Has A Complete Stranger Ever Given You A Car?

"Joe6pack" (joe6pack) 02/25/2015 at 18:00 • Filed to: None

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So as I sit at my computer (not working), I am trying to think of my most interesting car story. What I keep coming back to is my current 1978 Fiat Spider. Later on, we can explore the ins and outs of Fiat ownership and the car itself, but what I think is most interesting is how I came to possess this particular car. You see, I got this car for free – from a complete stranger.

One night, back in August of 2013, I was perusing Craigslist as I often do. I hadn't actually searched for anything, I simply opened up Craigslist and there at the top among the usual dealer spam was an ad for a 1978 Fiat – free to a good home. The ad had no pictures and very little information other than the revealing fact that the car had no engine because it had rusted while sitting on the engine stand - not encouraging.

I figured what the hell. It had to be a scam, right. I am sure it is a rust bucket that is beyond repair. Nonetheless, I responded immediately with:

Hi – I will take the Fiat if it is still available. My number is XXX-XXX-XXXX.

Thanks,

John

And then, I waited, but nothing. Finally, the next evening with the ad was still up, I responded again. This time it worked. I got back the following:

Hi John!

So sorry to be late getting back to you. The Fiat is available and I'd love to pass along the nearly new engine hoist, engine stand and parts washer as well. Again, the engine is long gone due to rust buildup in the block while on the stand but the car itself is certainly ready for a good father/son rebuild and in fact is in very decent condition. I'd been driving it regularly before beginning the ill-fated rebuild! I've attached a few pictures for you to see if this is something you're interested in. I'm a little bit out of pocket tomorrow but I won't do anything until we connect as you are the first to respond.

Thanks again for your interest and I look forward to speaking!

Here are a couple of the pics:

A series of emails and phone calls followed and I arranged to take a day off from work to meet a tow truck and to pick the car up on a Friday morning. Turns out, the guy was moving to California and since the car couldn't move under its own power, he didn't want to pay to ship it and he didn't want to scrap it.

As for the car, it actually has very little rust. What he failed to mention and I only discovered when I got there is that the car also had no transmission either. Still, it seems it was loved and garaged pretty much all its life. It was last on the road in 2002. He was the third owner with the first owner only keeping the car about a year. The car was originally sold new in California meaning it would have had one of the most anemic power plants ever put in a 124 (83 hp). The second owner was an airline pilot who brought the car east when he relocated to Atlanta. Not only did the car come with extensive maintenance records and logs, it also came with the original window sticker and sales paperwork and a clear Georgia title. Now all I needed was powertrain……………..

So, have you ever gotten a car from a stranger for free? What did you do with it?

bob and john > Joe6pack 02/25/2015 at 18:07

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my parents gave our old volvo to a freind of mine to try and get it to run. we ended up just dismantling it. sometimes people just ened to get rid of a car/project.

quite98 > Joe6pack 02/25/2015 at 18:16

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That's a nice story.

Not to a stranger, but I did give away an ugly blue 1996 Rover 220SDi turbo-diesel when I moved from the UK to the US. It wasn't worth selling so I handed it down to my sister's boyfriend. He hooned it around for a few years - great car.

Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig > Joe6pack 02/25/2015 at 18:17

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Last summer, after my WRX betrayed me, I bought an '87 CRX to replace it. Literally the next day I was jacking it up in the rear when the rusted jack point broke and the fuel line cracked. I was carless again. A friend of mine from church heard about my troubles, and his neighbor gave me a 1980 Toyota Tercel with an alleged 875,000 miles on it (though this is just a legend, as there are only 5 digits on the odo). The guy had inherited another car and just wanted to do something good for someone. Super cool.

T5Killer > Joe6pack 02/25/2015 at 18:18

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Not a stranger but my dad gave me my stepsisters old car that was rotting in the yard for free. Its a 87 Tracer

Noah - Now with more boost. > Joe6pack 02/25/2015 at 18:22

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That's an incredibly cool story, I've always fantasized about a being given a free car by a benevolent stranger!

jkm7680 > Joe6pack 02/25/2015 at 18:23

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Freeeeee? Daammmnnn.

TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut > Joe6pack 02/25/2015 at 18:29

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When I came back to HK a few years ago, without a car, a friend of a friend was kind enough to give us his old Volvo 940. Ran perfectly until I decided to see if the cigarette lighter was working - pushed it in and blew two fuses.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > Joe6pack 02/25/2015 at 18:43

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No, but I do have a suggestion. I seriously think this time, a Miata engine/tranny swap is the answer. The cool style of the 124 the reliability of the Mazda.....I've seen it done on an old Spirtfire and it was awesome!

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > T5Killer 02/25/2015 at 18:45

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You should have continued to let it rot.

T5Killer > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 02/25/2015 at 18:50

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Its not to bad I have driven worse. It brings me back to my childhood in the '80s plus its kinda fun since its no options beyond A/C. Downside is a 3 speed auto so its not that good on gas LOL.

Joe6pack > jkm7680 02/25/2015 at 18:56

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Yeah, well. Not to buzzkill, but free was only the beginning :). Here it sits today (running and driving):

It now has a 2 liter from a '79 Brava with an 1800 head from a '76 Spider. The carb is a Weber 32/36 DFAV (with a rigged manual choke) and a 4-2-1 header (which was still attached to the car). The exhaust is new as are the brakes at all four corners. I also replaced the god awful fake wire wheels. Oh, and the top is new. Otherwise, I pretty much left it just like it was. It's a little scruffy, but who cares.

At some point I might detail what went into getting it this far.

jkm7680 > Joe6pack 02/25/2015 at 19:00

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Wow, looks excellent! :)

Savan12986 > Joe6pack 02/25/2015 at 19:24

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I was looking for a cheap RWD with 3 pedals. A buddy (Dogapult) knew a guy over facebook who had an '81 Supra that had just bought an FR-S. The same day he bought the FR-S the clutch went out in the Supra and he had offered it up to the first person who could get there with a car hauler. I heard about this around 12:15 am on a Sunday and made it to meet the guy who lived 3 states over the same day. Pulled it up onto the trailer with a ratchet strap because I didn't have a proper winch. Dragged it home, fixed the clutch and various other mechanical and cosmetic problems. Been driving it for 2 years now (minus winters) and loving every minute of its slow rusty goodness.

Joe6pack > Savan12986 02/25/2015 at 19:29

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That's how you do it.

Dogapult > Joe6pack 02/25/2015 at 19:30

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I later borrowed the car and took it to a drag strip. It was...informative!

Joe6pack > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 02/25/2015 at 19:51

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I thought about a swap. I even thought about a motorcycle swap. In the end though, I decided to go with the Fiat motor. It seemed easier and a well set up twin cam at full song is something to behold. I will post some videos when the weather improves.

Branden J -Reading the Manual > Joe6pack 02/25/2015 at 19:52

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When I was looking for my first vehicle Isearched far and wide, check just about anywhere for something I could afford. My dad was talking with a co-worker of his and he mentioned he had an older Chevy truck that had been sitting for a few years that he didn't drive anymore. I had only met this guy maybe once or twice, but after my dad told me that, I sent him an email, asking about buying it. It was the November before my 16th birthday (My birthday is on the 28th of February) And I really wanted to have a vehicle by then. He replied back to me saying "I'm not sure yet, I'll let you know after Christmas." So I kinda tool that as a no, and kept lookin, just in case. Come Christmas time I talk to him at my father's work's party. He told me he would let me know in a few weeks. At this point I was pretty sure it was a no. So the next 2 months or so went by and I knew for sure I wasn't going to get anything by my birthday, but then, at my 16th birthday party, my parents gave me this really thin box. It looked almost like it was holding a poster or something so I didn't think much of it and actually waited till last to open it. As I open it, a set of keys fell out, then I pulled out the other paper and saw it was a picture of that truck. My parents explained to me that he kept putting off my question because he planned on giving it to me, and my parents agreed to pay to get the few odds and ends it needed to make it legal. It wasn't road ready on my birthday, but about a month later when it came home from the shop I had a truck, and two years later here I am with that same truck. Every now and again I stop by my dad's work if I know this guy is there to show him how its doing. Thanks to him I got my lifelong (until that point) dream of getting a vehicle for my 16th birthday.

Joe6pack > Noah - Now with more boost. 02/25/2015 at 19:53

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Trust me. I am like a stray cat that's been fed. I keep going back to Craigslist and hoping..........

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Joe6pack 02/25/2015 at 20:08

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$50 is basically free, right? I was getting towed by a AAA driver, and he offered me an '87 VW Golf GT (a 4 door GTI with rear drum brakes and some other changes) for $50. I gave him the cash for it then, sight unseen, and he dropped it off at my house the next morning with his service truck. Left a bill of sale and the last registration plus the keys in my mailbox. Good little car for $50, ran and drove great. Used it as a beater for a little bit until the floors got really bad. Wish I would have fixed it.

Joe6pack > Branden J -Reading the Manual 02/25/2015 at 20:09

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That's a great story and it sounds like you really appreciate what you have been given. I on the other hand was kind of a douche when I got my first car. It was a 3 year old 1983 Buick Regal that my mom purchased for me when I turned 16 and I guess I came by it so easily that I didn't really appreciate it. All my friends got new IROCs and Mustang GTs and such so I was jealous. What an idiot I was.

Joe6pack > Andy Sheehan, StreetsideStig 02/25/2015 at 20:10

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A WRX and a CRX. Hey, at least you have good taste.

Branden J -Reading the Manual > Joe6pack 02/25/2015 at 20:31

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I complain from time to time about my truck but I don't know if I will ever be able to part with her. I love that truck and I might just keep her when it's time for something new and pass her on to the next generation when I'm ready.

Old-Busted-Hotness > Joe6pack 02/26/2015 at 08:00

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Depends on what you mean by "car." Back when I drove Yugos, I got many free ones from strangers. I guess having 6 or 7 of 'em in the yard was enough to achieve some sort of critical mass. People would just stop by and offer me one, sometimes even running with current plates. I think I got 8 or 10 of 'em for free. Some got parted out, some got flipped for $4-500 after a little fixing.

That Fiat, though. That's a sweet freebie.