At a turning point...I need car advice.

[Telvis]

I am pretty much fully discouraged with my car and the progress on it. I have had some family health issues lately and my project has come to a stand still. I'm not sure when I will get back to it. I have put a ton of money in my car. Nearly $20,000 at this point. It was completey disassembled and blasted to bare metal. The car is in primer with 95% of the body work finished. New panels were put in to repair the minor rust it had. It just needs a couple of blockings and painted. I already have the PPG clear base paint. The 383 motor was machined and balanced and I rebuilt it with an Engle cam, new speedpro .030 pistons with higher compression. It has new valves and springs in 452 heads, elecronic ignition, street dom intake and Holley street avenger 750. I have over $4500 in the motor alone. I also had the 727 tranny rebuilt and a muncie shift kit installed in it. I need some advice. I am tired of looking at all the parts I have acumulated. I have just about everything to finish the car.  I'm tired of looking at everything knowing I'm not going to get to it anytime soon. I am considering selling everything. Maybe buying something already finished. Do you guys (and gals) think it would be possible to get most of my money back out of the car? My gut tells me I'm probably not going to. In that case I will have to sit on it until I can get the time to finish it. Which my be quite some time. It's really got me down. My original plan was to have it ready to reassemble by this time of this year. It's my slow time of the year for swimming pool stuff.  I was going to put it all back together and have it ready for the spring. Unfortunately my wifes health is such that I wouldn't be able to devote a lot of time even if the body work was finished. Once February gets here the swimming pool business picks up and theres no chance of getting anything done. That puts me a whole year or more behind. I think I would rather sell everything and find a car finished. I know I would have pay a premium for it but at least I could enjoy it. I might even find a triple green Charger (my favorite). What do you guys think?

[PocketThunder]

I think you should contact 493 Charger and trade him even up.  He has a running driving mint condition 68 R/T hes looking to sell. 

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,5206.0.html


otherwise read my thread, as i am in your same situation. 

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,4921.0.html

[Blown70]

I say keep it and do what you can.  Selling out right is NOT a good idea.  you will never ever like doing that.  There are thing you never forget in life... BEING married 57 days,  and seeing my charger go down the road..... Made me wanna 

Trade if you must and can do that with 493,  Otherwise.  DO NOT sell,

keep your head up and reaize you have a lot done already.... I know not what you wish to hear but  Just my opinion...

Tom

[PURTBOY]

TELVIS, I AM LOCATED IN SOMERSET, I KNOW SOMEONE WHO CANE GET THE DRIVETRAIN HOOKED UP FOR YOU, BUT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE BROUGHT DOWN HERE! ONLY DISADVANTAGE IS HIS GARAGE IS FULL AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE CAR COVERED! HE IS GOOD, HE GOT MINE UP AND RUNNING, AND HE OWNS A 68 AS WELL. AS FOR BODY WORK IS IT JUST PAINT OR NEED SOME SHEETMETAL? THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE DOWN HERE THAT CAN SHOOT PAINT ONA CAR PRETTY GOOD! JUST TRYING TO HELP! NOW IF YOU SELL IT AS PARTS, I AM NEEDING A GOOD MINIMAL RUST TO RUST FREE HOOD FOR MINE,LET ME KNOW IF I CAN HELP ANY, I WILL SEE MY FRIEND THIS WEEKEND. IF YOU HAVE ALL THE DRIVETRAIN STUFF HE CAN GET IT PUT IN , BUT MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE BIT FOR HE DOES IT IN HIS SPARE TIME FROM WORK "I.E. WEEKENDS ONLY" PURTBOY@HOTMAIL.COM OR 606-271-1498

LATER BUD,
BRIAN

[Shakey]

Telvis,

i say don't sell it.  Sounds like you have a lot of blood sweat and tears in this car and even if you have to park it for a year, it will still be yours and you can finish the project when you can.

Stash it away or keep it close by.  With your Wifes health being what it is, perhaps she will tell you to take a break once in awhile and spend some time with your car.  Working on it will give you time to think and clear your head.

Be patient and best wishes.

[Ghoste]

I'm with the rest here Telvis.  Don't sell when it's this close.  Sometimes things get behind but that's okay.  This is a hobby and that's all it is.  Do what is important and you come back to the hobby when there is time to spend on it.  We get too obsessed with these things too often.

[41husk]

If it aint costing you any thing to sit there, then keep it!  You will eventually have time to get to it.  Sorry to here about your wife.  I hope all works out for you!

[Charger_Fan]

I wouldn't sell it either...mostly for the fact that you'll more than likely take a financial hit on the whole deal because it's a basket case. Basket cases never pull as much money as an assembled car does, IMO.
Like these guys have said, just tuck it away until you have time to get back at it again. If it sucks looking at all those finished parts, cover 'em up!

[Old Moparz]

I couldn't bail on a project like that, I'd be too stubborn to let a piece of tin get the best of me. I've learned to be very patient over the years & I haven't given up, but I have put things aside for long periods of time for various reasons. There's a saying I read a while back that makes good sense.

"Life is what happens when you're busy making plans."

I don't have any answers as to how you can move your car along, but if you can convince yourself it's only a temporary situation & put it on the back burner, you'll be better off. You do have indoor space for the car, right? Just close the garage door & wait on it, don't sell because of a few obstacles on the plan list. It was only in the last 3 or 4 years I've moved ahead with any of my cars. Prior to that I had waited indefinitely for the right time, the right space & a few spare dollars. Something more important always pops up & the cars just collect dust.

My Satellite ragtop is a good example. I bought it in 1984, drove it daily until 1988 & decided to restore it. A body shop got the car back then & screwed it up, as well as screwing me out of a shitload of money. By the time I straightened that legal mess out, I didn't collect a penny & had just bought a house. (1989) There was no money to re-do the crap body work, so I stored the car & decided I'd build a garage. After several obstacles like unexpected repairs on the house, helping my mother relocate her warehouse & business twice, changing jobs myself for less money, I finally started the garage construction in 1997.

For a while it looked good to go ahead with the work on the car again, but my wife quit her job so she could stay home when our daughter was born in 1999. We were now back to less income again, & no progress on the car. I couldn't spend savings on a car that wasn't a daily driver & just a toy knowing we may need the money for bills. Now, a 6 year old gets my time & the car still waits to be restored, but I have played around with a few other cars. One of which I bought this past summer because it was almost done & I wasn't happy about being without a nice car this long.

I've only had my Satellite 22 years, so there's still plenty of time for it, & yours.  

[Ponch ®]

Don't sell it if you don't have to. I've been in a similar situation with my car for the last 2 years (though at a completely differnet stage than you). If you can't work on it right now, fine - just let it sit there until you can. If you sell it, you will regret it in the future. It's better to know that you have the car and that it's just waiting for you to get around to it - its not like a girlfriend a who'll leave you if you don't pay attnetion to it for a while.

[cudaken]

 Tim, I still cannot get the CD you sent me to load. Don't know what you did it with but computers will not open the sucker.

Give me a call Sunday around 10:00 AM. As you know from my E-mail I am pretty close to being done my self. Maybe together we can rekindle the Mopar Fire in each other.

This is going to sound silly, but my Charger is road worth if it had a engine and need to keep some places before winter hits. I need the Garage to work out of. You have a Charger that needs to be in my garage. Want to lite the holes of your 383? Nothing to get the blood pumping faster than hearing your engine. Stuff it in mine, take about 5 hours and break in the 383. Drive the dam thing like it was yours. Sitting is one of the worst things in the world for them and that is all mine has been doing 99.99% of the time. Mean while, I paint yours and get some of the boxed part's in your Charger.

Like I said, sounds silly but we can talk about it on the phone. Your sick of looking at yours, and I am sick of looking at mine.


                                                                  Ken

Should have never talked you into waiting till Monster Mopar Weekend

[41husk]

Ken, let me get this straight, You want Telvis to look at yours and you can look at his?   

[kab69440]

Keep the car, Tim. I know exactly how you feel. Do what you can, when you can. I'm sure you know how long my car has been sitting, waiting for the occasional spare dollar. Keep it at all costs. Don't give up, man.

[BigBlockSam]

hey
i hope your wife's heath improves.  you will never get your money back, plus i'm sure you have alot of your heart in your charger. don't sell it . if you buy something new . you don't know how it's been restored. Rene

[Charger_Fan]

Ken, let me get this straight, You want Telvis to look at yours and you can look at his?     

[Ponch ®]

Ken, let me get this straight, You want Telvis to look at yours and you can look at his?     

looks like Ken wants his to be played with...

[TruckDriver]

Don't sell it. I am flustrated right now too with mine. I have to store my car about 2 blocks from me in storage units with no power, no heat, damp in spring. After work or on weekends, I dont have the ambition to go and putz with it because I don't feel like going 2 blocks down when everything I need for the car is here at my house. Both my daily drivers are giving me greif right now, I don't have friends that don't mind helping me wth the car cause I don't trust some of my own knollage when it comes to doing some of the engine stuff and body work myself. I need help to remove the hood and then re-install it so I can change the hood hinges. I need help just to push the car back into the shed as it is to heavy for myself to get over the lip of the shed. I want to do as much as I can because money for me is a severly big issue. To be honest, to restore a car is WAY over my finances and my head. Pretty much everything I learned is self taught as in Automotive shop in school, all I did is F**k off and now I wish I didn't. I love this site and you guys cause you put up with my stupid questions. I have adult ADD and that as it is makes it hard to read things I need to know. BUT I WILL NOT SELL MY CHARGER!!!! REASONS; 1) As muscle car prices climb, getting a good restorable car as cheap I did, I feel lucky. 2) I want my boys to enjoy this car yet when I am gone as they like helping when they can. 3) There are a lot of people that are not as lucky as us that do have Chargers. 4) I already got more in the car and parts then I can get back out of it if I sell it. Sooooo, don't sell it, you will regret it.

                                                                                                                             Pete

[Troy]

With that much time/effort/money into it there's no way I would sell. You'll lose big time! It's incredibly hard to get good money for a car that's in pieces. Take the difference in cash that it would take to buy another car and send it to a shop to assemble. If you can't afford that right now then let it sit. You aren't likely to lose money unless you sell it so hang on and work on it when you have time. Once you get it on the road you'll be that much happier because of the sacrifice. If it seems like too much to tackle on your own then ask for help or offload some of the work. Try not to be discouraged though. Doesn't your son need something to do after school?

Troy

[RT/SE]

Telvis....don't sell the car   .    Sounds like you've done the car right so far.   Your so close to the finish line.   Why sell it take a hit and pay a premium for something done.   If that's the case, why not just pay someone to finish off the car for you?   You have made it further in your restoration then most people get.    If it takes another year.......big deal.   Soon you'll be doing this      I'm going through a restoration myself right now so you've got company.   I'm sure there's many others on the board in the same boat.   We've got to stick together and get these old Chargers back on the road!!!!!!!   As much as I want my car done right now, I know it takes time to do things right.   Also, sometimes life has other events that take your time away from you.   That's just the way it goes.    Stay focused, stay on course and get that car done!!!!!            

[NHCharger]

I agree with everyone else. You would take a huge hit if you sold your car as it sits right now. Once you get it finished and start driving it you will realize what a dumbass you would have been if you sold it. Almost everyone goes through some sort of crisis when their doing a long term project. Wether it's family , money, health , or just the frustration factor setting in, many of us have probably thought about doing what your thinking right now.
BTW, I meant dumbass in a nice way.

[Telvis]

Thanks for the support guys. Ken, I will call you on Sunday. I really don't want to sell my car. I just want it finished. I had a Challenger before the Charger. I had a huge run around with a body guy that kept stringing me along. I ended up selling it after nearly two years of being jerked around. I bought the charger last year and had similar body guy problems. I have had the drivetrain finished and most of the parts to finish the car ready since early in the year. I had it all set up for Ken to finish the body work then this stuff with my wife happened. Things got better then my Father in law died and my wife's Grandmother had a stroke. Now my wife's health is suffering again. Plus my garage is full of stuff. I can't move around in there anymore. I have swimming pool stuff rolling out my ears and won't be able to sell it until the spring......Sorry, I'm ranting. It's been a bad few months. Today has been especially bad. I just want a car that I can drive and enjoy. I have $20K tied up in a pile of parts in my garage and I can't even enjoy it. Essentially I am three years into this cornfounded project when you figure in the Challenger. Hell, I will be 50 before I get to drive my car. The worst thing is I have never driven either of the cars I have had. My charger was running when I got it but I never drove it because I wanted to give myself an incentive to finish it. What a mistake!  I will stick it out. I don't have much choice. Hopefully I will be able to finish it before my 50th. Thanks for letting my whine. It feels better to vent a bit. I think I'm gonna drink a beer or two.

[Telvis]

By the way Ken, your offer is probably the nicest thing anybody has ever offered to do for me (no dirty thoughts guys). Ken, you are a good person. I hope everyone who reads this realizes that.  I don't know of anyone who would make such a generous offer. Hopefully I can find a way to get my car to you. I won't take your car but I really appreciate the offer more than you know. I'm feeling better already.....opening my beer now..

[Silver R/T]

you wont get your money back especially at this time of year and in this economy

[blackcharger]

KEEP IT!!! If you sell it, you'll regret it. I doubt if any of us ever get our cars done as soon as we'd like. My' road runner has been in primer for 4 yearsnow. Hope to get it painted this spring. But I woun't be surprise dif it doesn't. Got a high school senior going to collage next fall. If it doesn't, it's paid for, and I'm not letting this one get away.
Dave

[cudaken]

 Tim, nices my ass! Insured for $27,000 and hope you stick it into a 4' wide Oak Tree. You can do that goind backwards as well. 3 or 4 times if needed.

41 Husk, boy use missed a great chances to say "Ken let me get this right, you want to play with his while he plays with yours". See you Saturday and we will get your Challanger to bare metal as well.

              Your friend, Cuda Ken

Tim looking forward to speaking to you Sunday.

[six-tee-nine]

I have done a full resto myself and i understand you very well.

But believe me i had the same problems with my car but the day i picked it up when it was spray painted a smile came on my face again....

From then on everything went alot better because you're doing alot more different things than only welding and grinding.

And step by step it comes alive again and there will be a moment you're wife will be mad at you because you're working on your car all the time because it is almost time to turn the key....



If I were you, i would think it over very well let it stand there for a while...., it wont' run away you know....

[chargervert]

Telvis,don't sell it,you won't get your money back until the car is completed,and when you do complete it,then you won't want to sell it anyway!Sometimes you have to put them on the back burner for a little while.As long as the car is out of the weather,it not deteroirate, it will be waiting for you when you are able to get back into it!When you build them yourself,you know what you have,and you can take pride in your ride!Good luck!Pete

[cudaken]

 Tim, 11:05 Sunday, heading in for something to eat. Call me later.


                                               Ken

[Big Lebowski]

   Dude your at the crossroads, dont panic. I've had ten Chargers and there are only 2 cures. One is to have a driveable Charger (capable of doing a burnout) ready at all times, or the second cure....Baby steps. Example...If i could just get the new dash pad back on, or if i could get the rear axle painted this week. Mini goals can be a big help, after a bottle of Captain Morgan and a week of nighttime adventure, you see something done like the undercoating. Anyone can take a Charger apart, putting one back together can be the hardest thing you ever did. So dont fight the whole battle in one week. I've had my Six-pack Charger for 15 years, and twice i've removed the seats to help sell my other Chargers.

             BTW, Spring is the best time to sell, about a month after tax refund day (That's May for those of you in Rio Linda.)

  Everyone's right, a fresh coat of paint can bring new life into a project....
 

[BigBlockSam]

Dude your at the crossroads, dont panic. I've had ten Chargers and there are only 2 cures. One is to have a driveable Charger (capable of doing a burnout) ready at all times, or the second cure....Baby steps. Example...If i could just get the new dash pad back on, or if i could get the rear axle painted this week. Mini goals can be a big help,   

he makes alot of sense, it will give you hope in your project and some satisfaction.  Rene