You guys are gonna think I'm crazy......

Well the "train" went straight to Hell.

What a JOKE that was.

I knew it would be bad as I was watching some of the previous Fords come in, and go right back out unsold, but had no idea it would be as insulting as it ended up.

The auctioneers did their part. There was a good introduction, and build-up description of the car as it rolled across the block.
Bidding was opened at 30k.

No offers

It dropped to 25k.

No Bids.

20, nothing, 15, nothing, 10, nothing, and finally at 5k somebody offered a bid.

It made it up to 9k before I got back in the car, and drove it out the other end.

I shoulda known that in a area in middle Tennessee that the collective mentality was that if it didn't have a bowtie on it it, "weren't worth a thing". In a town 15 miles north of Finger, Tennesse, and 50 miles north of Buford Pusser's birthplace and museum, (Yeah I know, he's a real guy) that my chances of getting even remotely what I wanted, wasn't going to happen.

It was all I could do when it had to drop to 5k to get anything from the crowd to not get up on the podium and bitch the crowd out.
"Really! Do you really think that you can buy this car for 5,6, 7 even 9 grand? Why bother to bid? You people needed to stay home and mow your lawns instead of trying to come here to steal cars, cause your not stealing this one!"

That was the speech I had going on in my head on the way back home at least.

One of the staffers came up to offer me condolences, telling me that alot of cars weren't selling, including Chevrolets. I said back in a kind of sneer, "says something about your buyers don't you think"? "They ain't nobody got that much money in this part of the country" was his reply. Why was I here again?

I did get an offer of 18k before I rolled in, and that guy came back around after the car was done w/ it's time on the auction block. "What's the least you gotta have cash money for this car today?..he asked. 19k will buy it I said, And he said that he was gonna walk around and give it some thought.

He obviously thought against it.

I had another Man and his wife approach, and knowing what I wanted for it, look at it as an alternative to the 56 Chevy he really wanted to buy, but wouldn't give the 28k reserve the guy had put on it. I sabotaged the sale w/ his wife, when I told her that the car was not gonna ride like a big-assed 56 chevy, that it had manual steering and brakes, and that the back seat was an ornament, and not actually intended to be sat on. I watched them out of my windshield as I backed the car out of the building, his wife giving me a close eye, trying to gauge how much effort on my part was required to steer the car, as she had already decided that her husband (that had already suffered from an earlier heart attack) didn't need to strain himself trying to steer a manually steered car.

They took my name and number nonetheless.

I pulled into Tupelo MS. to pee, and when I come back out, there was this 7 toothed dude driving a Pontiac Aztek taking pictures of the car to beat hell. "Hey man! is this your car!" he asked as I was opening the door. "Yeah man, it's my car" I replied. "Do you mind if I take some interior pics,...Dude, this car is Awesome!!" "No, be my guest,... have at it." I said and opened the door wide. I told him I was in Jackson trying to sell the car, and he just about jumped off the ground. "Sell it ! How much you asking for it!" he exclaimed.
I told him 25k, because I figured what the hell he wasn't gonna buy it either. He comes back and says "That he couldn't buy it, ( as expected) but he was gonna go straight over to a friends house and show him these pictures and he would buy it if he liked what he saw." He took my number, let me know that he would label it "Mustang Mike" and that I should expect to hear from his friend very soon. I thanked him, and told him to have a nice day, and rolled on.

Later that night, (10:30 to be exact) I get a call from the Aztek dude, drunk. " Hey, is this the guy w/ the red mustang?" "Yes this is him", "Mustang Mike?"...." Yes,....Mustang Mike" "Well I just wanted to let you know that I showed your pictures to my friend, and he wanted me to find out where you lived?" Drunk Aztek slurred. "Birmingham" I replied. "Well, if he don't buy it, he has a whole mess of friends that maybe one of em will" he reassures me. I thanked him, we bid each a good night, and I went back to watching the TV.

So it's still here this morning. It gets 20.83 MPG going 73 MPH and manages to get pictures of it snapped by smiling little kids I pass in minivans.

I just gotta find a way to get the money I need to take care of what I need to do and keep the damn thing. Evidently, I'm the only one that thinks it's worth what it is truly worth.
 
  • Sponsors (?)


I'm leaning more towards it being less about being a Ford in a Chevy town and more about being such an eclectic custom car. Despite the work that went into it, you know there's going to be at least a few people who say "that's just a POS '80s Mustang under all that body work". The Fox cars still don't get much respect even when they're all dolled up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I'm leaning more towards it being less about being a Ford in a Chevy town and more about being such an eclectic custom car. Despite the work that went into it, you know there's going to be at least a few people who say "that's just a POS '80s Mustang under all that body work". The Fox cars still don't get much respect even when they're all dolled up.

Well, I'd be inclined to agree w/ you had there not been so many nice 60's fords come in and go right back out w/o hitting their reserves, while three mediocre 69 Camaro's hit their reserves and sold 1, 2, 3. Right behind those was a great looking Red 390 68 Fairlane GT fastback 10 cars in front of me. Rare because this was the year before Ford changed the name over to Torino, but for the sake of argument looked just like it. Car didn't hit 15k. An equally nice 68 Ranchero didn't make it either. I was told several missed their marks as well while I was sitting in my car in line. A nice 95GT ( remember, it's hard for me to even say that) that didn't get to 4k.

On the other hand, I agree that it is what it is to alot of people. A POS 80's mustang dolled up to look like something it isn't.

Regardless of what it is,...... it isn't a $9,000 car. It won't ever be a $9,000.00 car as long as I have a say in it.

Time to get a magazine article Mike. :O_o:


Hard to sell a on-off that doesn't say, "Chip Foose" on it.

Time to get a magazine article??? I don't understand??:shrug:
 
You just have to find the right buyer man...and auctions might not be the right place and/or you'll have to try several times.


I agree, I'm Blasting the thing right now onto every Mustang site I can. Like Noobz has told me, I am gonna post a compilation thread of all of the pics that have went into the build in a condensed version as opposed to the build thread and will be working on that over the next several hours.
 
I agree, I'm Blasting the thing right now onto every Mustang site I can. Like Noobz has told me, I am gonna post a compilation thread of all of the pics that have went into the build in a condensed version as opposed to the build thread and will be working on that over the next several hours.

Awesome. I'm glad you're doing that. I was hoping for a 'completion' thread of your car. You had one with sound clips, but I think you've made some changes and additions since then.
 
When you said that you were headed to Chevy country I kinda figured that was going to happen. It's like that down here, the Chevy syndrome is thick. Nobody knows what my Dodge is, and everything is packing the almighty "350". :rolleyes:
 
Point taken. In retrospect, 17k would've been reasonably what it was worth then. I'll adjust my thinking.
and the way the economy is ppl dont wanna spend that kind of $$$ on what technically is an 80's car..and its tough putting so much time and effort into something and not having it be worth what you want it to be.
 
and the way the economy is ppl dont wanna spend that kind of $$$ on what technically is an 80's car..and its tough putting so much time and effort into something and not having it be worth what you want it to be.

One exposure at one venue nearly netted me a sale. Had I had this reality behind me, it'd been gone. The next time I'll know better.
 
This will be my last OFFICIAL attempt at trying to sell this car this year.

I tried to saturate the Mustang websites w/ for sale ads,..but only a few would allow it, as I was not an active member on most. For those that did, (including this one) I got zero responses.

I put it on Racing Junk. I got a couple of replies, and 2 offers for trades ( both of which I wasn't interested in).

I listed it on Ebay. (Twice). The first time it made it to the last day, There were 80 watchers, the bid was up to 11k, and Ebay just removed it, because I didn't list the title as "rebuilt". Instead of them messaging me and asking (or demanding) that I change it, (which I would have), they just removed it from existence. The second time I relisted it, (after their apologies for being rude,) I listed the title correctly, and again it made it to 11k, but that is where it ended......... Dead,..... no sale. ( I did get an offer to trade for a "custom" boat, worth $4500.00 and a "collectible" $11,000.00 SHOTGUN!. Another for a convertible 1969 Mustang. ( I hate convertible 1969 Mustangs.))

I took it to the auction fiasco described earlier in the thread,...neither of the "outside" offers came through though. After talking w/ one of the officials that was at that auction,...he told me that they only sold slightly less than 30% of the cars at that auction, AND....." I shouldn't feel bad"........:rolleyes:

So that brings me to today.

I have listed it again at a live "muscle car auction" in Nashville Tennessee this Saturday. I leave this afternoon. I have set the reserve lower to 15k ( I mean if it'll bring 11k sight unseen on Ebay,....and if there are "serious" buyers at this thing...............) It should sell.

But I gotta admit,.....I'm conflicted.

I've been driving this thing to work and back almost daily. Every morning I say to myself "I love this car" on the way to work.
Every evening on the way home I think how unique and special the experience is, and "what I'd have to buy (and make a payment on), to even come close to the experience" of driving this car.

I pull the garage door back down,..determined to rethink my decision to sell it.

Then I go upstairs and find the IRS bill,...and it starts all over again the next day.

If I don't get 15k for it this time,....I'll take it as Karma, and bring the thing back home.

I'll look in the mirror, and practice telling the IRS to kiss my ass.
 
Sorry to hear about your luck! I HATE selling cars with a passion. Time wasters, tire kickers, test pilots, dumb-asses, daydreamers - all of them.

I think my 86 will stay with me until it's a heap of rust or twisted metal wrapped around a tree. Was appraised at 12k, I have about that into it including purchase price and I won't even be able to sell it for 6k. People are stupid. Then when time comes to BUY a fox, they all seem to be 10k and rust buckets (in my area at least, feels that way).
 
Mike... The only way you're going to get back what that car is REALLY worth, is to keep it... drive it... and enjoy what you've done.

No amount of hand wringing, rationalization, or second guessing, is going to change that piece.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Mike, just keep it. Trying to get money for it will make you go nuts. In fact the day's you're enjoying it and not thinking about selling is the day you'll probably get a serious offer. Maybe even a sale.

I was thinking about the Magazine idea until I came across this. I have the magazine this car was in. Considering he's got close to $50k in this and he'll probably get under $20K for it. In fact Buy It Now is $19,999 but I doubt he'll even get that. I got more for my 94GT a few years ago. Getting into a magazine doesn't mean instant pay out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1994...5596077?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item519fef122d
 
Yeah, and you gotta know I know all of that already. I am committed to the one last attempt. If it sells, it sells. I will not let it go for less than my reserve, so maybe it's a "no sale" before it even gets there. Probably don't want it to happen in reality anyway.