Best or strangest thing found in an old car you bought.

[Paul from PA]

I bought a 1963 Rambler station wagon at an estate auction. Car was in a poorly lit garage. After I got it home I found a porcelain Texaco sign under the front passenger floor mat. Car was pretty rough. I sold the sign for the price I paid for the car.

[CChinn]

I can’t top the Texaco sign. The neatest thing I discovered on my 40 Chevy was the original gas ration A sticker still on the windshield. It had survived on the car for 80 years when I bought it in 2020. The sticker eventually fell off, but I have preserved it

[JV Puleo]

An unrestored 1911 REO I bought years ago had stickers on the windshield that said "National Air Races/1939". Some time later there was a picture published in Old Cars Weekly captioned "Joe xxxx and his brother on their way back from the 1939 National Air Races in their 1911 REO".

 

I didn't find it but I once bought a Napoleonic Austrian saber at Bills Auto Parts that had been found in one of the cars.

Edited October 7, 2023 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[Crusty Trucker]

My uncle owned a wrecking yard in the late '60's and bought many wrecked cars and junkers. My young cousin spent his spare time combing through the new arrivals and once came up with a very expensive diamond engagement ring, many assorted of tools, and, over time, quite a few human teeth (ugh!).

 

 

Edited October 7, 2023 by Crusty Trucker (see edit history)

[Hemi Joel]

Not me, but a friend of mine bought an old van from a junkyard. In the jack storage compartment under the floor was a real treasure! A cloth flour sack 3/4 full of old silver coins from the late 1800's - early 1900's. That was exciting. 

[Laughing Coyote]

Nothing exciting or strange, just normal everyday items that slid down the defrost vents into the heater box.

 

[yachtflame]

When I was 19 I bought my first car, a 1954 Oldsmobile sight unseen. When I went to pick it up, I found a 13 yr old girl in it. 15 years later, I married her!

 Best find ever!

[30DodgePanel]

Strangest thing I've ever found was a 1930 Coupe stored in a ranch style home in a very clean Fresno CA neighborhood.

 

It was strange because it was being stored in an attached garage next to a kitchen, the kitchen was in emmaculant condition and they said they never opened the kitchen door to the garage because of what was in the garage. When we opened the main garage door facing the street it was filled with black widows and webs from wall to wall and floor to ceiling. When I say filled, I mean I spent an hour or so doing  a 360 around the car and top to bottom to remove the webs and when we finally pulled it out in the sunglight it was so infested with black widows and eggs it took me months to get rid of them when I got back to the shop. I'm not afraid of spiders, but I'm still not sure how someone could sleep at night knowing what was just outside of their door. One of the strangest scenes I've witness in my life. The amount of webs and spiders is one you had to see to believe. I know I should have taken photos,  but I was so focused on striking a deal on the coupe I didn't think about photos. This was about 15 years ago so grabbing your phone for a quality photo was not an option and I'd left my Canon at home for that trip. The days of tiny flip phone photos...

 

Evidently the owner loved the Coupe so much that he used his only garage space to keep it safe all them years and parked his modern family cars on the street. The car had sat since 1959 according to documentation and family witnesses. Another case of good intentions yet never got around to working on it as he planned or hoped for. The older I get, the more I can relate as life and other things like finances and family issues are more of a priority at times....

 

I know people disagree with the term barn find and what the criteria for a barn find is, but that was the closest thing I've ever seen to a true barn find (in my view). 

 

1930 Chrysler Business Coupe Model 66 after I finally got rid of all the widows

 

 

Edited October 7, 2023 by 30DodgePanel (see edit history)

[R Walling]

 In two separate 1946 Fords, I found 1/2 -9/16 box wrenches still wedged on the nut that holds in the radiator. Both were on the lower rt. side on the very same nut!

[JACK M]

A pistol under the back seat of a 56 Plymouth, and a 1936 penny under the back seat of a 36 Dodge.

 

Similar story as above when I bought a 70s Chrysler convertible I stupidly opened the trunk when the seller was still standing there.

Under the spare tire was a large cookie can full of silver quarters. He immediately says. "Oh, those don't come with the car".

[Pfeil]

After buying my 62 Pontiac from the original owner I decided to look for the build sheet. I found it years later when I decided to restore it. It was located in the bows above the headliner.

[Leif in Calif]

Not an old car at the time, but I bought a new German made Capri in 1973. First time I took the spare out there was an empty schnapps bottle underneath.  

[JACK M]

22 hours ago, Leif in Calif said:

Not an old car at the time, but I bought a new German made Capri in 1973. First time I took the spare out there was an empty schnapps bottle underneath.  

Darn, it was empty.

[Porsche 68]

20 years ago bought a 71 Cuda convertible moldy interior pulled out the seats found a bag of cocaine and 10 grand cash ! Bought it at a police impound auction! Flushed the coke bought another car and dinner. John 

[Walt G]

This tag was under the front passenger seat of the 1931 Franklin victoria brougham I bought , Atkinson supplied most of the custom made seat spring cushions to the coach builders, see the advertisement also here that gives you a better idea. It is a whole story on that company and how they shipped the springs to coach builders in assorted locations and states in the USA, and as of several years ago the factory buildings still existed.

Yes, to many stories yet to be told with period information that just has to see all the pieces of the puzzle story put together in sequence to get the broad overall picture of all the facets of the motor car story and their component pieces that made them whole.

 

[brasscarguy]

Often bought cars at the insurance salvage pools. Found some interesting things, a strip of 24 Navy approved condoms, a birth control diaphragm in its round metal case, lots of change and some paper money, and  a very nice 9mm Gock with holster. Lots of tools, and divorce papers.

 

just sayin,

 

brasscarguy

[yachtflame]

Not yours I hope!

[Angelfish]

A $1 bill and a cigarette. 

[Gerczak]

Navy approved!!!  I guess it helps control those Sea Men.  

 

Must have been a good last ride.

[Captain Harley]

Not me, but a friend at the time many years ago.  Told me of a friend of his who was running an auto junk yard.  On East Highway 50 in Orange County, Fla.  A car came in to be junked and when they opened the trunk.  They found two human heads in a suitcase.  That's all I know and all I wanted to know!🤢

 

Capt. Harley😉

 

"Skirts are for Women not Car Fenders"

[13Caddy2]

 was inti the dash on my 32 studebaker-taking out the wiring--out falls the factory tag with the color code on it--laying loose above the glove box--made me feel better painting the car black--Tom

[studebugga17]

Found a small wad of cash in the gas tank of my 31 Studebaker. But when we attempted to part the various bills they disintegrated into a handful of confetti. Short lived excitement oh well......Chris

[8E45E]

On 10/14/2023 at 5:34 PM, 13Caddy2 said:

 was inti the dash on my 32 studebaker-taking out the wiring--out falls the factory tag with the color code on it--laying loose above the glove box--made me feel better painting the car black--Tom

Studebaker pasted the Body Color Label on the underside of the glovebox for years; right until the end of production in 1966.  Often, the glue would dry out, and the label would fall to the floor and got thrown away.  It must have done the same in your car, but thankfully, an earlier owner was smart enough to save it, and 'hide' it on top of the glovebox.

 

Craig

[Stevegolf1]

I found a few bullets in the glove box of my Chevy pickup 

[Joe in Canada]

Bought a 84 Chevy pickup in wrecking yard in Belen New Mexico. When cleaning it out after I got it home found a large snake skin under the seat. 

Edited October 19, 2023 by Joe in Canada (see edit history)

[3macboys]

Not me but a family friend that's a mechanic with his own shop was owed some parts from a local wrecking yard and they dropped off a car for him to strip the parts himself - inside the trunk was a complete 440 6 pack set up and some 392 hemi parts.  Why the yard never opened the trunk who knows.  

[Brass is Best]

I Took a 1985 Chevrolet Conversion Van in on a trade. Decided I better make sure there was nothing in it that shouldn't be. It was a disaster inside, lots of random junk. When I looked under the driver seat there sat a beautiful Stainless Colt .357 Revolver, loaded with hollow points. Later that day the gentleman who traded in the van returned and asked if he could retrieve something he forgot. I said go ahead. He went out looked under the seat and went into a panic. I told him I already found it. I gave it back even though I didn't really want to. It was probably worth more than the van.

[nsbrassnut]

The best old car item that I found was when i was stripping the original back seat upholstery during its restoration. I found the workman's tag that did the original upholstery back in 1905. And as the tag says, it was the right hand back upholstery for a Cadillac model F.

 

When I reupholstered the car I put this tag along with one of my business cards in a plastic bagging and put them back under the next future restorer to find.

 

Just passing along the time capsule.

[yachtflame]

I did the same thing in a 1932 Chris Craft runabout that I restored. I hope the next guy that reupholsters it does the same.

Edited November 16, 2023 by yachtflame (see edit history)

[Steve Braverman]

I found an ancient box of condoms under the back seat of a 1933 Franklin I used to own.

[JACK M]

I was pulling some interior and found about a hundred drive in movie stubs that someone slid in behind a window surround over the years.

[Max4Me]

WhenI bought my 1925Maxwell/Chrysler I lifted the front seat and found all sorts of things: a fan belt, pliers and misc. wrenches and the cranky start the engine . But my daughter found the coolest thing: a Jan/Feb 1956, issue #78 of the Archie comic in a storage compartment behind the front seat. I thought that was cool, but kind of weird. Why a comic book, and why that one? Then my daughter pointed out it was our car (well almost) on the cover with Archie and Betty in it! I thought the last two frames were a little risqué for 1956!

Edited November 11, 2023 by Max4Me (see edit history)

[MarkV]

Condoms in a 1991 Buick Lesabre and in a 78 Cadillac Coupe Deville.

 

I’ve found various matchbooks, business cards, etc as well! 

[Zimm63]

Found a bra stuffed in between the passenger seat and console of my 63 Riviera when I bought it.  

 

[JACK M]

1 hour ago, Zimm63 said:

Found a bra stuffed in between the passenger seat and console of my 63 Riviera when I bought it.  

 

Better check that interior with the blue light.