Garage Sale Model A

[TJMack]

In January of 2013 I was out with my wife “garage-saleing” in Venice Florida. I usually sit in the truck while she shops for stuff for her antique business. Upon returning to the truck this one day she said “did you see the old car in the garage?” I said no, and got out to investigate.

The garage door was open but all I could see of the car was the headlights. It was totally covered up with sheets and blankets except for the lenses of the lights. Not even the grill was showing. I couldn’t tell what kind of car it was, but the headlight gave a good clue to the age.

I asked the two elderly women at a table in front of the garage if the car was for sale and they jumped up and said no, the door wasn’t even supposed to be open. The car belonged to the old lady who owned the house and was letting them use the driveway for the garage sale. They immediately closed the door.

A few days later I went back to the house to see if the car might be for sale. When I knocked on the door I could hear someone inside rustling about, but they would not answer the door. I didn’t give up, though. I went back a few times more over the next month or so to see if I could catch someone outside. I even tried having my wife knock on the door in hopes that if the old woman saw another female at the door she might answer it. Didn’t work.

I still didn’t give up. I kept going back by the houses until a year later I finally found a lady outside that I could talk to about it. She was not the “Old Lady” who wouldn’t answer the door, but she was the actual owner. She told me what it was, but still wouldn’t let me see it because she said her garage was such a mess. Regardless, the car wasn’t for sale because her son was intending to fix it up for her twin grand kids’ 16th birthday. She admitted that she didn’t hold much hope in that happening.

Over the next FOUR YEARS I kept going by the house and if I saw her outside I’d stop and renew her memory that I’d be interested in buying it if it became available. So, last December I happen to be going by and saw her. When I stopped she said, to my surprise, that Yes, they were considering selling it because the kids turned 16 the previous August and had no interest in the car.

I finally got to see what it was and then talked with her son and daughter-in-law and struck a deal. It’s a 1929 Special Coupe with a rumble seat. It sat in that garage for 40 years without moving. A quick inspection showed that the body was exceptionally solid with only a few minor spots of rust and cracks in the usual places on the front fenders.

The paint is lacking, and the grill shell and bumpers are all surface rust giving the car a great survivor patina. The interior was “customized” somewhere along the line with a rolled and pleated seat. Most of the car looks to be OEM, with some variations that occurred over the years. It’s not show quality by ANY means, but it is COOL. It's the first Model A I've ever owned.

The moral of the story is, keep your eyes open. The barn finds are all gone. The cars are now to be found in garages in the cities. And a corollary is; don’t give up.

I'll elaborate on my experiences in later posts. I hope some will enjoy.