Some of your best writing. I can’t give any advice on keeping it or letting it go, not that you need it, but the idea of less is more is the path I’m on. Less clutter, less things means more freedom.
manapause…..I also think I need to clear some stuff and prioritize what I want at the end of the day…..its tuff when you feel like this…
Time marches on and priorities change. I've sold a bunch of cars but have yet to "downsize", quite the opposite really. Since retirement, working on and building cars is what keeps me active and mentally engaged. Would I like to have some of the cars back? Yes, but I sold them for a good reason and moved on to the next thing. Since many were Porsches, they have appreciated and I would never pay what it would cost to get them back. Do I regret selling them? No. As I said, they were sold for good reason at the time and the decision was made. Admittedly, I dont think I ever had one for as long as you have and with all the emotional attachments you have to your car. In the end, make the decision and move on. There will be other opportunities and cars that await you as you age and your desires change.
This defines the difference between "car people" vs "non-car people". Non- car people will never understand the connection we have with this p***ion of ours. Not just rolling steel/transportation....so much more.
I've typed this same sentiment 3 times and deleted it. That car with the hot motor and IFS etc. was Bad ***. I know when the HAMB tightened its focus folks used to talk about the IFS etc. but for that time and place that car had soul. It seemed like that changed when the changes were made..... but what do i know
If you keep it, you can always decide to sell it. If you sell it, you'll never be able to decide to keep it again. That's how I keep a car I bought from a friend when I was young, and in which I've probably only driven 1,000 km in 40 years... Totally useless but absolutely essential! Put a cool engine in it and drive it. After that, the right decision will come naturally! (but no instructions to give: mine is still waiting for me to put in the engine I bought for it some years ago...)
I understand the mental struggle, and know firsthand that something needs to change when your possessions start to feel like a noose. I have a constant struggle between keeping things and getting tired of the mental and physical clutter. I have 5 specialty cars, that I obtained between 11 and 25 years ago, never sold one. My A is a big project I'm just finally tinkering on now that I have an actual decent shop space, but most of the rest suffered some form of neglect due to all the years I didn't have enough room at my house to store them. Now that I do, catching up on all the maintenance and making them what I've always wanting them to be could nearly be a full-time job. At some point we have to be honest with ourselves that the memories we made with something are all we need, and allow someone new the opportunity to forge their own bond with the car or whatever it may be. The mental battle of deciding when that point is, is not easy, and we don't always get it right.
Okay, I have read all of this thread, and have digested all of the comments and opinions, and all of them are spot on to a certain extent in every category! So @Ryan Amigo, from what I know of you, just how did Colorado win out over Kauai ? No doubt Kauai is way out in the middle of the ocean, which is cool, but lets face it, being that far away from a myriad of cool events on the mainland, nation wide, well you get my point. It turns into a game of logistics, and the cost of that flight back and forth, it drains the brain, numbs your ***, and it drains the wallet! That being said, what ever place you pick, to put down roots in Colorado, be wise and pay attention to where the water table level is, that is a real concern these days, but you will figure that out, or maybe you already did in relation to Texas. I ***ume this laminated place mat I created and sent to you is either still in your possession there in Texas or its on the wall in the Shed in Kauai? Good luck on your adventure to where ever you eventually wind up! Thanks from Dennis.
The guilt, rationale, justifications, excuses (don't BS, you got em), not to mention opportunities infected by a bad case of 'gotta-have-its' and desired biz growth. Me? 11 years on a car, that if it were for a client coulda been done in maybe 6-8 months. I planned a couple years. Lost track of injuries, financial backups, opportunities (many were worth it), and every other malady that gets in the way of the biggest 'gotta-have-it' for me. I'll never sell this car. Mostly because I'll never be able to do this again, AND I can actually see light at the end of the tunnel. Yeah it's a dot but it's light. I do the work for a living. "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life." ********. Tell it to my spine, my heart, my ****in age ffs. Sometimes the last thing I wanna do is more after a 10hr day arguing with a vintage car that some yo stick worked on and made the job harder. Even everything being all me, the tools, the car from 39, products, etc, too often it can feel like more of the same. Then hit a wall because to finish something means I need ________ and I don't have it. Often it's some cheap or simple part and that only makes it worse, now I gotta wait. Worse yet it might be the dreaded backorder. I've asked myself "Why?" and the answer is wordless. I can see it done and I want it. Does this mean I get it? Yup. Only you and the one over the bathroom sink knows why you still have it. Whatever started it is still there, it's just an earlier issue under a stack of the latest ones. Yet it's that issue you kept when you tossed away the others. The reason you kept it? Only your hairdresser knows for sure...
Well said, Mr.Cochran! I have sold cars and trucks over the years, and some really gave me a case of seller’s remorse, especially my old roadster that I had driven for 30 years. But with advancing age and bad joints it had evolved into a torture rack that required frequent rest stops to give some relief to the joint pain. So I sold it and bought a flathead powered 40 coupe for the comfort and conveniences. Then spent months on an engine swap after the flathead blew. No joy. So what did I do last year? At 79 I finally knuckled under to several years of pressure to move closer to family members in middle TN. Five women, anchored by the new great granddaughter, finally convinced me to move from my forever retirement home in the mountains to the suburbs of Nashville. Well here we are 7 months later, with a shop finally completed and me busting my almost 80 y.o. **** in 90* heat just to move the equipment in. Just so I will have room to move my three cars that are still in storage in the mountains! The emotional attachment to that special car will stay with you long after the money is spent on some other endeavor. It’s the memory and pride of building it, driving it, repairing it, and enjoying it for years. Keep the 38, at least until you get the move completed, and you are settled. You don’t want the pressure and surprises of a long distance move compounded by the memory of the thing that took up a large part of your life. There will be a buyer in Colorado when and if that time comes. I guess my long winded point is to have a plan, and be prepared for multiple changes to it. Be prepared to channel your efforts and emotions into the new life, and into dealing with the inevitable toe stubbers. Be thankful for your young age and good health. Be thankful for your family and keep their needs and emotions above yours. Remember that these cars can consume more time and money and emotions than they’re worth. Best wishes in rationally dealing with this. Push it aside for now and focus on the more stressful part of your life that is in the future with your relocation. And thank you for hosting this place where we can share our p***ions, our plans and dreams, our successes, our pitfalls and our failures!
I'm currently sitting in the same quandry that you are, sir. My first car was a 1946 Chevrolet pick-up. My father purchased it for me when I was 14, drove it for a year with the transplanted 250/6. A year later we pulled it into the barn out back and proceeded to swap the 6 for a 265/3speed/rear from a '55 150. A year later, I drove it out with my newly procured driver's license. It was my daily to high school. The very same truck is currently sitting in my garage. The state inspection sticker in the window has the number "86" in the center. Since then, its been in three states, in 4 different garages, in various stages of dis***embly, always with the best of intentions. Several years ago (there's a thread here giving actual dates, too embarr***ed to admit), I had the chance to buy a Model A Sedan, and I took it! Since then the truck and the tudor have been garage mates, with only token time given to each. More time has been given to the A since it, at least, seems closer to the road than the truck. As I approach retirement now, I really need to look and be realistic about my abilities and what projects I will (and won't) get to before I take a dirt nap. Practicality suggests that the A stay as it allows for at least 4 to ride comfortably (3 grandkids and I). but the fact that dad and I built it together tugs at my sentimental side. Guess it's time for me as well.....
The stuff I've sold and regretted selling hit the bullseye I was aiming for. It's just that today "...I can always get another..." is often fleeting. Maybe impossible. One thing I didn't comment on, my drag racing. I had a love/hate scenario there too. Bracket racing (or index which can be harder) is a roller-coaster of highs n lows. I'd had enough when I did everything absolutely right and still lost by .004. Cut a .006 light, he went .004. Ran the dial with a 4 (.**4), he ran his dial with a 2. That's gambling, not racing. Not to me at least. FWIW...
so maybe this 38 got parked because life got in the way as it often does or we need some fresh ideas ?? This site is full of traditional builds. Is a Traditional build a prewar build, during the war years build or post WWII. There are Traditional builds from each of these years and some build styles are seen/shared in all 3 eras. To me all traditional : ) For your '38 boss I'll suggest just post WWII '48 or so. The boys have been back for a while now and motorsports of all kinds in at full speed. Back east here Dirt rack racing has always been big and NASCAR is here on the local dirt tacks and Fair grounds. That's where your '38 comes back to life. As a Blue-ridge Mountain Applejack Moonshine runner Tuesdays and Thursday nights. Then Friday and Saturday nights as a NASCAR and local short track modified. Like what stormed Daytona's Beach Modified races. So here's the build, Quick change rear on a factory leaf out back (a woody wagon rear spring would have been helpful for haulin' shine). Full Floating wide 5 Aluminum drums all the way around. Widened steel wheels. No Running boards. Any Roll cage left from the 38's drags racing adventures ?? Ford Front Axel with Long Shackles and Split Wishbones to accommodate a 48 Cadillac motor with 3 two barrels or 2 four barrels and Cadillac factory 4 speed, clutch and bellhousing (from the He****/ Ambulance line). 1-ton copper br*** truck radiator with factory fan and shroud to keep it cool. Tubular bumper (black sched-40). Open Hood sides. Homemade headers with mufflers for runnin' shine and straight pipes for short track nights. You and the young Tardel could surely know this style out. If not I have all the parts mentioned laying here at my place p.s. good luck with the move. from your recient post I see why.
The problem isn’t really the build. Hell, Keith has already agreed to build the damned thing. The problem is space. There’s a very real chance I won’t have room for it in Colorado. And even if I do, I’m not entirely sure I’d want the kind of life that requires that much room. The older I get, the more I find myself craving simplicity. You remember that line from Heat? “Don’t let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in thirty seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.” I’ve always loved that quote. Not because I’m some outlaw philosopher, but because there’s a certain freedom buried in it. And honestly? Some days I want that freedom. Some days I look at the ’38 and see unfinished business. Other days I look at it and see an anchor. My mood changes by the hour lately, which is why I avoid reading these comments. Every argument makes sense depending on what side of the bed I rolled out of that morning. But right now, at this exact moment, I’m leaning toward letting it go. Not to just anybody. Not to a flipper. Not to a collector looking for another trophy to park in a climate-controlled garage. To the right guy. Somebody who understands what the car actually is. Somebody who understands why it matters. If that guy exists, anyway. And that’s a pretty big “if.”
Hey Amigo, you are already way hip deep in the world of photography on all levels, with that in mind, you have incredible archives of amazing vehicles, some of your own, and many of others that you have been ***ociated with through out your personal history with hot rods etc! That is precisely what photography was meant for, to chronicle the events and materials of our life's and all of the things that was a part of it. That being said, I know the joys of having a empty driveway that I can use, because I have thousands of pictures of the machines that used to occupy that space! I hope the car goes to the right younger person that can really enjoy it, and that will cherish it and continue on in a fine tradition. Your results may vary greatly! Thanks from Dennis.
I'm relating on a couple of different points. Had my '39 Standard (my first car) since the mid '70s. It's never been "finished." It has sat for years at a time - neglected. It wasn't the dream car ('40 Deluxe coupe) that I wanted. Considered selling it a few times, but it was given to me by my late Father. I could never let it go. It will never get finished, but the mechanicals have been gone through, "59" motor rebuilt, and I can drive it now. My son will end up with it someday. I'm so glad I didn't have the money back then to do all the "upgrades." FH, toploader, banjo, Sid's dropped axle, stock wide 5s. I love it. Then, there's the '40 coupe. Got my dream car. Former 1/4 miler, that had a big Olds motor and Pontiac rear at one time. I originally planned to build a street rod. MII crossmember is tacked in, LT1` 9C1 cop motor/trans purchased, 'vette rear waiting on the shop floor. I can't bring myself to finish it that way. I'm planning to put the front Xmember back in, along with the split bones that were in there, parallel leafs in the rear, and either another flathead, 425 Nailhead, or 394 Olds. Priorities change. IDGAF about fuel injection, heated seats, R&P, whatever. It's a HOT ROD. I'm gonna build it like one.
Been going through similar thoughts with my 34 but going to hang onto it. Not saying you should do the same but.... Not sure if you realised that as you typed it but there's an answer....
My last keeper reason? Im gonna drive the ****er every day. Not every car is cozy enough to look fwd to that, but I set the stock seat on the stock adjuster. One of my quirks is that I pour a coffee, grab a smoke, study/stare at what's next before I commit to tools. I noted that there were several different ways to mount it and the way I chose moved it back by quite a bit. Next move was to fab reinforced mounts in the floor 1½" back. At 6'2" and semi-crippled I want all the room I can get. When the floor task came up we set that heavy ******* in there and bolted the front down. I got in and slid the seat all the way back on the OEM adjusters, set the wheel on and closed the door. I looked at Jarvie and said "Brutha, I could sit here all the way to Hershey and back. You try it." He got in and had to slide it up a couple clicks even tho we're both nearly the same hgt. No floor mods needed. Box checked, another job done. I've got 2 sets of rollers slated for it. Long rides will get radials on 5 X 5.5s, local shows and daily use will get the wide 5s. You know, I'm not sure I addressed all of that in my build thread, that those parts have all that adjustment engineered into em. We that have those cars need to know this. It helped on Jarvie's Zephyr too. Not as extreme, but we jimmy-****ed his front seat OEM mountings and gained a bit too, although strangely not as much as mine gave up. Anyways, yeah I have drive-it-daily in the mission statement. Being in MI, yes there's a period where it sits. Im not gonna drive it in salt and snow. If I get caught in rain, oh well. It rained in 39 too, right? Just more raw thoughts.
Off topic, but after getting this far on a dream project I could never afford, 9/11 ended my business in NYC. I was forced to sell the Speedster but able to keep the 32’. It taught me stuff comes, stuff goes. The choices you have to make are never easy.
Ryan, I‘m not sure if this helps, but my late Grandpa told me to set my goals and just wait until the right opportunity comes your wayThings evolve more easily that way. Your goals are set, and you will feel it once the right caretaker shows up and the time has come. If nothing happens, that‘s what it is….
I don’t know where you’re going to be in Colorado but the car might be fun to have when the new Bandimere replacement track gets built, and there is also a new no-prep 1/8 mile track north of Denver. I’ve sold two cars that were important and I wish I would have just gotten a storage unit short time until a resolution came up.
Ryan, are you sure its guilt? I think it's the ghosts, this car has seen multiple iterations (both real and imagined) and you're talking about taking another hack at it, unsure of direction because of those ghosts. Sometimes starting with a clean sheet (a different car) is the best solution. No ghosts...
Ryan, will the car crank and run, if so take it out for a bonsai run and drive it like a man possessed, park the car and before you get out make the decision. HRP
I guess I get bored with stuff after a while. I've had lots of hot rods, Harleys and race cars. I was a heavy equipment mechanic for 45 years and I was always looking for something better and moved around a lot. So, I sold stuff then bought more stuff. I think back about some of the cool stuff I had, I miss some of it, but I have different cool stuff now. Sometimes you just have to regroup. If you're not really feeling it with the '38 now you probably never will.
if he is willing to build it, take it to him when it’s time to leave Austin. That solves the space problem. When it’s done, the decision either way may be easier to make. (and at least, you have deferred the decision making process). If you then don’t want it , give him first option to look after it………… .
The Jalopy Journal
