Welcome everyone to Florida Pickers (FP)!

This is my first submission to appear in this publication as a weekly column.

What is FP? Well, let’s just say up to now it has been a hobby of mine that not only fulfills my desire to not only find cool stuff, often in the form of classic vehicles, but also to visit places around The Sunshine State and meet interesting people with stories to tell.

FP is about taking the scenic route whenever possible and using my own innate sense of being able to magically conjure up fascinating situations shall we say.

It comes with the territory. I have been associated with the antiques business since 1980 and when sales have slowed for old stuff I found that there’s an insatiable interest for all things that come with a title.

This week my plan was to feature a 1956 Ford Thunderbird I found for sale in Sarasota. Unfortunately this story will need to be postponed until next week because I just learned that I have until Friday afternoon to find a buyer for a 1966 Chevy Impala SS that is literally in a salvage (junk!) yard.

I did what I call a “hit and run” in which I locate the item, meet with the owner, negotiate a deal to repost whatever it is on Facebook or Marketplace, and attempt to make a margin over the net price the owner wants to clear.

I look for reasonable prices, rare cars and trucks, and a story.

Because I’m “motorvated” by the imposed deadline I am switching my topic from

Sarasota to Auburndale, and the ’56 Thunderbird to the ’66 Impala SS.

Weirdly enough I had five people in a row contact me about the Impala this morning before four new requests for information on a 1973 Super Beetle for sale in the Lake Placid area.

I call that a “Florida Pickers” moment. Why the momentum switched from the Chevy to the VW is just another coincidence chalked up to the cosmos and where the wind or tide runs.

Drew Truitt

Although my part, finding a customer for the seller, is over Friday (10-4), the story goes on with someone who is going to put a deposit down on the Impala that cuts me out of the deal. But as with life there is no guarantee that will happen. Promises are not always kept or followed through on.

There’s a saying in the car business, “Buyer are liars.” In this case I’m hoping I either pull a rabbit out of my hat and find a buyer to step up in the next 50 hours, or that the guy who told the owner he’d be in Saturday with a deposit is blowing smoke.

Take a look at my video, and the photos and see if you think this car will find a home for $1,200 selling price. I say, unequivocally, Yes!

You gotta believe or you’re nowhere.