Well that was vague wasnt it. Anyway - Im in the 'Too Many Projects' not enough cash, nothing happening with anything perdictament Im debating putting the 48 dodge project up for sale (my avatar) - Its really only about halfway complete - rolling chassis - 80% of cab chop complete and a shortblock and tranny case ready for rebuilding. What do you guys think? I really never expected to be at this point - but my 64 is stalled, motorcycles need love, and nothin else in the garage worth selling. Whats a 50% complete project worth in this economy anyways?
not much, try selling it and watch what happens. But it would take someone wanting that project. I cant even sell a running driveing titled painted with new interior 1957 chevy bel air for 15 grand.
You probably won't get much for a 50% complete 48 Dodge as well as other projects but sometimes something definitely need to give. I say if your not dirving something and probably won't for a couple years then sell everything and buy a driver. After that save up for something you can work on. I think a lot of dudes (myself included) are missing out on driving these old cars which is the point right? Perhaps keep one thing and focus on that until it's finished. One driver is better then 4 non operating cars any day. I have the cars I have always wanted but sometimes I think one car is what I should have and should be plenty for me. I don't know man like you said rock and a hard place for sure. Maybe keep the truck, sell the rest and do you best to get it on the road before the end of the summer. Then do things as they come over weekends but get that thing on the road!!!!
i'm runnin' down the same road right now... truck project, hot rod project, and two bikes that need some attention... i'm doing as much stuff as i can that requires little money- cleaning and painting small parts/ metal work/ scratch built stuff, and as i get a few bucks, i'll buy some parts that will get me to the next step- the key is to only buy parts i can use immediately... i'm actually getting alot more done than i thought and its keeping me busy til the next wave comes in... also, i've been selling any parts that were for "future projects". you'd be surprised how a bunch of little things will quickly add up and you can use that money for something you really need right now.
Kid - you are right - if you cant get 15 cheese for a complete tri 5 - what mines worth is no where near what I would feel ok letting her go for but JJ you nailed it - Its been years since Ive enjoyed DRIVING any of my projects. I let a 66 plymouth sedan go a couple years ago - I still hate myself for it. But Ive now still got three projects. The 64 p/u is almost back to driveable - but cash is beyond tight. ive put so much sweat-quity into the 48 though - and thats really my favorite in the stable right now - but also the farthest from completion- uhhggh!
Thats been my life story for the past 50 years of Hot Rod building !!!! Nothing new here.As the others said, get a driver,Have fun with it and work on something as you go. TOM ( Tired Old Man)
I'm in pretty much the same spot! School takes the daytime away. I'm moving to a new shop in the evenings. When that i done i have scheduled 3 or 4 projects (pretty much building UTEs out of late 80s cars) to make some money. At the same time i'm restoring a '63 Opel and when that is done, i'm going to build a wrecker out of a military '64 Volvo 4x4. In the middle of all this, i am hoping that i wil have time and money to fix up an american car before summer so i can cruise in the weekends!
I have posted this little story before ... But it applies here ... Back in 1988 or so ... I had way to many projects, pieces and parts and NOTHING to drive but a late model O/T pickup. I had 1 ) a all steel 32 Ford roadster in pieces 2 ) 1956 F-100 Big Window Ford ... nice, nice, nice but Not running and in pieces. 3 ) 1949 Mercury coupe ... needing A LOT of work to be on the road. 4 ) 3 or 4 O/T non OP vehicles ( 1st Generation Camaros or 69/70 SS Chevelles ) 5 ) A bunch of good High Performance 4 bolt main Chevrolet engines ( 69 Z28, 70 454 LS6, 67 396/375 ect ) 6 ) Over one hundered ( yes 100 ) factory High Performance GM intakes. I had a older gentleman visit me at my home shop ... who was with his younger son who trying to BUY some Chevrolet race parts. He saw all the stuff and all the cars ... and he said Which one do you want running the MOST ?? I said the 32 Roadster ... Then he asked HOW old are you ? I said 40 years old . He then proceeded to take a tape measure from his pockets and then pulled the tape out and extended it to 72 inches. He then put his thumb on the 40 inch mark ... leaving the small length of the tape hanging down. He said You have this long to live ... you have used well over HALF of that time up. You need to SELL everything but the 1932 Ford stuff and get that 1932 Ford roadster on the highway before you are too old to drive it. I said to myself ... WHAT A FOOL ... he is trying to get me to lower the prices so his son can get what he wants. But a few weeks went by and I kept thinking about what the older man had told me. I decided that MIGHT be the best advice I ever got from a stranger. SO ... I started selling stuff off. NOT at cheap prices ... but good, decent prices. I sold two pickup loads of stuff @ Charlotte swap meet. I sold out on Thursday/Friday and went home to get another load for Saturday/Sunday. Within a year ... I was down to just 1932 Ford stuff and a few " select " Chevrolet high performance parts. I had a BIG pocketful of CA$H ... and a shop cleared of all distractions. I finished the 32 Roadster ... the way I wanted with NO short cuts or concerns about what it cost or where the $$$ would come from. It was great. My advice to you is ... Do what the older man told me ... Cut it all down to one project ... and then get it finished. Enjoy it and then look for another challenge. Randy.
if the dodge is your favorite(i like it too), what about dropping the chevy engine/trans in it and selling the 64 roller to finance the rest? you could get it driving quicker and cheaper, and do the rebuilds down the road...
Randy, thank you for the story - very much applies! heat you have an idea there......and the 64 is more popular than the 48 thanks guys, know i aint the only one! but needed perspective
I'm sure we've all had at least 1 car that was our "favorite", but still sold it & maybe regret it, but there's always the next one, and the one after that, etc...it's the nature of the beast. Good luck with your decision.
I'm in a similar boat with a hole in the bottom.... Many projects in the yard, with a foreclosure looming overhead. Can't seem to sell any of them, so I just hang on and hope, claw, scratch my way through each month. They're paid for, so they can sit without costing me anything. Until I have to move, then they will.
Sell a bike or two to give you a little cash to buy a few cheap cars to flip. Just look for ANY cars nearby that have not been driven for a while (Exp tags, leaves on it, grass growing around it, etc) It is pretty easy to buy a car that needs very little for less than $800 and double your money on it. Do that a few times and you will have enough to mess with your projects. You would be REALLY surprised at how little some people will sell a car for that they have not used in a while. Here are a couple of examples. Bought the dart for $600 a used battery and an afternoon cleaning it and it was sold for $1,500. The green olds sat under a carport for 7 years and was covered by dust. Left a note and bought it for $300 with 33,000 original miles, cleaned it and it sold for $1,450 the next day. The little white Mustang vert was covered with grime for $600 running and driving great. Cleaned it and got $1,650 for it. Caddy was $300 just sitting next to a garage, sold for $950 in three hours! If you can build a car, you can find, fix and sell cars like this for some serious extra coin. Give it a shot.
Spoken by one of the smartest men on the HAMB! Proud to have met you at the Drags a few years back! All I can add is FOCUS. How BAD do you want a car on the road? Last fall I cleaned out parts, a Harley "project" and walked out of the swap meet with a nice chunk. EVERYONE has a couple grand of "junk" around the house to sell. And I am not just talking car stuff
Sell your computer at a pawn shop for whatever the'll give you, cancel your internet service, rent your house out, move into the garage, quit whatever vices you may have, and go to work.
Havi - i lost my place 2 years ago - as with you, fortunatley i was able to keep all of my projects at the time, just had to haul em away. Aside from project funds, Im starting to recover now - good luck! James - thats a damn good idea you got going on there! might have to try that. Cap'n - if i didnt know the alimony and child support would more than offset the savings, Id do just that! using some of the good advice here, focused to formulate a plan last night. The 64 is within a grand or so of being a very solid daily - Im going to catalog and offload I hope a bunch of useless shit (auto and other) fire sale style and get it on the road and enjoy some cruise time this summer with the OL (maybe this will lighten her up a bit as well). Next focus this summer on completing body work and all other 'free' labor items on the 48 and then put up the 64 for sale to fund completion of the dodge - phew - wish me luck boys
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