Free Cars are still out there

In the last two weeks, we have been given 3 cars. While some are junk, some are not......well.....by my standards.

Yesterday we picked up one that had been advertised as a free car 3 times. The first time only one contacted the owner. He promised to come and get it. Then the second ad came and another promise. Then the third and we were told we were #4. I called again and found we were #4 in a 7 person list. I thought for sure we would never get called back. Wrong - Thursday night rolls around and we are told that each other person ahead of us could not get the car for this or that reason. If you want it, come get it, or he will continue down the list.

So what did we get? What was free that 7 people called about? How about a 1960 Studebaker 2 door, that was stored nearly 30 years and converted to a SBC 283 with a manual trans many years ago. We (I) got to have the title signed over to me at the notary from the original owner now 87. The original title had the original purchase date of 3-24-60. He told me how the car cost him $1,300 as he had traded a Nash Rambler wagon in. The advertised price was $1,900+. He drove it till 1971 as he was a traveling sales agent for an Insurance Company. The title was pristene and he had cut the corner of the envelope off to show he received the car title on 3/31 and the postage was 4 cents. The glove box had service records for every oil change and parts replacement.

After '71 the car was taken off the road with 95,588 miles. His son swapped in a 1962 283 and 3 speed manual. Did a bunch a burn outs and parked it inside on concrete. Ya, you guest it.....the top is good and the bottom 1 foot is wounded....rust. BUT, it is/was free. The son who advertised it was happy we were happy. The father was happy it was going away and the wife came out and wished us the best with the car. She shared some of her voyage stories about driving the car and watched us load it with care. As we were finalizing the loads and the parts she said to her husband, "That was our only car we ever bought new." I think the value of that ol' Stude went up in my mind when he nodded, smiled and said "I'm sure they'll enjoy it."

Glad you picked it up Andrew!

Wow, I can't believe they would just give that away with that much history attached to it, even if it needs a bit of work. Nice score!

Oh yeah,

Good score! I wished I was a bit closer to the Penn-Dutch area. It seems there is a lot of cool stuff tucked away. My first registered car was a '63 Lark w/the Packard 289, 4-bbl, and Twin Traction. I paid $150 in for it in 1966 because it had 40k on it and the old people thought it was used up. That car was seriously fast and I dusted a lot of hi-po Mustangs with it. That was followed by a '59 Lark, six cyl. and three in the tree w/ overdrive that was cherry, and then a '62 Hawk. I was still in high school at the time. It's funny to see my old yearbook and everyone talks about my Studebakers. I still wet myself for a nice Avanti!

One persons junk...another persons treasure.

I haven't found anyone, ever, looking to give away a car or truck for free, but if I could have snagged some of the REAL bargains (like an Italia basketcase for $500), but didn't, because of no place to store/work on them........well, woulda, coulda, shoulda.

Very cool.

In my life. I've gotten two. Both were saabs. Both needed very little work to be road worthy. I'm fairly certain one is still running today, and I think the engine from the other is still running too.

I am convinced all wayward Studebakers are making their way to York, PA for rescue.

I got three free VW Bugs, a '79 Prelude and an MGB. I looked at a neighbors AMC Concord, but passed on it. It was probably the best of the bunch at the time. I was only considering it as a fender flare donor.

I actually had to come back and edit this post because I had forgotten about the free MGB. Where else besides here would someone forget how many free cars they've dragged home?

Rob_Mopar wrote: I am convinced all wayward Studebakers are making their way to York, PA for rescue.

Funny you should mention that....another one is also a Stude. The other is a 64 Hawk with a rusty frame that is fixable and had all panels and glass is intact.

My brother picked up the third car...a moss covered '84 RX-7. Looks usable.

Paula and I just flew into San Diego and we called home, The boys almost have the engine and trans out. Pulled the seats and vacuumed out the debris. They're taking over. I know it.

My freebees were f150's(2). Both needed brake lines. 300 c.i. Drove them, fixed them, sold them. The best one was going to be for Lemons. A 76 hornet 2 door. 258 c.i., automatic, green. I passed on it. My brother has it. It needs a motor. He is talking about scraping it. It might be available. I might have pictures.

Here is a picture of the 1960 Studebaker Lark.

^^time machine!

very cool!

CAM777 wrote: Here is a picture of the 1960 Studebaker Lark.

Awesome!

Hey Cam, is that the same blue your Stude is?

Sweet car. Good find. Makes me think about pulling the 6 out of my Lark in favor of something more powerful.

Rob_Mopar wrote: Awesome! Hey Cam, is that the same blue your Stude is?

His is a slightly darker metallic (used to be anyway) blue

I was given a very nice Volvo 850 turbo wagon recently, just now getting around to working on it. Needs everything in the suspension and has a pretty good oil drip and a really ratty interior, but it's really nice other than that.

I need to make a post about it soon, but keep forgetting to take pictures when I'm home.

A fellow on British Car Forum gave me a 1980 Spitfire that he described as rust free except for surface rust on the driver floor board. He was 100% on the money. He had pulled the OD trans, matching speedo, and diff, but I had spares any way.

I was given a '96 Saturn SL2 by my sister, because she slid it sideways into a telephone pole guide wire in an ice storm. And I had rebuilt the engine for it a few months back.

$118.50 for transfer of title and a new tag. Not bad for running, moving-under-it's-own-power transportation. It'll even do highway speeds!

Not as cool as a Studebaker, though

I picked up a 83' Fairmont with 35k that had been wrecked for the price of the title work once, roughly $50. At the time I was fixing up an 80' Zephyr Z-7 that I drove home for $100. Got a nice low mileage engine and trans, and a bunch of stuff for nearly free. It was a shame though the fairmont was pristine before it met a pole at the hands of a teenager.

I was working on at a local food store at the time and the previous owner would always find my line and ask how the car was working out.

JThw8 wrote:

Rob_Mopar wrote: Awesome! Hey Cam, is that the same blue your Stude is?

His is a slightly darker metallic (used to be anyway) blue

Cam is the PM on the 60 - pictured ^^^^. Calvin is doing the 62/3 that is medium blue, It's a 63 titled 62, since it was one of the first 2600 cars.

wheels777 wrote:

JThw8 wrote:

Rob_Mopar wrote: Awesome! Hey Cam, is that the same blue your Stude is?

His is a slightly darker metallic (used to be anyway) blue

Cam is the PM on the 60 - pictured ^^^^. Calvin is doing the 62/3 that is medium blue, It's a 63 titled 62, since it was one of the first 2600 cars.

My bad. Crossing up all the Studes and sons.

So when does Paula get a Studebaker? Unless there's another one out there I missed, she's the only one left without one.

In reply to Rob_Mopar:

maybe the '64 Hawk will be Paula's?

My Lotus Europa was free.

Well, of course everyone knows that a free Lotus is pretty expensive.

Rob_Mopar wrote:

wheels777 wrote:

JThw8 wrote:

Rob_Mopar wrote: Awesome! Hey Cam, is that the same blue your Stude is?

His is a slightly darker metallic (used to be anyway) blue

Cam is the PM on the 60 - pictured ^^^^. Calvin is doing the 62/3 that is medium blue, It's a 63 titled 62, since it was one of the first 2600 cars.

My bad. Crossing up all the Studes and sons. So when does Paula get a Studebaker? Unless there's another one out there I missed, she's the only one left without one.

We were invited up to Carflisle last year and she fell for the Opel GTs. I have been looking for a nice, clean, affordable one since.