[bcm66]

Money isn't everything...

[Joe Harrison]

Originally Posted by racin67cam

I believe when you buy a car, when you give the money and leave with the car you accepted what you got for the money you paid. If the seller finds something for the car 30 years later it belongs to him not the person who bought the car. It is easy for us to say do the right thing, but would we? I would be willing to pay for a POP for my car if it was a real COPO, or a highly optioned car. Just my opinion. Sell it or give it, your choice. I would not feel bad about asking money for it.

I don't have to question my morals or ethics.....it's as easy as doing what your say your going to do. If a person sits here on the computer or says face to face, in a letter or any other way and does different then their morals and ethics are in question.

This has nothing do with the current post just comment made that points out that many people will question their own moral and ethical behavior.....in this case it relates your statement to: People say they would do the right thing but when it comes to making a few bucks they will not. The sad thing is that is true, even sadder is the fact that a person would compromise their own ethics for 200 lousy dollars.

BTW:

I still stick the POP being worthless and still $2.00.....why because the car is worth the same and is documented with or with out it. It's a cool to have thing and personally if I owned the car I would not give the guy that has it satisfaction of giving him anymore than $2.00 for it. Everyone relates this hobby to money and thinks anyone that has an old car deserves for some reason to be taken to the cleaners for things or parts for their car......fonking vultures!!

[b17brian]

I would sure love to have the POP, window sticker, or just plain like to know who the original owner of the car is. But I wouldn’t pay more than postage for the original POP for my car. Personally I think the guy paid for it when he bought the car 30 years ago from your brother.

[ZLP955]

Seems unusual that the current owner has had the car 30+ years and only now decides to ask about the PoP....
But taking this question at face value, the "right" thing to do is to reunite the car with the PoP. Personally, I would give it to him for nothing, but if he was a proud man and wanted to give you something for it, I would request he make a donation to a charity of his choice.

[Rack Man]

Would all of you guys do the "right thing" (by giving it for free) if it was an original crossram that you found 30 years later buried in your garage or basement?.....I don't believe anyone would!....but, it was part of the "Z" that the guy bought back in the day, so he should be entitled to it!......Just playing devils advocate


RM

[jl8z28]

ask Jerry M what the pop would add to the value of a copo.

[x77-69z28]

Gordon, I think that IS what everyone is telling the poster. What THEY would do. No one is telling him what to do. Obviously, if the guy just bought the car and was gonna fix it up and flip it, it would be a different story. The guy has owned the car for thirty years, it is hardly a flip! I bought my 67 RS/SS from the original owner in 1984. Twenty years later, during my frame off resto on the car, I looked up the orig owner who was thrilled that I still had his baby. I invited him to view my progress. He showed up with his wife and two kids and spent three hours viewing the restoration, talking about family trips, street racing, having his kids etc. he told me how happy he was that I was restoring the car as original, and told me that he was glad I called when I did, because he was moving from Long Island to Arizona. Six months later, I get a call from an Arizona area code. It is Bob, the original owner calling from his cell phone. He is in New York for a wedding and wants to come by to see me. An hour later he is walking up my driveway with a big **** eating grin on his face. I asked him what was up, that I hadn't gotten much done on the car. He said "I got something for you". He pulls out the original bill of sale for the car. I almost fainted. Bought new at Village Chevrolet in queens village New York. He said when he got to Arizona he was going through some old paperwork and came across it. He knew I would want it. I offered him money, my first born male child, dinner, a time share. He wouldn't have it. Wouldn't take anything, no matter how much I insisted. He was a car guy, and he knew I took good care of his car!

[gordr]

Hey X77-69z28....

More than a couple of time in this thread people did tell the poster "do the right thing". Let's refrain from that kind of talk and it'll be ok.

It's a heartwarming story about Bob in your post and there was a connection in that you invited him to look at his baby.

But in most cases as when you look in EBay and CRG Orphan parts sites, these parts are up for sale due to being lost, not included at sale, etc. That's the business angle I was speaking of.

Again, you're right...let people say what they want to do...just don't push over "do the right thing..." on to the poster.

'Nuff said from my end...

Gordon

[DAVE V]

Everyone is different and its hard to say what they would do if they were in that situation. I had a similiar situation where I purchased a Z28 and years later I received a phone call from a guy that indicated that he had a POP to my car that he purchased at swap meet. He send it to me without charging anything for it and didn't even charge me for the postage. I received the original POP and Warrany Book about three days later and I sent him $125.00 (A CHEAP Gift). I would have paid a good bit for it because it does matter and is worth something. It verifies the drivetrain, documenting it as numbers matching if it matchs up to your car. No guessing!

Poster: Do what you want (Give or Sell) as long as the POP gets reunited with the car, which is ultimately the goal.

[68SixBangerRS]

I bought a '68 RS coupe a few months ago (an original 6 cyl...hence my "handle") and was lucky to get the P-O-P and the owner's manual with it. I found the original owner by doing a search on USA People Search and was able to get in touch with her (she's now 90!) and had a great talk with her about why she ordered her Camaro with almost no options (she was recently divorced and making low pay as a dental assistant and ordered her car with the RS option because she loved the way it looked...it was turquoise with radio delete, dog-dish hubcaps and a 3-spd manual trans.). Anyway, she mailed me the original dealer key fob and order form, but can't find photos she took of it when it was new (I'm still hopeful!). She's an absolute sweetheart and I mailed her a gift certificate to Olive Garden for being so nice to me. My point is that you hear all the time about people who find large sums of money and then return them to the rightful owners and then receive a nice reward. Pay it forward, bro!

[frankk]

Man oh man!! after reading all the comments I say just throw it in a drawer of your toolbox and forget about it!!

[Jim69]

To me it would depend on why your brother had it all this time and not the current owner. If it was an oversight when your brother sold the car I would give it to the current owner. If there was a reason why your brother kept it then what I would do depends on why your brother kept it. If it was for sentimental reason I would probably keep it as a keepsake. If it was because the buyer didn't care about it at the time or it was part of the price haggling then I would sell it to the current owner.

[SS68]

Great story and a heck of a nice guy right here! I bet she enjoyed sending you the swag as much as the Spaghetti and meatballs!

Originally Posted by 68SixBangerRS

I bought a '68 RS coupe a few months ago (an original 6 cyl...hence my "handle") and was lucky to get the P-O-P and the owner's manual with it. I found the original owner by doing a search on USA People Search and was able to get in touch with her (she's now 90!) and had a great talk with her about why she ordered her Camaro with almost no options (she was recently divorced and making low pay as a dental assistant and ordered her car with the RS option because she loved the way it looked...it was turquoise with radio delete, dog-dish hubcaps and a 3-spd manual trans.). Anyway, she mailed me the original dealer key fob and order form, but can't find photos she took of it when it was new (I'm still hopeful!). She's an absolute sweetheart and I mailed her a gift certificate to Olive Garden for being so nice to me. My point is that you hear all the time about people who find large sums of money and then return them to the rightful owners and then receive a nice reward. Pay it forward, bro!