Ever leave a note on a car? "If you decide to sell..."

Next to my son's house in Norwalk, CT is a new build house that's finished on the outside, inside not so much, no landscaping.  Owner comes and goes once a month or so, neighbors think there's some marriage battle afoot.

Anywho, guy's got an old Toyota flat bed dually there that hasn't moved in a while.  Clearly from the paint, it was a U-Haul rental at one time, late 80s body style.  I left a note asking that if he decided to sell this gem, I could give it a good home; that was in May.

He called yesterday.  V-6, dually, automatic, stake side with an electric dumper.  No appreciable rust but 220k miles, he says highway miles as a rental.

Asking $2500.

I have a truck and don't need a smaller one that can't get into the left lane, but I like it.  If I were spending $2500 I would have bought that black LTD wagon a few months ago.  Besides, with the airplane and now a Hobie, my sock drawer stash if quite small.  Explaining to Mrs. 914 last night she surprised me by saying "I've got $2500 in my sock drawer".

WELL NOW WHAT?

offer $1500

So where does Mrs. 914 get HER sock drawer money?? 

https://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/d/1988-toyota-1-ton-dually-plus/6670120086.html

There are two in town (same owner) that have been sitting by the road with for sale signs in the windows for at least 5 years. 

In reply to EvanB :

Can you imagine what a dog that is with a 4 cylinder engine? 

Spitfire, since retiring she works two days a week at her friend's Western Store.  Three days a week during rodeo season.  Gives her a place to get dressed up for and finances our jaunts to Santa Fe.

Jess, owners' daughter.

There's a red NA Miata on my street I pass every morning.  I'm always tempted.  Today I saw a For Sale sign in front of the house.  My chances might be coming to a close.

spitfirebill said:

So where does Mrs. 914 get HER sock drawer money?? 

Be careful asking those horse ladies where the money came from.......

Back when I lived in Alabama, a rocket scientist left a business car under the wiper of the mini saying that if I ever want to sell it, give him a call. I ended up talking to him since we worked in the same building. Turns out his father was a Mini guy back in the day so he grew up around them.

I can't say I have left a note, but I will certainly walk up and ask in person. That's how I picked up a 1967 Jeepster Convertible with the odd fire V6, dealer add-on Ramsey PTO winch, and the incredibly odd and garish factory "continental kit" for $800. 

 I have received plenty of notes on my vehicles, however, since most of my stuff is offbeat, odd, or both. Starting in the 80s with my '70 Challenger convertible that the kids down the street thought I would let go for $400.  Heck, I had triple that just in the 440.  

Heck, someone even left a note on my '95 SW2, and there are several old couples who drive by pressuring me to sell my '88 Town and Country wagon. 

The old folks that want my T&C are the only ones I take seriously. 

I did this. Seller called me and $400 later I walked away with a rare (but not valuable) running/driving Saab 900 2-door notchback: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/881/

I never left a note but in 1999 the local probate judge left a note on my TR250.  I called him and we still talk today.  I did sell him a TR7 the following year.

What kind of Hobie did you get? If it's a PA, the Toyota might have trouble hauling it.

I left a note on a totally stock, original owner 04 WRX wagon. I talked to the owner previously, so we had already met.

Ran into him a few months later, he jumped in the car to show me that he still had the note. That was last winter, but I saw it last week in my neighborhood. 

There's still hope.

Left a note a couple months ago on an 87 or so Buick Century with leather seats and nice original paint. Haven't heard back anything yet. Usually find them on Craigslist. I've been almost too successful on Craigslist lol.

Yep.  My old hearing official had always said he was going to buy an ND when he retired.  I sort of half jokingly told him if they made him a crappy trade offer,  give me a call.  His car was a low mile Shisen NB.  Retirement came and went with no car, so I kind of forgot about it.  I spent a good part of the summer fixing some of the "little issues" with my NA and was down to just fixing the AC and it would have been 100%.  

A few weeks ago, I pick up the phone and it's him.  His ND is on the truck, on it's way here.  Him: "Do you know why I'm calling?"  Me: "How much did they offer you?"  Him: "$2000".  So . . . the NA is gone and I'm now the proud owner of a low mile Shisen.  (For the record, I gave him way more than $2000 for it)

I own an NB Miata and a 09 Yaris (winterbeater) because of the crappy trade offers stealerships around here make people.   "Let me know if they make you a crappy trade in offer" is my version of leaving a card on the windshield.  

I left a card once on a beautiful Audi Ur-Quattro.  Not surprisingly I never heard from the owner.

I left a note on a S13 240sx coupe that I always saw in a parking lot of an apt building I serviced probably about 10 years ago now. Ended up having engine issues, traded a set of Rota wheels to the guy for the car.

I think if it's a cool car and the owner is enthusiastic about it but just ran out of time, they might sell to someone else who is just as enthusiastic so go ahead and leave that note!

Leaving a note on a windshield is how I met my wife. Always leave a note.  

In reply to _ :

I leave tons of notes, Usually people want gold for their junk sadly. 

you need to hope the owner gets the note , I leftnotes for years on a sports car near my house , it was a rental and the owner never got notes 

I saw someone there one day and it was the owner , finally the right guy !

made a deal that day , got it running in a few hours after it sat 15 years.

​​​​​​Keep trying