[clevelandcougar]

I found a 1967 XR7 6.5 Liter Cougar that appears to be in decent shape. It has a few door dings, and appears to be misssing the engine and interior but is overall a good find. I talked to the guy before about selling the car, he seemed uninterested. That was about a year and a half ago. The problem is that he seems to be one of those old Kooks who claims that the car(s) will be restored some day(yeah right, when hell freezes over and pigs fly).

Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas on how to persuade or even trick him into selling the car. I would really like to give it a good home.

Other diamonds in the rough that are wasting away on his automobile death farm:
- '71 - '73 Cougar
- '66/'67 Mustang
- A mid seventies Cadillac
- A gigantic 1950's bus
- '67 chevy suburban 4X4
- other unreconizable autos behind a barn.

 

[wvcat]

If you get a good answer to this one I'm going to try it!!! I know where a guy has a 69 & 70 both verts sitting in a yard that I have been trying to buy for 10 years. The 70 is a rustbucket but is a 351c 4 sp(still in car) and the 69 is covered with one of those blue tarps. This guy is just like your guy he has about 6 other cars sitting there too including 2 ltd vert's around 70-71. I know he will never restore them but he says he has all the parts!!!
Good Luck
John
wvcat

 

[clevelandcougar]

I'm thinking that I will either pester him until he goes crazy, or when I get a few extra bucks I'll try offering cash up front.

There is a website dedicated to cars that will never be sold or restored carsinbarns.com
It really is almost disgusting to see all of the rare and quality cars rottinig away.

 

[clevelandcougar]

Here's an example from carsinbarns. Oh the horror - It's '68 GTE.

 

[dan]

pester him

you got to work him let him know its going to a good place.But like all things,DEAD PRESIDENTS in hand most likely work or offer him a doner car for one of his aging bucket of bolts.Like most people who were raised in the depression are habitual savers in case another rainy day comes.This could be the simpleest yet,he just might need someone to talk tnce you get to know him and he gets to talk he might just give it to you Dan

 

[clevelandcougar]

Habitual saver is right, you should see the pile of old semi truck drum brakes, lets just say I know where I'm going if another huge war breaks out and there is a scrap metal drive.

 

[1KZYKAT]

It’s kind of tough, it would seem to me that he is trying to hold onto a piece of the past and telling himself that “some day” I’ll start to fix them up. I had good luck one time telling this old buzzard that I really admired the work he had done on this old Jeep (He really hadn’t touched it but it sounded good) and that I wished I could have one just like it. I went on to say that I had just sold a project that I just finished, a restoration to be exact, (Because nobody likes to hear about your plans to cut half the body off and tub the fenders!) and was looking for a new project. After a few visits, and my assurance that he wouldn’t see a tunnel-ram sticking out of the hood next week, he relented and the CJ-5 was mine. It was a lot of work, but I really wanted it bad, and it was well worth it…Come to think of it, I wish…. Never mind, an entirely different story…however, my father in law is a firm believer in the “Money talks and Bull____ Walks” theory. I can’t tell you how many times we have pulled into someone’s driveway only to drive out 15 minutes later with the deal (Or was it steal?) of the century. I guess some people are weakened by the sight of $50’s, or in my case $10’s. At any rate, making a friend out of him or just talking his ear off may do the trick. Just my two cents….Good luck!

 

[wvcat]

The bad thing about the guy I'm talking about is that he doesn't need the money, he owns the business its sitting beside and he doesn't even seem interested in talking about it or about cougars.
John
wvcat

 

[dark7068]

You have to be patient, but persitant. Dont start talking money, unless you have it in hand. Be friendly, go visit regularly, but dont overstay your welcome. Sometimes small chats here and there will kinda soften up the old man, and he just might surprise you. Good luck.

Rick

 

[sixt9coug]

small chats i think are the way to go. get to be his buddy then offer him a lil cash for the car when he is good and drunk. and when you have 15 minute access to a tow truck. by the way, this is a bad pic, but this is that 69 Charger RT that sits in the neighborhood behind my house. never seen it move at all and ive been aware of it since about 95 or so. yeah the pic sucks but ill take a better one. and of the 69 Fastback Stang a few blocks away, which is not far from what i believe is a Fairlane Fastback. and theres an old lady who owns a red 67 Cougar not too far away thats pretty damn rough. and... i can go all day. they seem to be Mopar freaks, and at least they have the sense to block it in with the brown car to prevent it from walking away.

 

[dark7068]

Fairlane Fastback, hummm

 

[sixt9coug]

i MIGHT be wrong, heres a really bad pic of that one. ill get a nicer one another day. maybe you can tell by the roofline or the bad blur. im not that knowledgeable about Fairlanes... maybe its not even one lol here ya go...

 

[dark7068]

Looks like a 69. 68 had 5 hash marks behind the 1/4 window, 69 had 3, also the tail panel chrome strip across is fat, 68 is thin.
Get up closer and take a better picture.

 

[cmpcpro]

lol! You guys are telling him to play this guy! Get on his good side and then take him to the cleaners, aye? =) Nah, I'm just jokin'.

I'd talk to the guy. Explain to him how much you want the Cougar, maybe tell him some of the things you want to do to it. I don't even know why I'm offering advice.. lol, I'm no good at this stuff.


lol,

Chris

 

[my69ragtop]

hard sells

the approach that seems to work for me is to find out why the person is unwilling to sell, find some common ground and let him/her know that you are willing to restore it to its full potential and let him/her see the vehical when its done. just my 2 cents

 

[wvcat]

Man 69 your killing us northerners, when we find a cat this is what it looks like.
BTW this is an r code 69 eliminator....in the weeds!!!

 

[vfret]

show him your serious

shove a fist full of greenbacks in his face.

 

[Cougar72]

I dont know the law out in WV but in Cal. there was an old kook who had a yard full of stuff(double decker bus, old caddy, iron lung) and the commuinity declared it an eyesore so he had to get rid of it. Maybe if you put in a call to the police about who awful all that crap in his yard looks and then waited around to see if he would be more willing to sell...
I'm not normally this mean to old folks but I had a neighbor with a 57 Pontiac Cheiftain that I tried to get but he moved away...I still miss that car

 

[modifiedmark]

Hey John, that hood scoop on that R code isnt hurt!! Tell me you grabbed it!.

This story about someone not wanting to sell and will never restore reminds me of a friend of mine who spent 1 1/2 years working a guy over to sell him a 1 owner Mr Norms Demon. After the first year my friend finally drove his Demon that just took second place in its class at the Mopar nats over to show the guy what kind of restoration he would give the Mr Norms car if he would sell it to him.

The guy still said he wanted to keep and fix the car so my friend offered to restore it for him but gave him a real shock at the cost involved. Finally after a couple more visits and 6 months later the guy gave in and offered to sell it. My friend called a wrecker with his cell phone from the guys driveway so he couldnt change his mind.

The kicker is they did the research and come to find out its a one of a kind Mister Norms!! Worth mucho mucho!! I guess the kicker was the persistance he gave to it and the guy new after seeing the Demon that won at the nats that it was going to a better home than he could give it.mm

 

[wvcat]

I didn't grab the scoop yet but I still may end up with this car even if I part it. It still has the 4 sp but the 428 has been replaced with a 351w. I ran the numbers it is a real eliminator. the spoiler is gone but the holes are in the trunk for it. 72 this car is way out on a dirt road, and about 150' from the road. If it was in town your approach may work but I don't think so on this one. It may work on the verts but they arenot close to home, about 40 miles.
John
wvcat
BTW this is what you see from the road