When my mom passed I got a big dose of mortality. Stuff that I had been collecting like hotwheels and such suddenly meant nothing to me as I was closing her estate and watching things that meant so much to her go away. No point in me figuring I'll pass things down to the kids if it doesn't mean something to them now so all the "collectibles" are being either saved by them or played with. If the kids think my "old" cars are still cool when they're older then great. I'm settling for right now they have fun putting their own sweat into working on my stuff.
proenfo; I had you on the list for the Panel Prefect..somebodies got to finish it !!! I got a buddy chasin me for the dragster.. maybe I better check my pulse..LOL... 1939fiat (Rick)
my brother and I both have a lot of junk and no wife or kids to give it too. one thing we both agreed on is that if one of us kicks the bucket keep our brother in law away. he'd be over there with a giant dumpster and toss our whole lives in the trash. has no clue about what anything is worth. he and my sister tossed all sorts of good stuff away when my Grandfather died. by the time I got there the dumpster was full.
Traditional hot rods will probably die off in a few generations. I was talking to a younger guy one time about hot rods (he was into 5.0 Mustangs), and essentially I tried to explain the whole traditional hot rod thing to him. Since he was about 15 years younger than me and grew up in a different world, he had no childhood memories of anything hot-rod related. So there was nothing from his past that tied him to hot rodding, and as such, there was no "nostalgia" factor for him. Then he asked me how fast a traditional hot rod might be, and how much it would cost to build one. Upon answering his questions, he sort of scratched his head in confusion and said something like "all that money to build something that is slower that my mom's mini-van??? What's the point???" I couldn't get him to understand, and quite frankly he had an excellent argument that I had NO answer for: "Aren't hot rods supposed to be FAST????" Bottom line is that he can throw a cheap Nitrous kit on a beater 5.0 mustang and eat most of our traditional rods for breakfast, so in his eyes hot rods are obsolete.
heck why wait until you are dead..just give it all to me now..and when im dead I will tell my wife and daughter to give it to another Rodder
I know my kids would WANT my stuff..but Not knowing ANYTHING about keeping things running..nor having any mechanical skill..interest or aptitude..my stuff will sit..dead..like me then. I got my first Jag..XKE..many years ago from a guy that lost his foot to diabetes. His son wanted nothing to do with the '64 E Type coupe..wanted the money to buy a new (1968) Pontiac Bonnieville. Guess my stuff might end up that way.. My kids are 18 and 20 (both BDs this month)..so anything could change..and i intend to drive the hell out of my stuff for some time yet.. My guitars..no brainer..my daughter plays. Motorcycles..both ride. I don't collect other stuff..always been Cars..Bikes..Music..and sports.. Simple guy.. But..It has occurred to me.. We all want to have a family heritage..but some things are not genetic. Perhaps it's better..cause i sure treated that first Jag better than that "son" would have. It also got me a life long Jag desease..to go with my hotrod addiction..and cycle dependency.. A good thing for me..that not everyone inherits their parents stuff...
Like you I'm over 60 also. Unfortunatly there isn't a single branch on my Family Tree that gives a Rip about my Collection. I'm out there hooking up with the Younger Guys just to keep my Blood moving. Once I'm gone there are a few people that are in for a real Shock. It's pretty easy to tell who appriceates what. Why not pass it on instead of letting it just turn into $$$$. And, I thought those Dolls were Stupid the first time I saw one. It's amazing they are still out there. The Wizzard
Both my Son's are into cars, and it looks like my Grandson will be to,.... so they will most likely grab a lot of the stuff,..... BUT I hope they always keep it in perspective. Matt. 6 : 19-21 In the end, it's just stuff.
I have recently been going through a "gotta get rid of some of this stuff" phase and the thought of digging everything out and doing an inventory is scary. It would take months. No matter how much I try to narrow it down to just the stuff I really want to keep, there is still just way too much. I nearly lost it all in the California wildfires last October (burned to within 20ft of my barn), but that still didn't deter me. Basically I want to keep most of it, even if I don't ever have a hope of getting to it. I guess the ownership thing is terminal packratitis. I have cars and parts for multiple projects. I have every car 'built' in my mind and would like to think that these projects would get completed someday. But I guess not all of it is going to happen, which seems a shame after all those years of obsessively ferreting this stuff out from all over the world. Before you generously and unselfishly offer to take it off my hands absolutely free of charge, no I am not looking for any adoptees and sadly my family does not give a hoot about any of it.
My 16 year old son would have it all now if he could.I'm looking out for the taste of Almonds in my tea...HaHa(I hope)
You do know if we hear you so much as sneeze,..Clyde and I will be standing there with two very big official Autorama fire extinguishers don't you ?
My wife says that when I die ... she is going to have printed in my obituary ... will be buried date,time and place ... then it will say the big Garage sale starts Saturday morning ... 8 o'clock sharp .
hey.. Some very good points made but I want to relate something that happened to a friend... "JC" was a hot rodder, drag racer, etc from the 60s, had a 20x20 shop that waz jammed with SBC-Buick motor, speed equipt,trannys-9" rears, gears, Pontiac stuff etc.. 40 years worth of "STUFF" (all good stuff I might add) anywaz...he died at work. "JC" never did tell his wife or spell out what to do with contents of shop, or what it was maybe worth... We all told her that we would work with her to sort out this stuff when she waz ready as we could have gotten her $$$ for contents As it turned out she called a guy and PAID him to haul EVERYTHING to the land fill! We found out that the guy had no idea as to value of stuff, and did trash it all. My only point is that maybe one should write/tell or do SOMETHING so this isn't done with your stuff> I know I had a talk with my wife about my stuff and to its value Pontiac Slim RIP "JC"
Pontiac Slim; Yep. you are right on....my buddy and i once had a gentleman's agreement,I would sell his stuff, and he would sell mine, if something happen to either one of us.. Our wives have "some " idea what this junk is worth.. (subject to change ,as inventory changes weekly)..LOL 1939fiat
Hey Deuce whats the address early birds allowed?,jus kiddin ya. I ain't gonna worry about my stuff , I just hope my old gal dont let her new boyfriend get it all.
My wife has the names of two trusted friends that are aware of what I've got and what it's worth. I've instructed her to let the two of them have anything they really want , give my son first pick of anything he wants to remember me by and the rest goes into one big garage sale/auction. I've started a list of the things I want to have available for any projects I manage to get to before the DAY comes and I intend to see that a lot of the rest is in the hands of anyone who is willing to part with the $$$'s in the meantime. Any proceeds from "prior to death sales" I intend to spend enjoying whatever times is left with the woman who has made the time here worth living. There won't be enough to repay her for the fantastic life she has made possible for me to live but I intend to make the best of it. Frank
well...im only 19 and this stuff is my life, and i sometimes wonder how its going to be in the future...if i live for another 50 years or even if the world is still around...someone being interested into old cars will probably be 1 in a million...soo yea..whoever wants to give me there cool stuff..i'll keep good care of it and make sure it gets driven..not just stashed in some shaggy garage and forgotten about! when i die I want my some of my asses put in my gas tank of my car...then some more ashes put into the clearcoat!! prolly look like shit but what do i care???
I just went through this, check that, I am NOW going through this with my older brothers stuff. He was into guitars, repaired vintage stuff and built custom pieces, had some big name customers. He lived in a dumpy rental and the two car garage was his shop. Shop and house both packed with 30+ years of stuff. Not just guitar stuff but almost anything and everything you could imagine pre-'75. He was always broke and bartered, scrounged and even dumpster dived for stuff. You wouldn't believe what he had stashed away and I'm not talking treasure either. I had a whole lot of WTF moments. Took us almost 3 months working weekends to sort it and move it. All of the stuff we decided we didn't want to deal with we just put in the backyard and told his friends to come take anything they wanted. It all disappeared. I've been selling off the stuff we kept and I can't believe what I get for some of it. If it had been left up to my sisters it would have probably all gone to the landfill. This has changed my entire outlook on collecting. I am now very careful about the stuff I buy. Quality over quantity. And, I make sure the wife knows whats what and what its worth. I also have the names of people who could help broker the stuff when it comes time. Hopefully not too soon. It's a double edged sword, it's fun finding and collecting old stuff but it also becomes and anchor around your neck.
As a youngster (22), with a dad who gave me three hundred bucks to redo my brakes because "That's the closest he could ever get to helping me actually build this thing.", I can promise you, for each of your sons and daughters that have no interest in cars at all, there's one of us kids who don't have anyone to inherit anything from. Just try not to shun us when we try to learn things or ask to help, even though you know we can't really do much...
I'm makin' out a "bucket list" of who gets what, but I really don't - or won't - care and I doubt St Peter will either. I'm gonna enjoy it and live every day like it's my last, and hope the last check I write bounces. . .
Most of the "guys" (I believe) would be more then will'n to help/teach etc. I've run into a few young guys that stopped by my house to ask/look etc. Not one of them has left without something of interest to them that I gave at no cost.. Made me feel good to help out.... Pontiac Slim
There will always be people who want to play with old junk. The good stuff will go into museums. Junkers will get crushed and made into new junk. We will all be driving electric powered cars. Gas will be around, but it will be around $10-15 per gallon and will be cut with alcohol. I will recycle a majority of 1920-1960 tools, equipment, washers, dryers and other metal crap that my father has collected for the last 40 years on his 6 acres of property. The keepsakes will stay as long as we pass them down. Pass them down to us younger guys who intend to keep the gears turning. Another man's junk is someone's Kustom.
being i will be dead who gives a fuck! , but i got enough stuff for the brats to fight over and only 2 out of 6 are interested in my crap , maybe the wifes next husband can scrap it all and head to the liqure store..
The Jalopy Journal
