$50 best bad idea I've had

In reply to bgkast:

I'd cyberstalk first and see if you can get a direct response.

In reply to bgkast:

a few Benjamins, it's Friday, wait until tomorrow when she's spend her check on the drug problem and get them for a few Hamiltons. The down side is she might need a place to crash, then you'll have more gross shoes to clean out of the car.

bgkast wrote: just contact this person with a "burner" facebook account and offer them a few Benjamins if they can provide the title and keys. Thoughts from the hive mind?

I do not see how you can lose here

bgkast wrote: Moderators- Can we get this moved to the build-thread section? I got it dragged home with the help of my neighbor and his trailer. He has two of these Saabs and was drooling over the thought of grabbing parts from it. I told him he can have first crack at it if I can't get it registered or running. These cars use a transmission lock insted of a steering lock, so the car is locked in reverse. The transmission made an unfortunate playing card on a bicycle wheel sound when rolling it on and off the trailer even with the clutch depressed...not encouraging. After I got it home I went through the interior. Among the treasures: several gem stones, three otter pops, a collection of plastic frogs, a no-name cheap 24mm wrench, a gross pair of shoes, and several hilarious high school-esque love notes. I also found an insurance card with a name on it. Through the wonders of net-stalking I found the person on facebook. From the notes and their facebook page they appear to be a early 20-year old girl with drug and money issues. I'm debating whether I should have the sheriff come out and start the junk-vehicle paperwork (which involves sending a certified letter to the last registered owner), or just contact this person with a "burner" facebook account and offer them a few Benjamins if they can provide the title and keys. Thoughts from the hive mind?

As awesome as this is if its legit, I'm starting to wonder if the car is a "dope rental". If you aren't familiar with the term: 20 something trades car to local dope dealer in exchange for their drug of choice. Dope dealer hoons the crap out of it, ultimately damaging it. Dope dealer either puts it by the road with the sign you saw, or sells it to some other dope fiend who is going to "fix it", until they start jonesin for a fix of their own and put the car by the road with the sign you saw.

Meanwhile, back at the Duke Farm: 20 something either can't remember who she sold/loan/traded the car to or is afraid go demand it back. Friends/family start asking where the car is. Eventually, 20 something calls the police and reports the car stolen rather than admit she traded it for crack/meth/etc. A week or so down the road, you get a felony stop and pavement snack at gunpoint.

If any of this sounds plausible, have the police check it out before this goes too much farther.

I'd attempt cyber contact for the keys at least (worth saving $600). She may not have a clue where the title is though.

Yeah, I'd certainly start a paper trail as soon as possible, considering you're one on the right side of the law, and the odds aren't good that the car's been there its whole life.

Net-stalking complete. Looking more carefully she hasn't posted on her facebook account in a few months, but it's worth a shot.

Kazoospec- your scenario sounds very plausible. So far it doesn't show as stolen, so I will start the junk vehicle process and have the sheriff come out this weekend to make sure I'm safe from a legal standpoint. No driving will be taking place for quite awhile (no keys, plates and possible transmission issue) so I should be safe from gun-point traffic stops for now...

bgkast wrote: Net-stalking complete. Looking more carefully she hasn't posted on her facebook account in a few months, but it's worth a shot.

Double check and make sure she's not IN the car.

I've been through it...only found her shoes and surprisingly no drugs. Sheriff Contacted...

I had my son help me make it look more like a junk vehicle.

It's been hit in the front deforming the driver's bumper mount. I will have to weld a new one in the correct place. My friend's has been damaged in exactly the same way.

turboswede wrote: In reply to Jerry From LA: Nah, the turbo motors are worse with their instant torque in the middle of the RPM range. The V8 tends to have a wider and less peaky torque curve. It will be more nose heavy though, so I'm not thinking that would make for a great handling rig.

Balance it with a second V8 under the hatch driving the rear wheels. Replace the missing keys with a toggle switch and a big red button.

In reply to bgkast:There you go! Start him off early! For $40 you can use it for a training machine, if nothing else.

Though, lest it be a drug loaner, I'd keep it out of sight from the highways for a while. And yes, lots of play nice with the sheriff. Just in case things start backing up. "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

I ended up paying the tweaker guy the remaining $10 when I picked it up. I've already had $50 of fun with it I think.

I have saved a screen shot of the NICB vin check showing it's not stolen, and have left a message with the Deputy that is in charge of inspecting junk vehicles, with documentation of when the message was left.

No reply to the net-stalking yet.

I finally got ahold of the sheriff today, and they said they won't come out and inspect vehicles that have been purchased, only those that are on property you have bought. They said I need to take it to the state patrol for junk vehicle inspection.

Luckily it looks like I can skip the junk vehicle step and go straight to the "ownership in doubt" process. Step one: get the last registered owners info from the state and send them a copy of the release of interest form via certified mail. If they don't respond I can register the car for 3 years, then get title.

I sent in the form to request the last owner's info from the state. I also de-molded the passenger side of the interior. The passenger must have been a huge slob! The rear seat and carpet were nasty. I forgot to take a before picture of the seat, but here it is after with my mold buster of choice.

There was a lush forest a few inches across just above where the top of the bottle.

Next I pulled the passenger seat.

I found a dime making the total $49.90

After a bit of scrubbing:

Not perfect, but at least it's not fuzzy any more. If I end up getting it back on the road I will stream clean it.

Sounds like this will be quite an adventure to sort it out but worth $50.

Last time I saw a $50 car it was the beater 91 Mercury Tracer Station Wagon I owned in college which had a slipping auto trans in it. I tried to sell it to a friend for $50 which was solely for the intent of trying to ram snowbanks and take jumps with it. He kept neglecting to pick it up at my parent's house and they finally got fed up with it sitting around and towed it over to his place. He then claimed that the trans died soon after and didn't pay me for it. Oh well, it was out of our way at least.

The state just called me. "We don't typically give out information on abandoned cars...I'll have to check with my supervisor". Why do you have a form to request the owner's information if you can't give it out?!

I will be by the county licencing office for a meeting tomorrow and was planning to stop there to try and get the same info, they told me they could provide it. Here's hoping one of these pans out.

bgkast wrote: Moderators- Can we get this moved to the build-thread section?

Done. Nice score.

bgkast wrote: If I end up getting it back on the road I will stream clean it.

Stream clean?

Clean inside and out in one step.

The stream clean may not be a bad idea given the possible history here. Maybe get a few gallons of shock from a pool supply place first...

Dropped by the county office with the state form...they said they couldn't accept it. I told them they had said on the phone that they could give me the last owner's info. They replied that I would need to provide the bill of sale to do it, which I had left at home...

Called the State office back, the supervisor was out all day.

IIRC that'll run with a matching key and TWICE module from a junkyard near you.

I don't think the local junkyard provides keys. I will check.

$50 was a pretty cheap ticket for this level of entertainment. And I didn't even have to pay it.