UPDATE!!!! Wow – unexpected calls or texts?

[Kbach]

Ever get a call or text that brings back some memories?

I got one yesterday. Got a text from an unknown number that mentioned a 1966 Nova I sold over 25 years ago….so I call the guy back and it turns out he had just bought my old car – a 66 Nova that I built from basically the ground up and used it as a daily driver during college. When the car was done it was too nice to use as a daily driver, especially to park at a college campus so I sold it and bought a new 97 S10. Ya…dumb move I know! The guy that bought it was a guy named “Dick” in Havasu (who owned a decorative stone quarry around there I believe) in ’96 after he saw it at the Pomona swap meet.

Apparently Dick had only driven the car a few times after he bought it and since the late 90’s has been sitting in his garage along with 15 or 16 other cars. Unfortunately Dick passed away recently so his family reached out to an old family friend of his asking if he was interested in the car. This guy said absolutely but lives in Chicago so he grabbed his truck/trailer and headed to AZ last week to pick up the car. The Nova still had the vinyl die cut “For Sale” stickers with my parents home number on it so after he got back to Chicago he called the number and talked to my Dad who in turn passed along my contact info. We ended up talking yesterday for a while and sounds like the only thing that is different on the car is a cartoon painted on the trunk. Un-fricking-believable!!! The car is 99.9% as I sold it….even the same 26+ yr old tires.

I had tried looking for the car here and there over the years but never put much effort into it. Since it originally went to Havasu I had asked around to all my Havasu friends that are into cars to see if they had seen it or if they ever do to let me know. Turns out nobody ever saw it because it was in Dicks garage the whole time.

The guy that just bought it sent me a bunch of pics of the car and it’s like it was the day it left my garage other than the paint needing a nice polish. I told him to keep in touch and to PLEASE give me the first chance if he ever plans on selling it so fingers crossed that I get a call out of the blue some day!!

Here it is just before I sold it

And on the guys trailer headed to Chicago. Crazy…

All cleaned up again

 

[AZBrummett21]

Wow. That is such a great story. The car looks amazing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RitcheyRch]

Awesome story and nice car. I'd love to have a 62-67 Nova.

 

[bagged97taco]

What a story. And crazy to see the car nearly the same.

 

[HNL2LHC]

Thanks for sharing. That is a great story.

 

[SoCalDave]

66 or 67 is my dream car...

 

[Bullet28]

Great story.

 

[monkeyswrench]

Cool, very cool!

 

[DWC]

Awesome story. What a blast to see it again.
PS. Did you make him an offer?

 

[Kbach]

Definitely a crazy story. I’m still kind of amazed at how the car hasn’t changed and even has the for sale stickers.

I built the car from when I was about 17-21 and did everything but the final body work and laying down the paint...on a broke ass kids budget! I was always super happy with how the car came out so appreciate the comments even though it hasn’t been mine fit over 25 years.

 

[Kbach]

Awesome story. What a blast to see it again.
PS. Did you make him an offer?

He actually got a very good offer from somebody in town before he even left that he turned down so he’s not ready to sell right now. I just asked him to please give me the chance to make an offer in the future should he ever decide to sell it.

 

[ChiliPepperGarage]

I've posted this here before but back in 1976 I had this '66 SS 396 Impala, 4 speed, 12 bolt Posi car. Like an idiot, I sold to finance a V8 Vega drag car I was building. I regretted soon after selling but what was done was done.

About a year alter I get notified to go to office as I had a phone call from the FBI. I thought they were BSing me but it was true. The guy identified himself as an agent and then told me he had found my car. I said, "What car? Mine is parked outside". He said, "The 1966 Chevy. We tracked down an AWOL soldier and your car was at his house". I had sold it to another GI and I guess he never switched it over to his name so they thought the car was still mine.

Now if I was a quick thinker I would have just asked him where I could go to pick it up but instead I told him I had sold the car a year ago. Still kick myself in the butt for doing that.

 

[coolchange]

26 years later it still plays. Good job.

 

[rivermobster]

Thanks for sharing. That is a great story.

x2!

 

[DILLIGAF]

Quite a cool story you got there. I am sure he will contact you if he decides to sale it.

 

[WildWilly]

it was either 2 or 3 weeks ago I'm fairly sure that car showed on Main st for a bit. Maybe someone took it down there to sell after he passed? It was clean enough and set up well to get our attention

 

[Kbach]

Well - got a little update to the story!

The new owner did some work on it over the winter in Chicago (fluids/hoses/brakes/etc) then enjoyed it over the summer. A couple of months ago he sent me a text that he was going to go to a Labor Day car show on Route 66 and put it up for sale but wanted to see if o was interested.

Looooonng story short, we mad a deal and it was trailered back to Havasu where I picked it up last week while we were at Pirate Cove for our week long trip. Couldn’t be any happier and beyond excited to get the car back. It is honestly 99% the same as when I sold it. Worst is a dent and scratches on the top of the pass fender but I can’t really complain about that after being gone for 25 years.

Next step is to clean up of all the bugs and grime from its transport from Chicago to CA, fix all the leaking seals from 25 yrs of sitting, fill the nitrous bottle and do some burnouts

On the trailer in Chicago

Picking her up in Havasu Heights

Back at home where she belongs

 

[4Waters]

Well - got a little update to the story!

The new owner did some work on it over the winter in Chicago (fluids/hoses/brakes/etc) then enjoyed it over the summer. A couple of months ago he sent me a text that he was going to go to a Labor Day car show on Route 66 and put it up for sale but wanted to see if o was interested.

Looooonng story short, we mad a deal and it was trailered back to Havasu where I picked it up last week while we were at Pirate Cove for our week long trip. Couldn’t be any happier and beyond excited to get the car back. It is honestly 99% the same as when I sold it. Worst is a dent and scratches on the top of the pass fender but I can’t really complain about that after being gone for 25 years.

Next step is to clean up of all the bugs and grime from its transport from Chicago to CA, fix all the leaking seals from 25 yrs of sitting, fill the nitrous bottle and do some burnouts

On the trailer in Chicago
View attachment 1052936
Picking her up in Havasu Heights
View attachment 1052939
Back at home where she belongs
View attachment 1052940

Beautiful, congrats

 

[Ziggy]

Awesome!

 

[H20 Toie]

that is so cool

 

[rivermobster]

Well - got a little update to the story!

The new owner did some work on it over the winter in Chicago (fluids/hoses/brakes/etc) then enjoyed it over the summer. A couple of months ago he sent me a text that he was going to go to a Labor Day car show on Route 66 and put it up for sale but wanted to see if o was interested.

Looooonng story short, we mad a deal and it was trailered back to Havasu where I picked it up last week while we were at Pirate Cove for our week long trip. Couldn’t be any happier and beyond excited to get the car back. It is honestly 99% the same as when I sold it. Worst is a dent and scratches on the top of the pass fender but I can’t really complain about that after being gone for 25 years.

Next step is to clean up of all the bugs and grime from its transport from Chicago to CA, fix all the leaking seals from 25 yrs of sitting, fill the nitrous bottle and do some burnouts

On the trailer in Chicago
View attachment 1052936
Picking her up in Havasu Heights
View attachment 1052939
Back at home where she belongs
View attachment 1052940

25 years of sitting, you Might wanna consider throwing some new valve springs in that engine. I know I would.

Congratulations!!!

 

[outboard_256]

cool

 

[Cobalt232]

A friend of mine and his buddies were into mini-trucks in the late 70's. He built a pretty nice Chevy LUV. He sold it sometime in the early 80's to some guy. As the buyer was dying in Colorado, he reached out to my friend and offered the Chevy LUV back to him. He high-tailed it out to Colorado before the guy died and got his LUV back. It even still had the original curtains in the back that his sister made in the 70's.

 

[BlowMe]

So badass. Congrats on getting it back! Beautiful car

 

[24 Sleekenforcer]

Nice, congratulations.

 

[mjc]

Nice, I have ben trying to find my first nova. Have the vin and somebody trying to see if it is still out there.

 

[HCP3]

Wow what a cool story.

 

[VooDooChildZ28]

I will have one next to my 70 Z28 one day. Beautiful deuce

 

[Kbach]

Thanks for all the compliments. Still kinda surreal the way this all fell in my lap. What are the chances the first guy never took the for sale stickers off...crazy!

Once I get it all cleaned up again I’ll post a few pics.

 

[chvynhra]

I restored a 68 camaro as my first car when I was 15. Lemans blue with a 327 and a m-21. I sold it for a 97 ranger to get into prerunners.... I wish I could buy it back. My dream car is a 66 nova. I will have one soon. In the mean time my 63 sprint keeps me busy.

 

[H20 Toie]

I’ve been trying to buy my 70 Chevelle and my sportchassis back
Neither one of them are interested
Bunch of asshokes

 

[LGETT]

What a Rad Story, 66-67 my favorite!!

Maybe that GF from 25yrs ago can be located and buffed out too

 

[WhatExit?]

Congrats on getting your car back! Now to make new memories in and with it...

Maybe that GF from 25yrs ago can be located and buffed out too

"Buffed out" - noted