Amen Ozzir, I can equate with that feeling. My case was along the same lines, I had always lusted a Bentley from the time I first saw one. I was born into a dirt poor family in Englund and such cars were for royalty and the landed gentry. Working class folks took the bus or got a bicycle if they were lucky. Fifty years on I purchased a brand new Bentley and fulfilled a lifelong dream. That car will be with me until the day I die. The lust for a Cobra came ten years ago but that's another story for another time. :D Cheers, tin-man.

I think anyone pursuing a "car held hostage" better get beyond the "hostage" thinking and realize that the auto has true sentimental value to the rightful owner---the person you're trying to convince to sell it. Unless you can convince him/her that you're not just another greedy SOB and that you actually respect him/her as a person and can wait until they are ready to let go, you're not going anywhere toward a purchase.

Respect. Let them know you are interested and give him your number. Drop by or call and talk about cars. Listen to some stories about the car, and what made it special to the owner. Be a friend. And maybe...

DD

reality: car hasn't moved in years
fantasy: car is going flat out with owner at the wheel, usually with an agreeable younger woman in the passenger seat


if they sell the car, the fantasy is gone too.

Z.

My experience..
 

FIA-ERA,

Back in the mid 90’s, a friend gave me a lead onto a limited edition Mustang convertible (Feature Car) I had been wanting for a while. It belonged to a postman that had just retired. He had several late models cars and this one was rarely used. It was showroom perfect with low miles. Called him several times asking if he would consider selling. Same answer everytime… no, not yet. I begged to be his first call. Explained I always wanted one like his and it would continue to be very well cared for in my hands. A few months go by and my buddy tells me the postman is getting ready to sell and I should follow up. Made the call and got the same response… though this time he admits he’ll be selling a couple of his cars within the next 6-12 months.

Well, a month goes by and winter is fast approaching. The convertible is getting ready for its 5 month hibernation. I can’t take it any longer. I call up the postman and ask if I could come speak with him and see his car again. Sure he says. I show up with a Certified check in his name and a very simple Bill of Sale. I believed I needed reinforce I’m a serious buyer. He looks at the check, the bill of sale and then me and says… very generous offer and I know you want this car, but I’m not ready to sell. You can come visit anytime, but you’re not getting this car today.

Three weeks later, my buddy informs me the car was sold to the kid down the street for much less than my offer. In his conversation with the retired postman, he asks why he didn’t sell to me. His response: I was insulted that he came to my home with check in hand when I told him I was not ready to sell.

All this to tell you, I have no idea what you should do to get you closer to the car you want. Sounds like you've done everthing right. Just don’t do what I did… it may backfire!

Good Luck with the chase!

289FIA

Hey zrayr, wait a minute, how did you know that was why I lusted for a Cobra in the first place, that plus scoping this board and seeing all the pictures of the gals from Hooters swarming over the Cobra's body and some of the pictures on lovehamrs site and the notion of having some pretty young hard body flashing her boobs at me when I drove by? Aahhh yes, fond memories of bygone fantasies, but then when I drove my first Cobra, even though she scared the chit outa me, she became my seductress and I had to have one. Ten years on its a reality. Unfortunately I did not get to ride her for too long before she started acting up, but isn't that the way of temperamental ladies? Temperamental, always acting up, cause us heart aches, are hard to please, most can be considered as high maintenance and they cost us an arm and a leg to take out, but when we ride em' and ride em' hard, its a sublime and euphoric experience bordering on the exotic with a thrill of ecstasy that causes our hearts to pound and our blood pressure to rise and for some, to throw caution to the wind and floor it. Didja follow that? Cheers, tin-man

Thanks guys for the great responses!

Doug, this is exactly as I put it to his friend to tell him. I am very interested in the history because the car has had a remarkable journey and one I hopefully can share we you guys soon. To me it is what makes the car and it's "personality" as well. I told them I do respect his privacy and would be honored to have the chance to spend time talking with them. I also let the friend in on what I wanted to do and he thought that was a more than generous offer. I really hope the inside friend will help and offer that connection that I need.

289FIA: Great to here from you! Hope all is well in TN. I totally agree with you and that's my biggest fear is this will just be "another" one of my finds that I get overly excited about and ruin it. The last "barn find" car I found I probably got too impatient and it had the same results as your conv. I have to keep reminding myself to hold back. I keep telling myself to respect them and to let them reach out to me. Thanks!

Thanks everyone, have a great Labor day weekend, best regards! Matt

Watch a few episodes of American Pickers. You realize there are some people out there that are just living in fantasy land on just about everything. People with trailers full of crap, but they won't sell anything.

It's mine - MINE!!!
 

Nothing difficult to understand or respect about someone holding on to an item that has sentimental or some other value - whether real or percieved.

Many other times though (hopefully not in the case of this gentleman), it's just plain grubby old greed and selfishness. Like a toothless dog with a bone - no use for it himself, but dammed if he'll let anyone else have it. I know some people who can't be bothered to pick the fruit from the trees along the road in front of their houses, but they'd rather see it rot on the ground than let anyone else have some. Look back into the past and you'll probably see a misfit kid who refused to share and had difficulty in team sports or just plain getting along with others.

Once again though, often the item in question simply means something special to it's owner and parting with it is just unthinkable to him - at that particular time anyway. Circumstances and feelings do change however; and a friendly, respectful approach will often at least help you learn the story of the man and his car. If you earn his friendship and you're patient, you might well be the one he calls when he feels it's time for him to let it go. :)

I had a similar thing happen to me. There was a guy that had a house and shop on about 10 acres. Out in the field the had 3 model "A's". Over about a five year span, I would stop by and talk once in a while but he would never sell any of them. He told me they were like his children. All of this time I am thinking "you would let you children set out in a field and just rust away?". I finaly got tired of always getting a very polite "no" and quit asking.

A couple of years later I found out that an auto shop school teacher from one of the local high schools made a deal with him. He would take one of them and build the owner a mild street rod (at no cost to the owner) for the other two.

I talked to the shop teacher ,as he taught in the same school that my children went to, and he said that he only stopped by once and offered the guy the deal and he took it.

I guess that it just has to be the right time and the right deal.

Amen to that, it would seem that this guy got a fix on the owner and managed to push his buttons in the correct sequence with a combination of logic and persuasion, brilliant when you think about it and a classic case of everyone getting what they wanted. tin-man

Ah! It all becomes crystal clear what the problem is!!
Some of you "potential buyers" are just as obsessed at
trying to buy as the car owners are in wanting to keep.

There is no reasonable solution in dealing with irrational
minds which lie in diametric opposition to eachother lol.

So where in the big book of Big Boys Toys does it say we gotta be rational? Is it rational for us to spend years on building a Cobra and then selling it? Is it rational for us to spend countless hours away from our family racing thru the side lanes of the country side whenever we thing we can get away with it? Is it rational for us to spend the money we do for such a smelly, bone jarring, gas guzzling, high maintenance car? Is it rational for us to spend countless hours fixin" our ride when it breaks down?, Is it rational for us to go thru the car and tighten every nut and bolt after we 've been for a ride? Is it rational for us to yell at someone for touching car when we are sitting watching people admire our cars at a car show? Is it rational for us to get up from watching TV in the evening and just stroll out into the garage and just look at the car and smile that all knowing smile that sez, yep she is all mine? and finally, is it rational that grown men spend many hours and thousands of posts on this website just talking about our dreams and frustrations and yearnings and sharing all there is to be learned about owning a Cobra?

Answer: you betcha, because we are Cobra owners and the rest of the world can think what they want. Cheers, tin-man

Now that seems to sum the experience up nicely. You bet!

Well here's the update: Went by the shop and finally met the shop owner. He was a very nice but pretty stern guy. He definitely wasn't giving up much info at all. After spending basically 5 hrs over two days just hanging out and bench racing, nothing. He told me the original owner did not want to talk to anyone, did not want to sell, and just did not want to even talk about the car? I don't know if this is a ploy from the shop owner to keep me away. I suspect that it is as he doesn't want the car but he does want the car to sell. The shop owner told me he offered 50K for it 6 years ago to the owner and he said NO. BUT, the shop owner has the title for the car at the shop!! He flat out said "I have the title for that car" but the owner doesn't want to sell. I asked, well what happens when the owner passes away. Well, I guess the son will sell it to me... The owner of the car gave the shop owner the first chance to buy, so...

This car is another one of those that has spent 90% of it's life not running, tied and covered up, and left to rot. Thankfully it has been inside for the last 7 to 8 years. It is really hard for me to let this go and just move on. It's even harder for me to understand what drives someone to this point and not let someone else return the car to it's rightful state. Just blows me away! I still would like to just talk with the owner but that might just be impossible to track down too. I'm working on that but then it becomes messy with the shop owner being in the middle! Oh, did I mention the shop owner wants to sell his business! It only gets better! Any other tips out there or the number for "Cars held hostage" depression hot line! Regards, Matt

I hate to say this Matt.....but i would move on to another car.....
i know where theirs a 69 Mustang Mach1,67 Chevelle,55 Chev Conv. all are not for sale...
and all have been sitting for many years just rotting away.....

I agree, been to a shop with about 30 cars behind the shop, a little of everything. about half are really worth some money,and if that's not enough, inside the shop,lining 2 walls are about 3 dozen complete engines, everything form 289s to late 60's 396/427/454 chevys,all were running when pulled and stored!!!!!!!!! and ain't nothing for sale at no price!!!!!!!!!!

Looked at a 70 Shelby GT500 a few weeks ago, in a barn,covered with chicken do-do, been there since the early 80s and ain't for sale either!!!!!!!!

David

Hi Matt,

With all due respect Sir - You my friend are a masochist! :p

I suggest you leave this one alone, and seek medical attention, in the form of another project to pursuit. This chase has probably gone past the point of interest and intrigue, and gone to obsession. Go on... ask me how I know! ;)

Take care,

Well I had to look that one up: the condition in which sexual gratification depends on suffering physical pain or humiliation.:eek: OK, that definition doesn't describe me but this one: gratification gained from pain, deprivation, degradation, etc., inflicted or imposed on oneself, either as a result of one's own actions or the actions of others, especially the tendency to seek this form of gratification. OK, yep your right:3DSMILE:. I know, I know, I need to let go and I will soon. I've got one last ditch idea and then I'll let it go. My wife is already giving me the eye too. Here lies my problem. I've been working on the same type of car, that I'm stuck on, for the last few years and I've collected a lot of "spare" parts. It's also the type of car I've always wanted since high school! This is at least the 6 or 7 "barn find" car that I've found that I had interest in wanting. All the rest were bought by some other random guy! The owners say "well I just decided today was the day and said yes!" So yes, I have issues!!

On a side note, I drove my FIA down to show the shop owner and a customer of his (he was 75 or so) says "nice car". That car is for a young guy, you know like 22 to 40 years old! I said, well crap I'd better sell it because I'm past that age! Too funny! At the end of the day I drove home in the car I built with my own hands and is almost perfect to me in every way. At least I know what I've got with my car! I'm still trying to figure out how you get so sun burned on an overcast day?? Thanks for the comments guys, it made me laugh! Regards, Matt

Oh Brother ...

1. Don't confuse your quirks and idiosyncrasies with that of the common man owning a cobra.
2. Who the f*** died and appointed you the definitive authority on cobra owners?

You need a reality check ...
- The time spent building a cobra should be for the experience, not to be forever married to it, people move on
- All cobras don't smell like gas, if it bothers you fix that leaky carburetor or gas leak
- All cobras aren't loud, you can muffle your sidepipes to suit your liking
- If your cobra is a substitute for time that should be spent with family then you have a problem

... just about everything you said sounds like the rant of some teenage kid - there's a whole lot more to life than owning a cobra, it should not be the centerpiece of your existence, just a part of it.

I concur^^^^^.