if you know someone who owns an older muscle car, that has it sitting in a garage, in a car port or under a tarp in the back yard or is just not doing much with it, you may want to ask them what they want for it and DON,T GIVE UP, stop by and ask again every few months and let them know your interested , and even if you can,t afford it let them know you would like to be informed if they ever decide to sell the car.
I had a guy several blocks from where I used to live with a 1965 GTO sitting up on jack stands in his carport for over 10 years, I stopped by every 6-8 months to ask if he might consider selling the car because I could see it was just sitting and never worked on, I always go the same answer....."no I am going to restore it when I retire!"
Id gone over and looked at the car,and I made an offer, of $5K, but suggested that he name his price if he thought that was un-realistic and Id try to meet any reasonable price, ... the body was great, the engine needed rebuilding and the tires and interior were pretty much in need of replacement....
I went by one day and the car was GONE! I stopped to ask, and the wife said the husband had passed on, and she had gotten $150 from a local salvage yard for the car!
"she said it was just an eyesore and taking up parking space"
I was SICK!
now I,m not a big ford or mercury fan, but I knew where a rather nice dark green 390 4 barrel, 1968 cougar was in a guys garage, and I knew he rarely worked on the car or did much more that stack boxes on it after he put a large tarp on it.
he kept the garage door open and you could see the car every time he mowed the yard, so I stopped by and asked if he wanted to sell it, he said he was thinking about it more and more as he realized he did not really have the time or skills or cash required to do the job.
the car was in great shape, and I know he rarely drove it, the only thing he said was wrong was the battery would not stay charged!
I kept stopping by about every couple months if I saw the garage open....one day I saw a sold sign on the front lawn, the guy had moved ... his neighbor had stated he had gotten laid-off, and lost the home, the guy sold the car to a local used car dealers ship, for $1800.......again I felt like banging my head against the wall, the car was obviously worth several times that amount (and even I would have found some way to finance it) and I'm not even a mercury guy!
I had a guy several blocks from where I used to live with a 1965 GTO sitting up on jack stands in his carport for over 10 years, I stopped by every 6-8 months to ask if he might consider selling the car because I could see it was just sitting and never worked on, I always go the same answer....."no I am going to restore it when I retire!"
Id gone over and looked at the car,and I made an offer, of $5K, but suggested that he name his price if he thought that was un-realistic and Id try to meet any reasonable price, ... the body was great, the engine needed rebuilding and the tires and interior were pretty much in need of replacement....
I went by one day and the car was GONE! I stopped to ask, and the wife said the husband had passed on, and she had gotten $150 from a local salvage yard for the car!
"she said it was just an eyesore and taking up parking space"
I was SICK!
now I,m not a big ford or mercury fan, but I knew where a rather nice dark green 390 4 barrel, 1968 cougar was in a guys garage, and I knew he rarely worked on the car or did much more that stack boxes on it after he put a large tarp on it.
he kept the garage door open and you could see the car every time he mowed the yard, so I stopped by and asked if he wanted to sell it, he said he was thinking about it more and more as he realized he did not really have the time or skills or cash required to do the job.
the car was in great shape, and I know he rarely drove it, the only thing he said was wrong was the battery would not stay charged!
I kept stopping by about every couple months if I saw the garage open....one day I saw a sold sign on the front lawn, the guy had moved ... his neighbor had stated he had gotten laid-off, and lost the home, the guy sold the car to a local used car dealers ship, for $1800.......again I felt like banging my head against the wall, the car was obviously worth several times that amount (and even I would have found some way to finance it) and I'm not even a mercury guy!
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