Folks Of Interest Are you that guy?

Yes, sort of, but three of them weren't my fault!

 

Man, sorry to hear that. I really dread that day. My dad is 84.

 

Today, after reading about the coming auction in Crane, MO, I am amazed at my self-control. I have the money, the time and absolutely no desire to buy another project. Maybe I'm coming down with something.

 

I joined A.A. { Automobiles Anonymous } I have a problem, I only need one more.

 

I’m not ready to talk about the accumulation thing,(I stopped buying 20 years ago) but I know that train is coming…. Very sorry to hear of your losses @raven and @chryslerfan55 .

 

What auction in Crane, MO?

 

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/crane-mo-auction-6-11-22.1266161/

 

Thanks, I appreciate that.

 

Projects Are For Young Folks...Cars Are For Driving...

 

Realized I missed one- 16

 

@Roothawg , my old boss at the rod shop had a great way to look at this.

Take your tape measure off your belt. Pull it out to the number you think you will live to, be honest. Lets say 80, pull the tape back the number of inches that equal your age. Lets say you are 50, you pull that tape back to the 30" mark. Then take the number of projects you have x how many years you average on a project. We will use 5 cars at an average of 5 years per car which =25. So 30-25= 5 years. So, you will have 5 years to enjoy that last car IF you are still in good enough health to get it done and actually still drive!

 

IDK about being "that guy", that may or may-not have fallen off of the wagon, but I'm sure I've been run-over by that wagon - & it was fully loaded... Figured out quick-like long ago, that the cars I liked(could afford, - not the ones I'd pined for since I 1st saw them) weren't being made anymore & parts being hard & harder to find, always = more $$$, so I bought multiple versions of what I liked. Now, finding my body messedup from life(work), the intense desire to build them is fading fast, & costs to get what I'd (really)like (not to mention driving versions of what I have now) are going parabolic - in the sadly-for-me, ever-increasing direction. So I'm slowly going through cars n parts, grouping them, & will then be looking for new enthusiastic owners to bring them to life. I hate selling things, but not due to sentimental issues/etc, just how things work out. I almost envy those that can "flip", I've never been in that category.

So, things are geared to a little different outcome, as "new opportunities" open up.

I also suffer from the ability to see rough-as-is stuff to how-it-can-be. Sadly, I can't draw or paint worth 2 cents.
Amusingly, I've finally begun to understand the sentiment of: "I'm gonna fix that one up someday". It actually is about a personal hope(dream?) for & in, the future, & less about preventing someone from having something - although that does exist to a very large degree.
Marcus...

 

I have two more-or-less completed toys, and I'm content with those. If a minor project came along, I could be tempted, but I'm 81 years old. No green bananas for me.

 

He who dies with the most toys, WINS

 

I live out here in Yucaipa between San Bernardino and Palm Springs. Back in the day my goal was to own every stromberg 97 and every 32 Ford I could ever get my hands on. I ended up with a little over a 100 strombergs and 11 32 fords. As I was getting older I realized I'm gonna be that guy that dies with a building full of old cars. I started selling them off and now I'm down to 4 and feel oh, so much better .

 

At least I've got... 7 decades left... wish I could have bought my car 55 years ago or so, so parts could be plentiful in junkyards.

 

Are the flies still bad in Yucaipa?

 

Yes, to the original question...Only flies around the dogshit in the backyard.

 

Right now,I have one,I now know I will never do,I'm too old now[ 80yo].
Time to face the facts and sell it.
Sure ,I would hope that it gets done kind of like the picture in my head,I think is cool.
But really it's kind of close too every thing needed for any hotrod roadster.
Some one can get a great deal;;
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ounted-with-1917-hup-hot-rod-project.1243767/

 

Yes, it’s a sickness.

 

Yes, I am that guy. I had 1/2 my buddy’s junkyard filled (2 1/2 acres) packed door to door bumper to bumper at one time in the early 90s. He thought I had a problem, I did. But he was an enabler. I miss that old bastard.

 

Proud to be that guy. Getting close to 60...cars keep me young and in shape. Pushing heavy shit around...pulling engines and sweating pays dividends. Whatever I do to a car I buy...clean it...sort it out...eliminate stupid shit done to it over the years, increases its value. I'd much rather have a project car than the money it took to buy it sitting around. Money gets spent. I'm an optimist...so I think I can fix them all...I have 5 at the moment. New acquisitions are an attention stealer for sure. There is always something cool to buy...at least here in Socal. I do need to stop looking on Craigslist...I always seem to find something...though it is getting harder as prices are getting out of hand.

Case in point..just bought this '57 Tbird. ..it was on Craigslist...a Socal driveway find. It's been off the road since 1976. Has cool Appliance Torq Thrust style mags and a set of ancient (late 60s?) redline Pos A Traction tires..Amazingly rust free...just pulled the old carpet and vacuumed out the interior. Was shocked that the floors are this cherry. It was Coral Sand...which is a funky 50s peach/pink. This Tbird has been without a top for 20-25 years...amazing it fared so well. Price was so cheap I couldn't say no. It is a sickness....but I don't want the cure.

 

That has the look of a perfect daily driver, great find. Bob

 

Nope.

I am working on the last two that I plan on building.

 

Like Rickybop, raven , and Chrysler55, life can really throw you for a loop. You lose interest in the cars
and they just sit. It took my a long time to come around again, I bought a little 29 Ford pickup and am
having a ball with it. The rest of the cars I've been selling off, because, time is running out for me and I
have to be realistic about it. I have to say, if I had more time I would buy more cars. So, Yes I'm one of
those guys......

 

It wasn't always as easy as you think. Parts weren't always pleantifull. Even 40 years ago when I was putting my first car together we traveled hundreds of miles looking for a RF fender. All over Western Sodak and Eastern Wyoming. Never found one better than what I had so we fixed it.

 

On the way to look at a Servicar- dammit

 

Too many cars? What!
Just tell my wife a should buy another marauder fastback.owned current one over 25 years.
Have about 20 cars and 15 old tractors.
Hey, you only live once.
Im happy, wifes happy.no problem.

 

I just found a car that I've always wanted, I live in a town where nothing can sit outside, I could possibly squeeze it into the garage but that would require that I squeeze past it anytime I want to go by and leave no room to work on the current 3 projects.
What's a guy to do .....

 

Wins what? An award for causing his family to have to deal with 6 tons of shit?
I've got an older friend. He recently had a stroke. Speech & mobility are impaired, but he's still working. He has more projects piled up than anybody I know. Some close to done, some started, some not started. I haven't seen progress on any of his stuff for over 10 years, yet he still thinks he's gonna get to them. It ain't gonna happen. He couldn't drive a manual trans car anymore, but thinks he's gonna finish one stored at my place that has a 4 speed. Really got me to thinking that I won't leave my wife stuck with all this crap. I'm trying to downsize, but NOBODY wants projects anymore. They all want a running/driving car for the price of a project. Hoping it doesn't come down to scrapping things that can be built, but who knows? There is plenty here that could be scrapped & nobody would care, but complete cars that could be put back on the street, should be.