owning a cool Mopar v being broke (rant)

[CB]

I am working serious overtime to finance my car hobby and denying myself some joys of life (going out for a movie, going out for dinner, buying cloths,...) but it seems that during this bad economy, hugh gas prices and high rent/heating costs,... my cash always goes to bills instead of parts to enjoy my ride. I know some of us encounter the same problem.

Since I bought my Charger (May this year) I put less then 100 miles on the meter.

How do you keep the faith on hanging there and hoping one day you got the 'wow! this is why I went through so much head aches, worries and saving up my last pennies' - feeling?

Okay some of us do have the dough aside for their never ending projects and sure it is a 'family first then hobby' policy.


Thanks
CB

[bull]

How do you keep the faith on hanging there and hoping one day you got the 'wow! this is why I went through so much head aches, worries and saving up my last pennies' - feeling?

Lots of ways:

1. be glad you don't have cancer
2. be glad you have a job
3. be glad you have a house
4. be glad you have a family
5. be glad you have a running/driving Charger instead of one in 400 pieces like I do.

[rt green]

think about how long you wanted one. and if its paid for, let it sit till you can  aford it. times get better, they always do.  you wanted a charger. and you worked hard to get it. you want times to get better, sounds like you are working hard to get that too. you'll get it . ya got your charger didnt you?   

[69*F5*SE]

That's the way the sauce is cooked sometimes.  Sometimes it tastes better the next day. If that makes sense   

[CB]

Yea I do have all the things you mentioned, Bull, but I sometimes have the feeling that I should sell the Charger and go for a Satellite and clone it into a RR over the years for example. The thought of driving a 'clone' isn't really motivating when having a big block 69 Charger tho.


Buying the Charger as it sits now has put a stop on the cashflow towards the hobby.
I might or have over-budgetting on this one because 'they' say to buy a car that is mostly finished is better then a full project.
What do you think?
CB

[CB]

Or maybe I should stop reading Franks' (SFRT) threat on how he is building his wicked R/T 
It is both motivating and heart breaking
CB

[Hemidoug]

Well, it's a labor of love....that's all I can say.
Take me for instance...in one and a half years I've been through 3 builds on my hemi and waiting on build number 4.....If you think pulling the motor 4 times inside a year and a half is fun, then I have a bridge to sell....let alone the costs involved....

Let's count the costs...

1. 1st motor broke a rod at 5000 rpm a year ago last May....went 2 months without the car, Just made Carlisle. Cost for original motor was 10K...cost to rebuild 8K
2. 2nd motor got me through the rest of the year. Took the car to Mopars @ Englishtown this past spring....floated the valves @ 6000 RPM and dinked a piston...cost to rebuild 5K
3. 3rd motor went back in jut before Carlisle AGAIN...made it to Pinks All Out, ran fine (lots of other issues up to that point, could write a book). After pinks I went to a cruise and dropped a valve seat. Turned the pistons, heads and cylinder walls to goo....cost of rebuild will be 8K or better. I have been without the car since Aug and it won't see the light of day until the spring...

I haven't even gone into the fried clutch, the holed rad, or any of the miscellaneous stuff.


Feel better?


Now...I'll let the picture show you why it was worth every cent and drop of blood....

[CB]

Hemidoug I see your point! But a guy who has a 71 440 6pak 4spd & 69 Hemi 4spd and is into racing is a guy that would have some extra cashflow, right? No offence, it sux when parts brake and months of building goes up in flames in a 10' run. Excuse me I assume your Hemi runs low 10s  could be far off.
CB

[Hemidoug]

Oh...you would be wrong....I've owned my 71 car since 1980, my 69 since 1990. The 69 took me 10 YEARS to restore, my 71 is going through it's second restoration (It's first one really, restorations back in the early 80s weren't up to todays standards). I assure you....every dollar spent hurts something else. I'm no rich dude by any means......I was just lucky and have been at this for a LOOOOOOONG time...Going on 30+ years.

[Rolling_Thunder]

CB - I feel your pain dude...   I make peanuts and have two mopars...    neither of them are on the road...    My charger has been off the road for close to 5 years - it was never the way I wanted it but I realized something...      I love my car...      there are days i think of selling both of them and just buying something like a newer truck and getting on with life...      but I cant.  Going to shows and wrenching is something i enjoy...     not having $$$ does suck...    but sooner or later you'll save it up and get what you want....     I am about 6 months away from having my 6.1L hemi swap / 5-speed Charger done...    then it is YEARS of enjoyment...     things will break and need to be fixed and i'm sure i'll need new tires...    things like that but its all about the game we play with these older cars...           

[CB]

Oh...you would be wrong....I've owned my 71 car since 1980, my 69 since 1990. The 69 took me 10 YEARS to restore, my 71 is going through it's second restoration (It's first one really, restorations back in the early 80s weren't up to todays standards). I assure you....every dollar spent hurts something else. I'm no rich dude by any means......I was just lucky and have been at this for a LOOOOOOONG time...Going on 30+ years.

  Didn't know that!

Okay I was a little biased, my apologies.
CB

[CB]

CB - I feel your pain dude...   I make peanuts and have two mopars...    neither of them are on the road...    My charger has been off the road for close to 5 years - it was never the way I wanted it but I realized something...      I love my car...      there are days i think of selling both of them and just buying something like a newer truck and getting on with life...      but I cant.  Going to shows and wrenching is something i enjoy...     not having $$$ does suck...    but sooner or later you'll save it up and get what you want....     I am about 6 months away from having my 6.1L hemi swap / 5-speed Charger done...    then it is YEARS of enjoyment...     things will break and need to be fixed and i'm sure i'll need new tires...    things like that but its all about the game we play with these older cars...           

1 good thing: you do have the skills and have parts sources, do you? Parts overhere are sometimes double if not tripple compared to your local shops.
Building a 5spd(!) Hemi Charger is even out of reach....ever
I'd be more then happy if I can afford the gas (30 bucks for a little fun cruise through town), fixing the electric (40yo wiring you know) adding disks in the front...
CB

[The70RT]

I feel your pain. Everything is going up and the paychecks are staying the same. If I didn't get my Charger 30 years ago I sure couldn't buy one and start restoring it. I figured I could never save enough money to do it so I started anyway. I sold another to partially fund it and will just have to make extra money or slowly sell some other things and parts to continue on. Hang in there and don't sell it. If everything else is getting paid your ok with an investment that you could turn if you really had to 

[68charger383]

CB, you got the car (nice one I might add) so it will take some time. Getting the car is the big problem...getting it perfect or on the street, to me, is the smaller problem.

The car is sitting in your garage, so now "when" you have the extra time & money, it's there wating for you to work on it and get it up to speed. 

[Mopar2Ya]

My car hasn't been on the road in over 10yrs. 4yrs ago I decided to get the body done, well I get screwed instead. Almost $10k down the drain. Now 4 yrs later I'm ready to take the gamble again. I don't know if I can do it a 3rd time though. I bought the SRT to try & stop the hotrod itch, as kool as the modern performance is it isn't enough. Cherish that sweet ride you have, the rest will fall into place eventually. 

[Daytona R/T SE]

Since I bought my Charger (May this year) I put less then 100 miles on the meter.



Thanks
CB

I bought my car in 1995. I have never driven it. Every spare cent I get goes into it. 9 out of 10 of my vacation days off from my lousy dead-end job over the last several years are spent working on it. Most of my weekends are spent working on it. Several times I have walked away from it for up to a year at a time, because I didn't have any money to spend on it, life got in the way of the project, or the damned thing just pissed me off. I've replaced, repaired or modified damned near every panel on the car, I converted it to a power sunroof, from an automatic to a four speed, crank windows to power and now I've converted it from a regular 69 R/T SE to a Daytona R/T SE...It should be ready to go to my friend's shop for paint in a couple of months-He's about ready to shoot me, I've been giving him one excuse/delay after another for the last dozen years or so- But this time I think it might actually happen. After he gets done with the paintjob, I'm sure it will take me AT LEAST another two years and AT LEAST another $30,000 until I can finally twist the key on this thing and drive it for the first time.

But I just keep on keepin' on.


You've had your car since May...patience my friend...patience.

[Back N Black]

I know the feeling, I'm in my fourth year of the restoration and still not done. I have never driven my car because it was half ripped apart when i bought it. I have an attached garage and i have to walk pass the car every morning on my way to work, some day i love the car, some day i hate the car.

[DodgeChargerNeeded]

CB, I was in the exact same position as you. I sold my Charger back in March and ended up finding a really good deal on a 69 Satellite. Mostly becaue of the money difference. It was a whole lot cheaper and a fun car but no matter what it still didn't have all the unique features a 2nd gen charger. Needless to say the Satellite went bye bye and I am a proud Charger owner again.

[BMOTOXSTAR]

How do you keep the faith on hanging there and hoping one day you got the 'wow! this is why I went through so much head aches, worries and saving up my last pennies' - feeling?

Lots of ways:

1. be glad you don't have cancer
2. be glad you have a job
3. be glad you have a house
4. be glad you have a family
5. be glad you have a running/driving Charger instead of one in 400 pieces like I do.

[TUFCAT]

This is easy for me! ...I don't have a Charger. 

When I sold my Charger in 2003 at a fire sale price because I needed the money - I swore I'd never let another car (or cars) put me in the poor house again.

I'm happy with the car I have..... even though the price difference and quailty is lower 

Nobody knows what the future might bring   ....so stay positive CB.

[SFRT]

my car is costing me every extra cent this year. my wife and I talked about it before we went into it, and we decided to just go for it. we both want  this car, and we figure in a few short years they will probably be illegal here where we live. ( san francisco ca) so its now or never.

[PocketThunder]

Try driving a 69 Charger 500 with a /6 because you dont have $$$ for a 440 build...          

[CharcoalCharger]

  This may be easier said than done, but just hang in there.  Like others have said, you have the Charger, so it isn't as big a deal if it sits for a little while.  You look like you have a great platform to start with...some have started with less.  I bought my Dart in '92.  I started a restoration in '95.  I would save a little money, get something fixed/replaced.  I got it to where I could drive it in '05...I replaced the suspension and swapped the 318 for the 340.  Not until this past spring was the car finally done.  So, it took almost 13 years, but it is done and now I can enjoy it all the time.   The Dart's completion wasn't the cure though, as I bought my Charger in June.  So, here we go again.  I haven't gotten to drive my Charger yet.  The motor is a bit tired.  I have saved some money and just picked up a few parts I know I will need whether it is soon or down the road.  This winter/next spring the car will be getting disassembled and the years of work will start.  I'm a little better off (not rich by any means), then I was 13 years ago so hopefully this one won't take as long...although parts also have increased in price since '95.  I'm going to put a six pack on my 440.  There is a complete set out there (air cleaner, filter, carbs, lines, intake, etc.) for about $2300.  I was looking at one at Carlisle this past summer.  I don't know if the guy was just trying to get me to buy one, but he told me to buy that one because by next year the setup will cost another $300-$400.    So, just hang in there it'll all be worth it one day.  You're car looks great so don't be too discouraged.  You have a large support group here.   

[Jon Smith]

My 2 chargers have been in a building miles from my house, with stuff to move out of the way to get them out, for years...the 72 has been laid up with engine damage and no room to work on it for nearly 2 years...finally got my own garage at my own place with room for all of them a few weeks ago...but now I have no money...
But I'm not complaining, I'm lucky to have what I have, even if they're far from perfect..
Anyway, the overdrafts getting smaller now, should be in a psoition to start spending again soon, I'm lucky to work for one of the few companies thats doing well at the moment

[dkn1997]

right there with ya.  smartest move I did was "finishing" the car before my 1st kid was a year old.  by finished, I mean paint/body/chrome done, motor transplant in and it runs/drives.  I still work on it, but I drive it too.  I'm about 20 grand away from where I'd really like it to be.  still needs gear vendors, aftermarket a/c, stroker rebuild, power windows, tilt wheel, better seats, etc....but I can do all that while it's on the road.