How far would you go to get that car? Sell your daily driver?

I've been hammering away on various projects for a while and haven't been around lately. I've been gathering a lot of parts for my hot rod build for a couple years now and I'm getting pretty close to being able to cobble Frankenstein's monster out of various Ford, Hudson and Es*** parts.

But a farmer put a very complete 31 Model A Tudor up for sale by the road this week. It would take minimal patching to fix the rust in the bottom of the cowl and rear wheel wells. I have all the solid sheet metal in my garage for the cowl and can order the rear wheel well patches easily. I could polish the points and charge the battery and have this running in an afternoon according to the owner.

But I'm broke. I've got the parts I've got through salvage, trading and scrimping and saving and am still a long way from driving. All my parts, even if I somehow managed to sell them for "top dollar" wouldn't come close to the owner's asking price.

I've almost resigned myself to letting this one slip away. But I p*** her going to work and coming home every day. She's beautiful and we could be great friends and I could be behind the wheel of my tastefully restrained traditional hot rod in months instead of years.

I have been seriously considering selling my late model truck outright and buying the Model A and some ****box old pickup to use as a daily driver.

Am I crazy? These aren't exactly growing on trees and I LOVE my daily driver truck, but I don't have any other ***ets I could liquidate for the kind of cash I need.

What would you do in my shoes? Thanks guys.

 

My 0.02$. I did it when I was much younger for old sports cars. It did not turn out well. It took a couple of times for me to realize it. (slow learner).

 

You only get to live once. Make it as interesting as possible. So I say do it. Otherwise you'll always wonder about that Tudor ...

 

My buick is my daily driver, it's all I got

 

Well you need a driver to get to work.

Is your late model paid for? The reason I ask is that we just refinanced our paid for late model to buy a retirement house and if yours is paid for that is a viable option.

 

My daily is paid for. I hadn't really considered that option (it's so nice not to have a car payment) but if I really want it (which I do) I might have to give the bank a call.

 

GET IT !!! and get a ****box toyota for your driver ... fix it and drive it ....

 

YOU NEVER BORROW FOR YOUR HOBBY. PERIOD. Keep plugging along on the projects. When it comes to getting to a paying job, dependable beats SOUL hands down.

 

Time for a yardsale. You prob have 2-3K in **** laying around! case in point, we have a swap coming up. I was sure I sold everything at last falls swap. I got to looking and within 10 minutes I had close to a grand (conservative selling prices) in stuff piled up.

 

I'd float a loan on the daily for just enough to buy the A and get it home. Then get the loan paid off as quick as possible. That way you have the reliable daily and the Model A sitting in the garage getting those patch panels welded in.

That said, I've driven some pretty ****py daily drivers and drive a 300.00 wonder now so that I can work on my hot rods over the years but that isn't for every one.

I agree with Tman too in that you might want to figure out what you have that you can sell off that you wouldn't need for that car to be able to get it.

 

I would let it go and wait for the right time. I would never put my self in debt to obtain it. Even though they don't grow on trees as you say, for any car or project I see, I run under the theory that you can ALWAYS find another one failry easily. New projects/cars come on the market every day.

Think about this plan; get your current project together, sell it maybe for a small profit, and do that again until you have cash in pocket to buy what you want.

 

A stock Model A would make for a real tough everyday driver. Unless it's got modern "hot rod" drive train I don't think I'd try to use a stocker for daily transportation. I've driven a stock 31 A sedan with juice brakes and I wouldn't have left my neighborhood in it for fear of flat getting run over in modern traffic.

 

if you can't afford something hobby related with paying cash, you either need a new hobby or more cash.
I don't know how all of this borrowing "because I want something" started, but it hasn't worked out well for thousands of people.

Home and health insurance first....everything else down the road.
The guy down the street "had" to have a certain motorcycle, so he took out a loan.
He went out to Victorville, picked up the bike and crashed it before he got to the freeway to go home. He was showing off.
So, the next day he says "My leg hurts"...duh, it's broken.
So, off to the County hospital.
So, now he has a loan on a bike that's just junk and we taxpayers get to pay for his hospitalization and rehab.

But he "had" to have that bike.

 

Cash & carry.....do NOT go into debt, the first step down a slippery slope.
P*** and let it go.....

 

No, I really don't want (or need) anymore debt, that's for sure. I appreciate the honest answers from everyone... the dreamers and the realists alike. If I was a 20 year old bachelor again this would be a no brainer.

 

Never go into debt over a hobby. I currently have my cars for sale in case something comes along that interests me. Each time I peruse ads, I see cars I would like, they get sold and another comes along.

 

You just answered your own question.

 

So, where exactly is this car located??? Ha ha.

 

Home and family first. Living on borrowed money is what has ruined our economy and if your broke now, you'll be even more broke trying to pay off a loan to by a Model that can't be driven on a daily basis.(it appears from your post that it's a stock car..??..)

Model A are getting harder to find, but they are out there and can usually be found pretty cheap. If this one is priced high enough to require a loan, even for a guy with very limited cash ***ets, I'd think it's priced to high, especially if it's got rust....

I paid 4,000 for this one back when prices were sky high.

 

gawddamn.. CO SIGN THAT^^^

 

If it's gonna put you in a bind, don't do it. There will be another one come along when the time is right.
Believe me, I've been on both sides of this one.
Larry T

 

I agree with Mazooma, except that it's millions of people not thousands, but he is right. If it's a project, get the money together , then look. I p***ed on a 49 Merc. back in 1971 or 72 that was $275.00, I would have loved to have that car but I was unemployed at the time and even though I had the money, I couldn't justify spending it on something for fun. First things first, there is always another one around the corner.

 

Yep in 2000 sold my 96 ford van to buy my 51 chevy pickup. Drove it daily worked on it when i could.Then it got stolen. NOW I will be driving the 48 ford daily.

 

do a good deed, p*** it on to a good friend, you'll feel alot better down the road knowing you did the right thing.

 

I say do it. I drive a POS 2001 malibu so I can afford my 34 project. I know it will be completely worth it the first time a take the pickup for a spin. On a side note it drives me crazy when someone makes a comment on how much money my hotrod costs. These are the same guys driving a $50,000 new pickup.

 

I would never presume to tell another man what he should do, but that is the motto I follow.

Doc.

 

I've thought about doing the exact same thing (selling the daily to get something cool). I never went through with it, but I would have justified the purchase as an ***et that will only appreciate in value, not depreciate.

 

Wouldn't do it if I needed my daily driver to get to my job. But....how close are you to work? Biking distance?

 

Anywhere in the lower 48

 

Good point! Being in debt is not the way to go.

But this ain't a bad idea. If I found a decent Model A coupe I'd ****** it up, you never know when another is going to come around. Beater trucks aren't bad I ran a Ford Ranger for 365K with no problems, although I don't know about the quality of 20+ year old pickups in your area I hear the get pretty rusty.