Projects Have you ever bailed out on a project?

I ran into a younger friend last night that I haven't seen for several years and he told me he had finally bought a 34 Ford project car last year that he had dreamed about since he was a kid riding in the back seat of his dad 34 sedan.

He said his car was so close to running but due to some unforeseen medical expenses he had to let it go.

He didn't go into any details but did say his wife's health was more important than fulfilling his dream, then he said, " It's just a set back for now and I can still dream and I will have another 34 Ford in the future."

All this reminded me about selling my 1932 Ford 3W coupe to help my mom with her ongoing battle with cancer and shortly after sell the car she passed away, I was without a car like my young friend but unlike this young man I thought I would never have a opportunity to own another '32 but within a year I was working on another one.

These old cars are important to us but we do have to keep our priorities in perspective, I rational person will always put family first. HRP

 

Common sense prevailed two years ago when I sold the truck I bought for my son. OT square body. Cheap purchase price. Like pissing your pants, felt good but I had to live with the results. Threw some money at it. Sold it for a little more than we had in it. Never going to forget the odor of mouse piss.....

 

I sure have. But usually I spend lots of money on it first then sell it for less than what I have in it. Isn't that the way its supposed to go?

 

My '36 is the only car I ever owned but did not finish. "All the hard work was done", but I was just tired of working on it and was hot to start on my '34. A local HAMB guy now owns it, so I keep tabs on it, maybe it will come back home someday....



-Abone.

 

I bought a 29 Chevy four door at an auction $2. I got in loaded in the rain a couple of weeks later on a borrowed trailer. Had to borrow a tractor to get it loaded and both my brother in law and myself got sick from being soaked in the rain. I wanted an old car really bad. This car was worth what I paid for it in 1973? I was young and dumb and didn't realize how much wood was in an old Chevy. I sold it for $100 and probably lost money at that.

A car I never should have bought.

 

No, but I think I'm about to!

 

Several times. Usual reasons, not enough money, needed money for some other reason, something else caught my eye. Bailed on many more than I ever got to driving stage.

 

Buy high, sell low, this is the way I do things! I have bailed, but it was an O/T F-350 diesel that I was going to pull things with. $3000 worth of injectors and parts will do that!


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Kind of like my stock market strategy-- "buy high, sell low." And my investment advice to you all is-- if you see me buying a particular stock, that is your cue to sell. You're welcome.

Edit: Hah, like @Truckdoctor Andy posted while I was composing.

 

was re-doing a fiberglass bodied dune buggy and tired of it after it sat for 2 years....sold at a loss of course.
Had a 34 Plymouth 4 dr rod project I started to re-do for a year or 2, then traded my 29 roadster for a 34 Dodge 4 dr running and on the road . Didn't need two 4 drs so I traded the Plymouth project for a 36 Chev truck project....that sorta counts.( did get the truck on the road when the 34 Dodge 4 dr got totaled in an accident)

 

I wish there was a "don't like" button!

Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light! - Rodney Dangerfield

 

I bailed on a 29 Ford roadster 30-years or so ago. I got working on it and realized I just didn't love it, so off it went, at some loss of money, but I was glad to see it go.

I also bailed on a '46 Chevy pick-up about 10-years ago when I brought home my '36 3W coupe. I was so excited about the '36, I wanted to start on it ASAP, so sold the '46, again at a loss. The '36 is still a project, ready for paint in a few weeks and I get excited all over again whenever I walk in the shop and look at it.

 

I probably should have bailed on a couple of mine but I’m stupid and stubborn so i finished them.

 

I have had to let a few go.

Money.
Time.
Space.

It seems I can have up to, and including, an abundance of any two, but never any of three.

 

Bailed on projects more than once, but divorces will do that.... LOL. A few for health issues too, when I realized my broken-down body was no longer capable of heavy labor (and I'm wasn't rich enough to pay somebody to do it).

 

SURE! Most of them have gone down the road, needed money, lost interest, or had such a good vision of the finished car there was no reason to put the time & money into finishing it. I do regret selling the race cars before discovering their true racing history. Still happy with the projects I'll never finish. Bob

 

I was in high school, 17 years old when I bought a ‘32 Cabriolet. Channeled, rolled rear pan, set up for Chevy SB and 4 speed with a ‘57 rear end.
Dad never had a car so no garage, tools and most importantly no skills to pull off a project like that.
Traded that off for a really nice ‘56 210 post sedan and wound up selling that one too.

 

I bailed on 2 at the same time due to a divorce and serious car accident which put me on a shelf for close to 3 years. A '64 Galaxie XL500 convertible project and my '66 Nova SS. The Ford and associated parts (352 and 406 Ford engines, transmissions and parts..) went for pennies on the $. I did better on the Nova.

 

Do not ever start something you cat not finish.

 

Forgot about the 33 Dodge p/u project I sold when I got a divorce

 

You know, that mirrors my early years too and does bring back a bit of a regret of having to let go of a 1948 Austin A40 sedan. When I was in high school an older friend of mine was a drag racer (it's his fault I started), he knew a guy that had just finished building a gas class car and was selling a real nice one he had cherry picked the best parts for his car.
I think he knew what the outcome was going to be but he helped me drag it home anyway. It sat in the driveway for many months before I came to the hard fact that not only did I not have even the most basic tools or skills, I had no real place to work on it.
Other than in pieces with no engine/trans, it was a complete and rust free body, good glass, trim, etc.
I paid the whole sum of $40 for the Austin and "sold" it to a local guy I casually knew (and trusted) for what I paid for it, I just never actually recieved the money, you know the story, "I will get the money to you when I get paid on Friday", right.
It was actually a pretty cheap life lesson, learned early on that has benefitted me well.

 

Let my Henry J project go in college because I was busy with school and racing bikes chasing girls. If it had not been 400 miles away I would have found a way to keep it.

 

I’m too stubborn to give up on a project, although I can think of two that I should have dumped. They’re on the road now, and still a pain in the ass.

 

Common sense verses stubborn determination, I've been there. HRP

 

My Jaguars cured me of the stubborn thing.... LOL

 

I bought a car that was waaaaay over my head skill wise to complete. $20K in I realized I'd need to spend another $30K to finish and once it was done....I'd have a nice $25K car!!! Sold it and luckily broke even.

 

yup, wanted a willys most of my life, got it, then realized I didn't really want it.

 

Had a 64 Galaxie convertible that had been broadsided in the drivers door. Bought a 2-door Custom and cut it up for replacement panels. Had several hundred hours and $2k in it (that was 1985). Had the car looking good, drove it but it needed paint and interior. My company sent me to SoCal for temporary assignment. When I saw the same car fully restored at the Pomona Swap meet for $5,500, I called home and said sell it!

 

A few, Sold a 34 tudor body and frame that I could not afford now when I moved from Texas in 1977 If you bought a 34 from a guy at the Waco rod run that year for 350 bucks and you lived in Houston that is the car.
I sold my "never ever will sell it no matter what" 51 Merc about 25 years ago when I was catching flack because of where I had it stored and because I was seriously broke when the guy offered way more than I thought it was worth in cash green money.
I've got two that I should bail on to finance work on the truck but won't.

 

Sold my 57 to my buddy Ray 30 yrs ago , got it back 5 yrs ago , REALLY need to finish it Also about the same time I sold the 57 I had bought a 65 Chevelle SS convertible Factory gold paint 327 4spd car. engine and trans missing...Still had the 12 bolt in it, paid $ 150 for it , Dad said I had too many cars get rid of it! sold it for $300