and every once in a while you score something!

i know a guy that owns a used car lot here in ellwood.
he has had this grey fiberglass truck cap (topper, camper shell) sitting on the corner of his lot for a while now and when i was bsing with him the other day i said "hey tom... whats with the truck cap in the corner"? he said .."its off a mid 90's ford...you want it...get it the hell off my lot!" free truck cap.....score!!!
all it needed was the skylight replaced. so i did that saturday. these fiberglass hi-tops are usually $1200. so im pretty happy.

so whats your best free-stuff score....lets hear'em

 

Thats cool Ian.

I'd have to say this is my best freebe to date....

http://stationwagonforums.com/forums/garage_vehicle.php?do=view_vehicle&id=339

 

Not free, I had to pay some money for it, but these are very rare and I've looked for years for one. A picture of the one I scored and a unique story goes with it.

My buddy and I were off to the store for some silly things while we were staying in this tiny town in AZ. An out of the way place with a gorgeous private camping club that we were lucky enough to get spots at. So we do what guys do and come back through the little town and there in a driveway is an Airstream trailer the same as my buddies only a few years newer, with a '55 Chevy pick up parked in front and we learned is the tow vehicle. Anyway, the owner just happens to be out jawing on his cell so we stop to chat. He was extremely welcoming, almost like he was waiting for us. He showed us the 1940's old motor motel he's restored 40's/50's country style - nice job and a ton of work - and he's getting all kinds of recognition from the travel mag people. Anyway, then he shows us the 1925 touring car he picked up, rough but likely will be running by this time, and then takes us in to the courtyard he's using as his work area. And there on one of the several work benches is his latest project, he is making a neat yard light out of some circular flourescent tubing he's robbed from an old sign and a vintage Airstream spun aluminum spare tire cover. I mean these things are rare, and very expensive when you find them. Really rare, I've looked for years. I was hopping from foot to foot trying to talk him out of it, and it is a good thing my buddy was along and cool as a cucumber or I'd likely have traded my '05 Silverado tow vehicle for the bloody thing. Anyway, turns out he was just working on it when his cell rang, he was getting ready to cut the entire center section out, and then of course we came along. Here's two pics, one of the one I got, which by the way was being used as a flower pot before he started his project, and what they look like polished.....so that is my score of the century - hell, the last one and this one.

 

That IS a good score, A1. You, too, Saf. But....I'm going to say that, without much doubt, Fat Tedy has the score of the decade.

 

This was one of my best freebies.




A neighbor had given up trying to fix the transmission or sell it "as-is".
When I commented that it was a pretty cool looking little car, she handed me the title and told me to get it out of her driveway.

 

Always liked those Corona Mark 2's - especially the wagon:

 

WOW....another free car!? Why can't I be that lucky?

 

I got off of Kijiji a set of caravan seats(captains) one had the baby seat in it!

Free in the next town.

 

thats ok fox...my luck ran out this morning!. wen out to unlock my truck this morning... and the lock broke! now i have to get in from the pass side!

 

My best and ONLY Freebie was a 1955 Studebaker President Speedster like this:



I was helping a friend unload some bales of hay to wrap around his foundation back in 1977, here in Winnipeg (early November, some 10" of snow on the ground, about -20F).

The guy that brought them over was a local farmer, who'd just bought a new Pickup from my friend's Mercury dealership. We needed more bails, so he asked if I wanted to come along. Sure!

We drive into the farmyard, and I spot this studebaker Hawk-like roofline under the snow. "Is that a Studebaker over there?" Yeah, he says. How could you tell? he asks. I tell him I always loved the lines. Wish I could find one. Nothing more said. He brought the first load of bales on his 5 ton flatbed, and we loaded it all over again. The rest of the bales for the house and some for my friend's horses.

On the way back, still early in the day. He asks me what I know about Studebakers. I go on and on, like a kid in a candy store. My dad had a Golden Hawk. Awesome car.

We finish the baling, and he invites me to come back with him in his truck? I thought about taking my 1962 Buick Electra, but figured I'd go with the flow.

He wants me to help him start her up! Floor is rotted out, dead field mice in the glovebox, but otherwise solid. We clean off the 10 inches of snow. He hauls out one of the old Massey Ferguson 6 volt tractors and his big charger. We go in for a coffee.

He tells me how it was his honeymoon car. What do I think about it. I said it looks like it can be restored. We finish the coffee, and go into his 100 foot X 40 foot equipment shop. Heated! Paint booth, welders, tools up the ying-yang, and huge farm equipment and car-trailers.

He says, I'll make you a deal. You can use my shop and restore her, but you have to let me and my wife take her out for a second honeymoon for a week. After that, its yours!

He knew that I was a plant manager at one of the biggest Aircraft companies, and he loved what I'd done to my Electra. He figured I'd get it done by summertime. He was right.

After he came back from the honeymoon, he hugged me with one of those big farmer bear hugs, and wept a bit, smiled, gave me the keys, and wished me luck. 2 weeks later, I'm driving to work, and this big-a$$ Lincoln Bill-Blass diamond model is honking at me and telling me to pull over. Same colour scheme as mine - Brown and Gold. He wants to buy my Stude! His brand new Lincoln and $5,000 cash! Done!

I drove the pimp mobile for a week and sold it. Got a nice 2-door Nova, until I got my first new 1981 Fairmont Futura wagon, in November 1980.

What a fun time, working on the Stude. I'd go for a 1957-58 Golden Hawk or a 1964 Avanti or a 1958 Packard Wagon.

 

I got a 1979 oldsmobile 98 for $1.My dad told the man who had it he couldn't just give it to me so he said "ok, you can buy it for $1." He was my neighbor where I grew up on the river in Mississippi.Alot of people had summer homes or "fishing camps" and didn't live there year round.Mr.Phil was one of those people only came on weekends.He owned a company (engineer I believe) and had sevral company cars and that was the oldest one.I worked doing small jobs for him at his "camp", cutting grass,painting making sure when he came on the weekend he could enjoy himself and not have to do any of that stuff.He would sometimes bring company cars for me to change oil,belts and clean.When he brought the oldsmobile the headliner was hanging,trunk needed to be sanded and painted,belts replaced,oil change,he wanted me to rotate the tires.He had a list of things for me to do.I was 16 years old it was the weekend I didn't want to do all this.My dad told me,"Mr.Phil is good to you and that is your job,you agreed to it when he asked if you wanted the job."So I spent my whole weekend cleaning and servicing everything on this auto so it would be good and safe for his employees at his company not knowing his plan.While working he tells me how all his employees hate this car and don't want to drive it because they all want the 2 new 1988 park avenue's he just bought for company cars.He said he knew the olds was 9 years old but was still a good car.I agreed and went on working on it.Sunday evening after all that work was done Mr.Phil said "I can't believe they don't like this car! What do you think?" I told him it was a nice car and they are crazy.He then said "well they don't have to worry about it anymore" he threw me the keys and said "It's yours." I was one happy 16 year old kid.When my dad found out he went and talked to Mr.Phil who wanted me to have that car by all means.That was my big score and Thanks Mr.Phil again wherever you are.

 

Great stories Norm & Tireman! I loved that model Studey, Norm.

 

freebe

I am soooo jealous!! All of these nice freebe's. Mine was a hand-me-down '79 Volare wagon with a AM radio and a 3 speed stick shift!! Needless to say it wasn't a chick magnet back in the days. My dad bought it new in '79 and drove it 6 years in the Cleveland, OH winters...need I say more. If I drove it just 1 more winter, I'd a had to stop it like Fred Flinstone... Yea I had enough of it, I had to where my bathing suit to drive it in the rain...every time I hit a puddle, I'd get a title wave through the left floor pan!! And I wish I was making this up.

 

Hey. MP. At least it was FREE!

 

Well, I made up for it, I got a complete, almost mint ' Cougar II wagon last year for $100. Check ou the rebuild pictures in the gallery.