White '60 Convert in San Antonio 4 Sale

[YellowRose]

Gary sent me an email regarding a '60 white/red interior convertible for sale right here in San Antonio. I do not know the car of the seller. I already reported it to John for his Tbird Registry. If anyone is interested in it, I can go check it out, take more pix and give you my opinion about it.

"Hi Ray; I just saw this 60 convertible on eBay. eBay # 330420228951 It is in San Antonio your backyard I think. It has A/c and from the pictures I can't see if the brake booster is under the hood or not. The serial number is only 560 from mine and it was made on the 8th of dec,59 the day after mine was. Just thought it was interesting and might be worth checking out.

Best Regards, Gary"

[RustyNCa]

Go buy it Ray, YellowRose needs a friend

[partsetal]

Be aware that this San Antonio car is not a true convertible. The VIN and body code ID it as a HT. Note also that it has a 59 deck lid that needs some more "hooking up". Unable to tell from the pic's what else is incorrect.
Carl

[simplyconnected]

Do you think they may have switched patent plates? It's easier to do that, than rework all the sheet metal. I think the body is clearly manufactured as a convertible.

EDIT: I'm not familiar with Texas law, but this car has license plates. Why can't a title be re-issued?

Too many things don't add up.

[YellowRose]

White '60 Convert in San Antonio 4 Sale

I did not pay a lot of attention to the VIN # and Data Plate when I posted that. Carl is correct. The VIN # and the Data Plate say that car left the factory as a HT, not a convertible. I would not touch that thing with a 10' pole! Besides, the last thing I need is another Tbird! It looks to me like those are the original brads on the Data Plate. If someone really wanted to pass this thing off as a true convertible, you would think that Data Plate would have been changed to reflect the codes for a convertible on it instead of a HT. If someone chopped a HT to make a convertible out of it, they probably did not do the additional strengthening to keep the body from warping and the windshield from breaking down the road. I do not know what the law is in Texas regarding obtaining a copy of the title. I would stay away from this Tbird! There are to many things wrong..

[Howard Prout]

It seems to that it is what you don't see in the pictures that matters. It looks as though the color on the inside of the trunk lid is different than the body color - possibly due to a repaint or possibly a replaced trunk lid. The rag top doesn't seem to fit properly. I'd bet this is an unfinished conversion with major issues.

[partsetal]

Look at the tab on the fuel filler pipe. This is to mount the trunk latch, not found on Convertibles. Also the floor is not drilled for the deck pistons of the 60, or in this case for the spring case of the 58-9.
Carl

[simplyconnected]

Good observation, Carl.
Did you see the seller's new disclaimer edit?

"...I HAVE CAREFULLY LOOKED OVER THIS CAR AND SEE NOTHING TO MAKE ME THINK IT’S NOT A FACTORY ORIGINAL CONVERTIBLE. PERHAPS THE BODY CODE WAS STAMPED INCORRECTLY AT THE FACTORY OR THAT’S NOT THE ORIGINAL DATA PLATE..."

He suggests this might not be the original Patent Plate. I'm with you, Ray... I wouldn't touch this car with a ten foot pole, either. Some poor buyer might end up spending thousands to 'settle-up' with the righful owner, similar to what happened in Minnesota (with the Dodge panel truck). Notice, he won't get a title until he gets a buyer to commit.

I still don't understand how the car could have license plates but no title. The plates prove registration to an owner, right? Would Texas register a car to someone who doesn't own it?

[YellowRose]

White '60 Convert in San Antonio 4 Sale

The more people look at this Tbird, the more they find not right with it! I checked this guy and this car out with Lou of VTCI here in San Antonio. He does not recognize the guy or the car. Apparently, someone has questioned the validity of the claim that this is a factory produced convertible. I see Dave posted the additional comments the guy added to the eBay ad. There is just to many things that point to this being an HT and not a convertible that was perhaps chopped. Who would change out a Data Plate that said this car left the factory as a convertible, to make it look like it is an HT?! That does not make sense! I doubt very seriously that Wixom mis-stamped the Data Plate, or put the wrong one on this Tbird.

As for Texas registration, someone had to have a Title or have gone through the process of obtaining a title, to get it registered and get tags for it in the past. Someone might have lost their copy of the title, as can often happen. Who knows what has gone on with this Tbird....

I just talked with Lou about this Tbird. He said this might be the same Tbird that has been here in San Antonio for some time. There was one just like this he said. He also said one way to check this Tbird out is to look underneath it to see if it has the additional strengthening support that a true convertible from the factory would have. He figures this might be the same car he was aware of.

[simplyconnected]

Alright, Ray. Titles get lost all the time. In Michigan, we just apply for a duplicate. For a little more money (it's always about money) they will issue one immediately.

Why would a Texan go to Las Vegas, Nevada for a title??? Can't he get one in TEXAS? This gets more screwy as it goes along. I didn't see any pictures of the underbody.

[YellowRose]

White '60 Convert in San Antonio 4 Sale

I dont know why one would have to deal with some company in Lost Wages to get a copy of the title. Apparently, this is some company that specializes obtaining title copies for people. I have no idea why someone could not get one through the Texas DMV offices here. You would think that, as you said, they could apply for a replacement title. There are a lot of things not right about this car. And now it seems, that this car has been around here for some years and is being offered for sale by someone else now.... A ghost that keeps re-appearing!

[Guest]

Hey Guys,
I sent him a message also. Told him data plate says this was a hardtop and that if car was not braced in rocker panel it would cause problems. He came back with this reply!
UPDATE! THIS CAR SEEMS TO BE A OLDER CONVERTIBLE CONVERTION. I DEAL WITH CLASSIC CARS AND TRUCKS EVERYDAY, AND IT FOOLED ME. WITH THAT SAID...IT IS A CONVERTIBLE, JUST NOT FACTORY. I HAVE DECIDIED TO PUT UP A BUY NOW PRICE ON THE CAR. YOU DEAL WITH THE TITLE, I'LL GET THE TRANNY FIX AND THE CAR RUNNING AND ABLE TO DRIVE ONTO A TRAILER WITHIN 30 DAYS OF AUCTION END DATE. PLEASE CALL WITH ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE BIDDING. 808-205-8414.
Richard D. Hord

[simplyconnected]

Wait a minute, the first version of the story was,
"The past owner said she ran well when parked."

Then, he was going to fix the title. Now, it has a bad transmission?

... YOU DEAL WITH THE TITLE, I'LL GET THE TRANNY FIX AND THE CAR RUNNING AND ABLE TO DRIVE ONTO A TRAILER WITHIN 30 DAYS OF AUCTION END DATE...

"I DEAL WITH CLASSIC CARS AND TRUCKS EVERYDAY, AND IT FOOLED ME."

That's because he's an idiot and doesn't know, a Ford convertible uses heavier gauge steel sizes and additional stiffening struts (as Ray pointed out). His story changes a lot, too. It only takes a few bad salesmen to make a bad name for all the honest ones.

Hey Ray, look up this guy's name and see if he sells aluminum siding. - Dave

[Guest]

Or ocean front property in Arizona
Richard D. Hord

[simplyconnected]

WHOA, Cowboy... I just noticed something.

Ray, isn't the San Antonio area code 210?

How come this car salesman is using a Hawaiian area code (808)?

EDIT: One of the oldest tricks in the book is to wet the car for pictures. I'm laughing as I type because the only place that's wet is where the car is. I like this picture in particular because beads of water are all over the chrome, but the street is completely dry: