I am at the age where the possibility of retirement has arrived. If the world does not entirely go to hell in a handbasket I can maybe retire in about ten more years....just enough time to build a hotrod RV. I am looking for a Dodge school bus, or maybe a COE cab and clip from around 36-56 model years. I have a Cummins 4bt or 6bt engine to use and a late model chassis to set the body work on. If I can't find a bus the coe cab and clip would serve as the nose and I can build the coachworks. I hope to end up with a reasonably comfy home base from which I can revisit all those wonderful places that formed me in my ancient youth, California, Grand Canyon, Bonneville Salt Flats, Great Lakes, New England and on and on and on for as long as I can remember where I put the keys. So, what are you guys planning?
My goal is to tip over and head for the dirt nap in some forgotten junkyard full of cool old cars while taking off parts.No other travel plans.
Mine is to: Own my house by the beach. Have a late model daily and one A coupe trad rod. Nearly paid that off. Have a place in the mountains of Japan to go snowborading, with a chopped shoebox in the garage. - Buying the block next month, hope to build a house out of shipping containers late this year. Looking for the shoebox now. Finally a villa in Bali to go surfing with a little 4WD to get around in to the surf and my 81 FLH to blast around on. No where near getting that sorted Grand Plans but you gotta have them
I've been retired almost a year now, I just turned 52 in April and with 5 kids and 5 grand kids, I've never been busier. I'd thought you were suppose to relax and enjoy retirement.
We own the family plot, the wife & kids will get stuck buying the box. I'd like to have all the bills paid before I kick off.
I'm self employed, so I will have to work until I'm dangerous in the furniture shop. And this fall I'll start collecting my Social Security be fore it all spent.
Studied, worked in odd places (China ATM) and havent had to give to much away to ex's. Have missed out on all the joy children bring though so its not all gravy.
I just did it the end of last month. This is gonna work out just fine. One would think I might have a little more time to devote to the old cars now. DD
At the age of 48 I took an early retirement in January from Verizon. After thirty-years working as a mechanic for Verizon I can now stop taking my depression meds! I rolled over my lump sum retirement into an IRA that I can't touch until I'm 59 1/2. Now I have all the time in the world to work on hot rods and not a dollar to do it with. Luckily I have a stash of parts and paint that will keep me going for awhile and a working wife that gives me an allowance to cover my fast food bill. Is today Saturday, oh wait everyday is now Saturday. I highly recommend this retirement thing! I would buy everything your going to need to build your hot rod RV or have the cash stashed away for the project. I have lots of hot rod friends living only on Social Security and there hot rod building days are financially over.. Jerry
Been retired for 11 years now, and I highly recommend it. Granted, the $$$ gets a little tight sometimes, so I have a part-time job; around 23 hours a week. That helps with the grocery money and I save some for local swap meets and HERSHEY! The PTJ gets me out of my wife's way and gives some sort of purpose to things. I like OldDaddy's idea about a hot rod RV. That would be ultra cool.
Been retired for 5 now. Spend Summers in Colorado...Winter in Arizona and just now catching up on finishing my 51 Mercury. Retirement is the best job you can have!!
I plan to spend my retirement building hot rods in my shop. The only question is how old will I be when I'm finally able to start... Life's surprises have me on full disability at only 53 and I don't know when or if I'll truly be able to become active again.
I am going to watch my dad raise hell in his retirement and try and keep him out of jail! We've been thrashing on a 33 pickup for him to terrorize the "quiet" little neighborhood they live in. I've got 20 more years to work before I get to the finish line but I plan on being the scourge of my neighborhood and a bad influence on all the kids.
Been retarded I mean retired for 5 years. The secret is to have a hobby or something to keep you busy. I recommend retiring as soon as it is finacially possible. I keep busy but I go and come on my schedule and no more alarm clocks.
One thing about retirement............you only need OJT and not much of that. In my experience you get the hang of it about the second day and by the end of the first week your damn near a professional. I had the same vision of a converted COE/motorhome but after the reality of having to actually build it the COE went down the road to a new owner with the same dream. That was almost 10 years ago and the new owner hasn't moved it 1 foot from the spot I dropped it off at his house. He's hinted he might be willing to sell...............I haven't even thought about buying. Frank
I thought about doing something similar, till I realized how cheap I could just buy a good used RV. I just bought a beautiful '85 class C itasca on a Chevy, that just needed some tlc, complete brake system and exhaust, and some sprucing up, but everything works, with 100K miles on it for $850! I know it's not as cool, and not in keeping with the hot rod tradition, but I've only got so much time, money and energy to devote to projects, so this sure works for me. As for retirement, let me paraphrase Willy S. "Be not afraid of retirement: some men achieve retirement and some have retirement thrust upon them."
I'm getting REAL close myself, keep dreaming up more hot rod projects, would like to complete a car a year depending on bucks. Got a chopped 51 shoebox and another 30 roadster highboy in the works plus a couple of hot rod chassis to build for other guys . Then of course there's the non-hot rod related house type stuff to do.
I'm trying to do the early retirement thing, shooting for about age 54 in 4 years. Dang stock market is screwing with my 401K again - keeping my fingers crossed. Anyway, I have some river front land along the border with Ontario and I plan to build the shop from hell there if funds allow. The key is to have a lift so I can don't have to drag my old bones underneath cars. In 4 years I'll be in the middle of my 37 Ford pickup/Desoto hemi project, so it would be reallly cool to have time to build it without rushing. When that's done, my son will be 14 or 15, so it will be time to build the 63 Nova that we have for him. If I can teach him to weld and paint in the process, I'll have a good assistant to carry the load as I start to slow down.
Retired.........Loving life...........Have a great Galfriend who is also into Hot Rods and owns a stunning 32 Roadster. I am financialy secure, condo is paid for, and i do what i want when i want. It doesnt get any better......... See ya in Santa Maria.........
BEST advice so far...keep busy, stay away from the TV, keep a positive attitude about your health (and age), and go rod running and hang out with your retired friends...follow this regimen daily...!!! R- PS, been "retired" since 1999, I'm busier now than I've ever been...
I'm about 2-1/2 years away if I can afford to fully retire from working for someone else. I'm damned well not going to do like my dad did and not plan or save for it and the sit and whine because I can't afford to do anything that I always wanted to do. I'm not sure where we will be but the ideal location would be somewhere on Puget Sound within walking or bicycling distance to a marina for my boat and have a decent size shop with an apartment alongside or above it for a home base. Cruise my boat for a few months of the year and take a serious road trip to warmer climates in the rod when the weather gets uncomfortable. The plan for years has been to turn out one finished rod (probably a Chevy AD series pickup) a year to sell for the extra things and road trip kitty. I've been accumulating the tools and equipment to to that so something on that line will keep me busy when I'm at home base where ever that is.
Gonna hook the '28 cheevy behind the motor home and give them both a ride. Maybe see some of you guys at a show that's not in NEPA. Jim
I retired in Oct 97 from actuve work. I was 47. After that i worked at project that interested me andwhile i didnt work for free i was more occupied with it not costing me than profit. These were wonderful years. No schedule. Only interesting stuff and no idiots. Eventually i sold my equipment and now just putter away building what I feel like. You need some investment or a pension, You need your home paid for. Lack of debt is the key to early successful retirement. Time is now your substitute for cash. I am so busy i dont have time to work anymore. Once you get by the feeling of uselessness when you officially quit the daily grind you are home free. That took me about 90 days. don
I retired 3 years ago. Now I get up with nothing to do and at the end of the day I have only gotten 1/2 of that done. Home paid for. Lots of work yet to be done to it (1910 Victorian) but have already gotten a lot done. COE in the back yard with a LOT to be done to it. Prisioner of the weather here in Montana but seem to be busy all the time. Volenteer on comunity projects, active in church. Things that I never had time for before. Oh what a life. Donn
Don't wait do it, retired a year ago. Got in the 32 headed west, Grand Canyon, Golden Gate.Ready again next year.
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