Once again I have a pit in my stomach. Tuesday afternoon a gentleman from Germany is coming by to test drive and look at my Town Sedan. To sell it is killing me. This was the first Model A I ever saw in person, the first one I ever drove, the first one I ever owned, I've met fantastic people in person and online because of that car. I need the room in the garage to finish work with my sons on the Victoria. I think I have found all the parts needed and now I need to separate the body from the chassis to finish both up. I don't have room in the driveway with the modern cars and don't know of anyone that has storage space. Sure I could rent space but that leaves less money for the proper restoration of the car. Yup I shake when I think about it. I knew I really loved that car but did not really know how much.
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DON'T DO IT!!! You'll be sorryYou wana look waaay far up da road and plan yer route because the brakes are far more of a suggestion than a command! -
I like the Town Sedan more than a Vicky, and it has more room. Sell the Vicky.Comment
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Loan it to a museum? Temporary!Comment
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My son's Vicky would come in first, if I had a son, so do what you need to do. Regrets in life are many and sons very few.Model A's and of course the famous AA'sComment
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I'm with the don't do it crowd. The first car is always special.Last edited by George Miller; 09-19-2017, 09:02 AM.Comment
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Sounds like you got your cars through the hurricane without any damage and that is the plus side. The negative side is you are getting rid of something you obviously love. While it may not be possible or at least morally right to tell the German buyer you changed your mind at this late date, I bet you will be really happy if he decides not to buy. I agree with the others.........you will be sorry when it's gone. Surely there must be other options you have not thought of yet regarding a place to keep it until you have room.
GlenComment
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Your sole reason for getting rid of the car is for the extra space to restore another. Depending on the age of your son will he be moving out at some point to his own space? You have a large attachment to this car so i would not sell it either and would put the resto on hold until something gives
If your sick over it don't do itComment
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I'm sorry you are in this predicament, it is the proverbial rock and hard place. Mitch has a point, will your son be getting a place of his own in a year or so? If so, then eat the storage fees. If you lived closer I would gladly store it for you.
Selling one of your babies is like selling a child. It hurts. We assume that you have carefully picked the buyer, if you must sell. If you feel the car is going to a good home, then that is a plus. Maybe it is time for the car to make another family happy.
Please remember that we never own our cars, you can't own history. We pay for the privilege of being the caretaker until the next caretaker shows up on the horizon.
Good luck to you, you are in our thoughts
DaveComment
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Go with your gut, Mike.Comment
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Mike. How long do you think you would need to store it? I have a barn in central Florida that we may be able to find some room for your car.Comment
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Well, it's not that easy. You see this is the Vicky that the International Model A Victoria Association gave my son. There have been donations of parts, time, and money for him to complete the car. Shortly after he received it and during the tearing down phase I lost my business and almost my home. My son and I kept working on it as I worked on rebuilding our lives and paying back every dime my business owed. I feel it would be a slap in the face to all those that had faith in me and my son not to finish it. It is one of those things "if I knew then what I know now" they did him no favor with a late '31 Vicky. Parts are rare and expensive. We have to lower our expectations to get the job done. That is not to say once done it can't be sold for another Town Sedan. But we gave our word and I think most of you are like that as well if your word can't be trusted what can?Comment
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Mike don't do this. Listen to your gut feeling. However, the guy from Germany coming to look at your car------ he deserves respect, you may have let it go too far. Hopefully he didn't make a special trip just to see and or buy your car.
I don't know anybody who sold a car years ago for whatever reason, at the time was OK to do so, and THEN sometime later really regretted it. Big time. And you have seller's remorse already.......
You need to let your son know about this, and have HIM arrange for storage and a work area. That is the only way to solve this. Good that he has taken an interest in the old cars though!Comment
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Originally posted by glentre View Post
Take all kinds of parts off it and make it not run! old wheels and tires, seats out, etc... if it looks to bad he won't buy it!
LarryComment
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Mike. I can feel your pain as I have been there before. Slightly different reasons. My wife lost her job in Sept 2006 and shortly after had to have back surgery in Nov. In Jan of 2007, I made the decesion to sell the rdstr pu. Beings it was about 1/3 or more restored and about 90% there and all parts were correct it was a hard sell. After many insults from other A people and a few very interested people turned down the deal I ended up selling it piece by piece. I truely loved that truck, so it was a very painful process. In June of 2007 I found out I had colon cancer. My wife still claims the heartbreak and stress of selling it caused my cancer or atleast helped it to progress more ralidly. You know most of what has happened since then, so I won't go there. But through it all my wife will not let me even consider selling the delivery although I have had some really good offers. RodLast edited by Rowdy; 09-19-2017, 07:44 PM."Much of the social history of the Western world, over the past three decades, has been a history of replacing what worked with what sounded good." Thomas SowellComment
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Rowdy sorry to hear you are dealing with colon cancer. It is pretty cureable today not like 30-35 years ago. You will be fine, you'll make it!! Good luck. They are seeing this type of cancer more and more in 20 something and early 30's individuals it used to be an old person's cancer not anymore.
And your wife is very correct..... they have learned that stress is a big factor in people getting cancers especially of the stomach and digestive tract. What you went thru could very possibly have sparked it.
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Jeff, had stage 3 colon cancer in 2007, so am 10 years a survivor. Been a long 10 years, filled with job loss, my youngest daughters fight with a rare bacterial menengitis and other challanges that will not be listed. Mike has been through a lot of simular things in nearly the same time frame. Both of us have struggled to remain relevant in the hobby. Likely we have more in common if we sat down and visited. Just passing on my thoughts to him and hope he makes a decesion he does not regret. Rod"Much of the social history of the Western world, over the past three decades, has been a history of replacing what worked with what sounded good." Thomas SowellComment
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Keep the car if you canComment
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I told him the price, I told him the reason for selling, he is going to call today. I don't think he wants to pay my price. we will see.Comment
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Well, he never called back. I don't think 12k for a town sedan for a good 10-foot car that drives and stops well not even a counter offer. Hell one of the reasons I had the car up in NY was to drive it up and down mountains as flat roads are really no test for the car. -
If he knew you Mike, he would have taken into account the added value of your knowledge and written the check. Sounds like the guy is a novice in the hobby. He will find another one, pay less, and get less, and then likely think Model A's cost too much to "fix up".
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Is there a Ford dealer or museum nearby that would display the car ?Comment
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Sheesh... you can't build a car for that amount of money. 12k is nothing when you consider how much money you can throw at a car just getting it running. I know, been there. Ask Beauford how much he's spent on his roadster pickup since he's started on it.Comment
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If he thinks 12k is too much then he does not know much about it , I had one joker show up at my place and offered me 5k for restored 37 p/u after I told him the price in advance and then he starts crying me a river about how he drove 250 miles and yadayadayada.Comment
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I won't even waste time with guys like that. I simply walk away without a word and leave 'em standing. And I don't care if it's a car or a carburetor, $5 or $15,000, I don't haggle. My price is my price. This ain't the Grand Bazaar and I ain't a Turk. I might change the price LATER, but that's my choice.
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Car is sold to a member of my local club. The car will be going to his house in Ga. I have permission to drive it until the August when he will pick it up and we will sign paperwork (his deposit check cleared)..png "grin")
I told my son the Model A garage will re-open in Sept.
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You know "stuff is just stuff". Time with your son is precious. After your gone he may not even have his car, but will have the memories of the adventure with Dad
It's not what we go through, but how others see us going through it that impacts lives . Our priorities speak loudly.
Enjoy the adventure... ChapComment
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It might be too late for you now but when I bought my PU from my brother-N-law we wrote into the bill of sale an agreement that I would offer his son the "right of first refusal" if I ever decide to sell. At least it'll give him a chance to get the truck back. With what I've put into it, if it turns out to be too expensive for his son at least he'll have had a chance.Last edited by Mickey; 06-18-2019, 07:43 AM.Comment
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Much as it pains me to write this, I need help! For some time now, I've been hoping for a space ship from the planet "Bodywork" would land in my backyard and a couple of aliens would emerge and in a matter of an hour or two, fix all my tin. OK, just the stuff I'm not having any luck doing myself. Like the gutters and doors on my Town Sedan ! No such luck! So there it sits , where it has...05-02-2018, 12:44 PM -
I am interested in restoring my 1931 Vicky. Have never attempted anything like this. I am the 3rd owner and have owned the car over 25 yrs. It was an older restoration then. Need paint and no body work known but suspect when the paint comes off, there are always surprises. Would like to defer that work to a paint and body shop but want to do the rest myself. Interior looks great.
My question...05-26-2019, 12:55 PM -
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I've been following cars all my life. Haven't really had anything too exciting. I had a 53 Ford Truck with a later 312 Y block for a while. I was young and needed money though. I had traded my 1971 Dodge Van for it (yep, that era). I loved that van, slant six... My first car was a 64 Comet, 289 4 bbl. 4 speed with what I think was a factory Hurst shifter. My first car and first stick. It had a leaking...08-01-2018, 01:13 PM -
As some of you know - I'm a newbie. I have a 1930 Town Sedan - Murray body. Not planning to restore, just want to make a decent driver - not a rat rod, not a street rod - just a Model A driver... Nothing is definite - everything is dependent on money, of course. I'm 60 and will be doing most if not all the work myself. I know I've been over this before. I'm getting to the punch line really!
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11-20-2018, 11:26 PM
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