71 Mustang wild chase convertible

[mach1000]

Here is the latest wild Mustang chase story I though you folks would find entertaining and can relate to.

Responding to this craigslist ad my story goes like this.

http://syracuse.craigslist.org/cto/3642482801.html

I first called on this February 24th and a guy answered the phone. I asked if the Mustang was still for sale. The reply was yes it was.

At that time my cell phone started giving me the low battery beep and I told the guy ok let me call you right back my phone is about to die.

I quickly ran and grabbed my phone charger plugged it in and proceeded to call the guy back. Ring ring ring, no answer. All of a sudden I hear what sounds like an answer machine in a toilet for about four seconds followed by a beep. Not knowing if I was being recorded I said I just called on the Mustang. Please give me a call back. And I left my number.

This was followed by about two dozen phone calls over the next three weeks. Getting the same answering machine in a toilet picking up.

I left several messages. Please call me at .... I'm interested in the Mustang. I also emailed the Craigslist ad. I got one response out of about ten stating that stated they would call me. Nothing.

Now I don't give up easily when it comes to cars. Since I was calling mostly in the evening I decided to try at random times during the day.

Again getting the answer machine in the toilet for 3 seconds, I kept this up for another couple weeks. Finally 10AM this past Monday the guy picks up!

Mustang still for sale? Yes. I went through the usual questions about drive-train, paint, interior, brakes, RUST.. Basically what I got out of the guy was it was solid rust free car that he drove last summer but needed a top. Said that it sat in a barn for like 10 years. He said at this point he'd take $3,300. Ok I'm thinking this could be a great deal. I said ok I want to come look at it this week. Not sure when yet but I'll call back and get the address and set up a time. (mistake) I should have got it then. I also told the guy I've had trouble getting a hold of him and if this was the number I should call him at.

Oh yeah call him back on same number he'll answer.

I got my schedule figured out for the week and wanted to go look this Thursday. So I called the guy Wednesday. "The number you have dialed has been temporarily disconnect. Message CF -1 A" Come on!!! Tried again. "The number you have dialed......" You have to be kidding!

I tried about the whole morning. Same thing. Then ring ring. He picked up!! Ok coming to look at the car tomorrow. What's the address?

Now I'm thinking this car is only still for sale because no one else has the patients to get a hold of this guy. And probably no one else has!

So my father and I take 50 minuet trip to look at this car. We pull up to the house on a dead end street (a sign). There it is. The guy has the hood up with a batter charger hooked up. Doesn't look too bad from 20 feet other than the top, which he said needed to be replaced.

We meet George. Think of cousin Eddie from National Lampoons, drunker, much rougher cousin. Yeah he's got the charger cables in one hand and a Bud in the other.

We inspect the car. What we have is a standard convertible, 302, auto (C4) no power steering, manual drum brakes, standard interior, 2.89 rear. Originally grabber blue shipped to NY.

Upon further inspection we can see the ground through the floor inside the car on both sides. The tops of the inner fenders and bottoms of quarters were swiss cheese. The doors were sagging. There was obviously bondo in the normal spots on the bottom of the doors and fender and wheel well lips starting to blister through. So much for solid rust free car. The car is covered in mud inside and outside. Apparently George left for a couple weeks and nephews or someone let the dogs inside it and spun up mud on it with another car. At this point we are pretty much humoring this guy.

He wanted to fire it up so we could hear it run. Solenoid is stuck so he's trying to jump it with sparks flying using the classic screwdriver trick. But it took him a a dozen or so tries to decide which two posts he wanted to jump... with sparks a-flying!

George continues to tell us how great this car is. He's open for offers but not willing to take less than $3k. My dad throws a number out there to see if this guy is willing to negotiate. "How about $1,200?"... "Not a chance! $3k. That's a solid car right there. Throw plates on it, put the top down and drive it!" (Right) We can tell this guy thinks he has a diamond here. There is no point in pointing out anything on the car and he isn't will to budge any more. Is the car worth $3k? Probably for the right person. I don't have the time for another project like this. I've got other cars I need to work on.

So after stories of his other cars, life story, family drama, another bud and getting the car running we stay good bye to our new friend and go grab something to eat for dinner. We head home empty handed and my pockets still full of money.

 

[73vertproject]

Heck of a story! Although you spent two hours living it, I think is probably had a happy ending for you with the cash still in your pocket.

 

[OLE PONY]

Great story. At least you knew when to walk away!

 

[caspianwendell]

Maybe if you had a few buds, you would have seen a solid, rust free car too...lol

 

[luxstang]

You obviously are more persistent than I am. I don't buy from you if I have to call you more than 3 times.

I was in the market for 71 Roadrunner two years ago and the guy would take days to reply to my mails. After the 2nd email from Jim with all the pics and his info that I could come and see the car after Wednesday the next week, I should just let him know in advance so he could arrange his schedule. So I replied immediately and I asked to go on Thursday.

That mail was sent on Saturday so he had enough time to reply.

Now that trip would have been 6-7 hours one way and i was gonna take a friend along to have a second opinion and make sure I did not get too exited and buy a car that was not worth it.

He waited until 9 o'clock on Wednesday night that Thursday was indeed ok with him.

Needless to say, I had told my buddy around noon on Wednesday that we were not going since I had not gotten a reply. I mean he had a schedule too.

I emailed the guy that I was no longer interested. Period.

He had a car I MIGHT have wanted but I had the cash that he DID want.

 

[Widowmaker00]

Although I think $3k is too much for it, I do notice it seems to be all there. Still has the radio, factory air cleaner, etc. I'd say $2k ish would be more like it.

 

[mach1000]

I would agree with that. Being pretty much a complete 71 vert, although needing a minimum of floor pans, lower quarters, repairs in the bottom of the doors and inner fender tops ( I didnt even open the trunk) $2,000 - $2,200 would probably be a fair price for somone looking for a restoration project. I just have too many other 7173 projects lined up already. Feel free to call the guy. Bring a case of bud if you go. You might get it for $2k!

 

[cudak888]

You obviously are more persistent than I am. I don't buy from you if I have to call you more than 3 times.

Reminds me of myself. I've been after one recently which is being sold by a mobile repairman for a local fellow. Ad on eBay too.

The repairman answers the emails and has been most cordial. However, his wife answers the emails. When I misplaced his number, her last email (with the number) was as follows:

The number is ***-***-****. Lots of interest.

Wise guy.

"Lots of interest?" They have four photos up of a Mustang with rust holes in one door, surface rust on the rocker edge joints, not a single photo of the front, rear, or left of the car, and one under-the-hood photo which looks like hell.

Strangely enough, it may be a solid car with lots of surface rust blistering, but that "lots of interest" can only be people asking for better information than the crap they've posted now. Additionally, five other eBay members made offers on the car while the listing was still active, none of which were countered with - all expired.

"Lots of interest" my eye. Sure, you can have "lots of interest" - but that doesn't mean a thing unless that "lots of interest" is willing to "fork over money."

Just that phrase pissed me off, and I decided to put pressure on them:

Was just reviewing the photos of the car again. Is it me, or is there duct tape over the cowl vents? Please let me know, as the inner condition of the cowl will determine whether I should bother to see the car in person or look for something better.

Sometimes you can get a sensible deal even with a smart-*** seller such as these, but usually otherwise. For the most part, they only exist so that one can amuse themselves by irritating them right back (and posting about it on a car forum so that everyone else gets a good laugh and a bit of self-relief from their own moron-seller interactions by reading the story).

-Kurt

 

[Mustang Dynasty]

See the photos from the 2nd page+ through @ p 5 of my album from where my left of some 8 hrs ago as to where i really got serious @ the resto to mod as this+ case reallized was beyond my means to make original again. As when the entire inner and over body was sand blasted was beyond swiss cheesed. To find a lot of panels were not avaible had to fabricate to a bent frame. Correction began now. The money from acquisition and ...to this point was a mere pitence and a realization it would take 5 times the time to put humpty back together. At what i found under its proverbial skin told me this truth. Finding that what after market catolugues offered was virtually an expensive scam told me prefabricating and a lot of fudging would do this project. After going over it with a fine tooth comb per se found'EVERYTHING HAD TO BE REPLACED'. AND FURTHER CONVERTED. Although what I paid for it was only the worth the weight in scrap metal. Cpy cat

 

[rpmcarter]

Gotta love those guys and they come in all types. Guy down the street has a 70 convertible. nice car and will need the front frame rails replaced. I've known of this car for 5 years and each time I ask the guy will he sell it, it says yes. I ask "how much" . His answer is always "well I think I'll price it for the average amt I find on ebay" ....me" okay where do you think the price will be" .."well I'll look on ebay".

And we continue that circle lap after lap....his answer never changes. He is a professional guy too..... but just cant answer the question.

 

[Mustang Dynasty]

Pride in how a person takes care of his auto depicts quality of his character. See the white convertible in my photo album.