When I started collecting cars in mid 1960s, just about all of the serious car collectors were collecting brass antique cars and Model Ts—not classic cars. While I found those brass cars very interesting I started to fall in love with the 1928-1936 American classic cars. At that time, one of the most beautiful classic cars that I could find in the books that were available (not too many were available at that time). I came across pictures of an L29 Cord Convertible Coupe, long hood, beautiful long, angled fenders, small cab and a fantastic radiator shell and hood. With all of these styling cues blended together, without question, it was an artistic wonder and I knew that I had to have one.
Back in the mid-‘60s one of my old favorite car magazines was just getting its start and at the time there were no pictures in it. The magazine was sent in the mail, and you could only get in touch with a seller from the description by calling him so he could send you some Polaroid pictures.
So, it was then that I found a 1930 L29 Cord convertible coupe around 1967. It was either in Connecticut or Massachusetts, but I don’t remember exactly. I talked to the gentleman and the car was under his house in a garage, and I believe the price at that time was about $4,500.00. We agreed that I would come out with a trailer and bring him a cashier’s check so I could take the car home. He did indicate that he had a valid title.
That was when I made the 1,000 mile trip all the way to the east coast from Chicago and was so excited that I remember driving straight through for 16 hours. When I arrived at his house it was in the afternoon and he proceeded to show me that the car was literally in the basement of his house with a very steep sloping driveway going down to it. I even remember that the foundation walls of the basement were not cement but were large rocks or boulders set in cement. He further explained that the car had not been out of the location for about for 25 years, although he had sent me Polaroid pictures of the car while the car was in this location.
While outside and before pulling the car out he casually handed me the title and signed the sellers name at the bottom, I handed him the check and we proceeded to use his Jeep with a long rope to pull the L29 out of the basement and up the steep drive that went to the basement. The car of course was covered with dust but was really quite a good original car. As I walked around the car in the sunlight, I kind of mumbled out loud, “Oh, the headlight lens is cracked”. When I looked up he was standing right next to me and his face was beet red and he asked “Are you calling me a liar?”
At that point he ripped the title out of my hand and attempted to give me my check back. I said, “Oh no, I was just talking to myself, I didn’t see that in the Polaroid pictures, but it is no big deal.” I saw him turn a deeper beet red and he said, “Are you saying that I am a deceptive liar and that I should have taken pictures and shown you that the headlight was cracked.” He said, “I don’t like being called a liar or a man of deception, so you can just leave right now.”
Of course, I stood there trying to convince him that he was making an incorrect interpretation of the situation but he insisted that he was not going to sell the car to somebody who would call him a liar. You can be sure that I spent another 5-10 minutes trying to explain to him that I was only mumbling to myself and the car was a great car and a great value and that I was very happy with it. All to no avail and he just kept repeating that I could leave now.
Yes, I drove home with an empty trailer and was highly disillusioned that this grumpy old man would take such an offense of me talking to myself over a broken lens on a unrestored car and would send me back another thousand plus miles to Chicago empty handed.
As I was driving back I thought of the famous Will Rogers saying “Good judgement comes from experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgement”. So empirically you might say at that point I said to myself, “Joe you have to write this off to “bad judgment and never argue with a grumpy old man because you never know how he is going to react. Keep your eye on the ball and if your goal is to purchase a car from an obviously grumpy old man, be careful of exactly what you say and how loud you say it and at best, say very little.
Today my advice for collectors is if they run across older collectors who are in their 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, don’t be surprised if you too start to realize that you are dealing with Mr. Grumps and remember the goal is to get the car that you always wanted and not to write your own “go home empty handed” story!!
PS attached to this story are some pictures of L29 Cords. After 50 years of missing out on the L29 Cord I still consider one of the most beautiful classics ever made and hope that you do too.
PSS I will be 78 years old this year and maybe I should take a look in the mirror to see if there is one of those Mr. Grumps looking back?