History Whatcha gonna do with that car old man?

Who you calling old man....ohh ..me...i guess i may be maturing some...

 

Kinda how I look at it

 

When I was diagnosed with cancer 12 years ago, I gave away or junked a lot of parts so my wife wouldn't have to deal with it.
Well, to my surprise, I didn't die and have kicked myself in the butt ever since for getting rid of the stuff. Since then, I've gathered up more parts and decided to just take 'em with me next time.

 

I was pretty sick recently and honestly wasn't sure if I was gonna bounce back.
So I bought a bunch of stuff and started a roadster project.

Call it an act of faith.

And now I'm way bedda.
Good and bouncy.

I should add that I didn't already have a barn full of cars and parts or anybody I was worried about having to deal with it.

 

I'm down to a running hot rod car and a running hot rod pickup, a few tools, and a couple piles of junk here or there. Pretty much anything of value has been used up or is already gone.

My wife has enjoyed the hobby with me since before we got married, 46 years ago. My son and daughter are both car people, and so are my 3 grandchildren.

I believe I have things well enough under control, I'm not concerned about what happens to what is left. My wife and kids can handle this stuff however they choose.

Its been a great ride so far, we have enough to enjoy the time we have left, and anything left over will be in good hands. I believe we are in a pretty good place as we ride off into the sunset. Whenever that day comes, we will be heading to an even better place. We will embrace the future as it comes. Gene

 

I had a friend who said the same thing.He didn't have a will and had some REALLLLLY nice cars. Fortunately it all worked out pretty good.

 

This is a problem I'm working/thinking on now, I sold off my HAMB cars, have two OT hobby cars left. A lifetime accumulation of tools automotive, DIY home type projects, car hobby, racing collections, and machine shop tools, I was in Tool & Die/Pattern shop business 36 years, racing hobby into my 40's, in the trades my entire adult life. As it turns out none of my children (5, not car people) have any interest in anything I have so there's no family to give "stuff" to. Health and age issues have entered our lives, I feel time is running out on the next year I'll handle it solution. When I walk into my mancave/hobby shop I enjoy it so some things will stay till my ticket is punched. So....... next Spring watch the HAMB classifieds for my "stuff" for sale, Note ! Asshats looking to buy for penny's on the dollar need not call wasting my time and theirs as selling my 51 Mercury ( finally a decent buyer, a HAMB member) left a very bitter taste dealing with today's buyers, people in general, what happened to courtesy, respect and common sense ? All is Good, shortly heading to our AZ. snowbird nest for the Winter season, Fun in the Sun, already have frost and snow flurries here, early Winter coming, we love the beautiful Northwoods, the cold not so much anymore. LOL. Everyone have a great day !

 

@squirrel, you seem to get more out of your time than most I've seen on here and you have fun doing it. I enjoy following your adventures.

 

So on the other hand what would I do with all the stuff if I didn't die first...................SHOEs, Clothes makeup decorations. Really I am 68 and my wife is 5 years younger so she will probably be left with 3 hot rods, a garage full of carpentry and mechanic tools and an enclosed trailer that stores miscellaneous valuables. Oh well it could be worse she could be left with nothing but God has blessed us. I guess that's the best part.

 

Oh in the meanwhile I am going to drive the hell out of my Hot Rods.

 

I did a major "purge" in my shop last fall and gave away all the small block Chevy stuff and redundant power tools that I was never going to use. (Most of the tools inherited from my dad). Most of the stuff went to a younger man in our neighborhood who promised to do some sheet metal work on my T Bird last winter. (He "ghosted" me). Nothing car related in the shop except my tools, and some extra parts for the T Bird. My oldest son is interested in driving the "Bird" but not into working on it. I won't mention two boats, lots of boat parts, and a complete wood shop.

Not going to worry about it...

 

That’s kinda what happened to me! Everyone says I’m going to let my hoard rust into the ground. So… I say I will sell some, people offer me less than I could get if I hauled to the scrape yard! They say they wanted it, but their pocketbook tells me they don’t! So I just keep it!








Bones

 

When I was in my 70's I started liquidating. An old geezer who was over 90 bought my restored Model T.
Been married to my wife for 35 years. For 35 years I've been hearing her dad say I've got to clean this mess up and get rid of this junk. Next day he drags more crap home. Hope he outlives me!

 

Coffins are really expensive. I think my family should just have me buried in one of my cars. Maybe my ‘40 sedan. I think I could really Rest In Peace being buried in it. It is roomy and has a nice interior.
But seriously. I have been trying to sell/trade/give away parts I don’t need and will likely never use.

 

I may have an offspring interested, but I’ve also considered looking for an unrelated young guy/girl with limited means but the right attitude to give my stuff to. Food for thought.

 

I will be another year older Tomorrow... When I'm done the local medical school gets to learn what happens when a man works his ass off his whole life, Probably will be a rarity in the future I have several collectible cars That my wife can sell off , but probably would be worth more with EV conversions like Project X

 

This is my plan. I’m trying to get all the good out of my old cars. However, I also have two boys that want my junk when I am gone. Hopefully, I can get rid of a lot of the excess before someone else has to deal with it.

 

I'll be 72 next year. I've started to thin the parts stash out since my son wants nothing to do with old cars. He'll probably get some of my basic tools but there are only so many in needs living in an apartment. My nephew and his son might want some tools as well. After that my wife plans on opening the garage and telling anyone to take what they want for free. When my dad passed at 100+ we donated his body to the local medical school. They use the donated bodies for medical research for about 2 years and then return the cremated remains. Cost was $300.00 Compare that to just what a basic cremation costs today. My wife and I plan on the same thing.

 

I plan on enjoying it for as long as I can. Granted I do not consider myself old. I encourage the next generation to enjoy it as well. If they are not interested hopefully they will sell it to someone who will enjoy it rather than scrapping it.

If you include them and teach them how to use the tools it is much easier for them to pick it up. It is harder for them to learn or appreciate once you are gone

 

Gave my Chopped 51 Merc convertible with a Carson top to my son. He's riddin' around in it , I'm riddin' around in my chopped 39/40 Ford tub convertible sedan.

 

Everything goes to my wife with firm instructions to sell everything. As I will be dead, what she does after the funeral is not going to bother me. I plan to haunt my cars however.

 

If your family is planning on keeping your cars, better make sure they know how to fix them.

OR, a season or 2 they start to run bad, stop being driven then turn into the next barn find after 10 years.

 

Funeral at 10am, auction at 1pm

 

I tell my wife that if I leave this world unexpectedly, not to stress about what I would have wanted her to do with mall my stuff. Sell it, keep it, give it away, just whatever is less stressful. I’m gone, who cares. I hope that my son wants it and I bet he will. He’s showing plenty of interest already at 9 years old. My collection of stuff is quite large for my age so I can only imagine what it’ll be like if I make it to old age.

 

I only acquired my Plymouth fury because my wife’s uncles boys didn’t want it when he passed. It blew my mind when they said they didn’t have in any interest in owning it even though it was free to them. Both boys are in medical school and don’t know anything about cars. You just never know. I even tried to talk them into keeping it, to no avail.

 

when I bought the Hudson 4 years ago...I called the number in the CL listing, and talked to the son, he said it would be an hour before he could meet me to buy the car, because he had to go to the funeral. No shit.

 

I don’t care what the family does.
Drive em, sell em, scrap ‘em, give em away. Yard sale the small junk. I doubt I’ll give a crap at that time.
They have been told to do as they please and how they see fit.

 

When my better halfs great aunt passed at 103 she left her Dad the estate. House was a hoarder situation, filled a 30 yard dumpster cleaning up the yard, another one emptying the attic. Unfortunately someone had already stolen all
her husbands snap on tools, the left all the broken crap power tools. I filled an 8 foot pickup bed with cans of boat paint ( her husband had had a couple of party boats, used to buy out any marina/hardware store going out of business.
My better half is 8 years younger, she tells me weekly to start clearing out my barn and garage.

 

One of the best things a person can do is go to an estate sale.
Strangers rummaging through junk that was someone’s one time prizes
The trinkets we leave behind are mostly trash.

depressing? Absolute not!
Takes all the stress away. Enjoy the things you have now.
drive that old ride with a big ole grin. Yes it might eventually turn in to toasters one day but it’s outlasted everything else you see on the road.

We and everything we see and touch are temporary.

 

The appropriate joke-line I have heard is " Viewing at 4, sale starts at 5"