Did you find your car or did it find you

[Joe AZ]

My '40 Ford Standard Coupe found me, or maybe I found it. I answered an ad on the Barn a couple of months ago for some '40 wheels, and when I showed up, the '40 was in the driveway. One thing led to another, a trade was proposed and consumated, and I was the proud owner of a new car. The past couple of months have been spent sorting out electrical issues (replacing original firewall harness), carbueration, bad fuel line, and starter. I tell my wife I'm just "sorting out the details". Plans include a dropped axle, dual carbs, and maybe aluminum heads. Otherwise it's stock, with the exception of dual exhaust.
Joe

[wga]

My 49 wagon; saw it for sale, through a broker working for the CM Russell Museum in Great Falls, Mt. Nice orginal low mileage, I like the 49's - wood tailgate, unique door handles, and grill. It was a complex process, I walked away. Several years later found it for sale on a website and made the inquiry. It was now in Florida, stored in an airconditioned garage. Was in the process of looking at other shoebox woodies and kept thinking about that '49 in Florida. Contacted the owner who had it for sale for 5 months and no takers, had to be something wrong with it ? Flew out and checked it out, made an offer, which his wife accepted and two days later the car was on its way to northern California.

[296 V8]

Arbuckle Ca
1975
$150.00


There was a 36 five window (sideswiped on one side) and the remains of a 35 or 36 pickup there also.

It kinda found me.

[Brendan]

i found my turck on evil bay, my wife said go a head and bid on it, it was in Richmond ca. it could have gone anywhere in the world and it comes back to the home town where it lived it's whole life, about a mile from my house

[Marvin/TN]

I found my 30 Ford coupeat a used car lot in the want ads of our local paper back in 1957. We, Dad, my brother and went to lok at it after Dad got home from work and liked it. My brother and i scraped together a few dollars and went by the lot on the way to school the next morn and made a small down payment until Dad could get by the lot after work and pay the rest. Cost was $275.00 with new paint and interior. Later through another deal with my brother the car became totally mine. I still have it today. Our 46 Ford coupe came to us from a co worker of a friend that wanted to sell it to buy a house. Cost was $1600.00 back about 1978, still have it also.

[jim1932]

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It sure is neat to hear how people got their cars.

[BoxCar Tom]

In 1984 after not driving my 32 3w for six years and my 32 roadster just a growing collection of parts I started to actively look for another 32 Ford that I could drive. I searched Hershey every year and Hemmings and the V8 Times every month. I called about every 32 Ford for sale within 500 miles from home and under $5,000.00. Finally in 1994 I found an all original rust free 32 Std Tudor V8 sedan with 72K miles. The car was put in storage in a barn near Hartwick, NY in 1955. Thirty nine years later, one hundred ninety two miles from home, Price $5,000.00. We winched it out of the barn on Saturday afternoon, had it running on Sunday morning. The car was listed for sale in Hemmings and the V8 Times. According to the seller I was the only person who took the time to visit and look at the car. Fifteen years later it has 76K miles.

[FatFndr]

I think it found me. About 10 years ago a friend bought a '36 two door Ford that had been sitting in a garage for about 20 years. When he brought it home and I saw it, I knew that I wanted it, not one like it - - IT! Five years later I was shopping at Lowe's for a project I was working on at home.....I usually shop at Home Depot as it is closer but for some reason I felt compelled to go to Lowe's instead. As it turns out I was standing in the check out line behind the owner of the '36 and I casually asked him what he was doing with it as I had not seen it on the street for over a year. Seems he had a street rod, needed money to finish it and was getting ready to sell the '36. Two days later it was sitting in my garage. What made me go to Lowe's instead of Home Depot that day, at exactly the same time he would be there, standing in the same check out line and right behind him? Luck? Karma? The '36 reaching out to me?

[Vic Piano]

Every car/truck comes with a story; I looked for a Maize Yellow ’47 Ford Convertible for 30 years before I found ours in 1995.



Our ’39 Ford CS found me; a man I knew bought it at an auction and decided he didn’t like the car. He told me about it and I took her home 1990.






Our ’39 Lincoln Zephyr Convertible Club Coupe found me as well; never in my wildest dreams did I even think that someday I would be lucky enough to have what had always been my favorite Zephyr. I got the Zephyr in 2001.


Our ’49 Cosmo Convertible also found me; I was looking for a ’49 Merc Convertible when I saw the Cosmo in 2005.


The ’51 F-1 we bought for my wife to use in her home refurbishing business/hobby in 1998. The truck needed a master cylinder and I ended up restoring it.


My ’53 Crestline Sunliner found me at the train station in Northport, NY in 1973… She’s due for her second restoration.


Our ’53 F-100 Panel Delivery was owned by a friend of mine, one day he asked me if I’d be interested in buying it…


My wife is from South Bend, IN where Studebakers were built so, a ’55 Speedster found us while we were looking for an Avanti. The Speedster needs a full restoration. Hopefully, this is what it will look like when finished.


I mentioned the Avanti and we did fine a ’63 R-2 however it met with an untimely demise in an altercation on the highway. My wife wanted another so we found a ’63 R-1 with factory air, power windows, PB, PS and 3 speed BW automatic.


My Dad bought his first new Lincoln (a Convertible) in 1966 and I still have it. The Lincoln is also in need of restoration as my mother used it as daily transportation and a “battering ram” for twelve years, when my father put it out to pasture, literally, it sat out in the weather for almost 10 years.


And last, but certainly not least, our ’68 E-Type. My dad also bought this car new and it has very low millage (52,000) because my mother didn’t really like driving it… It suffered a similar fate to the ‘66 Lincoln as my dad just let it sit for 20 years. When I got it in ’93, I fixed what needed to be fixed and drove her for a few years and put her in storage until two weeks ago. Hopefully we’ll have her back on the road soon.


That's our collection today, who knows what will follow me home in the future...

[Byron Warwick]

I guess we kind of found each other. I was working in the lab at the Heinz plant in Leamington Ontario. I recently turned 21 and still did not have a car. I hitch hiked daily to my job. Do you remember those days, I hitch hiked everywhere. One day at the corner Supertest Garage, a green Ford pickup appeared, and it was still there the next day, and not in for repairs. It was love at first sight I guess. I had to convince my father that I would sell it if I had to, as I was going back to school that fall. He agreed I could spend the $200.00. I also had it repainted for another $50.00. Everything else was as original. Love at first sight. I still have him and Merlot is his name.

[Robert Dip]

Always more than loved a ’35 3W. In the mid 60’s, it found me, I guess. Had a ’37 2dr and a friend wanted it….traded it for that 3W….no problem, I want it. But….I was young….and girls came into the picture…..and with all my other project cars, I stored it in a friend’s friend back yard…..long story short….forgot about it and it somehow disappeared over time….can you imagine that….true stuff. About 25 years ago, driving back from a car meet in Ohio, there it was….a 3W with a for sale sign on it…..got off the hi-way and got to the car….no one around but a phone # was on the car. It was Sunday afternoon, and I had another 400+ miles to get back home. This car definitely sent me vibes that said ‘take me home’. The next day, I called, wrong number and another long story…..it missed me. Been bothering me for the last 25 years.

Fast forward to last year…..and the 3W came to appear once again in my life….Ok, that’s it….I’m getting this guy….I hear its call…..well, can’t believe it….lost it for reasons I’ll keep to myself. However, something was wrong…..that car belongs to me. Don’t know anything about fate….but I told everyone that this is ‘my’ car. My buddies thought I was weird, but I still insisted for some reason. One year later, it appeared again….same car….and that was it…..got it, and that’s a much longer story.

So did this car find me…..it must be so….it knew where it belonged….with me in my garage. And to my buddies, I simply said…..” I told you so”.

[Scott De Shields]

My 40 Ford has been part of me for as long as I can remember. My grandfather originally bought the car and was caught up with SBC fever back in the 1950's. Three SBC engines later (265,301,327) and passing to my father than to me I am putting a flathead back in along with a Ford 4 speed with Jeep shifter. This is the first car I crawled under when I was a kid and will probably (we'll see) be my last. I just retired a couple of days ago and like my father always said " you will need a project after you retire to keep your mind fresh"; thanks dad you were right.

[TomT/Williamsburg]

My black 40 std coupe - I had had several but let them all get away for various reasons (even in bits and pieces - long story). I got into street rods and finally tired of them and sold them all off. I then made a call to a buddy of mine who deals in old cars, specifically 40 Fords, and said I was ready for a "stock or near stock" driver. He had 2 at the time - a red 40 Delux, and a black 40 std - I took the standard sight unseen and told him I would pick it up at Spring Carlisle that year (1998). Now, Carlisle really starts on Tuesday for vendors and it seems an employee of Drake's really wanted the car and told him he'd give $5K more than I negotiated for (or so the "fish" story goes - LOL). To his credit, my buddy held firm and said the car was promised to me. I bought it, loved it when I saw it, still love it to this day. So I guess you could say we found each other.

My avatar - after finishing my 40 coupe, I went through several 40 p-ups when this car popped up in Street Scene. I was the second caller on it, we negotiated a price, and, based on an inspection of whether or not I would buy it, I sent a pretty decent retainer and I had 10 days to decide. I told him I would have a more-or-less local someone go and be my eyes and ears on the car and give me a fair assessment. I picked up my Fellow Pages to find someone to look it over and the first guy I called was not only a 32 oficionado (spelling?), he had bought several cars off this same person. Talk about luck! The rest is history as they say and it is one of the best investments I've ever made. To finish the project, I sold a red 40 Ford p-up to Al Casteen (hamtownAl here on the 'Barn and HAMB) who, after several upgrades, sold that same truck to Jerry Burger of Street Rod Builder fame. So - as to who found who, I would say it "found" me. Some time I'll tell you about how my poor non-car nut brother-in-law and I went to pick it up in Minn from VA - in February - in a snow storm - lost the top of the car - found it again - stayed o-night in Minn to let the storm pass and THAT was another of the best decisions I ever made in my life. So many accidents that night and with me pulling a trialer we never would have made it home in one piece.

[rbutin]

I've really enjoyed reading these, all replies are interesting and a great aspect of owning/restoring Fords. No.1 - 1947 Deluxe Bus Coupe V8 - My great-grand-father bought it new when he was 77 years old to replace his 37 coupe. He drove it until 1960. It sat in a barn for four years until he died at 94 in 1964. My grandmother asked my dad if he would like it when she settled the estate. He said sure, we rebuilt the engine and became his work car until I was 16 in 1968, and it become mine through hs. I drove it until 1973 when I guy offered me way more than I thought it was worth. No way I would sell it, then or now. Its restored and a great driver. No. 2 - had a college dorm friend telling me about taking his bros and sister sledding behind a tractor on the hood they cut off an old car in their hedgerow. He said it didn't work to good because it was really pointed in the front. I perked up a little, and started asking him a few questions - how many doors? 2, Was it shaped like my 47(described above, that was what I was driving in 1971) - no, it was longer, had a back seat. Oh yeah, the tail lights looked like sargent stripes. I was at his next farm the next weekend and bought a complete deluxe 40 tudor, low miles and a pretty screwed up hood. Still have it, too.

[jim1932]

Vic leave something for the rest of us! LOL

[bobj49f2]

My prized baby and I kind of grew up together. My dad bought it the late '60s, used it for his auto repair business. I spent every vacation day with him going back and forth to work, parts chasing and service calls. He drove until he went out of business in the mid '70s and left it sit to rod. I got into after high school and many years later I had it on the road.



The flatbed truck I bought to part out but it ran so nice and it kind of grew on me. I swapped sheet metal with another truck I bought in MN via eBay. It still needs a lot of work but it's on hiatus for a while.



The panel truck saga started out after my wife got smart one day. I had always wanted a panel truck but my wife isn't very understanding of my truck hobby. One day she came home from a pool party she took the kids to and told me about a conversation she had with the other mothers. They were all cackling about their husbands and she told them she had me under her thumb. Well, I couldn't let the stand so the next week I found a panel truck and bought it. The first truck needed a lot of work and I had swapped the roof on it but I was too busy to do much else with it. I found another panel without a drive train and bought it and swapped out the chassis with the first panel.



My latest project is a '37 Buick. This one followed me home. My neighbor and his friend bought a car and a bunch of parts in Peoria, Il and wanted to use my car trailer but his truck didn't have a brake hook up for the electric brakes so I offered to use my truck and drive down with them. The Buick was sitting in front of the car they bought and my neighbor told me I should buy it, he even offered to lend me the money to buy it. I asked him if also he had a divorce lawyer in his pocket because if I bought the Buick I'd need one. The next day I showed my wife all the cars the seller had for seller and when I got to the Buick she said I should go back and buy it. I told her she was full of it but she insisted she would drive it if I fixed it up. I didn't want to argue with her so the next weekend my neighbor and I went back down and picked it up. Now four Buicks later I'm starting to put it back together.

[CJ Meyers]

My '50 Crestliner found me. My Dad and Uncle bought it locally in '53, while they were in college together and when they got married and left home, Dad managed to get the car. He drove it (beat it) untill '66 when it finally died.

In 2004 he had the engine and body worked on, but had no place, nor skill to finish the work. I had some experience wrenching on my two '80's daily drivers, but had no experience nor real interest in working on anything antique.

I managed to convince him to keep it in my garage and with the help of some friends and a former high school teacher of mine, we've done some good things to the car, and I've taken it to a few small shows.

Regards,

CJ Meyers
South Jersey

[Vic Piano]

Originally Posted by jim1932

Vic leave something for the rest of us! LOL

That's not how you're supposed to play the game...LOL

[mj40's]

Originally Posted by ~~Walts37~~

Mine found me with some help, my son in-law knew I was looking for a 40 ford coupe & seen this old pickup siting in a pasture wasting away. He told me about it & I rescued it. So much for the 40 coupe LoL
~~Walts37~~

Why not? I have the coupe and two 40 pickups. Now I'm looking for a 32 five window to find me.

[jim1932]

Originally Posted by Vic Piano

That's not how you're supposed to play the game...LOL

Time to move out to the country...... need more room for cars.....