Am I Being Unreasonable? Original Owner Wants Car Back
Now, I am all for the notion that a car can have sentimental attachment to a son or daughter of an original owner, but sometimes sentimental attachments can get in the way of reality. One thing my recent endeavor has taught me is to find the right owner for a car. Sometimes it is a family member, sometimes it is the current owner, who now loves the car just as the original owner did. And, one of my biggest challenges in helping out this family I’m helping is to keep that in mind, mine, and theirs. I hate to keep “hijacking” this thread, but I believe my comments have merit.
The car in this post was their grandfathers car, and the car had been in the barn since the day grandpa died and it was driven into the barn, in 1967. Nobody gave the car a second thought, until the process was well under way. I pulled it out, cleaned it up, worked all summer to find a buyer, who absolutely loves the car, and is keeping it exactly like their grandpa drove it. After over 50 years of dormancy, he had the car running in 2 days, had rims and tires waiting for it, and drove it to a car show that same weekend. It went to the right buyer, but I can’t share that with the family because they are at each other’s throats about the monetary value of everything. It breaks my heart, because I didn’t know the grandpa, but I’m pleased over the moon that someone who knew nothing about the family at all would honor the grandpas legacy and keep the car original. I wish the family would embrace that and do the same.
So, to the OP of the thread, don’t lose any sleep over your position, whatever it may be. You are honoring the car and the original owners love for the car, and that may have to be enough for the son, and there’s no shame in that. If it comes up, tell him that, and stick to your guns and tell him you would only consider a trade for your Dads original car, if that’s what you really want.
Now, I am all for the notion that a car can have sentimental attachment to a son or daughter of an original owner, but sometimes sentimental attachments can get in the way of reality. One thing my recent endeavor has taught me is to find the right owner for a car. Sometimes it is a family member, sometimes it is the current owner, who now loves the car just as the original owner did. And, one of my biggest challenges in helping out this family I’m helping is to keep that in mind, mine, and theirs. I hate to keep “hijacking” this thread, but I believe my comments have merit.
The car in this post was their grandfathers car, and the car had been in the barn since the day grandpa died and it was driven into the barn, in 1967. Nobody gave the car a second thought, until the process was well under way. I pulled it out, cleaned it up, worked all summer to find a buyer, who absolutely loves the car, and is keeping it exactly like their grandpa drove it. After over 50 years of dormancy, he had the car running in 2 days, had rims and tires waiting for it, and drove it to a car show that same weekend. It went to the right buyer, but I can’t share that with the family because they are at each other’s throats about the monetary value of everything. It breaks my heart, because I didn’t know the grandpa, but I’m pleased over the moon that someone who knew nothing about the family at all would honor the grandpas legacy and keep the car original. I wish the family would embrace that and do the same.
So, to the OP of the thread, don’t lose any sleep over your position, whatever it may be. You are honoring the car and the original owners love for the car, and that may have to be enough for the son, and there’s no shame in that. If it comes up, tell him that, and stick to your guns and tell him you would only consider a trade for your Dads original car, if that’s what you really want.