Has anyone ever 'chased after' their perfect next car?
Discussion
In an almost sinister, stalking fashion?
I've only ever done it once, but it did work out well for me, amazingly.
I assume that, in a similar mindset to to other petrolheads on here, once you have made your mind up that you must have a particular car, that is that, there is no substitute.
Back in the mid 90's, after passing my test, I had developed a fixation that I just HAD to have a Peugeot 205 GTi cabriolet (they were badged as CTi's...)
I had my cash waiting, but even then, these were quite rare cars. After 5 or 6 months of looking through AutoTrader etc. (not much online back then...) and viewing one or two horrendous examples, I was starting to get a wee bit annoyed and desperate.
One night, I was driving my s
tbox through Southampton, and an immaculate example of a CTi drove past me the other way. It looked like exactly what I wanted - right age, right colour, etc.
I span my car around, and followed the Pug for a couple of miles, until it pulled into a private driveway. I parked in the road, and walked into the drive, where the driver and his passenger were getting out.
I tried to approach them in the most friendly, non-threataning manner that I could muster! And I explained that I was looking for a car just like this one, and are you thinking of selling this car at any point soon?
Amazingly, fate was on my side, as the driver said that yes, it was going to go on AutoTrader in a couple of weeks, as they had just had a baby and needed something more practical.
I looked over the car on his driveway, went into his house to view the documents and history, and then was allowed a test drive with him. Long story short, we agreed a price, and I came back to collect my car the next day! Which served me well for the next 4 years.
Has anyone else stalked a car and 'doorstepped' an owner to buy it?!
I've only ever done it once, but it did work out well for me, amazingly.
I assume that, in a similar mindset to to other petrolheads on here, once you have made your mind up that you must have a particular car, that is that, there is no substitute.
Back in the mid 90's, after passing my test, I had developed a fixation that I just HAD to have a Peugeot 205 GTi cabriolet (they were badged as CTi's...)
I had my cash waiting, but even then, these were quite rare cars. After 5 or 6 months of looking through AutoTrader etc. (not much online back then...) and viewing one or two horrendous examples, I was starting to get a wee bit annoyed and desperate.
One night, I was driving my s
tbox through Southampton, and an immaculate example of a CTi drove past me the other way. It looked like exactly what I wanted - right age, right colour, etc.I span my car around, and followed the Pug for a couple of miles, until it pulled into a private driveway. I parked in the road, and walked into the drive, where the driver and his passenger were getting out.
I tried to approach them in the most friendly, non-threataning manner that I could muster! And I explained that I was looking for a car just like this one, and are you thinking of selling this car at any point soon?
Amazingly, fate was on my side, as the driver said that yes, it was going to go on AutoTrader in a couple of weeks, as they had just had a baby and needed something more practical.
I looked over the car on his driveway, went into his house to view the documents and history, and then was allowed a test drive with him. Long story short, we agreed a price, and I came back to collect my car the next day! Which served me well for the next 4 years.
Has anyone else stalked a car and 'doorstepped' an owner to buy it?!
jjones said:
no, weirdo 
Heehee, thanks for that! There was probably a 90% chance that I would have been shooed away with menaces, and I certainly did take a bit of a chance...but amazing really that the one car I did target was up for sale when I did do! I guess it was....fate...or some other mystical b
ks like that 
Some interesting stories!
My first attempt went well - however it doesn't always, and I had another one that defied logic a bit...
There was a huge house that I went past regularly as it was on my usual route when I went out for a jog. Having been interested in (and owning) Jeep 4x4's for years, I always wondered about a late 90's Jeep Wrangler TJ that was sitting in the (huge) driveway of this house.
It had clearly been there for years without moving...it was almost green with tree moss, with flat tyres, and it had aftermarket chrome side-step bars which had literally dissolved - they were full of holes and the bits of rust were sitting in the drive underneath.
However, these cars always have a value - even if scrap, and my interest piqued to such an extent that one evening, I knocked on the door. I was greeted by a woman who was dressed like someone out of the 1930's? And the house also smelled like it hadn't been cleaned since then too! But she was pleasant enough, and when I asked about the Jeep, she said it had been sat there for around 8 years, and that yes, she really must do something about getting rid of it. I gave her my number, and she promised to call me once she'd made a decision.
I never heard from her - but weirdly, I have a mate who does landscape gardening. He was telling me about a place he did a load of work at, and that once he'd finished the garden, the lady asked him if he could get rid of an old car for her - she didn't want anything for it, just take it away and scrap it?
Which he did, and made a few quid out of it at the scrapyard...
Yep - it was the same house and the same Jeep! Strange woman, I would have paid her for it!
My first attempt went well - however it doesn't always, and I had another one that defied logic a bit...
There was a huge house that I went past regularly as it was on my usual route when I went out for a jog. Having been interested in (and owning) Jeep 4x4's for years, I always wondered about a late 90's Jeep Wrangler TJ that was sitting in the (huge) driveway of this house.
It had clearly been there for years without moving...it was almost green with tree moss, with flat tyres, and it had aftermarket chrome side-step bars which had literally dissolved - they were full of holes and the bits of rust were sitting in the drive underneath.
However, these cars always have a value - even if scrap, and my interest piqued to such an extent that one evening, I knocked on the door. I was greeted by a woman who was dressed like someone out of the 1930's? And the house also smelled like it hadn't been cleaned since then too!
But she was pleasant enough, and when I asked about the Jeep, she said it had been sat there for around 8 years, and that yes, she really must do something about getting rid of it. I gave her my number, and she promised to call me once she'd made a decision.I never heard from her - but weirdly, I have a mate who does landscape gardening. He was telling me about a place he did a load of work at, and that once he'd finished the garden, the lady asked him if he could get rid of an old car for her - she didn't want anything for it, just take it away and scrap it?
Which he did, and made a few quid out of it at the scrapyard...
Yep - it was the same house and the same Jeep! Strange woman, I would have paid her for it!
austinsmirk said:
in the late 80's and early 90's I was really into the aircooled VW scene. I had two vw beetles, quite tastefully modded, that also were show winning cars at varying events that people regularly wanted to buy from me.
needless to say, when they went up for sale- in the back of Volksworld eventually, they sold to the first caller.
I then had a 72 vw bay camper- but I stripped it to a shell, lowered it, performance engine, fantastic new interior, porsche wheels and discs- again a show winning van- you have to remember this was about 1990- when they typically were just on the road painted in orange/blue white and weren't really customised etc much. this was in a nice metallic burgandy and just looked "right".
I owned it a good 10 years and endlessly had people wanting to buy it- got to be a pain- you'd be camping, cooking, relaxing and someone would be banging on yr door, wanting a chat and trying to do a deal ! again I sold it on first advert in about 2004 to the first caller- it was just that good a sorted and restored camper.
You CANNOT post about such great vehicles without pictures!needless to say, when they went up for sale- in the back of Volksworld eventually, they sold to the first caller.
I then had a 72 vw bay camper- but I stripped it to a shell, lowered it, performance engine, fantastic new interior, porsche wheels and discs- again a show winning van- you have to remember this was about 1990- when they typically were just on the road painted in orange/blue white and weren't really customised etc much. this was in a nice metallic burgandy and just looked "right".
I owned it a good 10 years and endlessly had people wanting to buy it- got to be a pain- you'd be camping, cooking, relaxing and someone would be banging on yr door, wanting a chat and trying to do a deal ! again I sold it on first advert in about 2004 to the first caller- it was just that good a sorted and restored camper.
Pics please!!
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