If you had to do again?

[h76]

Would you guys have bought a project car or just been patient and save your money for a drivable more finished car?
I am really having to catch myself and not get hasty to buy a charger that is a project, just to satisfy my want for one. But I am realizing for myself, that I really think I will be glad I stuck to my guns and saved my money for a closer to finished car.

[1974dodgecharger]

should make a poll im interested also based on a couple of respones in other threads it seems folks would rather buy a car thats complete, redone already, and driveable vs a project. If one had money and time then a project would be for them, but majority of us have to work to make a living.

[Steve P.]

Everyone experiences some of the same things and some things very differently.. It all depends on how the build goes for them or how bad a car is that was sold as ALL DONE... So really every answer would still leave a question mark.

The only consistent thing you'd probably hear is: I wish I had bought one new and put it away back then for now....

Sure wish I did!!!!! 

[h76]

I have heard some guys say they just got beat down and lost the love for their car/project, due to all the time and money they entail. Not to mention all the effort put in and you still have in some cases an undrivable car.

[doctor4766]

I think I would have still built mine, since I enjoyed doing it, and it took my mind off the divorce I was going through at the time. (To some extent at least)
The whole experience was interesting to say the least, and I know the car inside and out.

My current project car is becoming a bit of a drag, even though it's not that far off being completed.
I have an interested buyer for it atm, so I may not even finish it myself.

I think that next time, I will buy a completed car, if for no other reason than not having to spend such a long time getting things done before it's driveable.
With that comes other issues of course, such as not really knowing what's really under the paint.

[skip68]

That is a really good question and topic.   I'd have to think about it.  Mine was a pain in the butt but it was a good experience and I knew my car well.   Still, this is a good topic for sure.   

[Fred]

I've got to say I'm way to fastidious for my own good so would never be happy with a finished car. I would definitely have to build it myself.
A finished car would never live up to my expectations no matter how much I pay for it. I would always be able to find something wrong with it and In the end I would have to put more money into it to get it just how I want.
And I've got to admit (even though I want it all done yesterday) I truly enjoy all the work even the often frustrating fiddly bits.
I've bought finished projects before and can't remember a single time I was ever really happy.
I'm happy as can be with my charger though.

[dodgey68]

yep interesting question, it also depends on what stage you are at during ya life,(young family ect) i had mine striped to a bare shell and did most of the work during the night when wife and youngen went to bed, now i have 2 kids it would be a lot harder, money wise as well,, but would love to do it again, bugger watching late night television, i could be out in my shed building another car , but at presant i am going back to work after hours just to get customers cars finished, ,,,




would love to do a 68 coronet

[AirborneSilva]

I have a 73 that is taking too damn long, between the wife, work and keeping up the home I don't have a great deal of time to work on it.  I have had it for over a year and a half and it still sits in the garage, yeah it is now running and can drive but little things are keeping me from being able to legally drive it and it's just frustrating  I want a 68 Charger R/T and will be looking for a finished one, or one that is in such good shape that it just needs little things here and there done but I will be able to drive it now and many many years to come.

[Indygenerallee]

I would say make sure you have enough cash to at least buy all your sheetmetal and drivetrain to get it that far, I know a lot of people who have tore into a car only to run out of $$$ when they found out the true price to fix one up!!!!

[bill440rt]

I've got to say I'm way to fastidious for my own good so would never be happy with a finished car. I would definitely have to build it myself.
A finished car would never live up to my expectations no matter how much I pay for it. I would always be able to find something wrong with it and In the end I would have to put more money into it to get it just how I want.
And I've got to admit (even though I want it all done yesterday) I truly enjoy all the work even the often frustrating fiddly bits.
I've bought finished projects before and can't remember a single time I was ever really happy.
I'm happy as can be with my charger though.

I have to agree with Fred here.
I prefer to build my own. I like the challenge of a project, & enjoy doing things myself when I can. I know what's been done & the in's-n-out's of my car when it's finished.
Buying a finished one is nice, but knowing how I am I'd be going thru it stem to stern anyway & doing things over again so I know I'd have over & beyond in it than if I were to just start from scratch.

[Scaregrabber]

Building a project was absolutely fun until about 15 years ago. Now parts have dried up and everything costs twice as much to fix rather than having a done car in the first place. When I started in this hobby you could buy the parts from a junkyard or the local Buy and Sell paper. Not anymore. Nowadays a proper paint job costs $20k and up around here and that's just for the paint job, if you don't spend that much everyone will pooh, pooh it when they look at it too.

Sheldon

[charger_fan_4ever]

As said with a finished car you don't know what you have hidden. Unless the restoration was highly documented with pictures. I would never buy a driver project that is bublling out. Chances are it needs as much work as the $5k project, but you paid an additional 10k because its driveable.

Chances are there will be something not done to your liking on a turn key car.

[Back N Black]

It was on my bucket list to build a charger, so i would not change a thing. But, now that i have restored a charger, i would not hesitate to buy one completed if it was a well documented restoration. Usually, you can buy a restored car cheaper than building one, its the seller that always takes the hit.

[lloyd3]

If you already have the skills and the contacts necessary to do a good job on a restoration, then a project car makes good sense.  If you have a wife, and a job (and kids?) then......maybe not. Life is always a balancing act and trying to fit one of these cars into it (given the care and feeding requirements, let alone the time it will take to "restore" it) needs to be considered carefully.  That job can take years to complete, and the guys that do it all themselves have the added pleasue of knowing every nut and bolt and I admire them for that. There is a real "Pride of Ownership" that goes with that situation.  

That being said, however, the horny adolescent (that still lives somewhere deep-down inside of me) just wants to jump in the car and drive it....hard.  Patience is overrated.  These cars were for getting laid and raising hell when I was a younger man.  Maybe that's why they're mostly driven by old, fat, bald guys now?

[Mike DC]

 

Improving the fit/finish of a car is a thankless job, financially speaking.  If you want a very nice car eventually then you should buy a very nice one to start with.  Colors & mechanicals & options are much more easily changed than improving the overall condition.  

[C928BRAN]

I think I would rather build one, than buy one, already finished, because alot of times, you spend big money, to buy one, then you find all the hidden problems. Then you may have to work on it more than you enjoy it, at least, I built mine exactly as I wanted it, and I know the car inside and out, and makes me sleep good at night, knowing the car is right. I would much rather be driving my dream car, than somebody elses' dream car. Just my opinion.

[Dino]

I used to restore cars so a project has always been my cup of tea.  Unfortunately I do not have the time for even a small job let alone a big project.  I found middle ground by buying a Charger that is a driver but could stand some work.

I can't have a project sit too long or I will lose interest.  If you have a car sitting in the same spot longer than a year, it would be time to reevaluate.

[Cooter]

IMO, The only reason most wanna buy it already done is for the fact that they themselves can't stand the fact of having to tell someone(Mainly their buddies/friends/wifey/etc.) that they spent "X-amount" on a car that to most looks like a POS...It's a WHOLE lot easier to tell someone you spent $25K on a car that looks good enough to be worth that. Too many today are into instant gratification.

Telling someone you just dropped $20K on a Hemi car that the only thing left "Hemi" on it is a tiny little letter/number in the VIN sequence tends to hurt some.

I have to build my own sh*t as I can't afford to pay for the "X-mas present" cars.(Dropped off at a shop and picked up in 3 years looking awesome)...

I work anywhere from 8-15 hours/day most days restoring anywhere from two-three projects. Many for customers, so the "I have to work for a living" thing still applies here as well. Many times, my vac. days are spent wrenching on the projects instead of sitting on some hot ass beach looking at all the hot young women I'll never get. Most refuse to go to this length to finish a project. Nothing is impossible. It just seems that way.

[BrianShaughnessy]

I've never seen somebody elses's car finished the way I want...  so Black Betty was somebody elses' abadoned project that required finishing... and ultimately new quarter panels and a bunch of other work to fix their screwups.    And it's still not "done".    I just shake my head at it sometimes.

Meanwhile... a growing part of me wishes I never found Sinnamon after 28 years.    If it wasn't my old car I wouldn't touch it with a 20 foot pole.
But it's started and slowly making progress.   I'll probably go bankrupt or die trying to finish it whenever that is.

[HeavyFuel]

Evaluate your own circumstances and then come up with a plan.  Money, time, commitment...they all factor in.

I've had my car for 20 years, and have only driven it about 150 miles total.  Things in life can become priorites over the car, and if you don't make allowances, the restoration can really drag out.

In a few minutes, I'll be going over to the body guy with trim pieces to outline where I want the black on the back panel, and in a couple weeks I should have the car back in my garage to start the long re-assembly process. 

It's been apart for 6 years.

Don't let this happen to you......it's no way to enjoy owning a classic muscle car.

[69charger2002]

This is the exact thing i was afraid of when i bought my first project. I didn't want to own it 20 years and only drive it 100 miles. I guess i am in the "instant gratification" clan, but i got into these at 17 years old, i am now 34. And though that may seem young to some, i already feel old. I don't want to be 55-60 and not be able to enjoy a charger all the years in between. I could give a rat's ass what others think about a paint job, or what letter of the VIN my car came with from the factory. I want to own and be able to get in my charger when i feel like it, whether i go around the block or 100 miles. Life is too short- driving them is what it's all about. I am in no way knocking those that prefer perfection, or like the challenge or a project, or simply can't afford a 20k car at one time. But to the OP, if you have a CHOICE, buy as complete, as finished, and as solid a car as you can find up FRONT and enjoy the crap out of it!

[cdr]

i like my project,but dont think it will EVER be done,on the other hand if i bought a completed one it would never be finished either 

[Tilar]

I wish I would have had the money to buy one that I could enjoy right from the start. But I love working on cars and I wanted a 68 Charger so bad, so I bought this as a project. But after I bought it I decided I really needed to put it out back of the house and forget about it for a while, because If I had started on the car back when I bought it in 1986 at the age of 29, I would have half-assed it up trying to get it done. 15 years ago I started buying bits and pieces that I knew I needed to do the job.  Problem now is I am 55 years old and have so many projects and so busy I don't know if I'll live long enough to see it finished.   

[roger440]

Knowing what i know now, i would have waited until i was in a position to buy a really good one.

12 years to do a car really is too long. Ive got to much other stuff i need to do in my life!

The other problem is being a 440 RT/SE numbers matching deal, and restored the way i have done, means im going to limit its use. Which was never the original idea.

If i ever sold it, i would get a rust free 318 low option car,and just make it nice. Few suspension mods, maybe some paint, and not be frightened to use it.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing......................................

[lloyd3]

My four-year anniversary with the resto shop is coming up this November.  The fellow doing the work is as good an old soul as has ever swung a wrench and welded a paint gun, and it's soooo close to being done, but he's having health problems yet again.  My greatest fear (over the last few years) was having him vapour-lock with the car spread all through his garage, so with it now being almost done I'm not so concerned about such a catastrophic loss.  It down now to the matter of finishing touches (two surprisingly difficult bolts on the rebuilt vacuum booster, applying the stripe decal to the tail, and buffing out some of the paint).  The collector plates have a new 2012 sticker on them, my current registration is in the glove box, and the new insurance card is in there with it.

But God.....it's hard to wait.  He's done such a good job, and there hasn't been any corners cut.  New glass, new grill, completely refurbished trim, primed and painted to factory specs in the factory color, absolutely everything is old school and proper so I'll just continue to wait.  I think we both know it may very-well be his last project, so he wants to see it through to completion and I'm willing to support that.  The bad news about that is there are many classic Mopars sitting there (w/at least one hemi-car) that will likely never be reassembled.

[Charger_Dart]

I did one of each. The Charger was a project car from the start, but the 68 Dart was purchased as a done car. (well mostly done) Both are special cars to me and I love working on each of them. I might know every nut and bolt on the Charger and more then a few of them I know WAY too well, but that does not make the Dart any lesser of a car to me.

What has changed over the years is the cost to restore a car. I know I could not afford to start on my Charger today the way it was 22 years ago when I bought it. For me a good, solid, mostly done car is the best choice today.    

[chargerboy69]

Two years ago my 69 Bee was in 1000 pieces, today it is in 994 pieces.

My Charger I bought was clean but needed some attention under the hood and interior.  That kind of stuff is easy to do, and I like doing.  I am getting to old and fat to deal with a frame off restoration.

[Darkman]

I have always wanted to do a ground up build on a car. The Charger ticks this off the list. The next car I get will be a mostly done car that is a turn key car. I do not want to go through all this rebuilding process again.

As some have said, even a "done" car is never truly done, and there would be things that I would want to change, but they would be little things that can be started on a Saturday morning, and be done by a Sunday afternoon.

I wouldn't want to spend 30k+ on a car a know there are still things to FIX, however spending 30k+ on a car knowing there are things I would want to CHANGE is different and do-able

[Fred]

Usually, you can buy a restored car cheaper than building one, its the seller that always takes the hit.

That's a very true statement and having said I would build rather than buy, I know there are some good restos about and if and when I finally sell mine, the lucky buyer will be laughing all the way because I'll never get back what I poured into it but he will get the best of everything.

[Dans 68]

If I had a place to build up a car I would do that the third time around. While having a '73 and a '68 that can be driven all day without problems is a nice, I would really like a shop to actually build up a car my way. 

Dan

[Memphis Mopar]

Building your car or buying one done is depending on what you are looking for. With my build that I am doing I have a certain vision of what I want my car to look like and what I want my car to be in terms of drivetrain and handling and so forth. In the future if I were to ever buy a finished car there would have to be documentation of the "build" for me to be interested in buying it. The person selling you a finished car may say it is complete but you just may be buying his problems. just my 

[69bronzeT5]

I'm still trying to finish the project car....13 years so far

[Ghoste]

A finished car next time for me.

[h76]

I've had a number of 68's. All were project cars that just seemed to find me somehow. Every time I thought I was saving one for a resto, something would come up with personal life or interest would be lost. I am not a big numbers guy for correctness part of it and at this point in my life, the only car for resto purposes I would consider is a 68 4 speed car. I guess that probably explains why I lost interest in the project ones I had(all were auto non R/T).I would buy any decent driver 68 that may be not be perfect, but is drivable and I could enjoy as the years go on.

[Kern Dog]

I wouldn't change a thing. I bought a running driver and used it for work for a month while I was rebuilding the motor in the work truck. It was nice having the car mobile while restoring it.

[1969chargerrtse]

That's a hard call because the economy has cost some of us lots of money. My car put me through a lot because I bought it site unseen from a dishonest buyer. If the economy was as strong as it was in 2007 I would have no big regrets. Since my car value has dropped a lot, if I could do it over I wouldn't because the work I did and the value loss in today's market sucks.

[Ghoste]

Still haven't sold it then huh?  I was following the other thread and I knew there were some issues but I haven't kept up to date.

[Belgium R/T -68]

I loved almost every moment of building my Charger and it was also a rehab for getting my mind of the alcohol but never again. I started a second project which I sold of with a huge loss because it was already in pieces.
On the other hand I don't think I will buy a "finnished" car either because when you owned one you know every detail of I wouldn't trust it to be good enough, think I will keep mine. 

Per

[moparstuart]

I loved almost every moment of building my Charger and it was also a rehab for getting my mind of the alcohol but never again. I started a second project which I sold of with a huge loss because it was already in pieces.
On the other hand I don't think I will buy a "finnished" car either because when you owned one you know every detail of I wouldn't trust it to be good enough, think I will keep mine. 

Per

[FastbackJon]

Who really wants to take what someone else built to a car show? Lots of times too, you'll get these guys who build nice looking fancy cars but never drive them, so even though they look nice, they aren't in any way reliable as they have all sorts of electrical/mechanical gremlins that can only be found and worked out from lots of driving.

I have a '68 R/T that I inherited from my dad that we bought as-is already built. I don't really take pride in it since I didn't build it. I also have a '66 Charger that I've poured my own effort and money into and it's much more enjoyable because not only have I learned how to fix things by working on it, but I know exactly what's right and wrong with it, and I've also driven it enough to have it break down on me enough so that now it's reliable. Just keep fixing what breaks and when it breaks make it better.

My biggest enjoyment is taking the cars that have been off of the road and unlicensed for 20-30 years and putting them back together and putting them back on the road.

So if I had to do it over, I'd still build it.

[1969chargerrtse]

Still haven't sold it then huh?  I was following the other thread and I knew there were some issues but I haven't kept up to date.

Working with one eBay buyer, if it doesn't sell, I may re list.

[69 OUR/TEA]

I myself rather have a resto project,you get to see it from inside out,know what you have when your done,and for myself,being that I can do the major cost of the resto,the paint/body,it gets me ahead of the game right from the start.NTM,and I think I can speak for most of the quality body/paint guys here,when you do paint/body,it would be hard pressed to be satisfied with someone elses bodywork/paint.
I still enjoy doing the resto,from the bodywork,painting,restoring assemblies,doing the assembly,and best of all,when you are done and enjoying it, the gratitude that comes when you get some compliments on it.
I have seen some cars for sale for some pretty steep amounts,and on just about all of them,I can find items that either were'nt done correctly,or to a nice caliber.IMO,few and far between cars come along for sale that I can honestly say WOW,and if they do,the price tag,also WOW !!!!
BUT,and I say BUT,if you are not determined to have a show stopper for a car,and you think about buying a project,and driver/cruise night quality will satisfy you,just drop the ,and this is a wide spectrum I'm covering,$20-$35k and get in it and turn the key and enjoy life now.If you don't have the money,go get a collector car loan,because you WILL be dumping $500 ++++++ monthly into it,buying parts,materials,tools,etc.

[gschmidt211]

I am working on my project now.  At this time, I guess I would prefer to have bought something more complete and drivable.  I miss driving a car to the shows.  However, the cars of the past have been okay drivers.  Not really show quality.  With that being said, I know that when I am done, I will be so glad that I kept at it and finished it. 

At the beginning of the year, I came within $150 of selling everything I had to find a nice driver.  As I spend nights after work scrapping underbody off of the car, I realize how nice it will be to know every inch of the car when I am done.  As I get through the underbody I know how solid this car is.  It has also been fantastic that my 6 year old son has been able to come in the garage and put on his safety glasses and ear protection and grab the pneumatic scrapper and get to work.  Sure he doesn't really remove a lot of coating, but this experience of building a car could never be replaced by just buying something. 

There are a lot of cars out there I would love to have, but money is an object so the route I am going with a build makes the most since for me if I want to have a fairly nice car when I am done.  My 318 Satellite was nice, but it will be no comparison to my Rallye when it is done. 

Good luck with your project and keep at it.

[c00nhunterjoe]

It brings a whole new level of respect when you talk to the guy at a show that did his car himself from the ground up vs the guy that just bought a finished car and the only details he can give you are the color and size of the tires........ 

[Cooter]

It brings a whole new level of respect when you talk to the guy at a show that did his car himself from the ground up vs the guy that just bought a finished car and the only details he can give you are the color and size of the tires........ 

AMEN bro. My thoughts exactly. Not everybody CAN do their own, but I wasn't born with a Filler spreader and a welder in my hand either.

[c00nhunterjoe]

It brings a whole new level of respect when you talk to the guy at a show that did his car himself from the ground up vs the guy that just bought a finished car and the only details he can give you are the color and size of the tires........ 

AMEN bro. My thoughts exactly. Not everybody CAN do their own, but I wasn't born with a Filler spreader and a welder in my hand either.

The only way you will learn is by doing it.

"If at first you don't succeed, call it version 1.0"

[Cooter]

It brings a whole new level of respect when you talk to the guy at a show that did his car himself from the ground up vs the guy that just bought a finished car and the only details he can give you are the color and size of the tires........ 

AMEN bro. My thoughts exactly. Not everybody CAN do their own, but I wasn't born with a Filler spreader and a welder in my hand either.

The only way you will learn is by doing it.

"If at first you don't succeed, call it version 1.0"

Dang Coonhunter, you's my kinda guy...Excellent! 

[c00nhunterjoe]

It brings a whole new level of respect when you talk to the guy at a show that did his car himself from the ground up vs the guy that just bought a finished car and the only details he can give you are the color and size of the tires........ 

AMEN bro. My thoughts exactly. Not everybody CAN do their own, but I wasn't born with a Filler spreader and a welder in my hand either.

The only way you will learn is by doing it.

"If at first you don't succeed, call it version 1.0"

Dang Coonhunter, you's my kinda guy...Excellent! 

That's the basic approach I took to my body work. I hve no garage. I did all the work in the driveway. The right side 1\4 is 100% handmade out of 24x24 squares of sheetmetal. It resembles a 1\4 but that's about all I can say for it..... version 1.0.   I found that jcwhitney sells skins for less money then I had in the square sheets so I bought a pair and did the left side with the skin. Its better, but far from perfect. Version 2.0..... lol.  I've never done bodywork before and it looks pretty good 6 feet away.  If I can wrestle bodywork, in my driveway, inbetween thunderstorms and high humidity then anybody can!

[Cooter]

That's what I'm talking bout!

[UH60L]

I was lucky, in that I bought a project...that was dirveable.  If I had it all, to do over again, I'd still buy it, but I would wait on putting it in the body shop until I could better afford to do so.

I let my emotions ge the best of me because my dad died, and I wanted to do it as a tribute to him. My dad was 43 when I was born, and he served in WWII in the army.  We didn't have much in common, except that we both enjoyed watching the Dukes of Hazzard and M.A.S.H. togeather.  I joined the army, and work on helicopters in a med-evac unit (hmmm  M.A.S.H....), and always wanted a '69 charger......

Over 4 years later and now I can't afford to finish it.  May be several more years before I can.

It was dirveable and I was enjoying taking it to cruise-ins and car shows, and now it just sits in my garage and makes me depressed because I can't finish it.

Funny how sometimes TV or movies can have such an effect on you......(could of been hanging out with dad too....)   

[myk]

I drove my Charger home in '94 after I bought it.  I drove it daily throughout college and some other stuff for a few years.  What I would've done differently is waited for the year that I truly wanted, a '68.  As a matter of fact, there was a gorgeous, red '68 R/T with cragars, stripe, black vinyl roof and a 4 speed that was in show quality shape for $5K in my neighborhood but I didn't buy it because the Charger I have now was selling for $2500 and I didn't want to save up for the better car.  Ah well.  Live and let live...

[440]

I would have done it 20 years ago when cars and parts were cheap and plentiful and a decent paint job didn't cost you 20K+.

[UH60L]

I would have done it 20 years ago when cars and parts were cheap and plentiful and a decent paint job didn't cost you 20K+.

You got that right!   

[RallyeMike]

I am doing it again. And again, and again, and again, and again........

...but i'm definitely slowing down.

[Brock Lee]

My car has a ton of sentimental attachment. But if I had to do it over again, I would have bought one that needed a little more work that was a R/T. At the time I passed up an R/T that was $1K more that had a great deal of work done, but was in pieces. In retrospect it was the better deal. But I guess the years I got immediate satisfaction are worth something.

[doctor4766]

But I guess the years I got immediate satisfaction are worth something.

That's a bit like skanky women vs "the marrying kind"
You know they're not around for the long haul, but fun to drive while it lasts...

[Cooter]

I think too, part of the problem with restoring a Classic car, even a Charger, is the fact that Many will join a forum/club dedicated to only those cars. Well, inevidably, there is one or two in the club that IMO, "Over-restores" his/her car. Then, everybody else tends to want to try and duplicate that level. As if those 1968 doors on a 1970 Charger is gonna be noticed by ANYBODY in your home town at a local show? As if those Incorrect Bumper guards are gonna be noticed by the same?

But, get on a forum/club board with a bunch of diehards, and you'll be spending way more money on perfection that you intended on.

I know it was that way with my own Christine. She began with plain bumpers with no bumper wings. These wing tips for these cars are like original Daytona nose cones here. Anyway, Before you know it, the car had a set of $750.00 Reproduction Air cleaners that I swore I wouldn't buy, and damn near $2500.00 in the bumpers with wings rechromed. I restored it to a different level because it was being "Critiqued" by the worst bunch ever to critique it, the club. What would have been cheaper and "Good enough" for the local shows, suddenly became "Not good enough"....

[sixpack70]

Back in 2004 I bougjt my charger. I wanted a 68 R/T but my 70 V code 4spd car popped up on ebay. I had seen a v code project that often and still don't. I had to have it. I would not have been able to afford this car finished even though its NOM and trans. Divorce and deployment forced me to put it on the back burner. I hope to get back to it next summer. I am aleays drawn to projects. They interest me more than a complete car. I still need a few more tools to do things right and if it's not perfect it's ok. I won't. Be afraid to put miles on the car.

[elanmars]

I've bought "done" cars and running projects...and running projects so far have turned out to be less expensive. The "done" cars I've bought, they all ended up needing lots of work, as the people I bought those cars from didn't really drive them that much (or nowhere near as I end up doing). I make all of mine daily drivers, so I find the gremlins quite fast. And they may have had nice paint but all had some form of hack body work that needed fixing in the end.

I don't need a perfect, numbers matching, rare ride...just something I can have fun cruising in and make into a daily driver without going broke.