Do you ever get to the point where you think about giving up?

[Brock Samson]

 I was just thinking reading this that if I hadn't stuck to my guns and actually had gone off buying the good deals that came up along the way - i never would've got my dream car,.. I would've had second and third choices and still regretted not having the '69 R/T S.E. I wanted ever since i saw the new car introductions in a magazine in 1969,..
Could'a got a clone  '71 El Camino 454 LS-6 for $14K and at the same price a reference quality sea foam green, one owner, low mialage '66 Toronado - that's now in a museum collection, and there was that '72 Plum Crazy Six-Pack Challanger with the elastomeric bumpers the he needed only $6.5K for in the mid '90s...
But I stuck to my charger and I'm glad...
and i'm thinking your priorities are in the right place, so be proud of your self and your wifes' support for your charger..
Things will come along, as Lau Tzu said, "Nature does not hurry yet all things are accomplished" 

[Death1970Proof]

Im in a similar boat right now with my '70...

Im jobless and in college right now. The time and $$ is just hard to come by at the moment and the car is a MAJOR project that needs quite a bit of work.
I bought it because it was cheap at the time in '07, the prices were stupid on any old muscle in '06/7. I've already bought so many parts, but then again I feel like
throwing the towel in would be stupid because I have done took the car this far?? But at 28 with no money, things are tough.

Im conflicted. I would not get would what I wanted out of it either. I'd rather keep something than give it away after all I've done 

[mauve66]

i've had mine for 17 yrs this May and only drove it for 2 of those, always put kids future and house first, i waited on the car cuase i had this "VISION" of what i wanted it to be. 

now the house is gone due to job loss, economy, bankruptcy,  and the kid has no idea what he wants to do with his life. now i'm starting to work on the car, the hell with everything else, i'll never make my vision but it will travel under its own power to the 1st Gen 45th BDAY next year, whether or not its in primer or has a full interior may still be an issue.......................

[terrible one]

Wow some of you guys are troopers! And I thought 5 years was a long time. (Seems it when that's 1/4 of the life I've lived so far!) I've definitely been close to "giving up." Hell, I've done so if you count taking a year long break and hating the damn car giving up, but I've never really come close to "giving up" the car! No matter what it always calls me back for another asswhoopin'!

[1969chargerrtse]

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,34954.0.html


Oh yeah, I was burnt out and frustrated many times, but I kept plugging on with help from here and determination to get things right.  I now have a beautiful driver and in about 30 mins I'm going for my coffee run.  As I see it, beautifying the roads.

[RD]

dude, my RR has been a dream of mine since 2003.  i finally got it going where i want it to.  there are many things you can be doing to your car to get it going, dont set your goals so high that you think they are unattainable.. because.. (1) you will never reach that stage to start your project or (2) you will become depressed and put on a veil of impotence in regards to actually wanting to start on your car.

my advice:

lay out a specific plan on what you NEED done in order to enjoy your car again.  stick to the plan and START... above all, just start!!!

it sounds like you are wandering somewhat aimlessly in regards to your charger.... dont do this for 40 years like Moses, get in there and do IT!  The sooner you start and begin to enjoy what you are doing and see definitive progress, the blues will slowly fade away, I promise.

[resq302]

RD is right.  When I got my charger in July of 2000, I was suddenly faced with an engine that had 3 spun main bearings and no oil pressure.  Granted, the outside of the car was pretty much perfect which is why I bought the car.  However, the undercarriage was spray bombed black and the interior was a mess.  Over the past 10 years, I have gotten the car slowly back to what it is now.  The important thing is that you set goals.  For me, I did one major project each year when I could afford it.  First and foremost was to get the car driving again which meant getting the engine rebuilt.  Then I could at least drive it around occasionally to vent stress or just for enjoyment.  Granted, nothing much to look at aside from the outside of the car.  The next year I chose to attack the interior or do that over the winter.  (cant remember which).  The following year, I addressed the trans that would pop out of third gear when I took my foot off the gas.  The next year I addressed the leaking rear axle seal and ended up rebuilding the entire rear axle just so it was done right.  Lets face it, Rome wasn't built in a day and neither were our cars, well.... restoring them at least.  I always get compliments on my charger even when I thought it looked like total crap cause the interior was not there.  People still will appreciate your car especially if it is driven since you are out and about with it.  No matter what you do, you will always know there is stuff to do on your car even when the general public will not.  I know there is stuff on my car that bother me but I have learned to live with as there is more important things now in my life like my daughter and my house so you just learn to let the little things slide by with time.

[bzabodyn]

Oh yeah... I thought of throwing in the towel many thousands of dollars ago!  Been quite rough, but it's a story my kids will be able to tell their kids while the Charger's still in THEIR garage... after everything and the fact that this is probably the most significant car to ever be sold in my hometown (El Campo, TX), there's no way I'm letting it leave again.

I keep trying to justify the investment, but that side of it is difficult - it's a passion and an illness and just it costs a lot of money to play the game... It'll be one of the best damn HEMI Chargers in the world when it's done though!

BZ

[OneofNoneRT]

I dont think she would let me..

[John_Kunkel]

I've not only thought about giving up, I've done it.

Case in point, my '62 Dart 2-door wagon project, after six months and $11K I realized that I no longer have the staying power for long-term projects; I now restrict myself to smaller short-term "tinkering" projects where the car isn't laid up for more than a couple of weeks at a time.

Like the movie line, "A man's gotta know his limitations".