swilling
New Member
Hey Guys,
name is Sam, checking in from Northern California. Last year i was working in Dallas. Someone at my work approached and said "you like old cars right?" As i have a couple of Poncho's ive restored/currently restoring.
I replied and said yes , and why was he asking.
Story goes that his Dad had sold the family property in Abeline TX (about 4 hours west from Dallas) and there was an "old car" that his dad needed to get rid of. Not being a car guy, the only description i received was "It's red, and it might be a big old ford?,i used to ride in it as a kid - its been parked for at least 20 years"
He said i was more than welcome to go take a look at it. That weekend (sometime April 2013) i decided to go on a roadtrip, purely out of boredom and curiosity. The entire trip out there with nothing but a post it note with an address, had my mind go through a thousand scenarios. What it was, condition? if it was something i liked , what would i have to pay for it, what would i do with it and where would i put it (temporarily living in Dallas) . The one i settled on was - I bet ill get there and its 4 tires leaning against what used to be a car, thats now a rusty planter.
4 hours of drinking coffee and pondering i arrived at a dirt driveway and pulled down off the road, It weaved through some trees and opened up to a house and a separate 2 car garage. Greeted by my workmates dad. At the spry age of 82. We talked quickly and he said it was his sisters car , that she bought new in 71. She seldom drove it, but loved it. She had passed away in the mid 90's, but had parked it in 1989/90 because "The air conditioning stopped working, and she didnt like driving it in Texas heat" I'm now more interested than ever, thinking this thing is way more complete than i expected. I asked him what it was and he said it was a Chrysler and said lets go take a look. We walked towards the garage. I'm expecting we are going to go around the garage and find it sitting in the weeds. Then he opens the garage! - My interest escalates even more. Because now in my head. Heres a one owner car, that drove into a garage 20 years ago and has not moved.
There was some stuff piled onto it, a few light boxes and some luggage bags, a couple of couches stacked around it and some plywood. So i wasnt able to see it straight away, but slowly unearthing it. I pulled some plywood from the side and saw the vinyl hard top and the fact it was a 2 door. I still didnt even really know what it was. But i already wanted it.
I've had a thing for 60's 70's Luxo boats for quite sometime, and always thought it would be a fun project to make a really cool cruiser . And sure enough this one just came out of nowhere.
Here is the first picture i took of the car - i really don't like the term Barn Find, as its very over used. But i have to say, the excitment of digging this thing out. Was kinda awesome.
More walking around and inspecting... the thing was clean, and straight. I was just NOT expecting this.
Everything was there , thats for sure.
Interior showed wear, but that was it, nothing was broken or ripped.
name is Sam, checking in from Northern California. Last year i was working in Dallas. Someone at my work approached and said "you like old cars right?" As i have a couple of Poncho's ive restored/currently restoring.
I replied and said yes , and why was he asking.
Story goes that his Dad had sold the family property in Abeline TX (about 4 hours west from Dallas) and there was an "old car" that his dad needed to get rid of. Not being a car guy, the only description i received was "It's red, and it might be a big old ford?,i used to ride in it as a kid - its been parked for at least 20 years"
He said i was more than welcome to go take a look at it. That weekend (sometime April 2013) i decided to go on a roadtrip, purely out of boredom and curiosity. The entire trip out there with nothing but a post it note with an address, had my mind go through a thousand scenarios. What it was, condition? if it was something i liked , what would i have to pay for it, what would i do with it and where would i put it (temporarily living in Dallas) . The one i settled on was - I bet ill get there and its 4 tires leaning against what used to be a car, thats now a rusty planter.
4 hours of drinking coffee and pondering i arrived at a dirt driveway and pulled down off the road, It weaved through some trees and opened up to a house and a separate 2 car garage. Greeted by my workmates dad. At the spry age of 82. We talked quickly and he said it was his sisters car , that she bought new in 71. She seldom drove it, but loved it. She had passed away in the mid 90's, but had parked it in 1989/90 because "The air conditioning stopped working, and she didnt like driving it in Texas heat" I'm now more interested than ever, thinking this thing is way more complete than i expected. I asked him what it was and he said it was a Chrysler and said lets go take a look. We walked towards the garage. I'm expecting we are going to go around the garage and find it sitting in the weeds. Then he opens the garage! - My interest escalates even more. Because now in my head. Heres a one owner car, that drove into a garage 20 years ago and has not moved.
There was some stuff piled onto it, a few light boxes and some luggage bags, a couple of couches stacked around it and some plywood. So i wasnt able to see it straight away, but slowly unearthing it. I pulled some plywood from the side and saw the vinyl hard top and the fact it was a 2 door. I still didnt even really know what it was. But i already wanted it.
I've had a thing for 60's 70's Luxo boats for quite sometime, and always thought it would be a fun project to make a really cool cruiser . And sure enough this one just came out of nowhere.
Here is the first picture i took of the car - i really don't like the term Barn Find, as its very over used. But i have to say, the excitment of digging this thing out. Was kinda awesome.
More walking around and inspecting... the thing was clean, and straight. I was just NOT expecting this.
Everything was there , thats for sure.
Interior showed wear, but that was it, nothing was broken or ripped.
..................
