Debating selling mine

[O_Knut]

I’m asking for any potential ideas here. I’ve been working on the car pretty much every day for over a week now and even tho I enjoy it, it’s taking up a lot of my time, and eating into my very small finances. Even though I love the car and know I’ll regret selling it throughout my life, right now I regret buying it so young. The original plan when I bought it was I’d be getting help in it, but that sort of fell through, and now that I’m doing this solo, I see that I alone don’t have the resources to maintain this car, and give it the love it truly deserves. Should I sell? It’s ok if I lose a little on it though I’d rather not, I wanna keep it I just don’t think I really can. Im just torn right now and looking for any advice. I’ve already treated this car better than the previous owner did, gave it a whole lotta new parts, but one thing after another and I can’t winter drive it and yeah it’s just highly impractical. What should I do?

 

[Toolmanmike]

I’m asking for any potential ideas here. I’ve been working on the car pretty much every day for over a week now and even tho I enjoy it, it’s taking up a lot of my time, and eating into my very small finances. Even though I love the car and know I’ll regret selling it throughout my life, right now I regret buying it so young. The original plan when I bought it was I’d be getting help in it, but that sort of fell through, and now that I’m doing this solo, I see that I alone don’t have the resources to maintain this car, and give it the love it truly deserves. Should I sell? It’s ok if I lose a little on it though I’d rather not, I wanna keep it I just don’t think I really can. Im just torn right now and looking for any advice. I’ve already treated this car better than the previous owner did, gave it a whole lotta new parts, but one thing after another and I can’t winter drive it and yeah it’s just highly impractical. What should I do?

It's always a tough decision. How "done" is it? Is it a reliable turn key driver? If so it won't cost much to continue enjoying the car. Do you have storage? I pay to store mine but other than that, license, insurance, and a oil change is all it costs to enjoy them for another year.

 

[cbarge]

Tough time of the year to sell guarantee you lose your shirt by selling.
If you need a break from the car, winterize it and put it in storage. If you have the space, get one of those tent style garages, lay down a tarp, put her on block and put on a breathable car cover.
Who knows, by spring you may have a renewed interest keeping her or get her dressed up to sell when the market is is warmer with the springtime weather.
Hope this helps.

 

[O_Knut]

It's always a tough decision. How "done" is it? Is it a reliable turn key driver? If so it won't cost much to continue enjoying the car. Do you have storage? I pay to store mine but other than that, license, insurance, and an oil change is all it costs to enjoy them for another year.

So it had run but quickly the parts were going bad, new starter coil, ignition box, solenoids, battery, all electrical stuff. Right now we just have to properly ground out the ignition box to make it a turn key driver, but I can’t drive it in the winter. I can’t get the resto work I want done to it if I do it alone or w my friend it’ll be “enough” but in my humble opinion this car deserves more, and I know I need a more fuel efficient car I can drive freely uear round. Both of which this car isn’t. I had a garage to store it in but again my help fell through and I no longer live there so for winter it’s car covers and shovels

 

[O_Knut]

Tough time of the year to sell guarantee you lose your shirt by selling.
If you need a break from the car, winterize it and put it in storage. If you have the space, get one of those tent style garages, lay down a tarp, put her on block and put on a breathable car cover.
Who knows, by spring you may have a renewed interest keeping her or get her dressed up to sell when the market is is warmer with the springtime weather.
Hope this helps.

It does help, and I’ll have more money by then to continue the work

 

[Big_John]

I’m asking for any potential ideas here. I’ve been working on the car pretty much every day for over a week now and even tho I enjoy it, it’s taking up a lot of my time, and eating into my very small finances. Even though I love the car and know I’ll regret selling it throughout my life, right now I regret buying it so young. The original plan when I bought it was I’d be getting help in it, but that sort of fell through, and now that I’m doing this solo, I see that I alone don’t have the resources to maintain this car, and give it the love it truly deserves. Should I sell? It’s ok if I lose a little on it though I’d rather not, I wanna keep it I just don’t think I really can. Im just torn right now and looking for any advice. I’ve already treated this car better than the previous owner did, gave it a whole lotta new parts, but one thing after another and I can’t winter drive it and yeah it’s just highly impractical. What should I do?

I think you are answering your own question here.

Being pragmatic, if you can't afford it and don't have a good place to store it, then it's obvious you should sell it. They really aren't all that practical as a full time driver either.

IMHO, if you have to lose a little, then so be it... Again, being pragmatic, if you are spending money to keep the car around, then losing money on the sale gets offset by not having new costs.

Decisions on old cars are more based on emotions than anything else. There are times to just look at practicality and your own situation. I've sold cars in the past that I had to... Had to look at the big picture over everything else. Tough to enjoy a car that's a stone around your neck holding you down.

 

[O_Knut]

And the thing is, is if I get it to be a turn key driver properly, then my mind may change. Just right now it seems to be getting problems left and right you know

 

[cbarge]

And the thing is, is if I get it to be a turn key driver properly, then my mind may change. Just right now it seems to be getting problems left and right you know

Working the bugs out is part of the process.
Perservere, be patient and will be rewarded in the end.
Put her in storage..she will be waiting there in the spring.

 

[Imperial dude]

One question: is this your dream car (if it was all fixed up)?
The car you've always wanted, dreamed about since you were a child?
If the answer is no, sell it, if the answer is yes, hold on to it tight
I'm 62, I've had mustang, camaro,Chevelles dusters, old police cars, chargers, Monacos, Cordobas, satellites, I've sold them, scrapped them and drove the wheels off them
But ever since I was a small boy and watched the "Green Hornet" I've wanted a 64-66 Imperial, well a couple years ago I found one,56k miles, no rust Arizona car
Will I ever get it finished the way I want it? Probably not but They'll pry that one from my cold dead hands, however if a 67 charger or a 62 300 came along.........., well lets not talk about that

 

[LocuMob]

I have 8 old vehicles, didn't get one, '67 Dart, until I was 23. It's been a project ever since, and has hardly been driven. But I still have it. A C body came along, and I was gonna flip it for Dart funds. Well, a dozen cars have come into my life, and only one driver has been sold, because I didn't love the car. Cars can and will take your resources, but that need for funds/parts/time has driven me to work harder to achieve the goals of getting them on the road. For me, they push me, and normally, things get done and I'm on to the next project. Keep the car til spring, and see how you feel then.

 

[1970FuryConv]

So it had run but quickly the parts were going bad, new starter coil, ignition box, solenoids, battery, all electrical stuff. Right now we just have to properly ground out the ignition box to make it a turn key driver, but I can’t drive it in the winter. I can’t get the resto work I want done to it if I do it alone or w my friend it’ll be “enough” but in my humble opinion this car deserves more, and I know I need a more fuel efficient car I can drive freely uear round. Both of which this car isn’t. I had a garage to store it in but again my help fell through and I no longer live there so for winter it’s car covers and shovels

I bought my 1972 Fury from a young man who was in college. He was in Indiana. The car was totally impractical for a college student who has to spend most of his $ on tuition, books, school costs. Gas and maintenance were impossible given his budget. Winter driving was also a problem. I advise selling it and buying something else later if you are in the same situation.

 

[CBODY67]

There are TWO sides to your situation. Obviously you liked the car and saw potential in it or you would not have bought it. Plain and simple, but the various side issues with getting/keeping/working on it have interfered with your desires a bit.

It's obvious that you are bummed-out by the reality check you are doing. Nothing wrong with that as most of us have been there! So, if you really want to keep the car, find a place to securely store it for a few months/until February or so. Accumulating money and some extra parts in the mean time. This will give you some time to better assess the situation of what it can take to make more headway toward your desires . . . OR to better sanely decide to sell it.

Sometimes, it takes that "first project car" to cut your teeth on, so to speak. To spend time with it and learn about it as you work on it. As you further learn what you can do and what you can't do by yourself AND further learn what is best done by others.

But whether it is this car or another one later on, get involved with it on the level that YOU will be the one working on it or paying others to work on it. In some cases, "friends" can go as quickly as they come, so best to go it alone initially.

Make a list of what needs to be done, prioritized as to importance and what needs to be done first before something else can be done. This is KEY! NO dreaming allowed! Plus what is costly to get done and what can be done easily and inexpensively. This will give you a "Plan of Action" to work from, at least. Do thing in January after the holidays when things are quieter and less frantic. HINT . . . do the cheapest and easiest things first as IF you might decide to sell the car, those investments can be recouped in the sale money.

Generally, replace ONLY things which can not be rebuilt/refurbished by you. Having to rely on a shop to do these things well can be a big money pit, by observation. Although there are some things best left to others to do, who know how to do them. Once you watch them do it, THEN you might consider if you can do them the next time, for example. YouTube videos can give you an idea, but NOT what it really takes to do things, by observation. Just as some car magazine articles can tend to leave out 1/2 of what they actually do for the article, from best i can tell!!!

Another "winter project" can be to find and join a Mopar car club in your area. That way, you can get local assistance and possibly actually see some repairs being done. Almost everybody has some sort of winter project they are working on, so you can network with them, hopefully. Online forums are great, but you need somebody local you can become friends with and learn from is very important in the long run.

One other "rule" I have is that you don't get a collectible car running so you can drive it to work and back . . . . UNLESS you have a parts source lined-up for non-mechanical parts. One reason I still have my '77 Camaro and am kind of glad I never bought a '76 Cordoba new (as much as I wanted a Cordoba back then!). BUT the other side of this is that ANY older car can now be considered "collectible".

DO get something late-model and fwd so it is easier to get repaired ANYWHERE, as the techs know what they are looking at and how it all works together. As many techs today are younger than your old car is, which CAN make a difference. LOTS of good cars out there for less than $5K or so, but with some miles on them. Even some lower-mileage "estate cars", too. Cars which are older but with fewer miles, where the age counts for more than the miles in their ultimate value.

On the other hand, sometimes it's just better to get to where you think you will end up and go ahead and sell the car. You have learned from it and know what to look for in a better one which might surface in a year or so. By then, too, your tastes and orientations might have changed and you now desire something else. Not to forget possible changes in marital status . . . which can put a LOT of different side issues into the mix, by observation.

In ANY event, do what is right for YOU. Cars can help or hurt our mental health, so take that into consideration too.

Let things "settle out" for a week or so, then re-assess the situation and make a decision then. It's your life, your "head", and your time/money.

Take care,
CBODY67

 

[Isaiah Estrada]

I can somewhat relate to this post. I too am a younger dude (21) whose been fixing up my very own C Body. I got her when I was 18, and put in A LOT of work to this car. I probably shouldn't have bought it - but it was $1,000, it was pretty AND it had a 440. This was even before the pandemic was a thing. It hit shortly after and I feel like things kept changing in my life. Now I am engaged, planning for a future and still have the car. Mind you - this thing is almost done and very nearly completely restored (except for the patina exterior that I need to wet sand, buff and polish.)

Coming to realize that selling the car in order to focus on more important things was a very very hard pill to swallow. She's not even on the road yet but her fate is sealed. I love the 68 but it isn't my dream car at all. I LOVE it, but - it's not what I really want ( a 62 Chrysler 300.) My attitude, personality and among other things - my taste (as CBody67 mentioned) even changed too. I was so stuck on this 68 and didn't want anything else. After doing all the work I did now, I realize I could've invested that into my 62 if I just waited and stuck it out to find a nice one to start out with.

Perhaps in selling your ride, you could get a nice little daily and save up for something you REALLY want to invest your time in. Even after the fact, I don't regret putting everything I had into this 68. It has taught me EVERYTHING I know now about cars. I know it's only my first of many. I'd still love another someday but who knows. I really would like to be able to save cars like these - get them running nice (rebuild or refresh the motors myself), cut and buff their paint and have it ready as a nice project for someone to start out with.

In the end, I'll always have the best memories working on this ride, and knowing the money I make off it to fund my life is an even better feeling! It's given me the knowhow and the confidence to take on any Mopar project. We get attached to our cars. Thinking things over and considering the good and the bad and meditating on your decision will be the best. If you think you could wait to save up for a really nice ride in the future I'd say to do that... You'll be at a time in your life where you are ready to handle the job and cruise in a car you love!

 

[O_Knut]

One question: is this your dream car (if it was all fixed up)?
The car you've always wanted, dreamed about since you were a child?
If the answer is no, sell it, if the answer is yes, hold on to it tight
I'm 62, I've had mustang, camaro,Chevelles dusters, old police cars, chargers, Monacos, Cordobas, satellites, I've sold them, scrapped them and drove the wheels off them
But ever since I was a small boy and watched the "Green Hornet" I've wanted a 64-66 Imperial, well a couple years ago I found one,56k miles, no rust Arizona car
Will I ever get it finished the way I want it? Probably not but They'll pry that one from my cold dead hands, however if a 67 charger or a 62 300 came along.........., well lets not talk about that

This car wasn’t originally my dream car, I knew my realistic dream car was a boat (I’m originally a Gm full size fan) but when I saw the Chrysler ad posted, I fell in love at first sight it was a remarkable car. I saved for months to buy it, worked 2 jobs for 6 months. I fell in love with it, and I don’t really want to sell it. Just the logical part of me says I should

 

[cbarge]

I fell in love with it, and I don’t really want to sell it. Just the logical part of me says I should

 

[O_Knut]

View attachment 562584

funny

 

[Unix]

Keeping it short & simple, these cars (well any classic cars) are not cheap for everyday use, and even when they are in very good condition they still need TLC to keep em going. Plus the gas bills... It's best to have a daily beater, and if you can afford it in the future, buy a classic car for those nice summer days.

 

[carlover]

That's always a hard decision, but in the end, go with what you think (and feel) is the right decision for your situation and how you want to pursue your time and interests.

 

[1970FuryConv]

funny

Let us know what you decide

 

[O_Knut]

I think I’ll keep it for now, it’s been costly sure but fun to work on no doubt about it. It’s just still not starting