Thread: Car buying war stories.....

Tweet

Here's one I suspect some could relate to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wmhOFvMiOM

In 1973 I was working for a company that had it's own credit union. I guy told me a lunch one day that he had won in a silent auction a 1970, 340, 4 speed, Swinger. It had been road hard had wiring burned in the dash and shifter fork broken in the transmission with a lot of rash on the body. The thing was he did not want to go thru with the purchase from the C/U. His winning bid was $272.28. I did not have any money so I applied for a loan with the C/U and they loaned me the money and I bought the car. I already had a 1972 swinger but it was a 318 plain nice car. I could not pass this car up. I fixed the wiring and transmission fork. Would that car run!!!! Had a lot of fun with it. That said I sold it for $400.00 just enough to move into my first apartment.

In 1986 I needed a winter beater and saw a '74 Torino with a 302 for sale for $175. Went, looked at it - and it for sure was a well used beater, but it ran smoothly and the auto transmission shifted just fine. Bought it and drove it home. I finally decided to really see what the engine looked like under all those early emission controls so dug down. It looked wider then a 302 and the intake water outlet wasn't 'quite right' for a 302. Well that 302 turned out to be a 351W - a '73 engine by casting date (or else it was a real early build for '74). It had all of the good for that period, parts. I drove it through the winter until it was time to pull my '86 Mustang GT out of storage. Then came the fun - I yanked the engine, mixed and matched parts with another 351W I bought off a pile of engines at my local salvage yard for $10, rebuilt everything worn, bored it .030, nice Lunati cam, SVT Dura Spark, Performer RPM, etc, etc, etc then put it in a T-bucket. The carcass went on a roll back and off to my favorite junk yard. The transmission was an FMX which I gave away. My only regret - I didn't pull the 9" differential.

I'll have another story later on if this thread holds

that was a great find dave. you really lucked out with that one.

Hey Yall enjoying the stories.Thanks
Don

Another. The Dallas Times Herald (long since closed) had the best car and car part ads. The trick was to be standing in your front yard and catch the paper before it hit the ground and call the ad quickly before the car or car part sold. One day, I did exactly that and the ad said "1932 Ford Sedan body and frame $200" I dialed the guy up and he said that nobody had looked at it...yet. He was in Waco and I was on the north side of Dallas. I quickly called a buddy with a trailer and we did a land speed record run down the road to Waco. When we pulled up at his house, the drive was empty.....he had either sold it or we got there first. Well, the body was still in the garage, two cars were coming around the corner of his street on two tires each....I had to do it....I handed him $200 quickly and shook his hand without inspecting my new purchase.

Turned out it was a very sound body and included the window mouldings. I kept it for a year or so and sold it for $600.....$600 then is probably $3600 now.

mike in tucson

My first Mustang rings of Bob's story.In 1979, I saw an add in the Sacramento Bee stating "1968 Mustang for sale, needs engine rebuild." I went to look at it, and the father of the kid who owned it comes out and shows the car to me. It's pretty beat up inside, with mismatched torn seats, and a chain steering wheel. So like Bob, I put on the coveralls and crawl under it. The ball joints were shot and the rear end was sagging. The radiator had rust stains running down it, the hood had water/rust stains from where the radiator had blown, the dash was missing it's pad. But closer inspection showed a air fitting under the license plate(for the rear air shocks), a nice set of Crager 5 spoke mags, and a perfect body with decent paint under a layer of grime. They wanted 700 for it, and I offered 400 and the dad said, "sold, the title is in my name, he knocked up his girlfriend and this will help pay for the wedding and baby!"
Upon cleaning out the truck I came across various assortments of ladies lingerie, so I guess the car might of been involved in the boy's "situation".
Loved that car and should have kept it! If we could only go back in time!