A few years back, I stopped in at a friend's shop to visit. He wasn't in, but one of his mechanics had a big Healey up on a lift. It had a clutch problem and had been brought in by a fellow who was helping the owner sell it. I commented on the car and he said, "Oh, you like the big Healeys?" I said, "Well, I'm more into the little ones." He thought I might be interested in a car that a friend was trying to sell. The friend was a retired tire store owner in a small town in Louisiana. He collected muscle cars all his life but recently had a leg amputated and could no longer drive. Most of the cars were sold, but on his last visit he saw a car that had been hidden in one corner of the warehouse. According to him it was a AH factory racecar with aluminum bodywork, special knock-off racing wheels, and RH drive. He said it had a full race engine that was sitting on the floor next to the car. There was a racing logbook on the seat that said its last race was at Sebring. Apparently this guy got the car along with something else he traded for. It had been sitting around for 30+ years.
"So is that something you'd be interested in?", he asked. I tried to contain myself and said, "Yes". He said he'd be visiting his daughter who lived nearby the next weekend and that he'd gets pictures, VIN, etc and an asking price on the car. As you can imagine, I spent a sleepless week thinking about this car. What's it worth or more specifically what would I be willing to pay for it? What would I do with it? If it's all original, it's a museum piece that can't be touched, or driven and belongs in a museum. I have room in my garage but it's not a museum so it would just be taking up space and nobody would see it. I was totally perplexed, but first things first. I had to get this car.
I didn't want to sound too anxious, but after about 10 sleepless nights, I called the guy. Turns out he delayed his trip and wouldn't be going till next week. Then after a couple weeks, I call him again. Well, his buddy was out of town so he couldn't see the car. You know how this ends. Pretty soon he stops returning my calls. I have to assume that this car never existed.
Has this ever happened to you? Why would he make up such an elaborate story? Why would he want to deal with the aftermath? What would make someone do something so pointless and senseless? Years later, I'm still shaking my head...
"So is that something you'd be interested in?", he asked. I tried to contain myself and said, "Yes". He said he'd be visiting his daughter who lived nearby the next weekend and that he'd gets pictures, VIN, etc and an asking price on the car. As you can imagine, I spent a sleepless week thinking about this car. What's it worth or more specifically what would I be willing to pay for it? What would I do with it? If it's all original, it's a museum piece that can't be touched, or driven and belongs in a museum. I have room in my garage but it's not a museum so it would just be taking up space and nobody would see it. I was totally perplexed, but first things first. I had to get this car.
I didn't want to sound too anxious, but after about 10 sleepless nights, I called the guy. Turns out he delayed his trip and wouldn't be going till next week. Then after a couple weeks, I call him again. Well, his buddy was out of town so he couldn't see the car. You know how this ends. Pretty soon he stops returning my calls. I have to assume that this car never existed.
Has this ever happened to you? Why would he make up such an elaborate story? Why would he want to deal with the aftermath? What would make someone do something so pointless and senseless? Years later, I'm still shaking my head...