What keeps you motivated to keep 'chargin' on?

[chargen86]

Hey guys,

Im feeling a bit down lately, it just seems so damn hard to get the gears rolling on my '68 R/T.
Im thinking of throwing in the towel to be honest, every time I wanna progress something gets in my way and sets me back. For instance do you know how long it takes to find a decent spray painter in Australia that wont rip you off? Plus they are talking one year waiting lists it is ridiculous! 
Everybody asks me "Have you finished the car yet?" and I keep telling them no and it is embarrasing. I thought I would be finished with it ready to drive in 2 years and now it is coming up to 5! My girlfriend thinks I am wasting time too 
I just want some support from others who have done the hard yards; was it all worth it in the end? The time, money, the obsession??? 
Otherwise I might turn my baby into scrap metal... at least I'd be making some money for once 

[Darkman]

Have you got any pics of the car?

I have only just started on the looooong road of rebuilding my 68!

I get my motivation by looking at other rebuild threads on here

[tan top]

 what stage are you at ?? have you got any pictures ??  don't get  down !!  think every one  has  gone through it at some stage ,
as for people  asking  have you finished it ,  don't worry about it !!

[Mrs.Caveman]

first stop being a "girl" !at least you have a charger!there are so many people who dream of having one and never be able to do it!can't find a painter then practice and you do it yourself!but manly do not care what others say !sorry if i hurt your feeling its the time of the month but sometimes all we need is a good shake up!me being a girl learned a lot how and what to do with our car instead of waiting for people to keep their promise or trying to rip me off!

"I believe the ability to think is blessed. If you can think about a situation, you can deal with it. The big struggle is to keep your head clear enough to think."
Richard Pryor

good luck and cheer up!

Veronika

[redgum78]

Yeh it is hard to find the time, money and motivation sometimes. I am 2 years in on my Challenger and its not in paint yet.
Are you doing much of the work yourself? It can be very rewarding and motivating to have a go at doing some of those tougher jobs. Would you consider painting it yourself? If you are not looking for show quality finish you might be supprised how good a job you could turn out in your shed or garage. I find even the smaller jobs are very satisfying when complete (sorting bolts, painting brackets, repairing rust etc).
If you really have run out of energy on your RT I would say whack it in storage for a year or so. You will regret it forever if you sell it plus selling a semi restored car at the moment you will not get the sort of money it is worth.  
You have a high end Mopar there that you are restoring. If you have the cash you could buy cheaper Mopar that is in driving condition to keep your appetite wet while continuing with the RT. Then sell it off (or keep it) once the RT is done. That's kind of what I have done. Challenger RT 440 is the long term project and 73 Charger with 2 barrel 400 in it is my fun driver.

I have had every nut, bolt, wire, clip, etc and spent hours and hours with a mig welder, angle grinder, body file, etc and still have hours, days, weeks and even years ahead of me on the Challenger RT. I love my Charger but the Challenger RT will be much more rewarding for me once finished simply because of the hours I spent on it in the shed.
Hope this helps

[RallyeMike]

In the long run you have to make yourself happy. Some people really like the process of rebuilding, and some don't. If youve thought it through and really are not having fun, start saving your pennies and buy a completed car a few years down the road. In the end, it can actually save you money to buy buy a completed car anyway.

[Patronus]

As hard as it may seem, it can be done. My advise: find a friend to help. Much more can be done by two. You can bounce ideas off each other. Techniques, ideas, methods. Stumbling through it yourself can be daunting. Waiting on a spot in the shop? Many of us have been there. Thats why many of us do it ourselves. And like RallyeMike said, if thats not the route for you then double up the job for a couple years (they go quick) and save. One second in the driver seat and you'll forget all about 24 months of sweat. Hell, Im going to have to tint the windows just so no one can see me smile.

[Ghoste]

Obviously the best way is to drive it but thats noty always practical.  Sometimes all I need to do is stand in the garage for a bit and stare at the car.  Admiring the lines and the smells of it will get me going.  Other times watching some of the video I have shot of or with the car helps or even going through old photos.  Sometimes watching a good Charger movie like Dirty Mary Crazy Larry will do the trick.

[elacruze]

Posting lots of photos here on this forum will raise your spirits!

Ok maybe that's selfish on my part but it's still true lol.

I owned my Charger for 25 years before I got around to anything other than drivetrain work-of course the car was solid if not pretty.
My solution for stalling out on any project is commit myself to 1/2 hour a day spent on the project, even if the first couple days are just sitting in a lawn chair with a beer wondering how deep the dust really is.

Seriously, just stare at it for a while and before long you'll feel like moving forward, whatever that direction may be. Find some way to make an improvement, even if you decide to sell the time spent will make the car more attractive to a buyer. I hope you decide to dive in to the unknown, learn what you must to tackle the project.

[TK73]

I guess there is a lot of that... getting in too deep and selling...

What i did to keep interest was buy a driver that needed some work. In the first 8 years I only did maintenance; wheel bearings, brakes, tune ups, water pump, axle repair once and LOTS of gas because of a heavy pedal...

8th year was upgrade to 360, car was "down" 2 weekends.

Our latest upgrades; rust repair, paint, 440 have expanded to 5 months so far due to a shop fire and major illness... going a bit nuts without the car being mobile...




Gotta suck looking at a 3500 lb paperweight for years on end...

[nvrbdn]

ok man my story starts 4 years before i got married. bought my 70 in decent shape. wrong motor non running. started working on the car. id work on it a couple days a week when i had time.(i was a single parent raising 4 kids alone)(youngest 1 1/2 yrs old.) i have been married 11 years now and finally last sunday night the motor fired up. i have a few little minor things to do yet, but all the major stuff is done. spring i will get the tires for the wheels that will be on the car. i thought of giving up since it was taking so long. my kid wrote NVRBDN1 on the back window for my liscence plate and said,"dad you will never finish this car." well the wife said "you are not selling that car, its your dream. it isnt costing anything just sitting in the garage and you will soon get back to it." so it sat alot while i tried to get motivated. now i can say that im glad it is still here. take your time. pick one little job (like sanding a fender) and do it. baby steps to get back in. and like said before, watch shows that have the charger in them. i thought id have mine running in no time when i got it, but life got in the way. now its done and the wife and i will be cruising our butts off. plus we are past the kids at home age, so nothin holdin us back

[bobs66440]

In the long run you have to make yourself happy. Some people really like the process of rebuilding, and some don't. If youve thought it through and really are not having fun, start saving your pennies and buy a completed car a few years down the road. In the end, it can actually save you money to buy buy a completed car anyway.

The Charger I have now was pretty much as you see it when I bought it except for a new interior and misc mechanical stuff, and that's the way I like to do it. I did a ground-up restoration on a '72 'Vette  about 15 years ago. It was 2 years of hell and I will never do that again (at least until I retire). I do enjoy some parts of the restoration but it can quickly get overwhelming, as you know.

I agree with RallyeMike. If you enjoy the hobby but don't enjoy the restoration process, maybe sell it and save for a more complete car. In the end, you will probably spend less money, have more free time and everyone will be happier. 

[Cooter]

So......Your saying that you thought you'd be cruising in 2 years, but sounds like you bought a car that needs at least a 5 year resto? Am I reading it right?

First off, don't take anything I say here the wrong way, as it's meant to be contructive. Rome won't built in a day. All of us who HAVE TO build our own rides cannot afford to drop off at the painter and wait for the X-mas present to be done. We have to take time away from our families, work, other projects, Honey do lists, etc. to get ours done, so to exclaim that your thinking of throwing in the towel because it isn't happening fast enough is like a slap in the face to all of those who made it happen no matter what. What? You think we don't deal with the same issues you are facing right now? First off, I wouldn't be with a female that constantly gave me sh*t.

If the drive is there, you'll get it done no matter what...You gotta keep your eye on the prize. If your just tired of the car, then sell it and let someone else finish it. But, don't be surprized if it ends up parked beside your newest project come cruise night and your kicking yourself for selling it.

In parting, all I can tell you is this for a FACT!! There's just no better feeling than cruising a car that Fought you every step of the way, and everybody around you fought you. There's just something bout that first cruise.

[Marck]

What kept me going was the thought of doping my first burnout... Simple as that... :-)

[PocketThunder]

The thought of someday scoring in the back seat.   

[Darkman]

The thought of someday scoring in the back seat.   

Still waiting, huh?!?

[chargen86]

Wow, I didn't expect so many of you to reply....so much for the support! I know it sounds cheesy but reading all of your replies has made me man up and keep going.  

Sorry for sounding like a girl as Mrs.Caveman has called me! Although Veronika, you are a girl yourself and you seem to have so much perseverance!  

And Cooter thanks for the slap in the face I didnt take it the wrong way! The reason I feel this way is mainly because painters don't take me seriously because I'm under 30 or on the other end they think I have tens of thousands of dollars to spend. Are they that costly in the U.S?! I don't want to do it myself because I do want it to be showroom finish. I want to create THE WORLDS GREATEST 1968 CHARGER  

Reading some of the stories particularly redgum78 and nvrbdn were fantastic, I wish there were more people from Melbourne, Australia here because I dont have any friends with the slightest clue about cars, they are all office worker types who are afraid to get dust on their hands.

Do you still wanna see pics of my RT Darkman and tantop?

Thanks again guys, best forum members ever  

Think I might go rent Dirty Mary Crazy Larry now  

[Darkman]

Do you still wanna see pics of my RT Darkman and tantop?

I've said it before, and I will say it again.....is a duck's butt watertight?

Don't want to burst your bubble, but you may just have to settle for the world's SECOND greatest 1968 Charger just behind mine   

[lexxman]

I know how you feel,I'm in the same boat.I know I'm so close to getting it painted,but then I look at the car as a whole and man It's sooo  far.I 've been working on my 69 for three years now and I can't wait to get pass all the dam body work.People ask me are you having fun with it?My answer right now is no,but once I start putting it back together.Then it will be fun( I hope). If you can go to a car show and talk to other owners.

[Laxy]

Hey mate, I lived in Melbourne until 18 months ago when I had enough and moved across to Perth. Having 'car mates' will do you wonders for motivation as they can help you with ideas and working on the car. Get along to every Chrysler show you can, seeing completed cars really helps motivation too. Charger Club of Vic show and Chryslers on the Murray aren't far off.

Are you a member of the aussie forums? http://www.moparmarketforum.com and http://www.hemi6pack.com are the go, plenty of Melbourne guys who could recommend painters and suppliers, you can see upcoming events and you will make some new mates as forum members catch up in person regularly. MM is a bit more serious, while H6P is like a pub.

Painters are mainly dogs around Melbourne (and everywhere), so I feel your pain. But there are good ones - the best place for a Mopar restoration in Vic is actually up in Elmore.

Have you considered getting a cheap Valiant just to have something on the road in the meantime?

Anyway whatever I've said above is probably not news to you, but a 68 R/T is well worth persevering with! We need pics!!

PS. A few 'motivational' Charger movies you should watch if you haven't already (always worth repeat viewings):
Bullitt
Dirty Mary Crazy Larry
Cannonball
Drive Angry
Deathproof
Vanishing Point (the 1997 remake)
Any Dukes episode/movie
Even the first Fast n Furious!

[bull]

Once you get over the hump it does help. How you define that is up to you but to me once I had it painted and got the drivetrain in place I knew I was over halfway there. After 7 years I still have a ways to go but you've got to keep plugging away at it. Progress begets progress so once you see results you're motivated to see more. If I were you I would just get in line at one of those places with the year long wait and do other stuff in the meantime. You'll be surprised how fast that deadline sneaks up on you.

[Fred]

DON'T DESPAIR!
I had my ups and downs like most. Some days I could have ripped my hair out and thrown the project in, everything was taking heaps longer than it should have, some things had to be done over a second or third time (costing me more money than it should have) and there were times when I thought it would never get finished and I started to wonder if I'd see the day when I would actually get to drive it. It was all so frustrating.............

But I stuck to my guns and kept at it even through the lows and in the end...................it all paid off and I'm happy as Larry. There's no looking back now and I'm having heaps of fun.

IT WAS WELL WORTH IT!  

[PocketThunder]

The thought of someday scoring in the back seat.   

Still waiting, huh?!?

I said someday didnt i?   

[A383Wing]

For some people...."someday" never comes 

[HeavyFuel]

Dude, if I can hang in there, you can. 

I've had my '68 R/t for 20 years last month, and only have put 150 miles on it in that time.  It's been sitting......and waiting for me to get it done.  I'm getting there, but I hear where your coming from.  Take a hard look at what you want, and what you are willing to go through to get the car done.  You might be better off buying a 'done' car.  I kinda wish I had.  Nothing like doing something yourself, but I've wasted half my life on this resto, instead of driving.

[elacruze]

PS. A few 'motivational' Charger movies you should watch if you haven't already (always worth repeat viewings):

Bullitt
Dirty Mary Crazy Larry
Cannonball

Deathproof
Vanishing Point (the original and remake)

Even the first Fast n Furious!

I have all these in digital files, if your email has no file size limit I can send them, or if you have a torrent application I can make .torrent files for you.

Another of my favorite car movies, which *only* has a Superbird, is 'Cars'.

[redgum78]

Hey Chargen86 good to see you have peeped up a bit. Yes yes yes we want some pictures. Get the digi camera out and shoot away, that's always a bit of a motivator too.
I agree with what everyone else has said...who gives a stuff what other people think about how long your project takes or money spent etc especially if they are not appreciators of our classic cars.
Also ask yourself what you want the car for when it is finished. If you want a show car its ganna cost big dollars for paint and body finishing. I am no expert in high quality paint jobs but if you are after a show winner then its gonna be tens of thousands for paint. You could put 10 to 20k into painting but its what is underneath that counts and that is where lots of the hours (which equals $$) are.
Do you want to be able to drive your RT and have a bit of fun or are you going to trailer it to shows?
I would rather have a lesser paint job and be able to drive my car, chirp up the rears, go on cruisers and just have fun than win a ribbon at a show but thats me. You may even be able to do both for a while but pretty soon your top dollar paint job will suffer from driving it around.

[bill440rt]

Never, NEVER give up!!! 

nvrbdn mentioned a great tip: Pick one little thing per day, and do it. Even something simple like sorting bolts or polishing a small piece of trim. It's one less thing you'll have to do the next day. By the end of the week, or month, you'll find that you got quite a bit accomplished. Much more than sitting just looking at it. Although, that can be a great motivator as well! 

Also, I don't necessarily buy the length of time it takes to finish a car. I've seen pro resto shops crank out a masterpiece from a rotted hulk in just 6 months or less, yet it might take the average Joe 2 years just to accomplish a simple paint job when that might be all the car needs. It all depends on skill level, budget, time, schedule, priorities, and sometimes LIFE just gets in the way. Sometimes putting a time constraint on something can just suck the fun right out of it.

Not EVERYONE can do EVERYTHING, either. There are some things that you might just have to pay someone to do for you. For most, it's bodywork. For others, it's mechanicals. I find it's easiest to get the most accomplished by dividing the car into sections (ie interior, dash, suspension, engine, body, etc etc), and just concentrating on that area until it's done. Trying to do everything all at once can be daunting. Make yourself up little projects, and finish it before moving on to the next. And, be SURE to post progress pics of all the results!! 

Stay on target, don't despair, and you can do it!

[Fred]

Here you go chargen86, this is what kept me motivated.
I just kept my focus on the end result...............what I knew it was going to end up looking like.
AND IT WAS DEFINITELY WORTH IT.

[440]

Being from Australia I know how the body shops can be a bit of a downer here. My car is still sitting in the body shop after 6 months and that's only for minor body work. The guy doing mine seems more interested in insurance work then to work on my car. I must admit I'm also in a bit of a rut and have slowed way down on progress myself, although I do continue to plug away on things here and there.

Same as you I constantly get asked from work "Have you got that thing on the road yet"? and It's exactly as you say, embarrassing.

I think bulls advise is spot on. Book you car into a reputable body shop and do everything else you can in the meantime. Every month you wait is one month you could have been closer to getting yours done. Getting everything else prepared will also take the better part of a year itself in my opinion. Remember too, It's not so much the tear down that's the hard part. It's all the cleaning of old bolts, nuts, parts etc that takes the longest. Assembling everything is relatively easy so it should go back together fairly quickly.

I also find that like mentioned earlier watching a charger movie re-ignites the fire under your butt to get you moving again.

[Darkman]

PS. A few 'motivational' Charger movies you should watch if you haven't already (always worth repeat viewings):
Bullitt
Dirty Mary Crazy Larry
Cannonball
Drive Angry
Deathproof
Vanishing Point (the 1997 remake)
Any Dukes episode/movie
Even the first Fast n Furious!

You forgot Blade! That is one badass 68!

[redgum78]

If that pic of Fred's Charger doesn't light a fire under you nothing will!
Lovely looking car Fred

[chargen86]

OKAY HERE IS A PICTURE, I KNOW ITS NOTHING INTERESTING BUT SINCE YOU GUYS ASKED...

Thanks for all the reccomendations Laxy mate! Im gonna join the hemi6pack forum for sure! I don't wanna get another cheaper car in the meantime because I wouldnt have all the space to keep everything! I dont know how you guys have so much space you must all live on a farm or something lol  

HeavyFuel man I cant believe you waited 20 years that what Im scared is going to happen to me  

Elacruze yes please I would love for you to make the torrent files for me! Such a nice offer   my email address is lpaaron@gmail.com

Redgum yes its hard, but at the end of the day I probably want to cruise into the sunset more than anything, over winning shows. I guess competitions are for old folks. No offence to any of the oldies on this forum  

Fred your car is stunning! I am so jealous! Dont you get scared when you take it out and park it somewhere that someone bad will scratch it out of spite or something? I feel like I will need to look at where it is at all times if I take it out into the big bad world  

440 glad you feel my pain! I wish the painters were more passionate and less dolar driven they are the lawyers of the car world my friend!  

As always thanks for the everything you have no idea how good it is to read all the replies  from you guys  

[Fred]

chargen86, that pic you sent in of your car is where I was at 4 years ago and it took 2 years to complete. There were times where I was seriously beginning to wonder if I would ever get to drive around in it before I kick the bucket.............it was depressing. But I made it and I've been driving it for 2 years now.
It's not the daily driver so I don't have any major parking issues. When we cruise anywhere in it and I need to park it, I make sure I'm always within visual distance and I do try parking it off on it's own somewhere.  Sometimes I'll find a bit of a crowd gathering around it but they are generally keen admirers and mostly just want to take photos of it.
I'm an older guy yes but for me it's all about driving it.
Keep at it man and soon you'll be cruising around in yours.

[Fred]

If that pic of Fred's Charger doesn't light a fire under you nothing will!
Lovely looking car Fred

Thanks Mate. 

[68blue]

Imagination keeps me going, I just imagine what driving it is going to be like and then get back at it. Have to admit it has been fun working on it, so I'll probably do another car after this one.

[lexxman]

Chargen68,That about were I 'am now.I have a few small areas that need work.Like it was said there yes light at the end,just keep pushing.

[road/track]

Hallo,
My name is Carl, I have been "chargin" 20 years now......
Yes I sacrifice my job my kids, my wife...this is what "Chargin" do to you...

On the other side, it's all about dreams......sell the Charger and you selling out your dreams..

Chargin is what's gets us going, sometimes it's the burdon it's self, but brighter times will come, hang in there..

[jaak]

I think my number one motivator was people saying I would never finish my car. Even one of my closest friends told me (just recently)..."When I'd stop by while you was sanding on that rough piece of shit, he'll never get it done".

I just kept chipping away at it. All and all it took me about 8 years. I have a wife, 3 kids and a mortgage. I bought parts when I had extra money (my car was mostly financed with money I made on the side) and did all the work myself.

Keep on keeping on, you'll get 'er done.

Jason

[ChgrSteve67]

Took me 9 years to finish mine.

the last three years i dedicated at least one day a week to working on it.

Can't tell you how many times I wanted to give up.

[chargen86]

argghhh guys I dont know what to do. My girlfriend found this thread I started and got really angry that I mentioned her and now she is urging me to give up the R/T "or else".
Sorry I know this isn't is relationship forum loll but at the moment I don't feel like chargin on 

[PocketThunder]

argghhh guys I dont know what to do. My girlfriend found this thread I started and got really angry that I mentioned her and now she is urging me to give up the R/T "or else".
Sorry I know this isn't is relationship forum loll but at the moment I don't feel like chargin on 

How many more women are out there?  How many more Chargers are out there?  Choose wisely my friend....   

[nvrbdn]

  tell her "i will miss you, oh wait, i got another bite." any one that will get that nuts over this thing is definately a control freak. its my way or else. if you sell the charger, get ready to bend over the rest of your life.    either that, or you really are tired of the car thing and need a push to do what you want to do. good luck with which either you choose.

[Patronus]

Chargers have a BIG truck... 

[Finn]

The first rule of dodgecharger.com is you do NOT talk about dodgecharger.com.
The second rule of dodgecharger.com is YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT DODGECHARGER.COM!

[Fred]

You could get rid of the Charger...........and in the end she might leave you anyway. And then what?
As PocketThunder says...............choose wisely. 

[DAY CLONA]

Hey guys,

Im feeling a bit down lately, it just seems so damn hard to get the gears rolling on my '68 R/T.
Im thinking of throwing in the towel to be honest, every time I wanna progress something gets in my way and sets me back. For instance do you know how long it takes to find a decent spray painter in Australia that wont rip you off? Plus they are talking one year waiting lists it is ridiculous! 
Everybody asks me "Have you finished the car yet?" and I keep telling them no and it is embarrasing. I thought I would be finished with it ready to drive in 2 years and now it is coming up to 5! My girlfriend thinks I am wasting time too 
I just want some support from others who have done the hard yards; was it all worth it in the end? The time, money, the obsession??? 
Otherwise I might turn my baby into scrap metal... at least I'd be making some money for once 

This is the point that you get off your duff,I can imagine things are a bit harder for you doing an American car down under, but the only way your going to get your car done, and have the drive to conclude the project is to do your own work, don't rely on others, so you've never painted before, try it, you may just adapt to it naturally, you don't know until you try, just sitting around waiting for others to perform work on your car will kill your ambition, if money is an issue, hustle some jobs on the side....anything, we all have some talent/skill or labour we can trade off to get what we need done....just do it, stop ya belly ache'in

[Laxy]

In all seriousness, if she can't appreciate your hobby, then fark her off asap. Otherwise the rest of your life will be filled with nagging about 'that bloody old car'.

I had a 6 year missus/highschool sweetheart/the works - she kept wanting me to sell my Val hardtop, so I stuck in a shed out of sight for awhile and went about breaking up, then pulled the car out, fixed it up and got it rego'd again and found a much better missus. Best thing I ever did, but the break up was also the hardest thing I ever did. 

And also, why was she on dodgecharger.com instead of in the kitchen? 

[nvrbdn]

you know what you suddenly realize when the wife walks from the kitchen to the living room???








         her chain is too long.

[Darkman]

In all seriousness, if she can't appreciate your hobby, then fark her off asap. Otherwise the rest of your life will be filled with nagging about 'that bloody old car'.

[BigBlockSam]

find a friend to help

many, many, times i find it hard to get motivated and one of my buddies will come over and help me do some of the things that i have left on my lists . MAN! do i feel good after we get things done .
   stand back and look at what you got .    a lot of people can only dream of having your charger.

[johnnycharger]

It was a condition of the my marriage that my wife would never ask me to sell my Charger. I bought it off of a guy that only sold it because his wife made him. He sold it to me cheap because he knew I would take care of it.

[R6red4spd69RT]

argghhh guys I dont know what to do. My girlfriend found this thread I started and got really angry that I mentioned her and now she is urging me to give up the R/T "or else".
Sorry I know this isn't is relationship forum loll but at the moment I don't feel like chargin on  

Dude, all I can say is you be you. Not what someone wants you to be.

Feel the joy of owning a Charger, an R/T no less, with like minded people. If you get enjoyment from something like this, your friends are the ones that support you.

Think hard about this.

[BigBlockSam]

or else

if a girl tells me that . there would be no way i would sell it . i would disassemble it and reassemble it in the bedroom . there's a lot more women out there then r/t chargers . a couple is suppose to encourage each others dreams . not stomp them to death 


p.s. i bought my 69 charger se from a cop in town  and his wife was making him sell it . when i showed it to him after i made a daytona out of it . he was speechless and almost had tears in his eyes . this is 5 yrs later and there getting divorced . he aint getting his charger back either. 

[Bastrd]

Cars is a part of me, especially the charger, if my gf told me that i had to choose, her or the charger. Then id choose the charger just because that if she is able to ask such a thing, she doesnt love who i am, and where will that stop? Love me for my flaws i always say

Then of course i make sure she also gets some attention and quality time 

(sorry if my english sucks)

[Brass]

argghhh guys I dont know what to do. My girlfriend found this thread I started and got really angry that I mentioned her and now she is urging me to give up the R/T "or else".
Sorry I know this isn't is relationship forum loll but at the moment I don't feel like chargin on  

Really?  So instead of gaining a sliver of insight about how she has added to your stress, her reaction was to hand down an ultimatum?  Where is the maturity in that?  Also, your comment about her seemed pretty innocuous to me so I don't see why it warranted such a backlash.  She doesn't sound respectful, patient, or supportive – and must be checking your browser history too.  Hopefully she'll realize she overreacted and come around.  Otherwise, no question what I would do...

[Darkman]

Really?  So instead of gaining a sliver of insight about how she has added to your stress, her reaction was to hand down an ultimatum?  Where is the maturity in that?  Also, your comment about her seemed pretty innocuous to me so I don't see why it warranted such a backlash.  She doesn't sound respectful, patient, or supportive – and must be checking your browser history too.  Hopefully she'll realize she overreacted and come around.  Otherwise, no question what I would do...

Chargen86, I would show your girlfriend this!

Well said Brass!

[PocketThunder]

In all seriousness, if she can't appreciate your hobby, then fark her off asap. Otherwise the rest of your life will be filled with nagging about 'that bloody old car'.

I had a 6 year missus/highschool sweetheart/the works - she kept wanting me to sell my Val hardtop, so I stuck in a shed out of sight for awhile and went about breaking up, then pulled the car out, fixed it up and got it rego'd again and found a much better missus. Best thing I ever did, but the break up was also the hardest thing I ever did. 

And also, why was she on dodgecharger.com instead of in the kitchen? 

                                         

[redgum78]

argghhh guys I dont know what to do. My girlfriend found this thread I started and got really angry that I mentioned her and now she is urging me to give up the R/T "or else".
Sorry I know this isn't is relationship forum loll but at the moment I don't feel like chargin on  

Really?  So instead of gaining a sliver of insight about how she has added to your stress, her reaction was to hand down an ultimatum?  Where is the maturity in that?  Also, your comment about her seemed pretty innocuous to me so I don't see why it warranted such a backlash.  She doesn't sound respectful, patient, or supportive – and must be checking your browser history too.  Hopefully she'll realize she overreacted and come around.  Otherwise, no question what I would do...

This man speaks the truth I could not have said it better myself.

[Ghoste]

If she is doing this now, it will only get worse in years to come.  Do you deliver similar ultimatums to her?  If so, you deserve each other.  If not, you need to end it now before it costs you a house, visitations rights, and most of your pay.
This is a hobby not a drug addiction or a criminal activity.

[Daytona R/T SE]

argghhh guys I dont know what to do. My girlfriend found this thread I started and got really angry that I mentioned her and now she is urging me to give up the R/T "or else".
Sorry I know this isn't is relationship forum loll but at the moment I don't feel like chargin on 

Post a picture of the girl friend...

We'll let you know if she's worth the hassle.

[PocketThunder]

argghhh guys I dont know what to do. My girlfriend found this thread I started and got really angry that I mentioned her and now she is urging me to give up the R/T "or else".
Sorry I know this isn't is relationship forum loll but at the moment I don't feel like chargin on 

Post a picture of the girl friend...

We'll let you know if she's worth the hassle.

This is a very good point.  The second generation charger has the timeless shape of a coke bottle or more importantly, a womans body.  So if your GF can beat out the shape of a Charger, you might have to sell the Charger.

But, the shape of the Charger will never change.... Your GF....well.....   

[elacruze]

There are 6 billion people in the world and half of them are women.

There aren't many Chargers left.

[projectanimal]

I was going to jump in with some motivation to get you excited about your car, but now I see the thread has takin a slight turn.....    
My now Wife was not too happy with my previous car project before we got married, but I found that getting her involved in a few small projects together made a big difference (as well as going to some car cruises which included an overnight in a hotel), so you may want to throw a few of those ideas on the table.   
it's always Very tough when given a hard choice.....
Thankfully for our Charger project it is technically her car, so we don't have any of what you're currently going through.  Not to say when I start looking at other hobbies things won't change, but I do agree with many of the other posts which state she may not understand your true passion! 

I hope you are able to keep the charger as well as the girl!   

[Darkman]

This is what I watch to get motivated

http://youtu.be/kD_1GG3NTnQ

It was my Charger after I picked it up from the docks and before I pulled it to bits

[troy.70R/T]

NEVER PAY IN ADVANCE I learned that lesson the hard way on one of my chargers. If you can stop by every day after work to see how it is going. Take a pic of the car every day. after about a month the guy will eithier ask or wonder why your taking pics of the car. When he asks just tell him your lawyer wants a record of the progress and tell him you can not go into anymore detail about it. He will eithier start busting his ass or you better get a lawyer.