Jeff Perkins / Mn Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 .......why someone would park their 1968 Corvette outside along a shed and leave it there for 42 YEARS! Oh, yes, he told me he was going to restore it. I can remember when he drove it and when it spent its first winter outside.....I was his postman. 1978. I walked by the other day and there it was. Oh, well, what can one say? Has anyone else noticed an interesting vehicle left outside to the elements? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughing Coyote Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 (edited) There is a guy just down the road from me that has a 1970 Monte Carlo just sitting in his front yard. All original. It's been there since we moved out here. That was in 2000. Too bad, straight and body damage. Starting to get the nice surface "patina" on the hood, roof and trunk. And another one just up the street. A 1969 Suburban 2wd. All original. Straight body and no damage. It's been there just as long. Parked next to his house. What a shame. Edited January 19, 2020 by Laughing Coyote (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 In 1960 I saw a Barker bodied RR 20/25 similar to this one in lovely condition. It had been running well but collapsed a piston, was sold to a man that had to have it. Twenty years later it was still parked behind his dairy barn where he had parked it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Would you guys quit talking about me?😧 2 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1912Staver Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 (edited) 1993 I tried to buy a Formula Ford race car at an auction. My bids were vigorously countered by another person who left no doubt he was going to be the high bidder. Gave in at what was still a fairly low price, there were other vehicles in the auction I thought I would be interested in. The buyer later approached me and gave me an earful about bidding the car up and making him pay too much. I assumed he was a bit of a nut. Fast forward 25 years and the car turns up in the shop of an acquaintance. In very poor condition. Turns out the guy who was so eager to own it at the auction took it home and parked it out in his back yard for the intervening 25 years. Proof positive of my initial impression. The acquaintance picked it up very cheaply given the now deteriorated condition and started to clean up and repair the damage as well as start buying parts that needed replacement. Found a better car and put the weathered project up for sale. It's now mine and being completely rebuilt . It will cost me several times the 1993 price before it is done, but to be fair the cars have gone up in value quite a bit since 1993. { at least several times increase } But if I had have bought it in 1993 I could have been racing it at least 20 years sooner. Greg in Canada Edited January 19, 2020 by 1912Staver (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJTurner Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 On my way to work, I drive by a 1967 Ford Galaxie 500 Conv sitting outside in the harsh N.E. Indiana weather everyday....... so sad. A co-worker says that the guy that owns it drives it occasionally. I've yet to see it driving around or moved from the end of the driveway for the past 5 years. Maybe he drove it 2015 ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 In the late 70's a friend and I went to look at a 1960 Thunderbird that was parked behind a house, near where we lived. The owner told us, "that car will pay for my grandkid's college someday". Fast forward to 2020 and the car is still in the same backyard. It's sunk to the floors in the mud and the once white interior is now black from mildew. I guess the owner realized that when his grandkid's started college the T-Bird wouldn't even cover the cost of their books. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Dobbin Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 (edited) About 15 years ago I saw a 1931 Cadillac V-12 in Buy Here, Pay Here Car Lot in Tamoa FL. Partially covered with the grill & hood visable on the back row of the lot. I made my friend stop to invesitgate. The story was that the owner's wife thru him out when he bought another antique car. She then rolled to car outside with all the windows down, It sat there for 2 years before she asked the car lot guy to sell it. It was a total swamp inside! My friend bought it an spent a fortune re-restoring it with a all new and correct interior and minor body & paint repairs. Moral of the story; don't piss off the woman in your life. Edited January 19, 2020 by Paul Dobbin correct line spacing (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Guilty.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 34 minutes ago, keiser31 said: Guilty.... Stop watching the Walton's.😀 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesR Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 16 hours ago, Jeff Perkins / Mn said: .......why someone would park their 1968 Corvette outside along a shed and leave it there for 42 YEARS! "It's fiberglass, so I don't have to worry about rust!"🙄 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Perkins / Mn Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 44 minutes ago, JamesR said: "It's fiberglass, so I don't have to worry about rust!"🙄 About 15 years ago the car was sunk down to the side exhaust in the mud. Then it was jacked up and put on more blocks. I would hate to see what that frame and suspension look like! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 In a local junk yard, years ago, the owner selected about 50 cars that would be worth a fortune today and placed them in a corner of his yard. He packed them real close together to save space. During the years, people walked over the hoods, fenders and roofs to get a better look at them. They were ll scrapped due to the damage and mud under them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
46 woodie Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 I think the bottom line is, that most of the people that do stuff like that, need to face reality. They just will not admit that, A) they don't have the money to restore a car, B) they don't have the skills, C) they don't have the ambition that it takes and D) they will live forever and someone else will have to deal with it. You hear it all the time, "someday I'm gonna restore that car", but year after year it just sits there rotting away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Well....as far as MINE goes, I have been making progress and the garage is now roomy enough to hold both of my Dodges. THAT was the biggest step. I have the new brake cylinders and all I need to get to it. The weather will break soon and I will resume the brake job that kept me from getting it back into the shop in the first place. The brakes were locked up and the only way to get it into the garage again was to disassemble the brake system. They needed redoing, anyway. Another couple of weeks shouldn't hurt it. Got the new wiring harness in, so THAT part is done. I WILL have it going again before spring! Sometimes, things just get out of hand and life takes a turn and the next thing you know, all of the stuff that came up just set your old car back five years. I probably spend WAY too much time on this site. Thanks for putting up with me. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 A common story around here. You want it........I have it.........You can't have it..........Eat your heart out..............Until it sinks into the mud.............Bob 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTR Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 (edited) 19 hours ago, Jeff Perkins / Mn said: Has anyone else noticed an interesting vehicle left outside to the elements? I’m sorry to say, but this is much, much more common than most people, including old car enthusiasts/hobbyist realize or understand. Not only are there millions upon millions of “interesting(?)” old cars sitting and rotting away in the back alleys, - yards, driveways, fields, forest, etc that will never be repaired/rescued/restored/... regardless of what their custodians/owners claim, but tens (or perhaps hundreds) of millions of cars have already endured same faith in past 100+ years and more are placed under these types of sad conditions on daily basis by rather unrealistic owners claiming to be some kind of collectors or saviors of them. Most of us long time hobbyist probably have encountered or know more than few of these hoarders(?)*. Oh, and just because some of these characters keep their unfulfillable/unrealistic dreams indoors, doesn’t or shouldn’t necessarily earn them higher praise among those of us serious about antique/classic/vintage cars. * +/- 30 years ago I briefly amassed a “collection” of about two dozen vintage cars in relatively good, unrestored condition and while most were running & drivable, stored indoors and somewhat periodically maintained, I soon realized that with my quite limited and modest means, entertaining an idea of owning and properly maintaining, let alone restoring all of them was just a ridiculous pipe dream and in the long run would just do more harm than good for the cars, so I sold all but couple.. Edited January 19, 2020 by TTR (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 (edited) That is really a shame. I wonder if this could be the '68 that our member Dave has paper work for? Now wouldn't that be a coincidence? Edited January 19, 2020 by GregLaR (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkhammer Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Growing up in the late 60's and early 70's I always admired a Dodge Dart that would frequently go by our house. It was a '68 GTS 383 and was bone stock down to the wheel covers. It was owned by a nice lady that lived about 2 miles up the road. I was by there about 15 years ago and there sat the Dart behind her house sinking in the dirt. I stopped and knocked on the door and the lady answered. I asked her if she wanted to sell the car as I had admired it as a kid and of coarse her response was, "no, I'm going to get it fixed up one of these days". I was by there again recently and it was still there, down to the frame in the earth. What a shame. I noticed a '40 Ford pickup stuck back in a dirt floor shed a few years ago not far away. I stopped and talked to the owner, an older man who didn't seem too happy that I was there but was tolerant of me at least. The truck had a pretty solid body but the engine was stuck and it was sunk in the dirt with all four tires basically rotted off. He asked me what I though it was worth and I said "probably in the $5,000-$10,000 range as it sits". He got mad and claimed he'd been offered $20,000 for it and he thought THAT was way too low. I said that was where two fools met and he basically threw me off the property. Need to learn to keep my mouth shut. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 I think some guys genuinely get something out of people lusting after that which they have. They either like the attention that makes them feel important or they're the kind of people who love being victims, so when someone knocks on their doors to inquire about the heap rotting in their yard they can get all righteously indignant about it. This is not an unusual phenomenon. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Bollman Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 When we lived in Western NY it must have been the thing to do. 50 Crosley - Over priced by at least 2X over priced, try to buy it for 4 or 5 years as it kept going down hill. Last I saw it had been sent to the local wrecking yard and was on top of some other cars and had been jumped on so much that the body was shot. Delorean - Very nice when parked, sat so long a long in the guys yard it sunk into mud to the rockers. 70s Caddy Convert - same guy as above after the Delorean went away, he parked the Caddy in the same spot. Was nice till it started sinking in and the top rotted/ripped off. Late 50's Caddy - guy drove it in the Summer left it sit in the yard in the Winter, went from very nice original to near junk before it disappeared. 55 Nash - Was an almost perfect original, moved around 2 or 3 times to different homes but left outside and last I saw it needed a full restoration. Probably more but all of these were parked where I drove by on a regular bases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 I don't want my old girlfriend anymore. I just don't want anyone else to have her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Gregory Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 (edited) I feel for all these cars rotting and the stories are great but sad. I guess this is why Municipalities push for Regulations prohibiting outside storage of cars. I know someone who has a few 1970's cars rotting away and the Inspector from the City came to inspect. He said as long as there are a few trees around the cars it is hidden from view and that is acceptable. These cars will go to the Scrapyard for sure as it is 20 years they have been sitting outside with no protection. Edited January 19, 2020 by Mark Gregory (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Luddy Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 I can't find the picture right now, but a 1980 Corvette, same story as the original post. Red, loaded, parked beside the garage that was full of worthless junk instead of being put inside. Never for sale, "nope, going to put it back on the road soon". 25 years later my buddy seen it going to the junkyard on the back of a tilt 'n load so he bought it for under $1000. Frame is so rotten it almost split in two unloading it. Beyond saving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 I chuckle at the insanity of those people every time I see a car like that. All my old cars are inside safe and protected. The newer ones that I paid a lot more for are out in the weather right now. They are some kind of special breed, aren't they. Bernie 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) My neighbor parks his $3000 mower in the garage and his $98,000 Escalade in the driveway. I guess technically a bank owns the Escalade 🥴 Edited January 20, 2020 by 39BuickEight (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 1 minute ago, 39BuickEight said: My neighbor parks his $3000 mower in the garage and his $98,000 Escalade in the driveway. I guess technically a bank owns the Escalade 🥴 He's probably going to Keep the mower longer than the escalade. My truck used to sit outside until I built the new shop but I always tried to get the equipment inside. Though the truck was not real valuable anyways. Both the tractor and Excavator cost more. plus last thing you want to do is have to work on the equipment if not necessary before you can do the work you had planned. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1912Staver Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Local building codes can also be a problem. Around here it is an expensive , time consuming process to jump through all the hoops in order to build a city approved structure. And no easy to construct , inexpensive "pole barn " style buildings allowed. Just garages that are probably nicer / better built than many 50 year old homes in the area. A cost generally in the $40,000 + range. But cheap plastic tarp shelters are not a problem unless two or more immediate neighbors complain. And likewise you can generally get away with thrown together " sheds " as long as they are small and not built on a foundation. So cars around here get "temporarily " stored in all sorts of substandard, non - permanent "shelters". Washington State is just 5 miles to the South of me. Not only is land very cheap in comparison to my side of the border, but pole barns are legal, common and less than a quarter the cost of a similar sized "conforming " structure in my area. All my crap sheds would disappear in a blink if I could erect a basic , sound, weathertight, cost effective building. Greg in Canada Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Gal down the street has a 1970 442 Olds convertible, she wants to add a one car garage to the existing ONE car garage, $10,000 + in town fees and architect plans, and she just got the OK. Town BS makes the town money, but isn't right. Bob 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 I have a rule that will have no more cars than garage space with a door. I keep adding doors. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe in Canada Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Here is the second car I restored and sold I think around 1987. The new owner left it outside with the drivers window down until about 3 years ago when he gave it to his son. The engine was stuck, flat tires, interior is covered in cat hair and ruined from the cat claws. The garage was used to store his junk and scrap metal so the car was left outside all those years. There is also a 1937 Dodge that he bought as a driver and did the same thing to. But it was just pushed out back and now has trees growing around it rotting into the ground. You can tell it has been sitting there all winter by the layers of snow on it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) About two miles from me sits a 68 or 69 Plymouth Road Runner that has been under a tarp as long as I have lived here(1983). At first the tarp was clean and straight and what you could see of the car looked nice. Now the tarp looks like it has been through a hurricane and the car has settled lower and lower on it’s flat tires. Chunks of rusty metal hang down to the ground. In front of the house on a concrete driveway. And on one of the busier city streets. Still proud of it I suppose. Also near me that I saw again just recently are a 65 or 66 Plymouth Barracuda (been outside in a driveway for years) and also a 66 Dodge Charger that looks like it is wrapped in garbage bags. Different locations. Both look sad and although the Plymouth looks like it could be saved the Charger is about like the Road Runner in condition. Edited January 27, 2020 by plymouthcranbrook (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick8086 Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) That was the only way to find a car before the internet.. I picked up a rare part from a guy that put it in the back yard in 1962.. outside.. Edited January 20, 2020 by nick8086 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick8086 Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) Hard to find cars like this inside.. or what is it.. Two 1963 Triumph TR ?? Edited January 20, 2020 by nick8086 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 13 hours ago, 60FlatTop said: I chuckle at the insanity of those people every time I see a car like that. All my old cars are inside safe and protected. The newer ones that I paid a lot more for are out in the weather right now. They are some kind of special breed, aren't they. Bernie Bernie, we have exact same situation here. New stuff (mine anyway) outside. I would argue WE are a special breed also!! 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) 15 hours ago, auburnseeker said: He's probably going to Keep the mower longer than the escalade. My truck used to sit outside until I built the new shop but I always tried to get the equipment inside. Though the truck was not real valuable anyways. Both the tractor and Excavator cost more. plus last thing you want to do is have to work on the equipment if not necessary You are right, and that leads to an entirely different problem our country has. Also, this guy doesn’t know a wrench from a set of pliers. He’s not fixing anything on his own anyway. He is a healthy 25 year old who has a zero turn riding mower for a 20,000 sq ft lot. He probably uses his mower less than 10 hours a year--seriously. Hey, who am I to care what he does though? 😆 Edited January 20, 2020 by 39BuickEight (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 My rule is: Whatever it is, if it has to be kept outside in the weather I don't want it. That even goes for the dogs, cats, horses, & chickens............Bob 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H.Boland Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 I tried for years to buy a '28 Chevy cab and chassis from a nearby farmer. He finally sold it to me,but when I had a wrecker tow it home,the long-flat hard tires nearly shook it apart. I followed along behind picking up pieces. It didn't look too bad when I first saw it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locomobile Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 The car isn't worth what 40 years of indoor storage would cost. Often times, the person would be money ahead to give it away. In the small town I have lived in now for 4 months, it's a very low crime area, a guy parked a nice Harley dresser out on the side drive next to the street, it has been sitting there for 4 months now. No cover over it, it hasn't moved. Rain, snow etc. Amazingly it still looks like new. -Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 22 hours ago, auburnseeker said: He's probably going to Keep the mower longer than the escalade. My truck used to sit outside until I built the new shop but I always tried to get the equipment inside. Though the truck was not real valuable anyways. Both the tractor and Excavator cost more. plus last thing you want to do is have to work on the equipment if not necessary before you can do the work you had planned. Some people have to put the equipment inside, ZoningNazi snowflakes might think their property values are failing. Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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