Through a series of unlikely circumstances I believe I may have found my first car, a 4 door Fairlane 500. I took my Custom and went to a small car show Saturday, the first one since Covid. I was talking to a gentleman and he mentioned he had a cousin that had a '57 with a 428 and a 4 speed like my Custom. He said it was a 4 door and the fellow had bought it "back in the day". I started to get a little excited.... I asked him what his cousin's name was and it was the SAME guy I sold my car to in 1968. He said the man had died a few years back and I asked him what became of the car. He thought it MIGHT still be on the guy's property, it was the last time he saw it and he doubted the son of the man had done anything with it. He offered to take me to the spot. We met yesterday and went to the house on the acreage but the widow was reluctant to let us see if the car was still there in the absence of her son. We exchanged phone numbers.....
The car was bought new by my grandmother. She gave it to my mother in 1962. I learned to drive in that car, my mom gave it to me in 1967. I put a 390 from a Mercury in it which later was bored and stroked to a 428. The transmission was swapped from a "three on the tree" to a T-10. The car got a 3.89 chunk from a truck, a 406 3x2 carb setup and a 427 cam and lifters. It was the ULTIMATE "sleeper"! I sold it in late 1968.
Stay tuned....
That's awesome Lynn. I certainly hope you get to check it out in person. I can hardly remember the details about my first cars.
That would be so cool if it is your old car. If it is would you try to buy it?
That would be too kool!
Quote from: hiball3985 on 2020-11-18 09:28
That would be so cool if it is your old car. If it is would you try to buy it?
I told my wife "I have no choice but to buy it. I don't know what I would do with it but I have too".
Wow Lynn, what a great lead !
So I respect that the widow didn't want 2 stranger men on her property, but considering, it means the car is still there ! that is exciting !
keeping my fingers crossed 4 you ! :002:
Quote from: lalessi1 on 2020-11-18 11:00
I told my wife "I have no choice but to buy it. I don't know what I would do with it but I have too".
Well DUH! Of course you do...it is part of the "man code"...kind of like a law!
Too cool. Looking for, and finding your first car is like the search for The Holy Grail.
Lynn
Just curious. How far away from you is the place where this one is located?.
I really hope that it is your very first car and that you are able to get it somehow. If I could ever find my first car, I would take
it back home, no matter what condition it is in.
We are all rooting for you. Jay
Well my hopes were dashed.... The car is no longer there. The lady has no idea of where it may have gone. The car was very close to where it was when I last saw it about 25 miles from here. That was in the early '70s, parked in an overgrown front yard. I suspect it wasn't running then and I doubt it ever ran again.
Dang!
Bummer!
Well...I am by nature a suspicious kind of guy. So...I am suspecting that the woman mentioned it to another family member...and it was moved.
In the place it was last seen...what does the grass and such look like? Recently flattened and evident that something was taken from there not too long ago?
Just seems to me kinda suspicious that she was not sure she wanted you to go and look at ti, and now you do, and it is not there...maybe I'm all wet here...but like I said...I am a suspicious kinda guy by nature...
Sorry you seem to have lost out.
Would a vin search reveal who it's registered or titled to?
Yes...if he still knows the vin#.
Not suspicious at all guys, this is rural Louisiana. As far as DMV goes here there are no searches for VINs for a 64 year old car. The lady was very kind and accommodating just a little cautious about strangers. I enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to revisit my memories of that moment in time. Not as good as finding the car but the next best thing. 8)
FYI...a vin number search has no bearing on the age of the car...it has to do with the last time the car was licensed to be driven. So...if it has been driven in the last 30 even 40 years...odds are indeed on your side. Worth a shot anyhow. If I or my were were still working...I'd run it for you...but...alas...we are both members of the good for nothing, lazy, shiftless club...and I might add...proud of it! :003: :006:
I worked for the Louisiana DMV in the late '60s, early 70's. Records were sorely lacking. We had issues then with even identifying owners from license plate numbers much less VIN's. Our state has operated for much of my life like a third world country especially compared to the west coast. I don't have a VIN or a tag number anyway. I am pretty sure the car was scrapped.
Quote from: lalessi1 on 2020-11-20 07:36
I don't have a VIN or a tag number anyway. I am pretty sure the car was scrapped.
At least you have your memories of your first car! My first 57 was scrapped then made into a circle track racer!