier post was a maroon color I have never seen on another TBird. I have seen the same color on a couple '57 Fairlane convertibles but never another '57 T bird. My brother bought a black '57 T bird from a family friend about 10-12 years ago for $25,000,it was a real nice low mileage car with just a repaint on it. My brother is not really a diehard old Ford guy but just always liked 55-57 Birds.Had some problems with the automatic and had it rebuilt plus some other mechanical things over the years figured he had about $28,000 plus in it. The guy he bought it from was always asking me at shows and cruiseins if my brother is ready to sell the '57 back and couple years ago I said I think he wants to make room in his garage. Contacted each other and my brother told him he could have it back for what he paid for it ,guy couldn't believe that was the price. He wheels and deals a lot in old cars and has for years,I was his paper boy in 1960 and remember a 32 3 window for sale that didn't look like the AMT 5 window model I had just built. He passed on the very fair offer and bought a black one of those new Mickey Mouse T birds. My brother placed an ad in Classic T bird and got best offer $35,000.

[V12Bill]

When I was 12 or 13 years old I had a chance to buy a complete and solid 1936 four door convertible for $75. I asked my dad for permission to buy the car and and got the same response that the kid in the Christmas Story got when he asked for a BB gun. The car was sold withing a few days and the new owner ran it into a stone fence pillar and totaled it.

[37 Coupe]

But the kid did get the Red Ryder gun and almost shot his eye out as predicted.

[29delivery]

Many years ago I lost a 1951 mercury convertable to a well known midwest custom guy who has since passed.He knew I had made a deal and showed up telling the seller he was picking it up for me.

[1938 Coupe]

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Originally Posted by Barry-ct

I had the chance back in the 70's to buy a 48 Ford 2dr coupe that was running and fairly complete for $150.00 . That was a lot of $$ back then for a kid of 20 years old to come up with. He sold it to someone else and I missed my one and only chance to be able to get a 48 Ford for a good price. Sure do kick myself for that one! NoW they're so far beyond reality in price, I could never buy one. Oh well........

What seemed like a lot of money back then would be chump change today!

[Shadetree]

When I was 15 years old I washed cars at a dealership. A man brought in a mint `36 Ford Coupe. It absolutely looked like a new car. It was stunning black with a green pinstripe. He was asking $500 for it. As far as I was concerned it might as well been $5000.

[wisbangman]

The ones that got away ! 1959, I was 15 - There was a 32 tudor sedan, rusty, sitting behind a house in West Allis, Wisconsin - $50 bucks ! My dad said No ! Later that year, I found a "like new" maroon 48 coupe $150.00- another No ! My best friends dad said Yes so to add insult to injury, I had to look at it with envy every day. When I was 17 a 1940 Standard 2 door Sedan came along, that one was a Yes ! Fast forward to 1968, I was in the Jaycees found out that one of my fellow Jaycees had just sold a 35 roadster for $900.00 wish I would have bought that one. There are more, but all of a sudden, I'm not feeling so good.

[ora masters]

hey 37 coupe i have one of those [micky mouse t birds ] and i love it red with red and black upholster both tops 02 looks like new with 85,000.miles

[BlueSunoco]

Sounds like it's always best to have cash in hand or some kind of partial payment and make the other guy sign a statement saying YOU are to have the car,,,,, and/or better yet, get it then and there don't let time or other parties get involved and mess you up.

Brother in California, years ago, came upon a '67 Shelby GT500, all original black plate car with a 425 HP 427 out of Mel Burns Ford I believe it was...... he wasted NO time running all around THAT NIGHT getting cash for the car and it was not cheap. BUT, he walked away the winner, got the car before the owner changed his mind. Good thing because a couple of days later he got two separate phone calls from VERY angry people who said THEY were supposed to have the car and he 'stole' it out from under them

[dude]

Your number was worth keeping ,but not using ..can't figure some people...

[Shadetree]

When I found my `35 I gave a deposit and a handshake with an old gentleman. Months later after I got it running I was at car show and a stranger walked up and said that I had beat him by two hours buying the car. He also said that he had tried for years to buy the car. He said he offered the owner more money to back out of the deal with me but he refused. So sometimes you win.....

[rockfla]

@ Bluesunoco
No way, as my best friend ALWAYS told me, "SEAL THE DEAL....TAKE THE GOODS....GO HOME!" Don't EVER give a deposit and leave it. We had a friend who bought a 40 Sedan Delivery on his way out of town and Left a $500 Deposit....when he returned two days later got a $500 handshake and "SORRY"! Someone paid him a little more money and took it home. My dad wanted to do the same with our 35 Sedan Delivery, I told him no...it didn't cost anything extra to pull a empty trailer. REMEMBER

ALWAYS SEAL THE DEAL!!!!!!!

[Clem Clement]

While in college we spotted a '40 Merc parked on the city street. My bud said buy it.
I wrote my Phone # on a matchbook cover I found in the gutter and offered $25. 2 weeks later the owner called and accepted. I had to borrow the $25. We had to drive the car backward to get it up the hill to campus because the clutch was shot.

A few weeks later Daddy came up and we towed it home via R130. When we went by the Ford Factory I could see him tipping his hat to the factory (Where the 40 was built!). I will never forget the Father/son trip. A local bud and I put an 8BA in the Merc and got it running and driving. I loved that car.

Then the Good Lord called Daddy home and we had to sell the Merc. It resides now in the late Bob Aufderheide's garage in Dayton Ohio. The Merc was a convertible sedan.

[Clem Clement]

As a kid I found a '29 Packard touring in a field for $25. Daddy said no. The next car I found was a 40 Buick convert for $25. Daddy checked with my Uncle Raeman who said no. He said the 40 Buick had a poor transmission. Then he said I have several cars I own here at the shop and you can have anyone of them. My bud and I went down there immediately and picked a 40 Packard sedan. he said no as tires were not available. Then I picked 41 Ford Tudor. He said no as he did not have the title. A couple of others were junk. It came down to 2 X 48 Pontiac coupes. One in green with a big visor and one in dull black. We picked the ugly black one and asked who was going to get it thru inspection. He said you are nephew. THANK goodness for that decision! Both of us learned about fixing cars from that decision. King pins, mufflers, tire changing; tune-ups, low cost repair solutions like kerosene on the windshield to get the poor wipers thru inspection, tinfoil from gum wrappers to cover burnt out fuses, junk yard runs for fuses and light bulbs, etc.
The old heap covered our experiences for 6 months of fun. I would change tires for folks on the NJTK for cash. Every trip home I went to uncle's pile of worn tires and tubes and mounted up 3 more for the next trip to school. When one of those MAY POPS blew, they took the tube and half the tire with the blast.

That summer the Pont was dying. We drove it to the junk year and it died 20 feet from where the junkie wanted it. He laughed so hard and said: You boys got every inch of service out of that wreck. We did!