Art & Inspiration Restoration/age concern

At 73 I'm not sure if at this point in my life if I should give up taking on the restoration of my Ranchero and place my money, time and effort on something less time consuming and all that's involved. At my age I have to do alot in stages as well as when funds allow. All that takes time. Any thoughts?
Thanks

 

I get it , it's tough too give up your dreams , but reality rules . Over the last 'so long' I've sold off a lot of things I would have liked to do , helps pay for necessities , puts a little cushion in the bank . Move on

 

"Restoration" of a project, likely would be at the root of what helps in sustaining an attitude/desire to keep active/involved....a reason to get up in the morning.
Keeping active is the key.
Let's hear about your Ranchero project.

 

I have a few sets of wheels that need hands on them.
The first one I'm going for will be handled by a much younger accomplice,
He wants to get his hands on my metal. I am hoping to tutor him on the ways of reconstruction.
When it's together It will become someone ( perhaps his ) elses.
Next in line will be some of my own labor but the heavy work will be A 3rd party.
The third one, my favorite, I'll be happy to cut loose some funds to get 'r done.
Or die tryin'**

 

Thanks to everyone's response and forthcoming response.
Just to note: The reason for my question to begin with is I've invested so much money in past projects (thousands) as well as my physical efforts and have nothing to show for it. I'm attempting to do the body work and fabrications my self but the mechanical and electrical I will need to resource out and pay. Just didn't know if it's worth investing money & time again on my Ranchero or call it quits and save my money & time on something else.

 

Do you do the work for fun, or to get to an end result. Personally I like the process more than the product.

 

You are the author

 

Kinda both...

 

I'm dealing with a severe pain issue that may never be solved, that is what hampers anything I get into. I'm lucky to have deeper pockets than most, I send some work out on the car to a trusted shop as of late.

 

Yes, I'm retired and on a set income. So my income has its limits and sourcing out for labor is a challenge.

 

the vehicles we do here have basic electrical systems, if you take it a step at a time you can wire it. If I can wire my truck you can do yours, take your time, do a circuit at a time, take a brake if you need to. I wired mine and had major
back surgery for pain, just as above. And yes I am on a limited income, 70 years old.

 

Thank you.

 

Leonard Wood is going to be 90 in September of this year.

 

Wow! Talk about inspirational!
Thank you for sharing.

 

You are in the same age range as a lot of us here, and it boils down to whether or not you feel like you can finish the Ranchero. If not, move it on.

 

Yes, The reality i have come to grips with is; Am I chasing a dream I'm wasting my time and money on? Am I able to complete vision of completion before my time runs out. We never know when that is.

 

If you can do body work
You can do mechanicals, it’s all just nuts and bolts
there is a wealth of talent and knowledge here to assist you
get it running and stopping
then you can drive it or do the body work

the reason you posted this thread is because deep down inside you want to carry on
go for it

 

Thanks

 

Us COBs keep going because the way I see it the alternative sux. The alternative to bitching and complaining about the pains and expense of a car gig are far more valued than bitching and complaining to the fuckin evening news from your easy chair. What else is there. Football? Golf? Cutting the grass? In this build process we challenge ourselves. Challenges tend to fade away as we age if we don't find or accept new ones. If you have an edge you lose it if you don't use it. What would you do different if you knew exactly when you were hitching that final ride north or south? If the answer is nothing then get yer ass back out there and finish that 1 job on the car so you can get to the next one. Want to breathe new life into your regular shtick? Buy n sell. There's something you like and know about that has value, no? Keep your eyes peeled for a jumbo deal, buy it, improve it a little, sell it, put the profit in a coffee can and do it again. Guns, knives, stamps, car parts, I know folks that have made 10s of thousands selling fuckin Beanie Babies. The 1st few will make you feel like you're 40 again.

BTW, a COB is a Crippled Old Bastard if ya didn't know.

 

Thanks@

 

73 isn't that old. You can do what you want, but it's been my observations as a younger person that the people who stop are the ones who deteriorate. That's not just in the car scene, where we see guys like Winfield and others well into their 90s still working and imparting knowledge. I see it with lawyers I deal with who never seem to retire. Old corroded SOBs still working, now virtually, from their summer homes in Florida. They may be taking on a bit less than in their heyday, but they're still out there working, thinking, going. The alternative seems worse.

 

To start with I'm 74. In the past year I bought a finished 56 T-Bird. Just because I wanted another one and just didn't have it in me to start another long term project. It had been restored years ago and parked. So I knew it would need brakes and gas related fixing. Easy stuff for me to do. If you are just looking for a cool car to drive, sell the Ranchero and buy a Ranchero that is finished. If your health is good enough and you don't care if you ever get to drive it, continue on with the work. Or sell it and buy another car you really want, with stuff that needs to be done that you know you can do yourself. At our age there is a lot to be said about having a project to work on to keep us sharp and somewhat flexible. The saying use it or loose it, has never been more correct than at this point in our lives. Hope this helps you make the correct choice for you.

 

I'm two years younger than you and can remember throwing lots of money on a Ranchero too so I'm of no help in this matter.

 

Thanks everyone. Lots to think about.

 

Make it go and stop

enjoy

 

What Alchemy said! If you enjoy the work do it and enjoy. Why worry about completing it? All I have ever seen of people more worried about being done, than the doing, is a willingness to take shortcuts to get DONE.
If you want something to drive around, go to car shows, look at, just BUY something and move on. There just cars don't over complicate it, it's suppose to be FUN not matter what. All that matters it what you REALLY want not what an internet forum opinion is.

 

I'm 73 , when I finished my roadster four years ago ,I thought that I was done building from the ground up. But after a few months I realized this is part of my DNA . So I started building another hot rod knowing that this will be harder to do. I can't see, my fingers don't work , my neck doesn't work , when I get the urge to take a leak I need to go right then because I can't hold it anymore. and the list goes on. I know it's only going to get worse as I get older. I have days in the garage that are aggravating, but I decided to accept all this because this is what I love to do. The up side is most of my friends are close to the same age and we all have the same old age issues and we all get to laugh about it which is better than the alternative Bill

 

Most of my car pals are at your age or older. They are full spectrum from wealthy to retired but part time jobs.
Most work on their own cars and some have complete builds going, it's what keeps them going. One friend recently passed away-in his shop- was found the next day. That would work for me.
On another angle, my brother had quarters, rear wheel wells, and trunk drop offs installed then beautiful paint done at a local shop. As he was finishing up the car he said " I have more money in this car than it's worth " my reply was " are you having fun?" With a big grin he said "absolutely "