Imagine waiting months for a car to arrive after purchase. Well, I did and it was well worth the wait. 
Here's was the conundrum: I'd already purchased as a pair of less intact coupes, thinking I'd turn two okay bodies into one good one. Then fate intervened. My son, Drew, found a listing for a 1926 T body in April of 08. The car was a world away in Iowa but it looked nice. Really, really nice. It was owned by a long-time vintage restoration hobbyist named Marshall Daut and even though I really didn't need another body, I called on it. The car's story was intriguing. A stalled restoration of an AZ car that got shelved in 1984 after the engine's rebuild was bungled by a guy who passed away before he could make it right. The straight, fully prepped restoration-ready body was parked in frustration back in 1984 and had sat dormant until 2004, when Daut moved to Iowa. Once in Iowa, the car was stored in the Daut's carriage house, where it remained untouched until the day Marshall decided to list it. Marshall, sensing I was genuinely interested on the phone, mentioned that he had a friend who could probably move it to Texas for a "friendly" price, if I would be willing to wait until summer to take delivery.
He was also willing to keep it warm and dry until it was ready to be transported. A deal was struck and in the meantime, I was able to do some spring cleaning and find a new home for the two bodies I'd already purchased. I can't thank Marshall Daut enough by how flexible he was with me on the terms of the purchase. He was an absolute joy to deal with and I felt he was as genuinely excited for me as I was. By the time the car arrived in late August, I'd cleared space for it and it was everything Marshall described to be. And even though my plan for the car wasn't exactly Marshall's cup of tea, his only request was that I didn't "screw up the car's lines by chopping it". I was more than happy to agree to his only stipulation. BTW, if you ever need anything moved from Iowa, you should strongly consider Marshall's friend's company Steve Gripp's Service, who was also a pleasure to deal with, not only delivering the car on time and for a great deal, but helping get it rolled into its new home.
Boy, there are some good folks in Iowa.
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