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I am taking them to the trailer park with me!!

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Cowtown Speed Shop, Oct 5, 2012.

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  1. go-twichy
    Joined: Jul 22, 2010
    Posts: 1,648

    go-twichy
    BANNED

    i hate to say it, but this is the right answer. trim the fat. pick one of your cars to keep as a promotional tool, and try and keep a real roof over your head. we had to sell our rental property that i did'nt want to because of the property taxes. sometimes you got to simplfy. try and do the right thing. good luck.
     
  2. 48FordFanatic
    Joined: Feb 26, 2011
    Posts: 1,335

    48FordFanatic
    Member
    from Maine

    Anyhow just wanted too see If I am crazy for wanting to keep my cars over my house..LOL...It has not come to that yet,[/QUOTE]


    The answer is "Yes"you would be crazy. The minimum responsibility you have to your family is for food, clothing , a stable roof over their heads, and an education.
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2012
  3. dad-bud
    Joined: Aug 22, 2009
    Posts: 3,884

    dad-bud
    Member

    Well Cowtown, it loks like you have choices avaiable to you.
    Business is slow - I presume that means you dont have enough customers coming in through the door to give you enough billable hours to charge to pay yourself a living wage.
    Go and get a job - at a car dealer or wherever, which will take about 40 - 45 hours leaving you plenty of time and weekends to do whatever Cowtown Speed Shop customers want - that way you can top up your day job with some income generated from the business you intend to keep building.
    We're not splitting the atom here - you need to generate some income boy - go and get some! If you can't get a job at a dealer or elsewhere in the trade then you can't be much good at your craft, and that may be the reason you haven't got enough customers.
    Not everyone is able to turn their hobby into their career - you may be one who can't.
    Deal with it and look after your family.
     
  4. Well then post #3 from Flathead Johnny is your answer. Relocate to a workshop and house in one with maybe a showroom for a car or two or lots of outside yard space. Might need a budget guru to work it all out, How about going into the restoration side of the game. Sports cars & vintage cars need love too. Good luck in the future.
     
  5. theHIGHLANDER
    Joined: Jun 3, 2005
    Posts: 10,245

    theHIGHLANDER
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Just keep listening to the fuckin media like everyone else. You'll be a broke dick bitch in no time!

    Seriously, you need to get over the top of what you're doing and look down at it real close. Look at your target market. If things are slow you have time to make the moves you've always wanted to. Here's a clue, nobody likes a downer. Speak, act, work, sell and everything in between, POSITIVE. Here's some numbers to consider. If we're at a "real" unemployment level of 10%, that means 900,000 out of every million people in the workforce has a job. How's traffic in your area at say, 4:00pm? Where'd they all come from? Ford can't build enough $45-55K trucks to meet demand. A good friend works 12-14hrs a day pouring concrete, as do most all of his co-workers. And I'm in fuckin Motown!

    Forget the bad news and focus on what it is you do. Promote yourself to those who want your services. Look to a national market vs local. Local is very important, but it's not everything in a niche market. Do the very best on EVERYTHING as if your future depends on it, because it does. Lots of shops are busy, car counts are pretty damn big at events, somebody is paying someone to do something. Fill the voids and push a bit harder. You have the time to grow rather than cut. Sell? Sell what? If you have cars to pedal, then sell em to a prospective client rather than send them off to another shop. Lastly, get some sleep cuz you got work to do:cool:
     
  6. rer_239
    Joined: Jan 6, 2006
    Posts: 190

    rer_239
    Member

    not saying you are, but a lot of people owe more than their house is worth. better to sell the house (and buy one as good for less money later)
     
  7. GassersGarage
    Joined: Jul 1, 2007
    Posts: 4,727

    GassersGarage
    Member

    Cars come and go, but losing a house is hard to replace. A friend of mine had a shop. To cut overhead, he closed the shop and started working out of his house, which had a 6 car garage. The entire backyard is concreted in so it's perfect for a home business. Now, in his late 50's, he realizing that he doesn't have any retirement except for social security, so he sold a car he said he would never sell. He bought a rental property to supplement his retirement. As for myself, I retired recently and have 2 classic cars. My pension pays living expenses and my retirement account makes the house payment. The house will be paid in 4 more years.
     
  8. Lild
    Joined: Feb 22, 2010
    Posts: 260

    Lild
    Member

    I have a friend that owns a truck repair shop in the small town we grew up in and was stuggling also. He let go of all the help he had, his brother who actualy started the shop took a full time job elsewhere and works nights at the shop. To my point, his tax guy told him to look into unemployment. He did and isnt exactly wealthy but is surviving now. Not sure how it works but may be worth checking into.
     
  9. I know about buisness slowing down. The day before thanksgiving 2009 I layed off 28 guys. One of the worst days of my life. A lot has happened since then. At one point it was down to my son answering the phone and I was the only one working in the shop. I sold everything I could including all but one car. Knowing what I know now I would have reacted much faster and cut costs right away. I am doing better now even though we still have a mountain of debt to knock down. My point is your family comes first. They are just cars. You can always get more. It sounds like you are a young guy and you should cherish those little kids while you can. Kids are smart. Don't let them think you love your cars more than them.
     
  10. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,670

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

    Lots of great advise from your friends here.
    The simple fact is you have to find the right combination of;

    1) increase what $ comes in
    2) decrease $ going out.

    This may mean downsizing your home or downsizing your shop (rent). Can you sell the home and dump the shop and find a combo home/shop-even if it's a 5 year plan?

    Is your current shop large enough to sublet out a portion to bring in some monthly $ ?

    You may have to do all of the above AND work full/part time somewhere else. Do what you have to do. Drive a truck graveyards, etc.

    Act now. Don't let the situation get worse.
     
  11. scrubba
    Joined: Jul 20, 2010
    Posts: 939

    scrubba
    Member

    Cowtown, I saw this Bull shit commin down da pike a few years ago. I don't think it was this bad when Ronnie ray gunn was a terrorizin da country wiff his goofball therories . I was living in a mini wharehouse in Dallas and inside my 53 Ford panel too. Hell, id do whatever it took to preserve what little I still had . Yep, DO IT !!!!!!!!!!!!

    scrubba
     
  12. carryallman
    Joined: Jan 5, 2009
    Posts: 399

    carryallman
    Member

    you know i sold speed parts for years ,bought from all the big warehouses,my sales did drop ,but it was from the jegs,summits,type of big box places selling stuff for jobber or below price !!! i was buying for jobber trying to sell for a couple of dollars over that ! my warehouses would not give a better break on stuff /except for there in house brand tiawon/ mexican junk ! threatned to cut me off on sales ! ok fine and dandy ! several of the biggies went under or sold out! reliable,arrow or are in a very bad financial shape ,i just hope this election time everybody gets out to vote ,remember has this last 4 years of our president been good for you ??? vote vote vote thanks mike ,-go get a part time job ,you will make it !! IF I NEED SOME PARTS I WILL PUT YOU ON MY FIRST BUT FROM LIOST ! mike "carryallman" wahl
     
  13. Nitrobaron
    Joined: Feb 3, 2007
    Posts: 65

    Nitrobaron
    Member

    Many responses here that say "it's just a car", but in reality the cars are assets, I call mine "money in the bank", they are just a diiferent form of currency.
    Those cars at this point are your savings account, and it sounds like perhaps your only savings. The cars are just like a bond or CD, the "value" of the cars, the money that is yours, that you can't touch, with out selling, right?
    The fail side of selling the cars now is it will be too easy to draw a few hunderd today, a few thousnd tomorrow and I guarantee in a few months you will be right back where you started with NOTHING, no money and no cars (No assets).
    Your family needs those assests to fall back on if you really hit rock bottom, and are at the point you can not take care of basic needs. It sounds like you are not there yet, if you are, then the decision point is different.
    So IMHO keep the cars, make sure they are safe or insured and take the others advise to do what ever you can to genreate income, reduce money going out, and not rob your assets, until it is your last resort.
    I sold a couple of cars including a sweet 46 Ford a couple of years ago to pay down some debt that I could have paid off comfortably on longer terms. I see the car has now has been posted here twice with new owners owners and damn, I really screwed up. Cash is gone, a car i should have kept is gone. Loose, loose.
     
  14. Your post irritated me and caused me to post something political but I decided to edit that. We are all entitled to our own opinions,I just strongly disagree with your look at the situation.
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2012
  15. afaulk
    Joined: Jul 20, 2011
    Posts: 1,194

    afaulk
    Member

    Well fuck me running!
     
  16. Don's Hot Rods
    Joined: Oct 7, 2005
    Posts: 8,319

    Don's Hot Rods
    Member
    from florida

    The secret to survival is to be willing to do whatever it takes and not look back. A lot of us on here have had to sell our prized possessions over the years just to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. Yes, we become attached to our cars but family comes first........always. At one point in my life we lost just about everything and the hardest part for me was seeing the pain it put my wife and kids through.

    My suggestion to you would be to sit down and list every bill you owe every month, from the major ones to the smallest. Then decide what bills can not be reduced and what ones can. All of us spend way more than we need to on things that we really could survive without. Hone in on those "extra" expenses and reduce or eliminate them altogether. For example, do you really need cable TV ? Do your kids need those dance lessons ? How fuel efficient are your cars ? Do you eat out too often ? etc.

    When we were a young family with two small kids we were really struggling and getting nowhere. A very smart man who was my mentor in business told me to take one month out of my life and write down every penny we spent on anything. I kept a list on my dash and if I stopped for gas I wrote it down. If we went to the grocery store I wrote that amount down. If I bought a pack of gum, I wrote that down.

    At the end of the month I found out we were spending more money at the convenience store than we were at the grocery store. It is so easy to go in for a loaf of bread and buy some ice cream, soda pop, and pretty soon you spent more than if you had bought real groceries at the store. Same with going to McDonalds or out to eat.

    The next month we went on a strict budget, no more convenience stores, and we planned our meals so we used up food rather than throwing it away. If we had roast beef one day we used the leftover meat to make stew the next. We used coupons and it became a game to see how much we could save (and you can save a ton with them).

    At the end of that month we were actually seeing daylight and after a few months our life had gotten so much better moneywise. It was the wasted money that was killing us.

    Just thought I would pass that along.

    Don
     
  17. Cowtown Speed Shop
    Joined: Sep 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,192

    Cowtown Speed Shop
    Member
    from KC

    Guys, Thanks for all the suggestions, My post is a bit exaggerated....Mainly I wanted opinions of if I am crazy to keep the cars and sell the house. I am far from moving to a trailer park or the streets, However If things keep declining at the rate they are anything could happen. for the most part I think with this economy we are all in the same boat. I have argued my points with many, And I still think it is easier to replace a house than One of my cars. I realize very few people care as much about their cars as I do, You have to realize this is not a hobby for me, This is a way of life, I need my cars like a Drug fein needs his fix.....I am smart enough to know that this is crazy, But I also am not going to bullshit myself and say I would be just fine without my cars......If I had to choose between my wife and kids or my cars, Just like everyone I would choose my wife and kids, But If I have too choose between My cars and my house, I am keeping the cars!!...period.....All I am trying to get everyone too see That says they would sell the cars first is.....If things are that bad, And you sell your car and everything else for whatever you can get. All you really done was bought a little time, Once the car money is gone then you are back in the same boat, Only now you don't have your car or nothing left. So you end up going to a trailer park anyhow, Only with nothing. A point of fact, My cars are long paid for, It is not them that I can not afford, It is my house, And living expenses and Gas, taxes etc that I am having trouble with...LOL....So really looking at it that way selling your car to pay bills is like robbing peter to pay paul......And all finance adviser's agree that is not a good idea......LOL......I know I am sounding like somewhat of a smartass here, But I am having too So I can make my point. keep in mine thinking outside of the box is not always wrong, Many people have done great things by not just doing the same thing everyone else would do.....LOL
     
  18. Cowtown Speed Shop
    Joined: Sep 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,192

    Cowtown Speed Shop
    Member
    from KC

    Thanks for the response,....So are you saying you would take the (cars/assets) to the trailer park with you?....
     
  19. denis4x4
    Joined: Apr 23, 2005
    Posts: 4,198

    denis4x4
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Colorado

    Back in the day when you had to pay for medical services, I sold a car to pay the hospital bill for the first born and four years later I sold another car for the second son. After reading this thread, I've come to the conclusion that there are a lot of selfish assholes posting here. I'm 71 now and I have far better cars now than the ones I sold to pay for my kids 50 years ago..
     
  20. You reminded me of just how expensive doctors and hospitals have become. My first born son's birth cost me $250 in 1973 with no insurance.
    But thats an entirely new subject.
     
  21. Well,you sure have pissed a lot of people off! :mad: HRP
     
  22. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Well, ever consider downsizing but not to the point of moving to a trailer park?

    Move to a smaller town or out of town where you can have a few acres with a decent house and a shop you can run your business in with and extra room for your own cars?

    I screw up big time 29 years ago and bought the big old house on the hill that had been my dream house only to figure out a year later that I was in so far over my head I'd never see daylight. At the same time I could have traded my old single wide trailer in on a new double or triple wide and had a payment that would have been a third of what I had to pay on that 80 year old two story and wouldn't have any of the problems I had with the two story. I already had a half acre and plenty of room for a nice shop behind it.

    I don't know how you work it and it's none of my damned business anyhow but I have seen more than one guy run his business into the ground because he paid too much attention and spent too much of the business's money on his personal toys be they a race car or fleet of high end street rods, exotic cars, boats or other toys. I've also seen too many guys live in a house that cost too much (I was one of them) or have a shop with a "great location" that cost too much for what it was producing. On the other hand I watched a friend put a speed shop in the wrong location in a town where the guys who were the main potential source of business were never in the habit of getting off the beaten path.

    Personally, I've sold the car that I would never sell for any reason because of the situation I was in at the time. That was my 51 Merc coupe that I bought when I was 16 and had for most of 32 years. Regret it yes but I survived and life goes on.
     
  23. Sorry I got caught up with our Norwegian friends comments,,

    I have been in your situation and I can assure you I didn't want to sell but keeping a roof over your family's head is much more important.

    I hope your business improves and you don't have to do anything drastic,,most small businesses are having a hard time with the economy in the crapper. HRP
     
  24. Randy in Oklahoma
    Joined: Sep 18, 2008
    Posts: 301

    Randy in Oklahoma
    Member
    from Oklahoma

    There are numerous (hundreds, if not thousands) of jobs going begging in the Oklahoma - New Mexico - Kansas oil patch. The OKC Sunday paper usually has multiple adds looking for people with CDL, mechanical skills, etc. My guess is the same is for any big city in the region..

    The big energy companies even have schools that train people to work on and around rigs.

    Find a place to store your cars, check out the oil patch and hang in there.
     
  25. Perrorojo
    Joined: Feb 25, 2011
    Posts: 357

    Perrorojo
    Member

    Forgetting the welfare nonsense. Most of us that have managed to survive this economy (with a few scars) are starting to realize how inundated we have been with cheap (not inexpensive) crap. You clearly have skills that most of the world would kill for so use them to build a simple product with high quality at a higher margin. You have a nice captive audience right here. Eliminate the products or services that you don't make much on and market the high quality higher cost stuff. We cut our product offerings to just the high margin items and focused on building them to a higher standard. I think the middle class is finally starting to appreciate craftsmanship now that most of it has disappeared.
     
  26. cfnutcase
    Joined: Nov 29, 2008
    Posts: 1,032

    cfnutcase
    Member
    from Branson mo

    Well my house is not much at all however it is paied for, in my case I would not even think of refinacing my house or land before selling my cars to take care of life or family. I just sold my mercury, did not think I would ever do that, but needed the money so it had to go, if I have to, the ford will go also, whatever it takes but the house, never! Jim
     
  27. carlisle1926
    Joined: May 19, 2010
    Posts: 536

    carlisle1926
    Member

    I haven't read this entire thread, but this is my stance on this. In about 2002 I had a built a large collection of 100's of antique gas pumps and old gas station memorabilia. I still had my first car, a 54 Chevy convertible that was bought new by my Great Grandmother and several 1934 REO Flying Cloud cars. I wouldn't sell any of this stuff for all of the money in the world- I thought. In 2004 things started getting tough financially and I had two young step children to feed that I had taken on as my own. Business got really bad for me and we were going to lose it all. I sold ALL of my stuff to keep our heads above the water. I still ended up going completely under and lost the family in the process, but I haven't lost a minute of sleep over selling my prized possessions in the battle for saving the roof over the head of those two kids. There are always new antique cars and new adventures out there if you have to sell your stuff off. I now get to play with antique airplanes and that is something I couldn't have done in 2004. Any time I would second guess if I was making the right decision by selling my cars, I would think of all the people standing in soup lines in the 1930's during the Great Depression. I bet most of those people would have sold anything to save their family and not thought twice about it. Growing up around those depression era people allows me to be able to cull the herd if times are tough.

    I do feel your pain of the possibility of having to sell your stuff. As someone who has had to do it, you won't feel bad about it for very long once you are on the other side of the sale and a little time goes past. No one will will ever think less of the guy that sales it all for the sake of the family.
     
  28. nwbhotrod
    Joined: Oct 13, 2009
    Posts: 1,243

    nwbhotrod
    Member
    from wash state

    Really Really I am also glad your there
     
  29. belair
    Joined: Jul 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,013

    belair
    Member

    With whose money? Scandanavia seems to be an odd mixture of individualism and socialism. And this thread is doomed.
     
    Last edited: Oct 6, 2012
  30. Well, I guess I'm glad you're there and not here and voting, then.
     
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