Warren
Gold forum user
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Sure it's more than one for most of us, but maybe this will be a fun thread that'll make you not bang your head thinking I should have ______ or _________.
A local So. Cal. car, once owned by CAT member as evidenced by our sticker. Well, this P.O. gave the car to a neighbor of mine--a Jaguar E-type guy--under the condition that he first restore the car and then enjoy it as his own. The car being in need of a total restoration, he did not see the light or profit at the end of the tunnel. He already had his Jag, a Bugeye, a Westy VW and his production cars. I'd seen the car five years ago but not having been infected with Tigerosis I only had eyes for the 61 E-type roadster.
In I step some 18 months ago, now hopelessly infected and wanting a track car to try and keep up with the Josten's--I mean Jones
Now, I know him as local car guy from the car shows and that he's a retired postal carrier turned car picker and flipper in the neighborhood. He tells me his dilemma about there being no upside to the car . I ask him if he would like to sell the car. In addition I offer to let him drive my car and play with my car so he can see what a finished product is like . I constantly badger him weekly at local events; "What's a guy with one of the most beautiful cars in the world want a barbaric car like a Tiger for?" and dangle my Tiger keys in a mocking fashion over a beer in the Ruby's parking lot. It's finally agreed upon to allow me to drop by and lift the cover and kick her tires. She still rolls and not much more, frozen motor, barren engine compartment. Rough from 20 plus years of covered life in a So.Cal. beach area. She survived remarkably well.
I shoot a picture of the VIN tag and the JAL tag and send it to Norm and Norm tells me what I already know: that the car came from Pismo Beach. All the Tiger's specific areas are covered up in the trunk and rear and aft section of the car. I can't get under the car easier because it's just too low to the ground .
A price is set at $10,000. I'm ready to go get the money and my only condition is that I lift the car up and I confirm that it is a Tiger and also verify the matching number of the VIN tag the transmission and the rear end.
First road block. He says, "Why do you need to do that?" and stalls the deal. I simply assert I have one Lego car already and while I'm quite comfy with the odd color bricks either the next one will be matching or it'll be a beater and my tendered bid will be less. Not known to me is if he's worried that if I come over and lift the car up and put on jack stands and start crawling under car his neighbors would be riled at him for working on cars in the driveway as a business. But he never tells me this.
Another 6 months or so goes by .
In a fit of so close yet so far away, I risk telling my seller my true tale of woe about how my butt hole neighbors got my hobby car Falcon towed away because it had been sitting on the street in excess of 72 hours. I also tell him to beware because my other friend who lives in the same neighborhood got cited for having his inoperable hobby car parked in his front driveway. I do this with no idea the hammer is about to be dropped by his not so wonderful neighbors.
Bigger than life, the city code enforcement Nazis cite him and insist that he put insurance on the car and that he register it and not be inoperable and viewable in the front of the home. He is also required to move it about the driveway as if it is an operable car. He begrudgingly complies with their order. When I see him next he tells me, "You were right," and I feel the tension of a nagging "does he think I ratted him out just to push the sale along?'' deep inside.
Another 6 months go by and he tells me that his wife has contacted the P.O. I am further told the car was given to her. Wife asks P.O. do you want the car back? my husbands not going to restore it and wants to sell it. Husband seeing the car the storage efforts the insurance trips to D.M.V. and all the hassle he's gone thru and the $10,000 slipping away. He asks me, "Who's that Dale restorations guy?" He explains to me that when he logically explains the cost involved to wife and P.O. there will be some fruits for his caretaker labors when they get sticker shock for labor and the crazy cost of replacing Tiger specific bits gone long ago.
A few more months go by, I drive by stalking the neighborhood for open garages with hidden and unloved motors, and find the footprints in the concrete and an empty driveway where the Tiger stood. I call and grovel on voice mail to the husband, what happened to my car! Days later, I run into him he says its off to Gardena to be restored and his wife gave P.O. now current owner the title and it happened while he was away for a few days. Where's my pillow to scream into again.... deep breath....
What should I have done differently is always what you think after the fishing line snaps and the big one or only bite of the day gets away.
As,soon as I heard the wife was the final decision maker the temptation was nearly intolerable to go visit and bang on the door while the Mr. was away and put my foot in her door and say, "What would you rather have in the driveway that rust bucket or a new kitchen with a granite counter top?" but I resisted spreading flammable material about his wife.
It turns out the Mr. could have sold the car at any time as he had his name or Mrs.on the title but didn't as to have done so he said would have been a Civil War.
The good news here is the Mrs. is a stand up lady and a person of her word. He also told me with undeniable angry and crooked finger gesturing across the street at the complainant neighbor and that we were totally good.
The bad news is after all my good faith and good guy negotiations and above board tactics I have failed.
I never got a chance to ask P.O. as the husband was acting as the middleman and caretaker as well, I'm glad he survived his civil war and know behind every good guy there really most likely is a good woman poking him with a sharp stick.
I am pretty lucky though and maybe, just maybe, sticker shock will set in the owner will read this and call me.
A local So. Cal. car, once owned by CAT member as evidenced by our sticker. Well, this P.O. gave the car to a neighbor of mine--a Jaguar E-type guy--under the condition that he first restore the car and then enjoy it as his own. The car being in need of a total restoration, he did not see the light or profit at the end of the tunnel. He already had his Jag, a Bugeye, a Westy VW and his production cars. I'd seen the car five years ago but not having been infected with Tigerosis I only had eyes for the 61 E-type roadster.
In I step some 18 months ago, now hopelessly infected and wanting a track car to try and keep up with the Josten's--I mean Jones
Now, I know him as local car guy from the car shows and that he's a retired postal carrier turned car picker and flipper in the neighborhood. He tells me his dilemma about there being no upside to the car . I ask him if he would like to sell the car. In addition I offer to let him drive my car and play with my car so he can see what a finished product is like . I constantly badger him weekly at local events; "What's a guy with one of the most beautiful cars in the world want a barbaric car like a Tiger for?" and dangle my Tiger keys in a mocking fashion over a beer in the Ruby's parking lot. It's finally agreed upon to allow me to drop by and lift the cover and kick her tires. She still rolls and not much more, frozen motor, barren engine compartment. Rough from 20 plus years of covered life in a So.Cal. beach area. She survived remarkably well.
I shoot a picture of the VIN tag and the JAL tag and send it to Norm and Norm tells me what I already know: that the car came from Pismo Beach. All the Tiger's specific areas are covered up in the trunk and rear and aft section of the car. I can't get under the car easier because it's just too low to the ground .
A price is set at $10,000. I'm ready to go get the money and my only condition is that I lift the car up and I confirm that it is a Tiger and also verify the matching number of the VIN tag the transmission and the rear end.
First road block. He says, "Why do you need to do that?" and stalls the deal. I simply assert I have one Lego car already and while I'm quite comfy with the odd color bricks either the next one will be matching or it'll be a beater and my tendered bid will be less. Not known to me is if he's worried that if I come over and lift the car up and put on jack stands and start crawling under car his neighbors would be riled at him for working on cars in the driveway as a business. But he never tells me this.
Another 6 months or so goes by .
In a fit of so close yet so far away, I risk telling my seller my true tale of woe about how my butt hole neighbors got my hobby car Falcon towed away because it had been sitting on the street in excess of 72 hours. I also tell him to beware because my other friend who lives in the same neighborhood got cited for having his inoperable hobby car parked in his front driveway. I do this with no idea the hammer is about to be dropped by his not so wonderful neighbors.
Bigger than life, the city code enforcement Nazis cite him and insist that he put insurance on the car and that he register it and not be inoperable and viewable in the front of the home. He is also required to move it about the driveway as if it is an operable car. He begrudgingly complies with their order. When I see him next he tells me, "You were right," and I feel the tension of a nagging "does he think I ratted him out just to push the sale along?'' deep inside.
Another 6 months go by and he tells me that his wife has contacted the P.O. I am further told the car was given to her. Wife asks P.O. do you want the car back? my husbands not going to restore it and wants to sell it. Husband seeing the car the storage efforts the insurance trips to D.M.V. and all the hassle he's gone thru and the $10,000 slipping away. He asks me, "Who's that Dale restorations guy?" He explains to me that when he logically explains the cost involved to wife and P.O. there will be some fruits for his caretaker labors when they get sticker shock for labor and the crazy cost of replacing Tiger specific bits gone long ago.
A few more months go by, I drive by stalking the neighborhood for open garages with hidden and unloved motors, and find the footprints in the concrete and an empty driveway where the Tiger stood. I call and grovel on voice mail to the husband, what happened to my car! Days later, I run into him he says its off to Gardena to be restored and his wife gave P.O. now current owner the title and it happened while he was away for a few days. Where's my pillow to scream into again.... deep breath....
What should I have done differently is always what you think after the fishing line snaps and the big one or only bite of the day gets away.
As,soon as I heard the wife was the final decision maker the temptation was nearly intolerable to go visit and bang on the door while the Mr. was away and put my foot in her door and say, "What would you rather have in the driveway that rust bucket or a new kitchen with a granite counter top?" but I resisted spreading flammable material about his wife.
It turns out the Mr. could have sold the car at any time as he had his name or Mrs.on the title but didn't as to have done so he said would have been a Civil War.
The good news here is the Mrs. is a stand up lady and a person of her word. He also told me with undeniable angry and crooked finger gesturing across the street at the complainant neighbor and that we were totally good.
The bad news is after all my good faith and good guy negotiations and above board tactics I have failed.
I never got a chance to ask P.O. as the husband was acting as the middleman and caretaker as well, I'm glad he survived his civil war and know behind every good guy there really most likely is a good woman poking him with a sharp stick.
I am pretty lucky though and maybe, just maybe, sticker shock will set in the owner will read this and call me.
