Who's going to get your estate (car collection) when you die?

[ericmac]

I am fortunate that two of my kids are interested in the cars, though admittedly, my collection is really,  really modest. 

I have a humble suggestion for those of you who are struggling with what to do with your cars, have no worthy heirs, and don't want them to go to museums; talk privately with other forum members and spread them around to other folks here who are genuinely interested.  It might make your heirs angry but would likely perpetuate the hobby. 

[Bryan G]

Make it simple, make it clear, make it in writing. And, if you can, give it away before that day comes. Want Joe Blow to have your Super Six? Add them to the title. 

 

Recently a close relative invited me over for dinner, and to discuss their estate. It wasn't about knowing what went where...it was about showing me where to look for the (excellent) files they'd put together. I was very impressed with the care that went into it.

 

The last estate I handled was that of another close relative who died with 2 pickup trucks, one classic, the other brand new. 2 of my uncles quickly let me know that they should have them. That's funny, the will didn't say that, nor did the titles. Indeed, one went to me. But I guess they had to try.

 

Oh, and I did know a fellow who left two of his daughters one dollar each. That couldn't have hurt more than what he did for his third daughter: he didn't mention her at all. I don't think she'll ever get over it. Not sure who got his Zimmer, a car that fit his personality fairly well.

Edited November 20, 2021 by Bryan G (see edit history)

[nick8086]

Make sure you have a good attorney.

 

We had a bad one..

 

He sent 47 cars to the crusher. and filed a state and fed document. Value of zero cars did not run..

 

He wrote the document and them gave them to my kids..

 

It has been 11 years since dad pasted away..

 

I can tell you all the pitfalls. If you want me to help you..

 

!. Do not give the cars to our wife... If she is not a car person and does not need the money.. (mechanic).. most of us are near 60, 70 or 80 years old..  My mom had cognitive disorder.

 

2. Add to the will Insurance will  not lapse under any circumstances.

 

3. Will pride storage

 

4. Will fund and do maintenance on the cars..

Put air in the tires, check the antifreeze keep the mice away.

 

5.  It great to give a car to some one in the family.. Most car collector have storage,, Some 30 years  olds may only have a one stall garage.

 

6. The most important thing to do before you do a will is check the car titles.

 

or change them to wros.. before you pass.

 

 

It cost us 15K to  fix this after the attorney kept the car titles in a my fathers name only.. You can not do any things with a car owned by someone that pasted away.. With out going to court..

 

It is nice to give something away but you also have to fund it..  FYI..

 

&. The last thing that happens is family Drama.. 

 

I had an attorney tell me during a  mediation session  she had a family that got 2 million dollars and we fighting over coffee mug.. They spent 1K  for the mediation session and the got the mug for $1.50 of ebay.. to close out the estate..

 

Keep the cars out of a life estates..  Car will be sold or sit for 10  to 12 years..

 

 

Sad to see this car crushed..   Not sure if my mom attorney was going to drive the truck..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 20, 2021 by nick8086 (see edit history)

[brasscarguy2]

Time to clarify. I would NEVER EVER leave anything to a museum period. 1st of all look at the mess and infighting of the AACA museum. 2nd, just look at how many automotive museums have disappeared in the last few years and everything was sold off to the highest bidder. The one that most recently was sold off was Arthur Stones Fort Lauderdale Packard Collection. He spent years collecting and assembling a incredible collection. I knew Arthur rather well as I had sold him my 1915 Packard twin six Limo. He often called me just to talk about cars and how he had provided a life trust to operate the museum to be managed by his daughter. All his planning was auctioned off quickly and sadly, a mans work and love gone to all corners of the world. No matter how well planned noting is permanent 3rd, Most museums have a boards of directors and when members of the board change so can the focus of the museum. That's when the slight of hand and underhanded  activities take place. New board members have a friend or relative that some how end up with cars or memorabilia and no one is the wiser. I have seen this happen over and over. My trust and will are extremely specific and detailed. All my cars, parts and machine shop are in a irrevocable trust. Not going into great detail I will say it covers some 40 pages. When I add or subtract anything I simply have a carry over amendment which covers the change. 

If you really think about it, once we are dead who cares? You can't come back and do it over. My point was look through your family, your friends or look back where you may have met someone that shares your ideals and interest.

 

brasscarguy

 

 

 

 

[1932 plymouth pb sedan]

My son has always wanted my old postal van, I told him dig a big hole, prop me up behind the steering wheel and push it in. He told me he would pull me out, throw me in the hole and drive off in the postal van. I guess at that point it won't matter.

[Steve Moskowitz]

Let me give you another perspective about donating to a "museum" or other 501 (c) (3).  We are starting to get more cars donated to us and I am VERY upfront with the donors.  They are told the pluses and minuses of making such donations.  The memorabilia we accept does not get sold or at least has not to this point.  The literature stays here forever if it is something we do not have, or we keep the best copy, the excess goes up for sale which benefits the continuation of the library and also gets the material into hands of people who need it.

 

Cars are another story.  Naturally we have to abide by the IRS regulations when accepting a car.  There are some cars we expect to keep "forever" and other cars will be earmarked for sale to help the cause.  The estate or person gets the tax benefit and in the end the donation helps continue the work of AACA which includes hosting this forum.  We have a few cars that are static but we have a couple that are set up to be driven on tours and to other events.  There are several museums that exercise their cars such as the Simeone and Nethercutt.

 

Yes, the sad ending  of our relationship, construction and support of the local museum is unfortunate.  There are no guarantees in life and a person can only do their best due diligence to understand the plans, management, staff, and other factors of the donee in determining if the donation is indeed responsible.  In the end, your consideration of the donation to support the cause(s) you believe in are important.  I know of a important, high dollar collection that is being donated to a 501 c 3 that supports a major hospital.  It is this gentleman's life long collection and is well into the 7 figures if not the 8 figures.  He understands that they will be sold at some point and is happy knowing that they will go to others to enjoy and at the same time it is benefitting a hospital he deeply believes in.  

 

All that being said, it is a very personal choice and I have even talked people out of making a donation as I knew they would not be comfortable in the end.  So many want to be assured that a car will never be sold and unfortunately no one can guarantee that as once you make the donation it is a gift and you lose control.  An alternative is to put the vehicle on long term loan with the rights going back to you.  Others have requested a first right of refusal if the vehicle is ever going to be sold.

 

There is a lot to consider in anyone's philanthropic decisions but by doing your homework and dealing with a reputable institution that has a record of doing right should give you some peace of mind.

 

The important thing in this thread is that maybe the readers will do all they can do ensure whatever decisions they want are abided by!  Oh, and that means doing your best to ensure you have an executor who will do as you want.  There have been some horror stories in this regard.

[cutlasguy]

Just bury me and my72 Cutlass together! Put my hands on the wheel and cover us up!

[SC38dls]

No way do I want my 38 Studebaker buried with me. I’ve put enough work into that car I want it to live forever!  Just cook me then take the ashes and dump them on the car and as Ed says “drive it like you stole it” and take me for my final ride and let the ashes fly. 
dave s 

 

ps. I suggest you do this with the windows and cowl vent closed!  

Edited November 20, 2021 by SC38dls (see edit history)

[edinmass]

35 minutes ago, SC38dls said:

No way do I want my 38 Studebaker buried with me. I’ve put enough work into that car I want it to live forever!  Just cook me then take the ashes and dump them on the car and as Ed says “drive it like you stole it” and take me for my final ride and let the ashes fly. 
dave s 

 

 

When I paint the 1915 White....we will mix the ashes in with the paint...........that way it will be a "Paint job by Dave S!" I'm not planning on painting the car for at least another 20 years.......so, don't worry!😎

[edinmass]

Museums, and how long they hold donations.........

 

I think it's important for people to understand what will happen over time......and some possible ways to control it. If you donate a common car.......it's probably going down the road as fast as they can do it without adverse comments or reactions. Donate a Duesenberg J...........they will try to hold on to it....until they get jammed up for big money. I recently committed to donating two cars to museums........one to the AACA for display in the new building. It will be a few years before it gets there. On this particular car.......it's just a donation, no strings attached, but I will let them know it would be nice if they kept it till I kick the bucket. It's rare, running, and sorted, so I figure they will attempt to keep me happy at all costs. If it goes down the road, so be it. Car number two is a different story.......comes with strings........which is it must go to another museum if they no longer want it.........if no museum wants it, it will go to a children's charity. It's such a rare and unusual car, I am fairly certain it will stay around a long time. At least I have the good feeling of charity and helping the institutions that were important to me during my lifetime. 

Edited November 20, 2021 by edinmass (see edit history)

[SC38dls]

If it is a rare car and sorted to run well when you donate it why not see if the museum will use the car. By use it I mean auction off the use of it for a AACA sponsored tour. Highest bidder gets to drive the car for the tour. The AACA benefits as they get the $$ and the car gets used. The member gets to drive a car he may never have the opportunity to drive or even sit in. I hate to see a car just sit in a museum and never get used. 
dave s 

Edited November 20, 2021 by SC38dls (see edit history)

[58L-Y8]

14 minutes ago, edinmass said:

 

 

When I paint the 1915 White....we will mix the ashes in with the paint...........that way it will be a "Paint job by Dave S!" I'm not planning on painting the car for at least another 20 years.......so, don't worry!😎

If you do paint it at some point, remember: no spraying the paint.  It must be done with brushes as they did in that era; laborious preparation of the primer coats with lengthily curing periods between layers, followed by multiple color coats rubbed down glass-smooth between each coat then multiple varnish coats finally buffed to a high shine. 

[60FlatTop]

I am liquidating all the stuff into cash and metering it out in $19 per month increments to a non-profit that rescues sad eyed husbands who are scared the next thing they do will be wrong. Like the retired ones who get out of bed in the morning and wonder if they can go to the bathroom, brush their teeth, take a shower, and get out the door to have coffee with the old guys without being scolded for doing something wrong. If I can only help.

[Steve Moskowitz]

34 minutes ago, edinmass said:

Museums, and how long they hold donations.........

 

I think it's important for people to understand what will happen over time......and some possible ways to control it. If you donate a common car.......it's probably going down the road as fast as they can do it without adverse comments or reactions. Donate a Duesenberg J...........they will try to hold on to it....until they get jammed up for big money. I recently committed to donating two cars to museums........one to the AACA for display in the new building. It will be a few years before it gets there. On this particular car.......it's just a donation, no strings attached, but I will let them know it would be nice if they kept it till I kick the bucket. It's rare, running, and sorted, so I figure they will attempt to keep me happy at all costs. If it goes down the road, so be it. Car number two is a different story.......comes with strings........which is it must go to another museum if they no longer want it.........if no museum wants it, it will go to a children's charity. It's such a rare and unusual car, I am fairly certain it will stay around a long time. At least I have the good feeling of charity and helping the institutions that were important to me during my lifetime. 

Ed now that I know you have a concealed carry permit, you can be assured we will not sell it!   

[89tc]

I don't see that Kaiser in the picture above getting crushed. Even in my small country town, anyone involved with the crushing would figure out an angle to "say" it was crushed on paperwork and then make the car disappear. I'll bet if you run the vin in a few years the car is sitting in either the attorneys garage or the garage of Tom's we-crush-it...

[BHWINCVAP]

I have told the family, "Sell every car, truck and piece in my inventory as well as every personal belonging that I own. Take the money and enjoy it, use it as an apologie for every time I was late for a for a date, a supper, a soccer game or school event. Or for the times I was not able to be there when I should have been due to customers, travelling  or hauling more stuff in.   For the days you gave up to help me load/unload. and all the other headaches cars and parts have caused over the past decades.. I worked long and hard for everything I have... ENJOY IT WHEN I'M GONE! 

Edited November 20, 2021 by BHWINCVAP (see edit history)

[trimacar]

1 hour ago, edinmass said:

 

 

When I paint the 1915 White....we will mix the ashes in with the paint...........that way it will be a "Paint job by Dave S!" I'm not planning on painting the car for at least another 20 years.......so, don't worry!😎

 

That's funny...my wife states that I love my Pierce so much (I met it in the 60s and bought it in the 80s) that she plans to cremate me, put my ashes in a pouch, and put the pouch in a door pocket of the Pierce so I can be with it forever.....

 

So, years from now, if you see a Pierce phaeton at a meet with gray dust on the interior.......

 

 

Oh, and the driver's door is ajar, that's why trim lines don't match....

Edited November 20, 2021 by trimacar (see edit history)

[30DodgePanel]

I've talked to my kids about this topic, the older they get they've shown they appreciate automobile history even as this new anti IC society is rising up around them.  They both love automobiles and can I.D. just about anything on the road and have been that way since they were very young. However, I doubt they will want to deal with the parts and some of the chaos that I enjoy, therefore, that's the element I need to get cleared out or labelled correctly so they don't have to deal with it. What ever I don't sell before I'm gone, my will states to donate it all the the DBC if my family doesn't want it. I've left contact info for the club. I don't have much so it should be pretty easy for everyone.

 

It is important to make sure your will is in the right hands, even prior to passing.

About five years ago my father in law re-married into a family that we did not know well and they all lived on the same block. One of the daughters is a serious control freak and ruthless nasty person. One day while visiting them in Feb 2021 my father in law showed my wife where his will was in a drawer in his office (my wife is the executor). He passed in April suddenly due to heart issues. When my wife asked that family for the will they would not give her access to the office or will and said they had not seen a will (later we uncovered the lies). They sold or donate just about all of his belongings prior to his funeral in the first week and his kids never had a chance to see what he had while greiving. Needless to say, there's currently a legal battle ongoing due to his investments, cars, houses etc...

 

This all happened because his will was in the wrong hands even though my wife was the executor. Please, make sure your will is with the people you want taking care of your estate once you're gone.

[1912Staver]

Lots of " stuff " , but the cars themselves although some worthy machines are all projets and so relatively little cash value. Most would be quite a bit more valuable in the U.K. and thats probably where most would eventually end up.

 So many of the local cars of a similar nature have been exported over the last 30 years there is no longer a very large following or support industry { parts , and people who can work on these cars } in this region. Still lots of nice cars around here , but they belong to people wealthy enough that projects are not needed, just attend a few U.S.  European sales and take your pick.

 Projects are still a reasonably good market in the U.K.  People still do the hobby the old way. Around here there are very few younger people entering the hobby , just older people with money. 

 Wife and son can do as they please when I am gone. The internet age makes selling the cars and various parts belonging to those cars with a strong enthusiast following  relatively easy.  Some might even stay in Canada , but I am not betting on it.

[Buffalowed Bill]

I'm blessed and I admit it freely! My Better Half is a car gal and considerably younger than I am. We met because of the cars which are one of the common bonds that keep us together. When we got together she had the shop building (modest 2400 sq' finished pole building) and I had the cars. A car collector's match made in heaven!

 

Time passes and as I began to look at my own mortality, I began to wonder what her future would be like without me. So several years ago I asked Mary if I was doing the right things keeping all these cars. I have to admit I'm not too sure if I would have asked the question if I hadn't known her as well as I do. Her answer was just exactly what I had expected, "Yes I have this building and something has to go in it."  

 

I realize that she will want to move some of the cars, but that is what I'm doing anyway. By selectively placing cars with owners who will not destroy them, I feel that I'm being true to the commitment that I undertook when I got them. I confident that she will continue with that process. Life is good! 

[Stanley Mountain Wagon]

As a widower with no kids, I have been dwelling on this very question.  There is no one in the extended family with any interest in the cars, so I have been either giving them away now or setting things in motion for where certain cars will go.  About six cars are not set up and if I croak before I get that done, cousins can fight over them.  Real estate has less meaning to me than the cars.  I don't care who gets the houses.

[Gary_Ash]

There are many parallels to our concerns in other hobbies.  I'm in the middle of the book "Maphead" by Ken Jennings, the guy who won lots of money on Jeopardy.  He's had a life-long love affair with geography and maps, in particular.  Jennings discusses a conversation he had with a major map dealer who cautioned against giving collections of old maps to museums because the boxes would just go in the basement and gather dust.  It seems there are a number of aging collectors of old maps - we can call them "old map collectors" - with hundreds or thousands of maps, some worth more than our fancy collector cars.  Maps are just smaller, so you can have lots more.  The map dealer's suggestion of what to do with a collection is to sell it back to a dealer or give it to a friend.  I absolutely hate seeing road-worthy cars go into museums to rot.

 

As discussed in above posts, an issue with donating a car to a museum is that they may decide in the future to de-accession (sell) the car for some or any reason.  If you do donate a vehicle, be sure that there is signed, witnessed/notarized documentation that the car comes back to your family or estate if the museum no longer wants it.  Another point is to keep cars and other goods out of a will.  The will is mostly to avoid your estate going into probate.  It can be expensive and slow to re-write a will if you change your mind.  A separate document or trust can be set up to say where your stuff goes and you can change it easily at any time.  But, use an attorney to create all these documents and explain how it works. 

 

My cars?  I've told my wife to just sell them to club members, along with any parts someone wants.  Give away the rest, and put the remaining bits in the dumpster.  I want to be cremated and have my ashes dumped into a batch of molten steel so I can come back as a car.  Beep, beep!

[13CADDY]

7 hours ago, edinmass said:

 

 

When I paint the 1915 White....we will mix the ashes in with the paint...........that way it will be a "Paint job by Dave S!" I'm not planning on painting the car for at least another 20 years.......so, don't worry!😎

Ed,be sure to let us what type fish-eye eliminator was used in the paint !

 

[edinmass]

Interestingly, the last two cars I purchased were vectored my way because the owners were more concerned with who got them than how much money they got out of the cars. In both cases the car will be much better than before, and will probably survive another hundred years until they need a major amount of work. 

Edited November 21, 2021 by edinmass (see edit history)

[SC38dls]

Ed, when they need that work I’ll paint them and you can sort them out with Phil. AJ can watch and criticize our work. Steve M can walk around in the grass barefoot. 
dave s 

Edited November 21, 2021 by SC38dls (see edit history)

[Bhigdog]

Make a will, keep it SIMPLE, and then don't worry about your "stuff". That's all it is. My dad agonized for years about controlling his money and stuff for generations after he was dead. The lawyers were only too happy to draft complicated documents with various permutations, what ifs, and there fores. Every time someone got divorced or had a child he would have to start all over.

Finally he said "to Hell with it" and split his stuff equably between his children to do as they wish. Simple will, minimum legal fees, no hassles, no regrets. Everything he owned has been sold, kept, lost, spent, or forgot about. .....Easy peasy........Bob

[Terry Bond]

I have no idea who will end up with my stuff. I'll miss the auction.

Terry

[nick8086]

8 hours ago, 89tc said:

I don't see that Kaiser in the picture above getting crushed. Even in my small country town, anyone involved with the crushing would figure out an angle to "say" it was crushed on paperwork and then make the car disappear. I'll bet if you run the vin in a few years the car is sitting in either the attorneys garage or the garage of Tom's we-crush-it...

It just cost me 15K to undo this.. Cars will go to the crushers non running.. And two years of my time for stupid..

[89tc]

I'm still not understanding the reasoning behind being forced to crush these cars, and paying $15k to do it, because the responses are too vague, but it just might be easier to give them to a Kaiser enthusiast and then report them stolen. Then everyone, you, the attorney, and the new car owner will be happy and the problem will be solved. Then 20 years from now when the vin #'s are out of the system they can be re-titled. 

[trimacar]

13 hours ago, edinmass said:

Interestingly, the last two cars I purchased were vectored my way because the owners were more concerned with who got them than how much money they got out of the cars. In both cases the car will be much better than before, and will probably survive another hundred years until they need a major amount of work. 

This is an interesting point.  I was involved with Ed getting the first of the Whites.

 

The then owner is a wonderful gentleman who I’ve known for years.  He had a nice collection of about a dozen cars, but found out he had a major health problem which would prevent him from enjoying them.  Over the years, he’d kept up with those interested in his cars.  He never advertised, just started making phone calls.  In 5 weeks his collection was dispersed to excellent new caretakers.

 

When making the offer to him on the White on behalf of Ed (and it was an offer considerably under asking price), the owner asked me how well I knew Ed, was he really interested in car or just wanted to resell, and so forth.  He then discussed with his sons, and agreed, knowing, on my word, that the car was going to a good caretaker.  Time has proven what a fantastic caretaker Ed has been, and the previous owner is aware of same and tickled it turned out so well.

 

As many of us have, I’ve acquired cars before where I was basically being “interviewed” by owner to see if I was a good candidate for subsequent ownership.  I can think of two such car acquisitions, one took five years of interviewing, one took twelve years.  In both cases selling price was well under market.

 

As much as money is discussed on this forum, the love of history and the cars (and resultant great friendships) should be the real reason we dance this dance.

[edinmass]

To continue with Dave's comments above.......... Buying a car that sat for seven or eight decades was a gamble at best.........not knowing anything about condition of the mechanicals, and from a few poor photos. I offered what I thought I was comfortable with under the conditions. That said........I got VERY lucky with a bunch of things...........and still ended up putting in 50k over eight months to get the car to go down the road......that number includes my and Phil's time........which as mechanics that work for a living, time is money in the literal sense of the word. Buying 100 year old cars is the same as going to Las Vegas........you ARE coming home with less money in an exchange for having fun. The cost of owning a car, making it run, and having fun with it are all in addition to the purchase price. Today, to own an early car you need a truck, trailer, and the funds to support them. A good truck and trailer rig can run you 175k or more.......I think the cost of transportation when buying, going to look at for purchase, and taking cars to and from events are much more of a deterrent than they were twenty years ago.......and I think that in the future it will drastically change how cars are collected. 

Edited November 21, 2021 by edinmass (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

9 minutes ago, edinmass said:

Today, to own an early car you need a truck, trailer, and the funds to support them. A good truck and trailer rig can run you 175k or more.......I think the cost of transportation when buying, going to look at for purchase, and taking cars to and from events are much more of a deterrent than they were twenty years ago.......and I think that in the future it will drastically change how cars are collected. 

 

Especially with the price of gas going to $4.00-$6.00/ gallon across the country in the last 12 months. Towing a prewar vehicle over a long distance is not a cheap date.  At $4.00/gallon the base cost is about 40 cents/mile to drive to where you are going, X2 to return home.

[trimacar]

10 minutes ago, edinmass said:

To continue with Dave's comments above.......... Buying a car that sat for seven or eight decades was a gamble at best.........not knowing anything about condition of the mechanicals, and from a few poor photos. I offered what I thought I was comfortable with under the conditions. That said........I got VERY lucky with a bunch of things...........and still ended up putting in 50k over eight months to get the car to go down the road......that number includes my and Phil's time........which as mechanics that work for a living, time is money in the literal sense of the word. Buying 100 year old cars is the same as going to Las Vegas........you ARE coming home with less money in an exchange for having fun. The cost of owning a car, making it run, and having fun with it are all in addition to the purchase price. Today, to own an early car you need a truck, trailer, and the funds to support them. A good truck and trailer rig can run you 175k or more.......I think the cost of transportation when buying, going to look at for purchase, and taking cars to and from events are much more of a deterrent than they were twenty years ago.......and I think that in the future it will drastically change how cars are collected. 

It was not my intent to say that Ed made an unfair offer, so no one take it that way please.  In fact just the opposite, with grainy photos and a strange person (me) telling him it seemed like a solid car, his offer was correct with all the intangibles thrown in.  And, while the car was solid, it was also quite "dead" in the sense that it needed a lot of work to be roadworthy, as was well documented. 

 

Everyone was happy in this deal, except me of course, I still haven't gotten that Duesenberg as a finder's fee.  I guess the transportation to me is what's holding it up.....

 

It ended up with just the right person for sure.

[mrspeedyt]

 I really need to update my will.  as it is presently written my ex-wife will get it all.

  that’s kind of like poetic justice right now.  my life is a mess and she will inherit a mess.  but I have been liquidating over the past few years and maybe God will bless me with good health and sense  to finish liquidating before I check out.  at least most of the cars are gone to new homes now. only three project cars remain and worth relatively little. less than $10k... and a few bits and pieces too.

it has been fun spending the money on life experiences that I have never done before. 

Edited November 21, 2021 by mrspeedyt (see edit history)

[Robert G. Smits]

2 hours ago, Larry Schramm said:

At $4.00/gallon the base cost is about 40 cents/mile to drive to where you are going, X2 to return home.

Add to that the depreciation of the tow rig, tire cost(I always blow at least one) license and maintenance costs, hotels and meals.  I always assume $1 per mile each way as a starting point.

[edinmass]

I spent all my money on high end booze(Crown Royal), high maintenance women(see current Mrs.), and high end pre war cars. Thus I only wasted 1/3 of my money! Wanna guess which category? 🤑

[JV Puleo]

11 hours ago, edinmass said:

... Today, to own an early car you need a truck, trailer, and the funds to support them. A good truck and trailer rig can run you 175k or more...

I don't doubt Ed's grasp of this but, in a real sense, I read it as sounding very discouraging. Then, giving it some thought, I realized that ti's always been that way if you want to participate in events far from home. The only trailer I have is a homemade single axle job (originally built to haul a Model A) now on loan to by brother-in-law because I don't have a trailer hitch on my truck - which in itself, isn't really appropriate as a tow vehicle. The furthest I've ever gone with the trailer was just short of NY to bring back of 1911 REO and that was pushing it. So...my car, if and when I finish it, will only be used locally unless some sort of major event takes place nearby. Fortunately, shows and trophies have never been important to me. I'm doing it because I enjoy it...I don't need the approbation of others, 99% of which know absolutely nothing about the subject.

 

If I'm still in good health when it's done I'll almost certainly go on one of my "adventures" — driving to some very distant location and back again — but I can and probably prefer to do that alone, not as part of a group, so the lack of a truck & trailer is not very restricting.

[Larry Schramm]

With a Model A, it is easy to drive the car to any event between 50-100 miles from home.  Model A's were a watershed marker in vehicle development in allowing for a dependable car for the masses.

 

If you are an owner of a pre WW1 vehicle, the vehicles are very different.  They are truly Horseless Carriages.  A carriage body put on a chassis with an engine & drivetrain.   I drive our '13 Buick within about 40-50 miles from my home, but more than that is quite busy.  A truck and trailer becomes very necessary as we have toured with groups up to 1,000+ miles from home. 

 

We go where the fun is.   🙂🙂

[Terry Harper]

First and formost on the list is ensuring that our daughter (who is autisitic) is taken care off. Everything else is secondary to that per a trust.

 

Donating to museums... like Joe, thats a tricky one for me. There are a a handful of organizations I would donate too without a problem. Others.... nope! Not all museums are cut from the same cloth - you have to do your research. Often museums have very, very, poor aquisition guidelines and proceedures. They accept stuff they don't really need. Often they tend to say "yes" when they really should say "no" then you have the doner coming around years later wondering why thier donated item isn't displayed front and center or was sold off even though the donation agreement stated that the organization could in fact sell it or dispose of as they saw fit - just as if you sold or gave the artifact to a private individual. Never mind that (hopefully) the funds went towards something the museum really needed. Communication is the key in this regard. What are your expectations versus the organizations needs and mission? Do your home work.

 

Then there are the donations of funds.... The worse case is when the donated funds are tied to a need precieved by the doner as opposed to the organizations actual needs, mission or plans. This puts the organization in a very uncomfortable situation. On one hand they should say no. But on the other they want to encourage potential future donations. I know of one on-going situation where a doner offered funds specificly for a number of different initiatives that they precieve as being "vital" to that particular organization. Wether vital or not it was a package deal... all or nothing. Don't put any organization in that position. Allow the organization plenty of leeway. For instance a donation to thier endowment fund would be far more productive. In fact Its the endowment fund that provides the stability. Its a portion of the interest from the endowment fund that underwrites programs etc. and keeps the lights on. Donations to a museum's endowment fund are tax deductible and can be made in many ways, including cash, appreciated stocks, bequest, and life insurance.

 

Remember there are organizations out there that are 100% volunteer. If it is a 501c3 there are reports available so you can see the operating budget, payroll etc. Again... do your research. 

 

 

Edited November 22, 2021 by Terry Harper (see edit history)

[nick8086]

22 hours ago, 89tc said:

I'm still not understanding the reasoning behind being forced to crush these cars, and paying $15k to do it, because the responses are too vague, but it just might be easier to give them to a Kaiser enthusiast and then report them stolen. Then everyone, you, the attorney, and the new car owner will be happy and the problem will be solved. Then 20 years from now when the vin #'s are out of the system they can be re-titled. 

I spent the money.. to save the cars or to change the ownership.. I did not say if a may ask the attorney for my money back..