When Restorers hit the wall.

[cmperry4]

Yep, there's a C8A PERS-3 that I and others have looked at, as well as a C60 that need good homes, but the reply to those who have inquired is 'gonna restore it myself' (never gonna happen) or alternatively a selling price comparable to the weight of engine in gold.

There's also a C8 hulk sitting mouldering away, and the last time I checked, offering good cash money to remove what is only an eyesore to the present possessors, the reply was 'I'll have to think about it."

I was also once verbally abused by an old crank just for *looking* at a 15cwt that sitting by the road on his auto scrapyard.

Everyone has these stories.

[Wayne Henderson]

Maybe I should start a register of known Grey Haired Hoarders...
A register could alert others restorers not to waste their time...
A register could notify of Auctions when the GHH dies...
A register could reveal how much the scrap dealer paid the wife...


Thanks for the tip Tony, I get my translations from a Hungarian Phrase Book.

I think Bruce is onto something with his theory about having company.

This weekend I'm heading north to see several fellow restorers who are, refreshingly, the opposite to the GHH. These are blokes who restore vehicles, are free with their time, advice and will swap/trade parts and are happy to see someone else get another military vehicle on the road... some of them even have grey hair.

[George McKenzie]

I was and probably still am the biggest collecter in Northern Alberta from lamps to construction equipment .Try this on the won't sell guys . Get the largest dollar bills you can get .I use to get $1000 bills but now it is hard to get $500s .I play with them all the time I am talking to the guy .When the deal starts to fizzel I slowly start putting the money in my wallet .When he sees the money disappearing they might change their mind .Another one that might work is Trading . Find out what he likes and get something that he might trade for .A lot of the old fellows don't need money but might like what you could trade him . I agree alot of the old guys like" museum"buddys .Trust has alot to do with it .I had a young fellow that wanted a muscel car that I had .He begged me for a year . When I sold it to him for $1500 because that was all the money he had , I later found out he sold it for a hansome profit less than a year later .So guess what the next buyer was told . I don't bug guys much but sometime its a good idea to keep in touch as soone or later it will be sold

[S LATHERON (RIP)]

Hello all you other grey haired hoarders. I found this truck in 1980 in a corner of a stone barn used by a haulage contractor as his truck workshop. The owner proudly told me he was going to restore it before he retired. I guess he was in his early Sixties even then.
As i could not afford to pay a big price I said if you ever decide to sell I am interested and left it at that, Many years later I was chatting to a Truck sales man who used to be an operater of heavy trucks in the same area, Talking about who we both knew and about my hobby of rerstoring old Land rovers, I mentioned the Old barn and the restoration project that I had found there years ago. I was amazed to find that 15 years later the truck was still in same place. The owner of the barn had finally retired aged 76 and had been made a substantial offer for the land that the barn was on by a building development group wanting to put up a community centre.
The following week I got a phone call from the truck sales man saying if I still wanted to bid on the Project truck and any spares that the barn held then I needed to get over in next couple of weeks and make an offer.
As the Photo indoors shows it was worth saving.For those wondering, I did not restore the Project chassis as I would have had to buy an Engine, gearbox, and build a body.
I did source many of the parts that I needed but as stated in the earlier posts, Wrecks attract wrecks and a neighbour said, Theres one of those for sale up the road and guess what, I went, I saw I thought but only Briefly and I bought a bodied vehicle [a runner no less] It needed a cab rebuild as it was rusty in to many places, See Pic of Cab As i Reverse off Street .So the project vehicle became a Donor and it has since donated its Cab and Front bumper plus many other smaller parts to the benefit of my F60S LAAT. After I had finished taking the parts off it that I needed the Rolling chassis and another used cab have know found there way into another barn,
Maybe the new GH gentleman owner will one day want to sell those bits on for further use.

[Stuart Kirkham]

Originally Posted by George McKenzie

Another one that might work is Trading . Find out what he likes and get something that he might trade for. Alot of the old fellows don't need money but might like what you could trade him.

I recently stumbled across an old fella that had a farm full of scrap. Farming implements, trucks and machinery were piled up everywhere. He was reluctant to discuss the sale of any of the gear and all seemed hopeless

He then called me over to a medium sized header sitting under a tree. "Can you find me a front jockey wheel for one of these" he asked. We discussed the jockey wheel and I said I will keep an eye out for him as I stumble across lots of old farming equipment. From that point on, he was very accomodating and we began talking about military stuff.

I now had a 'foot in the door'

[Barry Churcher]

George, it must be the air or something in Alberta because the $1,000.00 bill worked for me also. Brian Gough and I had rented a motor home and were doing the tour. We made a wrong turn in Lethbridge and ended up in a vacant lot that had a mint 1938 Chev 1 1/2 ton. It had been a Lethbridge fire truck. The guy wanted way too much and my offer was way too low. Like you I flashed the $1000.00 bill and when his wife saw it the deal was done.
The truck can now be seen here for sale....http://www.willysacres.com/.....no connection,yada, yada.
Barry