Im sure some will blast me for this...but just looking for some input and your thoughts... In rare cases should you look at a car as an investment, but at what point do you/can you justify spending your expendable income on a "hobby?" I mean, it seems to me like there is never a perfect time to build a car, there will always be something more "responsible" to put your money towards (home, kids, retirement). You can spend your entire life saying that its "not the right time" to take on a project and then realize one day you never built and enjoyed the car of your dreams. I'm struggling with this these days fellas....what do you think? Are there some financial parameters that you follow to justify your addiction and still ease your mind?
I make sure that my bills are paid. When I was of an age to need to I made sure that my kid had shoes and such. I have always built fast cars and or fast bikes. Now here is the clinker, I have absolutely nothing to show for my life. I am not wealthy, I have no nest egg, I haven't saved the world or really left my mark on anything. I am good with that. What you have to do is decide where your priorities lie. I can say that I have had more fun than most of the people that I meet that are my age. My priority in life has been to have a good time, mission accomplished.
Scrounge, buy, sell, trade, come up with your hot rod $$$ that way and stay away from the household $$$. Also buying someone elses un-finished project is a good way to keep the price down. Sometimes peoples projects stall, or they lose interest or need $$$ quick, when this is the case a project can be had for a bargain.
I was just thinking the same thing after having to buy a whole new AC system for our house. I was thinking "if I hadn't built this truck, this AC thing wouldn't be such a punch in the nuts". Everything in moderation dude....you have to have some things in your life that just bring pleasure. You can spend your whole life scrimping and saving and never doing anything "unnecessary" for yourself, or you can spend some..save some and roll down the road....preferably in a cool ass old car!
avoid children. find an affordable home with sizeable garage thats big enough for tools, small enough to heat. make as many parts from scratch as you can. i have roughly $6000 a year to spend on building cars or bikes. and i hate long term projects. so that means i need to shoot for something that fits into this budget and holds my interest. you can figure it out.
It really makes a differance on how smart you shop, how fast you wanna get it done and how much work you do yourself. I build 1 to 3 cars a year. It's a hobby. I make money on every one.
You have to keep your priorities straight. It took me over 9 years to build my last car because I had three college tuitions to pay for at the same time. Then the car was number 8th or 9th on the list. Now I'm retired and its up to number 2.
My wife and I both work. We get by modestly, that's OK. We're happy and have a car project or two. It's a hobby, worked at a relaxing enjoyable pace. I look at life as a blessing, a gift. Not going to spend it being Mr. No-fun. I'd rather not die and meet God and have him tell me "I put you in this beautiful playground and you didn't play any."
There will always be something more "responsible" to spend your money. You just have to choose when you can get away with it. I just spent $2k on living room furniture. That money would have gotten me pretty far on my car this spring, but my car is on the road anyway, and I know when to choose my battles.
yes i think you can always afford to. maybe you cant build that 32 3 window, 34 cabriolet, 55 belair convertible full resto rod you really want but a body on a frame no hood no fenders, used steel wheels, etc... you have to build what you can afford to build and build yourself up to what you really want to own.
You can always afford/find time for it. But sometimes you can't start dictly on the traditional dream car. Start out with a cheaper OT car if you can't afford 'the right one' yet. Just remember it's more important to enjoy it, than to have everyone else love it. I'm afraid my first 'hot rod' will be powered by a flat 4 aircooled engine...Or my first custom could be a Volvo, but I'm atleast trying... (as soon as I complete my even more ot car, which will also be quite a fun ride )
Right now I can't spring for a project and it bothers me sometimes. Becoming a family man really shifted my priorities. Recently had to replace the 30+ year old HVAC in the house and that darn kid still has two years of college to go. I can see light at the end of the tunnel, but until them I am living vicariously through you guys. So please keep building!
I can't afford to build my projects but I'm tired of not doing something fun. All the men in my family have died young, in the mid 50-mid 60 range and I don't see myself lasting much longer than that. Sometimes, many times, I look forward to an early demise. In the mean time I going to make myself happy. One lesson I've learned is never let you better half know what you have in your wallet. When they know how much money you have it's amazing how they find that expense that is almost the exact amount you have. If there's a bill to be paid there are other funds for that. When I sell a part or scrap some metal I never let her know how much I got. That money goes toward my vehicle projects.
I have a problem, I admit it. I travel a lot with my job and when I see an abandoned vehicle I feel it is my duty to try and rescue it. Then I drag it home and it sits with my other to do projects. Maybe I'll get to it, maybe I won't. I think I've done it a favor but I really haven't. I've finally realized all my good intentions are not coming to fruition and have agreed to sell off the ones that really don't fit with my current interests. I do have a separate bank account for my hobby that is funded by side jobs and buying and selling parts. I'm finding that if I could just concentrate on one project instead of the three that I have going now, there would be a lot more progress taking place. I can afford one at a time.
I have always let the hobby support my obsession by selling extra parts I trade for, buy or find. Maybe I have been fortunate enough to live a parts rich environment in the Midwest to help this happen, but I do not use any money from the household paycheck. Make what you can before you buy, take the time to go find what is free in fields, barns, tree lines and garages.
We just had our first baby a few months ago and am definately aware of the cost of the "hobby". I've done a lot to thin projects/parts that i just don't see an immediate need for or just need the additional room. The additional cash and room are great these days when i can get something sold. I'm building a BSA too and am into it for a little more than $100-200(if that) only because i bought 3 "rollers", cherry picked everything i wanted and sold the rest. Still have a frame and a few things to sell but have made back most if not a little more of my initial investment, thus got my roller for free. Sold a few car/bike parts and had close to the amount i needed for a hardtail/pnut tank. There are a thousand ways to get things done if you really want to make it happen. I feared that i would have to push bikes and cars to the side when i had kids but am learning ways around. I take the alleys home now instead of the main streets and collect all the metal that i come accross and take it in for scrap on the weekends. I don't burn any gas doing so since its in my commute already so its all profit. Not much each time but it all adds us. ITs not glamorous but who cares!
No, but I did it anyway... I'm not going to be laying in a hospital someday and wish that I had bought newer furniture. I do as Lowpunk does, I have a PU truck daily, so anytime I hear somebody is looking at buying a new appliance, I'm johnny on the spot to deliver the new one for them and drag away the old one for scrap... I grab old file cabinets, bicycles, metal bed frames, lawn movers, etc. out of people's trash on my way to and from work, I part out anything I can find cheap, and scrap the rest.. got a blown up engine? I'll take it!!!... Anytime somebody is moving, I'm there looking for metal... I just broke down an old trampoline for my sister... it's going to the recyclers with a washer and dryer, a fridge and old 70's stove (heavy!) and a bunch of other junk next weekend... I make one big trip and load up the bed and a small trailers to save gas. I also do graphic artwork (see "Buy my stickers" below) for myself and others and I let people know I can do odd jobs (homeowner stuff), and I trade stuff... You also won't see a coffee or soda can in my trash... Plus I work a 40 hours a week job... I get paid weakly.
Barter, swap and budget to live the life. I can never afford it but do it anyways. Vacation this is my vacation, in the shop. One day I'll win the Lotto then watch out!!
A lot depends on what level of hotrod you want and the skills you possess. If you can live with imperfects in paint, engine choice, interior... it'll help. If you need a 32 w/ an ardun flathead with a blower and a perfect everything, you might be broke forever. Build what you can without putting you or your families future over a barrel.
Too funny...I justed moved in with my fiancee and spent about $2300 on new furniture, etc... and thats what prompted my post. Now all I can think about is how I spent the money on "needed" things no problem, but can't seem to bring myself to spend the same for something I really WANT, but dont NEED! I am a pretty moderate person...I want to enjoy life, but also be responsible. Tough to find the balance sometimes.
No. I bought a car that had a good body and frame, because that's where all my money would have went on a project. I can handle the mechanicals. Body work is body work, and it's all priced about the same to farm it out. But I can shop around for parts, get used parts, and do the mechanical work myself. At the time, this is what I could afford to do, and that's what I did. As it stands now, any major mechanical problems with my car and it sits. I can barely keep gas in it at this point.
I can afford it $20 at a time. When I have more, great, when I have less, that sucks. But with 4 kids it's a challenge.
My uncle [who I greatly admired ] was a motorcycle scout in WW2 and up to the day he died he wanted a Harley ,not even to drive, just to work on,fire up, or just look at. He had the money but my aunt always said no, needed new carpet, bigger house.etc, etc, etc. Fuck that. But he loved to come over and drool at my collection of shit.
Start a part time business that will provide a service you need for your projects and that your friends and customers can use. The money from this can be used for your projects and the family knows this and will avoid a few fights. Examples: wiring, sandblasting, louver punching, plumbing, body work, painting, machine shop, metal polishing, etc. Don't quit your day job, make sure you have enough insurance and pay yourself first!
Owning a hot rod needs no justification! Just do it! 'Sides if ya sit on the pot too long your ass could grow to it.
Nope !! Not since I was put out to pasture, but it's not going to stop me. It'll just be slower going.
Before you decide to "build" a car, take time talk to those who have done so. Asses your ability and talent on what would need to be done and what will need to be handled, at what cost, by someone else. Do you have a workshop and all the tools need for the project, if not check with the HOA about the rules for your project setting under a tarp in the driveway when the wife make you move it from the carport. Don't depend on those friends with tools who offer to help, they will soon disappear. Bottom line "A good Hot Rod" aint cheap and a cheap Hot Rod you don't want.
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