I really hate stupid people!!!!!!!!!!

[Sly Fox]

Back behind one of my friends parents house are 3 big open fields. They are separated by tree lines. Along one of those tree lines are about 20 to 30 junk cars and trucks. Two of those cars are of couse a couple of old Mopars. One is a 69 440-4speed Roadrunner. It's all there, all original, everything. The other will definitely make some of you break out in tears, it's an all original "of course" 71 440-6 pack, 4-speed Charger R/T. The six-pack setup is still on the car. The person who owns these gems (I'm cursing him right now) said "I gonna fix'em up one a these days". I've known about these cars for some time. Louie (the owners name) is always too drunk to even care what those cars would be worth. I stopped to see, just by chance, if he would sell them. He told me they are not there anymore. He junked them along with the other junk cars that were back in the field. He said he needed to get that field cleaned up. Then he said if I would have stopped by before he cleaned the field up, he would have sold them to me. I missed them by 2 months. I have no idea where they are now. I'm gonna be really pi#@ed about this for a while. I told him to call me if he ever wanted to unload them. He had my number and everything. His excuse was that he forgot about me wanting those cars. I've been bugging him about those cars ever since I was about 17 or 18 y.o. (I'm 28 now). The cars needed some work, but they weren't really as bad as you would think. I placed two big plastic tarps under them and put them both on cement blocks just to keep them from sinking into the ground. I found the tarps and pieces of the cement blocks all busted up all over the ground. I think he just hooked chain up to them and yanked them right off the blocks. He knew I was really ticked off at him when I left. I think he got that idea when I called him a f#*%ing moron. I know it's not nice to call people names and I usually don't, but in this case, I had to let him know just how stupid he really is. He didn't forget about me wanting those cars. He just didn't want to take the time to call me and have me come and get them. This guy has always been a worthless staggering drunk for longer than I've known him. The only reason I even talked to him was just to keep tabs on the cars. I'm done rantin'. My ranting isn't going to make the cars reappear, so I guess I'll forget about them and move on. I don't think I'll be talking with Louie anymore though. No reason to now.

Like I have already said "I really hate stupid people".

Sorry to blow off steam, but I had to do it.

A really angry Sly Fox

[goldduster]

dang

[charger_dan]

It hurt me to read that story; enough to make a grown man cry.
As for louie, a good old-fashioned Phillipino-style caning should suffice...
I've known "owners" like that before as well. Nothing like watching an original '70 440 six pack/4-spd./Dana 60 Charger just sitting in a field, dying a slow silent death.
Like I said - caning.

[6pakman]

oh well if beggers were horses men would be landing on mars!!!!

[bubby440]

this is the so called i'm gonna fix her up someday syndrome. my friends and i would look for cars to buy and always got the same response - it's not for sale someday i'm going to fix it up. ex. 1969 dart w/340 sat in the same fence row for 12 years before it was scraped out. so don't feel lonely this has happened to many of us.

[Dr. Righteous]

Had an uncle that was a car guy and still had most of the cars he had own since he was a young man. He even had the '62 Dart that belonged to my grandparents. I didn't get to see much of him because he live in another state but we both were car guys (I was a teenager at the time) and when we came to visit he and I were always out in his workshop.
He had many very cool cars most in running condition. He had a stroke and died and my aunt without telling anyone sold the property that his workshop was on (it was his buisness he worked till he retired) and JUNKED EVERYTHING ON THE LOT. Building, shop tools, and all the cars. Salvage people that cleared the lot had one hell of a haul that day. I didn't find out until it was all done and over with. I was some kind of pissed.
I remembered my grandparents taking my sister and I for icecream in that Dart.

[9dodge]

This would be a good "off Topic" question

But heres some stories. None of these cars are Mopars but still it's to bad.
How bout a "port hole" thunderbird sitting in a carport, used as a "storage" table. I asked the owner a couple of time if she wanted to sell, I got the "I'm not gonna sell the car" she was about 80 years old.
A ford thunder bolt, thats right a factory thunder bolt, crushed at the wrecking yard because "nobody was gonna buy parts for it"

But the one good story is a 1969 Mustang Mach 1 390motor, sitting in roof high grass. My friend asked the owner if she wanted to sell. The response was,"well it doesn't get good gas mileage and it was my sons before he went to Vietnam" She took $300.00 for it. My friend was really happy, and when he opened the trunk it had a brand new factory tri-power setup sitting there. He had it running in a couple of weeks, with the Tri power on it. It was a great find.

Michael

[Matt Huber]

A friend of mine told me about one of his friends finding a original aluminum Daytona wing. The guy passed the house for years on his way to work but never paid attention to the house. One day he took a good look and noticed the wing on the front porch. The people were using it for a plant shelf. He got the wing for $25.

Oh yeah. My friend also has a old buddy that hadn't talked to for awhile and they were talking about the good old times at a bar and my friend mentioned he liked old muscle cars. So they went to the guys house and sitting there in the elements was a original green 69 1/2 six pack Super Bee. My friend offered to buy it from him but the guy refused. He said a close relative was the original owner of the car and it hadn't left the family since. The guy doesn't have any intention on restoring it. He doesn't care if it rots to nothing. What doesn't make sense is that he won't sell the car as a whole, but he doesn't have a problem with selling the drive train when the rest of the car is beyond repair from rust. He thinks he will make more money that way. Like you said, People are Stupid!!!

[SwingOnIt]

I know of a field full of old 300's, imperials, with 332 & 391 hemis. A couple of old army power wagons, even a thunderbird retractable hard top. Some of the cars have cruise control, power options etc. They belong to my friends Grandpa. My friend pulled a 66 charger out of the weeds and put a lean on it without grandpas knowledge, but his dad was behind the heist!

Most people know of a place like this.

I think we should get a politician to do something usefull and pass some kind of legislation protecting vintage cars from the crushers.

[2000 DAK 4.7]

Dam, my father-in-laws neighbor has a nice 69 RR sitting beside his house. Its rumored to have a 440 4-speed. The car just sits there rotting away (although still easily restorable). My brother-in-law tried to buy the car years ago, same old story I am going to fix her up some day. Well someday never comes. Hell with it i'm going tell the old man to sell it to me or i'll severely kick his ass!!!

[Dr. Righteous]

Two too true stories here.

I was waiting at a stop light in Powell (small town, surburb of Knoxville) when a '69 Superbee come rumbling by piloted by granny. WHOOAA! As soon as the light changed I went after her. She pulled in to get gas and I pulled in after her. Upon closer inspection the car needed to be restored but it was all there.
"Hey, that is a great old Dodge you are driving!" I said with my winning smile.
"Young man it ain't for sale. People are after me to sell my car all the time but this car has been good to me and I am not going to sell it. A good car is really hard to find."
She loved that old car. It was reliable and that means a lot to her.
"Yes, those old Dodges are certainly reliable; even when they are thirty years old."
I didn't nag her, I am sure she got enough of that.
She may putter around town at 30 MPH until the wheels fall off but she told me her husband bought it new to surprise her. She didn't like it at first but she grew to love the car.
I looked at the VIN; a 383 automatic. Shift on the tree, bench seat.
I said goodbye and went on my way.

Now, I have not seen this one but I have heard from several people the same account.
In Morristown (another small town in East TN)
IF you go down a certain street you can just catch a glempse of the tail end of a '71 RoadRunner out of the back of a garage. An old lady owns it and its hasn't been moved in a long time but has always been garage kept. It was her late husband's play toy. And WHAT a play toy. 440 4spd dana 60 rear. A black on black 71 Road Runner in Fantastic condition! Will she sell it? No, she is saving it for her grandchildren that are up in Chicago. They have not decided if they want it.
I am itching to go check this out for myself but I would be one of several people that are bugging the old lady about it. Once the story got around everyone is on it.
There is no way I could outbid some of those other guys so I don't want to set myself up for heart break even though '71 GTX/RR/Satellite is my favorite body style.

[MoPaul]

Not a MoPar, but...
My grandmother bought a new 1967 Firebird, 350 Poncho, factory duals, white with red leather, floor shift automatic. Late 70's, she falls into my uncle's hands. He blows the motor within weeks. Drops in a V6 for "economy." Grrr. Drives her, never cleans her. Uh-oh, she needs a thermostat! Better off just to park her than to attempt such a perilous journey into the heart of danger. I tried to buy the car for ten years. Even though she was rusted and ripped, she was still a piece of heritage to me. He finally sold her for $150-$200, 2 years ago.
He now avoids me, since it is known that I will beat him like a cellblock bitch when I find him. Oddly, no one in the family will tell me where he lives now.

[2000 DAK 4.7]

Dam, that story made me cry. I have a real soft spot for old Poncho's. 67 was the lightest year Firebird ever produced (around 2850 lbs). Drop in a 455 torque monster, 355 posi and hold on!!!

P.S. If you ever find your uncle let me know I would like to take a swing at him to.

[Sly Fox]

I'm sorry to hear about all these sad stories about neglected classics. It really makes me mad to see true pieces of art and (in my opinion) mans greatest automotive acheivement thrown out in fields or wherever to slowly rot away.

Swingonit: I agree with you totally, get a law passed to get these cars away from people who aren't doing anything with them and get them into the hands of people who WILL do something with them.

I know I'm not alone when it comes to this kind of situation. A lot of us have had to go through at one time or another. But it still pi@#es me off.

Sly

[Darn Dart]

Back in 1986 I was working at a used car lot, and a guy trades in a 72 340 4-speed Demon on a 76 Power Wagon, 4 X4 high lift kit, etc. I asked the assistant manager to buy the car and he says no its going on the lot for sale. So that night the assistant manager and a buddy go out drinking and doing a few power shifts with the Demon and it gets stuck in third gear. The next day he asks me if I still want the car, of course I said yes and offered him $200, he said OK but get it out of here by Monday before the boss gets back. I got the title took it home installed a new shift fork for $35 and still have it today. It is basin st. blue, orignal 340, 4-speed, and 3.91 sure grip. When I stop spending money on my 73 Dart Sport 340 Drag Car I plan on doing a complete resto on it. I have all the orignal parts for it right down to the orignal air cleaner, TQ, intake and valve covers. And don't worry its stored saftly inside my 30 X 40 garage so no one bugs me about selling it.

[DurangoSLT360]

I can't stand stupid people like that. You would have thought he would have had enough sense to get a decent price out of them (sell them to you) so he could get more beer $$. stupid drunk!

Sorry to hear man. They would have had the perfect home and been saved as a visual history rather than just a memory. They don't all turn out like that just sorry it happened to you that way.

A friend of mine has gotten lucky twice. He worked for Vitner potato chips as a vendor driver he eventually got a 70 'cuda convt 383 4sp. It was sitting in a field no trunk floor no floor boards and sunk up to the axles. Did a fine job restoring it. Took him over 6yrs. He also knew of a 69RR in an old ladies garage that belonged to her son (a truck driver) and afterabout 15yrs finally got that one too. He had to sell his 70 Coronet 500 to keep it. Though it was a nice upgrade. 69 1/2 RR 440 six bbl, 4sp converted by dealer (was auto) with 35,000 orginal miles. and a few dents from grandma backing into it while it was in her garage.

[NitroMethane]

My Uncle once had a 71 GTO, Red/White int. 400 auto. He knew I wanted that car since I was 5, when we used to out for ice cream in it. When I was fifteen It needed front fenders, paint, shocks and exhaust. It was kept in an old garage on his farm, and was covered in bird crap. I must've bugged him too much, cause he sold it to his nephew ( on his side of the family) for 150 clams. One year later he sold it to somebody else for $75, I don't know the condition now. It is now sitting behind Phil Fitts' Ford in New Castle, Pa, literally rotting into the ground. I haven't seen my Unc in about seven years, and I don't miss him.

Go over to http://carsinbarns.homestead.com/ (don't forget the kleenex!)

[djswwg]

Five minutes from my house is a '69 Charger R/T, green 440 4-speed, dana 3.55. Owned by the original owner. The car hasn't moved in 24 years. All the tires are flat, and the car is disolving into this guys drive way. Won't sell it for any amount of money. Same bullshit story, "I'm gonna fix 'er up someday!" Ya, right. Some people should be sh~t and pi$$ed on. Worst part is that he knows the car is valuable if restored. I just dont get it.

[Ricochet]

I can't stand those knobs ! I met their cousin in South Carolina in the early '80s. The old guy had at least 10 nice muscle cars in his front yard parked as if it were a used car lot. When I tried to approach his trailerhome he came out with a SHOTGUN and told me to get the F%#* off his land. Who was I to argue with a 12 ga.
When I asked around town about him, I was told the guy was a certified nut and won't even talk about the cars. So buying one was out of the question. I could'nt even find anyone that new how he acquired them.

[cdignition]

Well..heres my .02 cents...these cars would be worth some money if restored correctly, but most of them are so far gone, that it would cost 3 times what they are worth to fix. IF these people dont want to sell, the hell with them...dont burn anymore gray matter on it. These old mopars are out of circulation anyway(no diffrent than if crushed up and recycled)...now if it were a show car some old guy bought and let rot into the ground, that would be diffrent, cause the car was in good shape(not just running, but running well, and no rot). Thats my view on it...plus, if these go away, our good cars become more rare and valuable. IF they get scrapped out, all good parts get pulled anyway, so it will be
re-used to some extent.

[GTS225]

Originally posted by Sly Fox
Swingonit: I agree with you totally, get a law passed to get these cars away from people who aren't doing anything with them and get them into the hands of people who WILL do something with them.
Sly

********************************************
You two guys be VERY careful about what you wish for........creating a law is a double-edged sword. That same law that you want, in order to take away those classics, if they've been sitting for (XX) years can also be used against YOU to take away that parts car that's been parked alongside the garage for just a bit too long, (in your neighbor's opinion).
While I know it hurts to see these great muscle, (and not-so-muscle) cars rot into the ground, it's really a fundamental part of our freedom(s) in this country.
The saying goes... "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it."

[Sly Fox]

I'm careful what I wish for. Thats why I said "put them into the hands of people who will do something with them". When they remove cars that been sitting around, they should have an auction or advertise them for sale for people who will fix them up. I should have been more specific.

cdignition: I'm confused by what you said. If I find an all original 70 HEMI Cuda sitting in a field and I have the oppurtunity to buy it, I should pass it up and/or part it out instead of restoring it ??????????....................OOOOkay!!!!!!!...... ..I'm sure thats what you would do too............right?


Sly

[Maxwedge]

here is the CLUE..If you let a car sit outside while your telling everyone"Im gonna fix it up" your a red neck. NOTE..If you dont have enough money to buy or rent proper storage your probably NOT going to have the money to buy the tools or the expertise to have someone else fix the car anytime soon. Sell the freakin car and when you have the money get another one(they made more than one I sure) and restore it or just buy it finished.
I too have seen a couple cars that the owners let rot away. One in particular pissed me off. This guy who lives on a lake(In a Huge old BUS) has a 1970RR for sale, me and my friend think he is full of it(Typical wild goose story) its supposed to be a 440 six pac car etc etc etc. Anyway..we get to this backwoods lake and a rut trale for a road to this guys "House"..anyway the car is of course sunk to its axels in mud. The first thing we ask for is to see the trunk(Its solid suprise suprise) we then look at the VIn number...its a 1970 V-code(440 sic pac, hearts thumpin) we pop the hood(the hood has a huge plate bolted on it...this makes my stomach a little upset) we pop the hood and find a 383 where the 440 6 should be. He said he used to drag race the car and cut the ram air hood to fit a (then cool) pro stock style hood...YUK!
here are the list of things the car came with.
Hood pins, ram air, Go wing, Pistol grip(bench seat car) and Dana, Power disk breaks!!!!!!!!!!
The reason we didnt get the car wasnt the price, it was when we tried to jack it up and look at the underbody. We dug a trench underneath the diff, put the hydrolic jack there and started to pump it up. after the car had lifted maybe 6 inches one of the rear window moldings popped...nuff said, there is no frame on this car. We doubted if we could even get it on a flatbed without tearing it in two..sad sad sad...stupid red necks..
Maxwedge

[GTS225]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Sly Fox
[B]I'm careful what I wish for. Thats why I said "put them into the hands of people who will do something with them". When they remove cars that been sitting around, they should have an auction or advertise them for sale for people who will fix them up. I should have been more specific.
*********************************************
But here's the problem.....IF the rest of a society gets such a law/ordinance passed, from the viewpoint of the owner, isn't that "socialized" theft? The fourth Amendment says that the people shall be secure in thier place and property, and places restrictions on a government to NOT violate that security.
I'm not saying what happens to these cars is right, I'm saying the current owner has the right to do with it whatever he/she wishes, and ultimately, I/you/we have no say at all in the matter.

####################################
cdignition: I'm confused by what you said. If I find an all original 70 HEMI Cuda sitting in a field and I have the oppurtunity to buy it, I should pass it up and/or part it out instead of restoring it ??????????....................OOOOkay!!!!!!!...... ..I'm sure thats what you would do too............right?
*********************************************
Oh, no....I'm not suggesting that at all. By all means, make a reasonable attempt to rescue the car, or at least the salvagable parts. I'm only trying to suggest that by "forcing-by-ordinance", the owner to sell the car to an interested party, the same could be done to you/me/us. If the owner has no wish to sell in any way, all we can really do is to grin/grimace and bear it.

[Maxwedge]

YOur right, and they are red necks, and the 4th amendment has more holes in it than than the Russian sub at the bottom of the ocean
Maxwedge

[cdignition]

I cant imagine there are ANY 70 hemicudas rotting away in a field...if therer is, then the guy with the good one will be happy, cause his just went up in value due to the fact theres another one turning to dirt. Im not sayin that i might not try to buy one if i see one, but if the guy dont want to sell, thats his buisness...he can do what ever he wants with it(as long as it isnt an eyesore)...and MAXWEDGE is right ...they are rednecks.

[Maxwedge]

Originally posted by cdignition
Well..heres my .02 cents...these cars would be worth some money if restored correctly, but most of them are so far gone, that it would cost 3 times what they are worth to fix. IF these people dont want to sell, the hell with them...dont burn anymore gray matter on it. These old mopars are out of circulation anyway(no diffrent than if crushed up and recycled)...now if it were a show car some old guy bought and let rot into the ground, that would be diffrent, cause the car was in good shape(not just running, but running well, and no rot). Thats my view on it...plus, if these go away, our good cars become more rare and valuable. IF they get scrapped out, all good parts get pulled anyway, so it will be
re-used to some extent.

I understand the sentament BUT if everyone did that, then Hotrods would have never been created. If people werent crazy and spent more money than they should have on cars, most of our cars wouldnt have made it till today, and most people (the crazy ones who spend more money on a car than they should) wouldnt have bought the cars in the first place. Car nuts are nuts...spending 15 to restore a slant six coup dart is nutz, spoending 15 k to have a Challenger R/T done right...not so nuts
Maxwedge

[MoPaul]

My state currently has a clunker bill on the agenda before the House. I can assure you that it is the single biggest crock of s__t since the public acceptance of the perjury playboy sometime back. There is no time restriction in place! If the appointed staff happens to go by your place when you have pulled your front fenders, you had better not be going through the drive-thru. Uh-oh! Tough poopy. It can be towed on the spot. After which you may have a hearing to get it back. Even if you get her back, you have missed work and paid towing and storage fees, even if you don't get stuck with the court costs.
I drive and race responsibly. But I will not allow the value of my car to be assessed by some idiot because he happens to wear a title issued to him by the state. Looking for an example of the high standards this person might be measured against? Look at some (not all, there are good ones) of the law enforcement officers patrolling our streets.
I merely state that it is a person's responsibility to future generations to preserve a heritage. I don't think a law would benefit us beyond what it may hurt some of us.

[Dr. Righteous]

Any 'clunker' law push pushed in favor of the tree hugging enviormentalist that believe that the world has problems because people dare live on it. BUT WHO drives the real clunkers? Cars that belch blue smoke and have the mufflers dragging? Hmm, could it be POOR people that cannot afford a descent car???? And what political party does proposed clunker leglistation usually find a home? Yep, the democratic party; and the democrats are suspose to be the friends to the poor. Sure, let them take care you. Now, if they take your car away what are they going to replace it with? After all if they take your car how are you going to get out and go to work or get to the store to cash in your food stamps? You need a state issued car don't you?
It all makes sense doesn't it? Thank God Al Gore didn't get elected or this amusing rambling might be a page from the Al Gore play book.

[Sly Fox]

Enviromentalists remind me of the story that most of us were told when we were back in preschool or grade school. The story of the chicken who ran around farm telling all the other farm animals that the sky was falling just because something fell out of a tree or something and hit her in the head. If enviromentalists had their way, you wouldn't even be aloud to go outside because you walking on the ground would cause a major disturbance in the enviroment and all the species of plants and animals would go extinct. The thing that really gets me is the fact that they lie about almost everything they go the government with.

Example: Enviromentalists say that the air today is extremely dirty and very hazardous to us and that it just keeps getting worse. Fact is, the air today is more than 20 times cleaner than it was 50 years ago.

Another one: They say our cars are a big part of the reason why there is so much pollution in the air. They say our cars should be destroyed because of the poisonous carbon monoxide fumes that they pump out. They say newer cars run cleaner and don't pump out as much carbon monoxide. That may be true, but they kinda forgot to mention the sulfer trioxide that newer cars produce more than the older cars do. Geez, I beleive thats even more deadly than carbon monoxide (ACID RAIN). I'm pretty sure someone received an "extra paycheck" from the gas companies to keep their mouths shut about that.

I care about the enviroment, I just don't care to live my life as a paranoid freak running around saying "the sky is falling, the sky is falling..................

They obviously don't have a life, so they feel the need to poke their nose in around ours.

Sly

(stepping down from the soap box now)