Skeezixx
Senior Member
Back in the early 80s I got wind of an "old car" in a carriage house so I called the number given me. I spoke with a "little old lady" who, at first, had no idea what I was talking about but then asked "I was cleaning up the other day and found a car key do you think it's to that car in my garage?"
I showed up as soon as the lady gave me the opportunity. I arrived at what was once a beautiful 19th century mansion but now run down with weeds growing in the fountain and paint peeling all around.
The lady was very nice and showed me to the old 3 place carriage house in the rear of the property which was so covered with vines that there was no way I could open any of the doors without wielding a a machete. I found a hole about two feet wide in the far end wall of it and managed to squeeze my way through.
Once inside I made my way crawling over and under piles of things which had been stored there for the last century or so and finally made my way to the third compartment where I found a totally complete 1931 REO Royale which, according to the lady, had been parked there before WWII.
My friend, who had accompanied me on this outing had managed, after a while, to prize one door open a crack so he and the lady joined me in the inner sanctum. She went on to tell us the history of the car and how she and her husband had gone out on their first date in it. When I finally proposed to her my desire to purchase this car she replied "I don't know what you boys see in these old things, you may have it."
But oh my brothers I was not raised that way and I refused to take it unless she allowed me to pay for it. The car had languished inside that enclosure on a dirt floor with spoke wheels for over 50 years it's back seat serving as nesting for generations of rats and while a fine complete vehicle it was going to need a total and costly restoration. I offered her $5,500 for it which in the early 80s seemed to me a fair price.
She accepted but had to "Check with her brother-in-law" first. And there's the rub. As soon as this guy got involved the value of my barn find escalated to astonishing figures he had heard of antique cars selling for. You know the rest of the story.
The house is now gone, the carriage house demolished, and the wherabouts of the REO unknown to me.
I showed up as soon as the lady gave me the opportunity. I arrived at what was once a beautiful 19th century mansion but now run down with weeds growing in the fountain and paint peeling all around.
The lady was very nice and showed me to the old 3 place carriage house in the rear of the property which was so covered with vines that there was no way I could open any of the doors without wielding a a machete. I found a hole about two feet wide in the far end wall of it and managed to squeeze my way through.
Once inside I made my way crawling over and under piles of things which had been stored there for the last century or so and finally made my way to the third compartment where I found a totally complete 1931 REO Royale which, according to the lady, had been parked there before WWII.
My friend, who had accompanied me on this outing had managed, after a while, to prize one door open a crack so he and the lady joined me in the inner sanctum. She went on to tell us the history of the car and how she and her husband had gone out on their first date in it. When I finally proposed to her my desire to purchase this car she replied "I don't know what you boys see in these old things, you may have it."
But oh my brothers I was not raised that way and I refused to take it unless she allowed me to pay for it. The car had languished inside that enclosure on a dirt floor with spoke wheels for over 50 years it's back seat serving as nesting for generations of rats and while a fine complete vehicle it was going to need a total and costly restoration. I offered her $5,500 for it which in the early 80s seemed to me a fair price.
She accepted but had to "Check with her brother-in-law" first. And there's the rub. As soon as this guy got involved the value of my barn find escalated to astonishing figures he had heard of antique cars selling for. You know the rest of the story.
The house is now gone, the carriage house demolished, and the wherabouts of the REO unknown to me.
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