Back some time ago I wrote about getting Daddy's car back in running condition and putting it out in the yard with a FOR SALE sign on it. We posted a FIRM price on it, so we would not be bothered by lots of local folks thinking it might be a $500 car. We have had plenty of people stop, a few who sounded like they would be back with the money almost immediately, a couple who seemed to really appreciate what a gem it is, and some who wanted to customize it and ruin it, as far as I was concerned.
None of the local people who had always said they wanted to buy it when Daddy died have shown any interest in doing so. Wishful thinking.
So, since we will be having a big Yard/Estate Sale next month some time, it seems like it is time to start really trying to sell the car. We still have not put it in the paper, because I just wasn't as ready to part with it as I thought I was. I finally took lots of pictures of it this week. I couldn't resist giving the trunk a parting caress as I came back in the house. It's almost like saying goodbye to Daddy all over again. I have been working the last couple of days on putting up a website about the car, so I am coming to terms with the fact that we really are going to sell it.
It was sad and fun at the same time for me to go back and re-read all of the posts I wrote about some of Daddy's cars, starting with his first automobile in 1914 up to this, his last one, and I put the link to this post in the sales page, so collectors and those who enjoy nostalgia could enjoy reading them, too.
9 Year Old Driver! Vintage Auto Memories Part I
First Driver's License - Vintage Auto Memories Part II
Life Before the Bottom Fell Out - Automobile Memories Part IV
Just Married - Automobile Memories Part V
Daddy's Idea of a Vacation
Burma Shave, Stuckeys & Hand Surfing Memories
The Year Daddy Hated to Drive to Chicago
1969 Chevrolet Caprice - His Last Automobile
Selling Daddy's Car
I am glad I decided to make the website, as I posted almost 60 photos, so I will always be able to revisit it any time I want to, for as long as I want to.
It may have a new owner sometime in the future, but it will always be "Daddy's Car."Labels: 1969 Chevrolet Caprice, childhood memories, Classic Automobile, Daddy, Daddy's Cars, Estate Sales, FOR SALE, nostalgia, selling a car, vintage
If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you probably know that my Daddy, who died at the ripe old age of 102, loved his cars. In fact, he often remembered key dates by which car he was driving at the time. So it's with a certain level of misgiving that we have finally put his car out in our yard, with a FOR SALE sign on it. It's a 1969 Chevrolet Caprice (our younger daughter was born that year, is what Daddy always said), 350 engine, green vinyl hardtop, that he bought new, in all but perfect condition. After all, Daddy babied and pampered it constantly, cleaning off the engine every time he drove it, and keeping it in the garage all its life.
We put the price in the window, because we didn't want to have to bother with the locals who might think this was an old car they could buy for a few hundred dollars. There have been a few lookers who understood just how much of a thing of beauty this one is, and admired it with an eye that told me it was alright to sell it to them. But one fellow has been by twice now, and says he already has a '69 truck. So we know he recognizes its value. He says he'll be back when he gets the money together, if it hasn't been sold by then. I'm rooting for him, as he will be somebody that Daddy would approve of "inheriting" his car. I'm tempted to put the car in the garage and just wait for him to pull the money together! If we can talk to him on the phone and get a sense of how serious he is, I may just do that.
I really didn't want to try to keep the car, but I sure am going to feel sad when we do get rid of it. Knowing she's going to someone who will treat her with the respect and awe that she deserves will make it far easier, though. And then, I, too, can mark an event in my life with a car - the car Daddy had when he died.Labels: 1969 Chevrolet Caprice, Classic Automobile, Daddy, Daddy's Cars, selling a car
We've been watching the TV show, "So You Think You Can Dance", last year and this year, and have enjoyed it thoroughly. I've learned a lot about different types of dances, and can even very occasionally spot a mistake a dancer might make. Most of the time, though, I'm just in awe of what they can get their bodies to do.
When they dance Swing or other 40's era dances, I always think of my Mama and Daddy. They loved to dance when they were young adults, while they were dating and also as young marrieds. They used to talk about working all day and then going out dancing night after night, enjoying the sound of the Big Band giants of their day. Living in Chicago, they actually did get to dance to some of the greats, such as Benny Goodman. Mama's eyes would always light up when she remembered those days.
I guess that's why she insisted that I take dancing lessons when I was in High School. I really did learn how to do all the ballroom dances, too, such as the Fox Trot, Tango, and, of course, the Waltz. The bad part about it was that, except for a few Valentine Dances, I never did go dancing anywhere.
Rock and Roll was taking over at that time, and about the only thing any self respecting teen would be caught doing was the Bop. It was a joke to go to a High School "Dance", as everyone stood around and talked. The only time I really remember much dancing going on was to the Bunny Hop, where we would make long snakes all around the gym floor, weaving in and out of the "talkers" who were in our way.
So, will a TV show like this change the attitude of people about "going dancing"?Labels: Ballroom Dancing, Big Band Era, Bop, Daddy, dancing, High School Memories, Mama, So You Think You Can Dance, Yesterday's Memories
As I've said before in other posts, my Daddy always dated everything in his life by what car he was driving at the time. The last car he had was his 1969 Caprice, which he always said he bought when our younger DD was born. LOL
He babied and pampered that car, wiping down the engine, checking the oil and water, and generally making sure it was in tip top shape before he drove it anywhere. It was always kept in a garage, and the only place there's any flaw at all on the finish is back where he put his hand on the trunk when he filled the gas tank. For some reason that part of the finish faded, so Daddy tried to even the paint out, but not successfully. He had put duct tape on the driver's door handle a long time ago, too, because of a tear. But other than that, the whole car looks like it hasn't been broken in yet, even though it has about 133,000 miles on it.
The old girl has been sitting patiently in the garage for a long time now. Daddy used to start it up every few days, even after I quit driving it, but then one of the brake cylinders leaked. After that, it's just been sitting.
We have several people who have expressed an interest in buying it from me, so I've called the local mechanic to go get it and get it back in good running condition. It's kind of sad to be thinking about getting rid of it, knowing how Daddy felt about his cars, but I don't have a desire to keep it, either.
The car is so old that Daddy didn't have a Title for it, so I called the county license office to see what I needed to do. The clerk said all I needed to do was make out a Bill of Sale for it. So that means I don't have to deal with the State DMV to get a Title for it, and I'm glad of that.
It should be interesting to see if any of those people who have ooohed and ahhhed over the car over the years, who said they would want to buy it, really will be interested. Of course, it will sell for a good bit, since it's so old and in such good shape. In fact, it will likely sell for considerably more than Daddy paid for it!Labels: 1969 Chevrolet Caprice, Daddy, Daddy's Cars, nostalgia, vintage
Sheila,
jan,
help?
