A sad end to the story

[Mudrig150 298]

So at the end of 2018 I bought a 93 F350 2 door long bed that had an engine swap. I bought it from one of my pap's buddies for 500$, and my own money went into parts, and I've been getting it going good ever since. It's been sitting in our yard the whole time, which my dad has complained about insistently the entire time. 

I took a 2 week break from working on it to work on my tractors, so my dad, being the intellectual he is, decided I had simply given up working on it and sold it to a work buddy, because I guess someone working on something for 9 months and then working on other projects for 2 weeks means they've given up. I told him to get it back, but he kept forgetting to ask the dude who bought it. When he finally asked, the dude said he couldn't give it back, and said if I wanted it back he'd take 2 grand, but he was keeping the diesel engine. I barely had enough money to buy it, so I of course couldn't buy it back.

That was a fun experience, especially after my dad made a Facebook post essentially saying he took out the trash and cleared his yard. Fair trade, apparently. "You killed my grass so I'll sell your hard work and first vehicle to pay for it!"

 

Cut to this week, I get a text from my buddy, who lives next to a POS no scavenging scrap yard. Guess what is sitting in the scrap lot? Yep, my truck. I tried to get it back, and even offered to BUY it back, but due to some stupid contract with the county they said they couldn't, threatened to call the police, and shooed me away.

I can deal with them scrapping tractors, but that is just... why? That was the hardest thing, knowing that my truck was going to be crushed and having no way to save it.

 

I was hoping this have a happy ending, but I guess not. So much for putting my paint matched sun visor on the truck for Christmas. Ugh, and sigh. 

Edited January 6, 2020 by Mudrig150

[WHNJ701 4,165]

who's name was the title in?

[Mudrig150 298]

9 minutes ago, jabelman said:

who's name was the title in?

It didn't have a title when I had it. Original owner lost it.

[Mike'sHorseBarn 2,987]

Can a scrap yard legally take a vehicle without a title? If they can, how do they know it isn't stolen? There are scrap yards around me that will not take a vehicle without a title.

[Mudrig150 298]

13 minutes ago, Mike'sHorseBarn said:

Can a scrap yard legally take a vehicle without a title? If they can, how do they know it isn't stolen? There are scrap yards around me that will not take a vehicle without a title.

Only thing I could think is the dude registered it in his name then scrapped it. My dad didn't put the title in his name, and I can't put it under mine, so it pretty much had no title.

Edited January 6, 2020 by Mudrig150

[WHNJ701 4,165]

probably saved you a bunch of headaches any way.

personally I wouldn't be wasting time or money on a 93 ford with no title.

there are plenty of cheap trucks with a good clean titles, put it your name asap and then start fixing it up.

never put time and money into a vehicle you don't own

[Mudrig150 298]

1 minute ago, jabelman said:

probably saved you a bunch of headaches any way.

personally I wouldn't be wasting time or money on a 93 ford with no title.

there are plenty of cheap trucks with a good clean titles, put it your name asap and then start fixing it up.

never put time and money into a vehicle you don't own

Clean? Not around here. That truck was the cleanest one I could find for the price. 

[Mudrig150 298]

Just remembered- my mind is so jumbled right now I totally forgot the truck actually had a broken frame right behind the engine. THAT's why I have a truck frame saved to my craigslist. So you might have a point about being more trouble than it was worth...

[Docwheelhorse 2,660]

Your better off... sounds like truck wouldve ran your wallet dry. As far as your dad doing that... he should meet my mother. They would make the perfect pair... she took my first car after I finished building it and let it rot. She still has it too.

 

You cant choose your parents... 

 

Tony

[ZXT 2,401]

Do you have a bill of sale from the P.O selling it to you? If so, you can press charges against whoever sold (stole) it (though I'm not sure I'd do it to someone who is housing me). A 93 F350 around here, with a 7.3 in it (Was the 7.3 a Powerstroke in 93 or was it still a 7.3 IDI?) with no title and a broken frame would be considered a parts truck for another truck that needed an engine.

 

If you would up with the money from it (more than $500) , I'd consider it a win - you are now out from under a likely rusty truck with no title, a broken frame, and a Ford . Find yourself a Dodge and call it a day. 

 

9 hours ago, Mike'sHorseBarn said:

Can a scrap yard legally take a vehicle without a title? If they can, how do they know it isn't stolen? There are scrap yards around me that will not take a vehicle without a title.

I believe, at least around here, a scrap yard can take a car without a title if it's over a certain age old. I'm not sure of the specifics, as I would never scrap a viable car, but I think its over 15 y/o or something like that. If in your state you can't, threaten to sue them if they don't sell it back to you. I'm assuming it showed up to the scrap yard without an engine? If it is there with the engine still in it, I'd say that your dad flat out lied to you to make you give up.  

[bc.gold 3,403]

12 hours ago, Mudrig150 said:

Just remembered- my mind is so jumbled right now I totally forgot the truck actually had a broken frame right behind the engine. THAT's why I have a truck frame saved to my craigslist. So you might have a point about being more trouble than it was worth...

 

Two years ago found a Dodge Dakota with a mint body blown automatic and needed a new windshield to pass a safety.

 

New glass installed, rear brake shoes, drums and e-cables, steady bearing, pulled engine, previous owner had already removed ad discarded the old transmission. And I'm about to learn a new lesson about first, second and third generation trucks that mostly look alike but subtle changes in parts make them so that they will not interchange.

 

I eventually found a transmission core from a full size Dodge Ram which had the manual valve body, these are a much beefier transmission but you have to use the larger toque converter no big deal it bolts right onto the flex plate like it belongs there.

 

But the transmission from the Ram is larger in the girth, so the shift linkage needs some modifications.

 

Purchased a cheap bench top hydraulic press to compress the large spring located in the overdrive package

 

Drop engine with transmission back into engine bay, go under truck to connect exhaust system when I see the frame is cracked right in the a pre engineered crush zone - unrepeatable.

 

I wished I had a dad that would have sent this truck in for scrap long before I had put all that time and money into it.

 

The scrap guy gave me $100.00 and was glad to see it go.

[Mudrig150 298]

10 hours ago, ZXT said:

Do you have a bill of sale from the P.O selling it to you? If so, you can press charges against whoever sold (stole) it (though I'm not sure I'd do it to someone who is housing me). A 93 F350 around here, with a 7.3 in it (Was the 7.3 a Powerstroke in 93 or was it still a 7.3 IDI?) with no title and a broken frame would be considered a parts truck for another truck that needed an engine.

 

If you would up with the money from it (more than $500) , I'd consider it a win - you are now out from under a likely rusty truck with no title, a broken frame, and a Ford . Find yourself a Dodge and call it a day. 

 

I believe, at least around here, a scrap yard can take a car without a title if it's over a certain age old. I'm not sure of the specifics, as I would never scrap a viable car, but I think its over 15 y/o or something like that. If in your state you can't, threaten to sue them if they don't sell it back to you. I'm assuming it showed up to the scrap yard without an engine? If it is there with the engine still in it, I'd say that your dad flat out lied to you to make you give up.  

My dad did everything, including getting the title. I did not get anything, and if I did, it would be way less than I put in, I put in probably 1000$ and my dad sold it for either 250$ or 500$.

The dude legally bought the truck, so I'm kinda SOL. 

They take cars without a title if they're over 10-15 years old. 

Yeah, the dude ripped everything valuable out and left just the frame, axles, tailgate, seats, and some other miscellaneous parts. He did leave the cab, but he came back and took it. My dad works the night shift and the dude works the day shift, and my dad doesn't have the dude's number. 

 

The crack was directly in front of the firewall, right where the suspension mount broke off.

[ohiofarmer 3,265]

    I had a dad sort of like that. it made me a very independent sort of a person in that I always knew that if I wanted something, I would need to go after it myself and expect some criticism.   As a dad myself, i know how it is to have some disappointments with a child. What you need to do is assess your life at this point. it looks like you are living with your parents and about twenty years old.

 It could be that pop wants you to decide about college or not or a career or not. Maybe selling the truck was just him being frustrated about what you are doing with your work life and spending too much effort with the truck. I am just guessing, and it is really not my place to give you advice. the only reason that i am stating this is that a young person who wants to work with their hands and give an honest effort for a good employer is at a good time in history. Some employers offer all kinds of training for tech and construction.  It seems that all the parents these days think that college is the only option, but it is no secret that a good tech can be making the same money if not more if he or she can give skill and value to an employer.    for example,there is a factory in Dayton , Ohio who is looking for young people to work/ train to a good career with free training and even college.

 

   I lived at home and saved money until we got married. My wife never lets me forget that I rode the tractor for a couple of days on our honeymoon. I also paid rent to live there while my brother and sister both had a chance of being supported at college. Life is not always fair. My brother farmed a small farm for my uncle with dad's equipment for a few years and got the share due him  and I worked and also helped Dad farm for free. Life is not always fair. Then i thought more about it and realized that Dad sort of got the same treatment from his father and  really did not know that it could be hurtful.

 

   That is how I see myself in the situation that you described and i worked with my hands and now own 7 pieces of property and some equipment free and clear. Not really a rich guy, but I get by.. oh, and that farm that my brother made money on is now MY farm. 

 God bless and good luck to you.

[Mudrig150 298]

31 minutes ago, ohiofarmer said:

    I had a dad sort of like that. it made me a very independent sort of a person in that I always knew that if I wanted something, I would need to go after it myself and expect some criticism.   As a dad myself, i know how it is to have some disappointments with a child. What you need to do is assess your life at this point. it looks like you are living with your parents and about twenty years old.

 

I'm 16. I'm only a year or so away from getting my licence.