What a waste

[Rene T]

Just down the road from me in Lakeland Fl, there is a storage facility. The type where you can rent a small cube. They also have one area where you can keep a car, boat or trailer. 13 years ago, I first noticed that there was a 1959 Chevy station wagon just sitting there. All four tires had sunk into the sand. I don’t believe the frame is on the ground because the pumpkin and entire rear axle would be keeping the frame up off the ground. In the front, there should be a thick crossmember keeping the front up.
I was just curious about the car so I stopped and spoke to the manager or owner. She said that it was not for sale. The owner of the car pays his rent every month. She said she has been there for 22 years and the car was there when she started there. She said it was really nice at that time. It belongs to an old man who’s about 80 years old. Over the years interested people have left their phone number with the woman. When she’d give it to the owner, he would just rip them up.
Why do people do that? Some day his estate will be involve with disposing it. Hopefully it happens soon. 90% of the body has surface rust but no holes. It looks like a rat car. All the chrome is still there and in decent shape.

Next time I go by it I’ll take a couple of pictures.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Happens everywhere.

Charles

 

[John From Detroit]

There are many reaosons someone might not want to let go of a car... Lost his virginity in the back seat or ... First "Date" with his wife.. Dad's only car... His first car... Too many reasons to list.

 

[Dan_Frisbie]

One of my Brothers-in-Law has a 1950 GMC pickup, all original, very used with a rebuilt stock engine. It’s been unused for probably 20 years now and hasn’t even been started or maintained at all.
His son doesn’t want it (which surprised me) and my 70 year old BiL “is gonna get it running again”.
It’s not for sale…I don’t understand it.

 

[Ray-IN]

I have a restored all original 1932 Chevrolet Confederate BA 2-dr sedan w/stovebolt 6 w/85hp I inherited from my dad. It's been covered and on jack stands since 2010 now. I just backed it into the garage, shut off the motor, placed on jackstands and covered it. Would I sell it? Haven't even considered that.
I do plan to get it running again, go through the brakes and drive it every day I can this summer. At 81 the odds of that happening are perhaps 50/50. In that case my kids will decide its future. (Barrett's?)

 

[Rene T]

One of my Brothers-in-Law has a 1950 GMC pickup, all original, very used with a rebuilt stock engine. It’s been unused for probably 20 years now and hasn’t even been started or maintained at all.
His son doesn’t want it (which surprised me) and my 70 year old BiL “is gonna get it running again”.
It’s not for sale…I don’t understand it.

Talk to him about selling it to you to keep it in the family. Do you have kids to pass it down to?

 

[NY_Dutch]

When I co-owned a truck service and recovery business, we had a little side gig hauling away junk and abandoned vehicles for the county. Some of the old cars and trucks we pulled out of fields and woods were enough to about make a grown man cry at the waste.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

Thing about a lot of these cars is they're idle for likely a pretty good reason, like shot engine or tranny. Or the cumulative effects of mileage like crappy front end/suspension, failing seals and body rubber, crappy interior, some collision damage or failed paint. It would be really surprising to find one that was in perfect running order then left to decompose. Folks run them until they don't run but then it's such a daunting project to actually restore them to even running much less good condition it's set aside for "someday". Some understand the futility of that and just sell it off or junk it, knowing at best it will only be a yard ornament. But others (myself included) keep some stuff around thinking once life conditions are right that'll be the time. Getting rid of the stuff off precludes even that small chance. Yeah, sometimes you see a "nice" car you think would be so cool to have and someone is just letting it rot away but I would bet upon closer review you'd discover the thing is wounded to the point only a serious restoration and $ would bring it back.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Isaac-1]

I agree Someday, is a powerful motivator, there is a 1940's Case SC tractor with optional wide tract front wheels sitting in the back corner of one of the equipment sheds on the family cattle ranch. My step father bought it in the 1980's and restored it as his father had owned a local tractor dealership, and this tractor had been one of the first ones he had sold. I have my own memories of this tractor driving it pulling a trailer doing hay rides, etc. for the then younger generation of my nephews, my son and his friends, etc. It has not been started in at least 20 years, he passed away in 2007, so certainly not since then, but I know it was sitting for a few years at that point, tires are flat, etc. yet there is sits, waiting for a some day, that realistically will never arrive as I know I will always have projects taking priority of it.

 

[NY_Dutch]

Thing about a lot of these cars is they're idle for likely a pretty good reason, like shot engine or tranny. Or the cumulative effects of mileage like crappy front end/suspension, failing seals and body rubber, crappy interior, some collision damage or failed paint. It would be really surprising to find one that was in perfect running order then left to decompose. Folks run them until they don't run but then it's such a daunting project to actually restore them to even running much less good condition it's set aside for "someday". Some understand the futility of that and just sell it off or junk it, knowing at best it will only be a yard ornament. But others (myself included) keep some stuff around thinking once life conditions are right that'll be the time. Getting rid of the stuff off precludes even that small chance. Yeah, sometimes you see a "nice" car you think would be so cool to have and someone is just letting it rot away but I would bet upon closer review you'd discover the thing is wounded to the point only a serious restoration and $ would bring it back.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

It was pretty common that we found enough usable parts on these vehicles that working with various old car clubs, we made more from the parts than the county paid us for hauling them away.

 

[Moho81]

My someday vehicle is a 1995 Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle. Throttle cable snapped at the end of the 2011 riding season. The same year we where moving into our new house with 2 small kids. It has sat in the garage ever since just waiting for someday.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

People are sentimental about many things, some of them much more odd than an old car. If the cost of keeping an item out of sentiment is acceptable. a high percentage of people will do so. Attending an estate sale will likely leave you shaking your head in amazement.

 

[Skookum]

A while back when we were young and keeping the lights on was a bigger priority than dumping money into an old truck, we sold a '72 K5 Blazer. Rockers weren't rusted and it had less than 100k original miles. They weren't valuable trucks back then, appreciated, sure, but not valuable in heavily-used condition, and even though we had the forethought that it could rise in value someday, hanging on to the truck just wasn't in the cards. It was an expense, and we didn't have room for it.

That was 15 years ago. I stumbled upon a listing for that old K5 last week (the exact one we owned) and my jaw hit the floor. It was virtually unchanged from when we sold it except for a few trim pieces. We sold it for a pittance on Craigslist. Current list price is $59k. Not that having it now would make us rich or change our position. But as an opposite example to the OP's post, we sold our "someday" because we knew it would otherwise rot...

 

[Rene T]

I swung by the storage place, stopped and took some pictures. You’d never know the car was green unless you looked real close

 

[Dan_Frisbie]

Talk to him about selling it to you to keep it in the family. Do you have kids to pass it down to?

It’s not an heirloom. He bought it many years ago. We live on opposite coasts, it’s not my favorite body style, so as much as I hate to see it rot in his yard, I have no desire to own it.

 

[Skookum]

The early 2000's Dodge Caravan sitting next to it is basically the same thing. Few people care about that one or wish it would be saved from the earth consuming it. At least not yet. Maybe in the 2040's someone will walk by it and wonder why someone didn't preserve it.

 

[Rene T]

Just down the road a bit, about 300 yards out, next to a clump of trees and a bunch of other stuff, what looks like a 55 Chevy.

 

[RedForeman]

I agree there's many reasons, ranging from hoarding to unreasonable optimism. I'm in the latter category.

Long story, but I was in search of some paperwork in my office that's been out of control for years. Among the discoveries were vehicle registrations. When I get them in the mail, I put the decals on the daily drivers and usually hold the ones for the 3 antiques (2 motorcycles and a car) until a sunny day off when i have nothing else to do. I just renewed, so this year's were top of the pile. I also found the previous two years where I had never bothered to take them downstairs and stick them on.

None are for sale. However, the car and one of the bikes I'm not particularly attached to, and would probably let them go to the right person with the right offer. The one that's a no sale is a 74 Kawasaki Z-1A that my Dad bought brand new. 7 yr old me went with him to the dealer when he bought it. It's been a part of my life here and there ever since. From camping trips as a young passenger, to being the pilot.

Someone's gonna get some great stuff, probably for a great deal, when I drop dead.

Why do people do that? Some day his estate will be involve with disposing it.

Never watch any Hagerty barn find videos on YouTube if this bothers you. True story.

I swung by the storage place, stopped and took some pictures. You’d never know the car was green unless you looked real close

59's are known to be rust buckets. Highly likely that any sheet metal at the ground level you can't see is completely rotten: rockers and floor pans. Same under any of the chrome trim. The owner is doing everyone a favor, until the estate auction. Or, she may have some kids that will just renew the lease and let it sink for another couple of decades, since they rode in the back with the window down as kids and inhaled too much exhaust. It will take an archaeological dig just to pull it out of there.

 

[Ex-Calif]

59's are known to be rust buckets. Highly likely that any sheet metal at the ground level you can't see is completely rotten: rockers and floor pans. Same under any of the chrome trim.

I would set an alert on the local obit pages. No way the kids will keep it.

Even if the floorpans are gone that thing looks to be 100% complete - It would be a restorers dream to get that as a resto project or a parts vehicle.

 

[Krazeehorse33]

I have a restored all original 1932 Chevrolet Confederate BA 2-dr sedan w/stovebolt 6 w/85hp I inherited from my dad. It's been covered and on jack stands since 2010 now. I just backed it into the garage, shut off the motor, placed on jackstands and covered it. Would I sell it? Haven't even considered that.
I do plan to get it running again, go through the brakes and drive it every day I can this summer. At 81 the odds of that happening are perhaps 50/50. In that case my kids will decide its future. (Barrett's?)

Pay somebody to get it going and enjoy it. Whatever you put into it will make it more valuable as rolling stock.