What would you all do??

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Valiant63

Valiant63

Early A-body Valiants
Joined
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eastern, PA and central Florida
My cars have been sitting for more than 2 years now and I haven't worked on them more than a couple of days. I'm not even driving the one fixed up for a daily driver anymore.
So should I sell them all, should I totally get out of the hobby? Should I buy something new to mess with and see if it Sparks my interest? I suppose if I do get rid of the ones I have, I know I get much more money for them parting them out. Parts are getting so expensive and by the time you buy $10,000 worth of parts and put it together with a bunch of free labor, the most someone wants to give you for the car is 4 or 5 grand. It's not really worth it as a hobby anymore, not that it really ever was. I am just not enjoying it. I was feeling a little down and depressed for a while and didn't want to work on the cars, but now that I am feeling better I still don't want to work on anything. Is it time to get out? What would you all do??
 
At age 61 I started thinking the same thing.
Now this is the second summer I have not put a plate on my car.
And now I just celebrated my 63 yr, I'm semi-retired working just 24 hrs a week, and still don't have time for anything.If somebody came along and gave me a good offer, I think I'd give her up.
Next month I'm expecting a third grandkid; a boy! I spend a lot of time with those young-uns
FABO is my new hobby, but it's hard on my knees; too much sitting.....
 
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Valiant63 said:
My cars have been sitting for more than 2 years now and I haven't worked on them more than a couple of days. I'm not even driving the one fixed up for a daily driver anymore.
So should I sell them all, should I totally get out of the hobby? Should I buy something new to mess with and see if it Sparks my interest? I suppose if I do get rid of the ones I have, I know I get much more money for them parting them out. Parts are getting so expensive and by the time you buy $10,000 worth of parts and put it together with a bunch of free labor, the most someone wants to give you for the car is 4 or 5 grand. It's not really worth it as a hobby anymore, not that it really ever was. I am just not enjoying it. I was feeling a little down and depressed for a while and didn't want to work on the cars, but now that I am feeling better I still don't want to work on anything. Is it time to get out? What would you all do??
Click to expand...

If that's how you feel about it then it never was a hobby for you, and you are probably done with it.
Hobbies don't have a monetary return tied to them.
 
Sell them and do something nice for yourself and family. They're just material possessions that can always be replaced. I would rather be with my wife and daughter any day of the week than being involved in this hobby. I love this hobby, just would not replace my family over it.
 
I told my wife this when I sold off a few cars,,"No matter how much I get for them, I will never be able to replace them for that amount." The price of parts just keep going up and my income keeps going down. I have 4 cars left,2 drivers,2 projects.Doubt if I will finish the projects........
 
sit back , sratigize your priorities , LIVE FOR TODAY , hope for a safe tommoro , GIVE TO LIVE , CRANK UP SOME SAMMY HAGAR , Where EAGLES FLY, and DREAMS, then crank up LET SALLY DRIVE , have a safe ride during the life changes , PRAY FOR DIRRECTION AND GUIDENCE . and I'm almost positive YOU WILL FIND YOUR ANSWER , HAGR812 OUR BROTHER , Winstoninwisc
 
I find that my interest waxes and wanes. After getting married in 2010 i didn't do much with my cars for 5 years. Sold a few but kept one. Im glad i did as I'm back into it heavy now. But then I'll likely get back into my guns in a few years, and then fishing or hunting for a few.....etc.

One thing i hear car and gun guys say ALL THE TIME, "I wish I never sold my....." fill in the blank

I'll keep this car and my favorite guns probably forever, but then again who knows. There are a few i wish i neve sold......


CE
 
I find that my interest waxes and wanes. After getting married in 2010 i didn't do much with my cars for 5 years. Sold a few but kept one. Im glad i did as I'm back into it heavy now. But then I'll likely get back into my guns in a few years, and then fishing or hunting for a few.....etc.

One thing i hear car and gun guys say ALL THE TIME, "I wish I never sold my....." fill in the blank

I'll keep this car and my favorite guns probably forever, but then again who knows. There are a few i wish i never sold......


CE
 
Hard to say if you should totally get out and get rid of everything. If you have projects just sitting then start by getting rid of them first. I suggest driving the one that could be a daily driver and see if you still enjoy it enough to keep it insured & licensed, you might find that it's ok to get rid of it or that it's still worth it to you to keep it.
 
Pretty sure we all done that 1nce or 3 times , enjoy your life , THIS AINT NODRESS REHERSALL , the old man who taught me how to build houses would always say ( I was 22 then 53 now ) OLD MAN HE"D SAY I did more before we got to work than your gonna do all day , lol , Where did the time go ?? We all have regrets , we all did 5 or 500 stupid things in life , But now , its all about your health ,
Keeping a roof over your families , and helping others get threw this life safe . DONT EVER FORGET > WE ALL OWE 1 LIFE ,
Rule # 1 NEVER TOUCH GRAMDPA"S TOOLS > and WE ALL HAVE THE RIGHS TO FIRE ARMS , wich fall under rule # 1 lol
I think we all are getting old enough to know the rest , just still not always smart enough to fallow 100% of the time
HAGR81 MY FAMILY winstoninwisc
 
AJ/FormS said:
At age 61 I started thinking the same thing.
Now this is the second summer I have not put a plate on my car.
And now I just celebrated my 63 yr, I'm semi-retired working just 24 hrs a week, and still don't have time for anything.If somebody came along and gave me a good offer, I think I'd give her up.
Next month I'm expecting a third grandkid; a boy! I spend a lot of time with those young-uns
FABO is my new hobby, but it's hard on my knees; too much sitting.....
Click to expand...


How does sitting on your *** hurt your knees? Must be a Canada thing...or...it could be something else!

But what the hell do I know???
 
Valiant63 said:
My cars have been sitting for more than 2 years now and I haven't worked on them more than a couple of days. I'm not even driving the one fixed up for a daily driver anymore.
So should I sell them all, should I totally get out of the hobby? Should I buy something new to mess with and see if it Sparks my interest? I suppose if I do get rid of the ones I have, I know I get much more money for them parting them out. Parts are getting so expensive and by the time you buy $10,000 worth of parts and put it together with a bunch of free labor, the most someone wants to give you for the car is 4 or 5 grand. It's not really worth it as a hobby anymore, not that it really ever was. I am just not enjoying it. I was feeling a little down and depressed for a while and didn't want to work on the cars, but now that I am feeling better I still don't want to work on anything. Is it time to get out? What would you all do??
Click to expand...


Sounds like you are hating it. I refuse to do something I hate. That's why I almost never go to the track any more. I got sick of dealing with idiots and morons so I just don't go.

Sometimes, you have to stop. You are at your limit.
 
Thank you all for your nice comments, with the exception of Trail Beast. It is a hobby and I've done everything from Restorations 2 racing and just fixing things up for fun. But I've had a lot of life changes lately the health is not getting any better. Most of you don't know that I've been paralyzed for 28 years as they don't share much of my personal life on here or online in general. It's just that I have no family, no wife and no kids. It is pretty much just me in the world anymore. I have enough of a hard time keeping up cleaning the house and cutting the grass. I have some volunteer things that I do outside the house. I don't have a lot of garage space where I live and I'm not enjoying the thought of driving a car around that might break down anymore. Sometimes I think it might be nice to give away all of my car stuff to someone who might appreciate it. I have actually done that once before in my life and I find myself coming back and of course Cars and car parts are much more expensive. I look at the price of cars especially early a bodies where years ago you could buy them for a couple hundred bucks running and under hundred bucks if they were parts cars. Now I see people selling things that need work and aren't roadworthy for 3 or 4 or $5,000 or more. With my income I really can't afford to keep up. I can't be putting a quarter of my yearly income into a car and be losing money on it.
 
I'm still not sure what I want to do. I'd like to grab another Valiant station wagon or DART station wagon and make it into a 2 door again. I enjoyed doing that kind of work. I enjoy saving things that other people might consider a parts car. Seeing them get back on the road it's just delightful. Too many people part them out and I would probably hate myself for doing that. 2 years ago I sold a running driving braking and licensed 64 Dodge Dart 2 door hardtop with a V8 disc brakes and eight and three quarter rear end with large bolt pattern that ran extremely well for only $2,000. Now it doesn't seem like I could buy the body back for that much. I don't know butt I'm just feeling tired all the time. I enjoyed seeing the cars around me, but I'm not doing anything with them nor driving them. I guess I need some more time to think about it.
 
No one can say for sure but maybe if you sold some of your non-driving projects it would lighten the burden you feel of having more projects than the energy/desire/garage space you have. See if that restores your interest in the one you've already fixed up. There's no shame in deciding you want out of the old car game, if that's what feels right at this stage in your life. I got out a few years ago because of the expense and I don't regret it. I really enjoyed all the old Mopars I owned but I don't think I want any more.
 
there's little saying about stuff... if you haven't used it in 3 years, you likely never will and you don't need it. Dust collectors are just that, dust collectors. From this couch - you sound like you're just done with it ...and who can blame you? You've been there done that and the financial realities of it all are clear to you.. while it is just a hobby, the realization that you are just pissing good money after bad (so to speak) makes it feel like it's not worth it to you.. I submit to you that it may well be time to sell and look for another outlet. I will say this though, I have NEVER had more than one automotive project going at a time.. they are be very time consuming and expensive - it is (as you are obviously very aware) hard enough to concentrate on one --- especially when your heart isn't totally in it. Instead of a new purchase and adding to the mix - sell one and work a little on the other maybe... good luck with your decision.. it's a tough one.
 
I'd keep the one thats fixed up, and concider selling the others. Yeah sure you could probably make more parting them, but if these are good candidates for fixing up, why not take what you can get for them, and sell em complete. 3 reasons for this.

1 you get em gone quickly.

2 dont have to deal with the hassle of parting em, boxing and shipping stuff.

3 this gives the joy of fixing up an old car to somebody else who may be younger and more in gung ho mode to do something with it.

Who knows you may make a new friend with the sale of one of your fixer uppers, etc. Maybe somebody willing to help you with yours as well. Doing this gives you the space, and ability to focus on only one vehicle.

I have several projects, recently i culled one from the herd so to speak. This still leaves 3. I'm 47, so i got time to slowly move the rest of the iron. This one would have been a cool one to build up too. 87 chrysler lebaron turbo coupe. Full electronic digital glass cockpit. Overhead console etc. I was going to put a daytona shelby drivetrain in it including 4 wheel discs, heavy duty 5 speed, all the shelby suspension, and top it off with an intercooled turbo ll setup. I know i will never get to it in my lifetime, so i let it go. My friend who runs the advanced auto tech program at our local high school bought it. The kids there turn out some great vehicles. Currently in work is a 1995 chevy s-10 they are back halving, and putting in a 383 small block, and the restoration of a 1967 chrysler new yorker with 440. With seeing the projects they have going on , i know it is going to the right place. They will be restoring the car to showcase the auto body class skills, and engine class skills. It will also be getting the shelby mechanicals i wanted to put in it, and 5 speed stick conversion.
 
The price of parts is a two way street!! Sure they're more expensive now, everything is! But they're more expensive to buy AND sell!! I agree with the above, thin the herd, maybe down to one, and sell off any extra parts you don't need for that car! Then take a long drive in that car, and decide whether you still want to enjoy that feeling! Only you can decide when, or if, it's time to let go!
 
Maybe this line below may help. I read this the other day by an old time hack mechanic that wrote a book about how fixing cars made him whole. I find comfort and wisdom in this.

".... it is by our care for a thing, rather than our need or desire for it, that we realize its intrinsic worth."
 
Pick your best running favorite one, plan a 2 day road trip and if you still feel the same after the road trip, I'd have to say you've lost that lovin' feeling.

Getting back in the saddle can sometimes right a fire.

Jeff
 
Yes- the one constant in life is"change"! It may not be that you dislike the cars or the shows or even the drag strips. I find that more and more people are using the term"hobby" to discribe their ideals for the automobiles. To me it is disgusting to take Chrysler parts to swap meets or shows and hear all the"hobbyists" tell me what my parts are worth. Good luck with your decision whichever it is. Your happiness is more valuable than objects.
 
I get discouraged often but then I remember all of the times my Dad and I talked about getting a car project together over the years.

Now we are on seperate coasts, he has bone cancer, I have two young kids, and this car seems to somehow be the legacy I wanted to share with my Father. I don't want that opportunity to pass on my watch.
 
in life, we have to find our own way. no one can do it for us. we can offer what we feel is sound advice, but you have to search your heart to find the way. I ask God for guidance.
a hobby is a hobby only when fun. if the costs of a hobby is not reasonable in relation to your income, then it becomes a problem.
many times when we get tired and depressed and sell out, later we regret it
I relate. I get tired. i'm lucky at 68 I have decent health. just woreout. and, I admit I have too many projects, but I hate to try to sell cars. I know what is fair market value for them. and, I can sell below even that, but what a HASSLE... too much drama! and shipping parts, no way! been there done it..
I say, take your time, and feel your way thru this delema. good luck man.
 
Send them!
Go buy something that makes you happy.
Life, interests and values change as we age,
go find a new adventure that satisfies.
 
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