opinion on keeping a car...

[snotrocket71]

hey, i have a strange question to post... i'm a super sentimental person, everything i own has meaning, some things more than others especially my cars. currently i own my 86 jimmy, 71 cutlass and 87 cutlass. my 71 i'll never get rid of, but my 87 i'm having a hard time parting with, i owned it for over 3 years and have a huge amount of memories in it not to mention time and money spent working on it. i took it off the road to get my jimmy, which i wanted for the winter and going down the beach but have no attachment to for now. i have the 87 in storage but to pay for storage is a slight strain and the money i'd sell it for ($1800) would be nice to have. its a beautiful looking car and hate to see it go. when i had a guy look at it, i actually started to teary eyed thinking about all the fun ive had in it. everyone tells me i'm crazy to keep it and that it doesnt make sense to have 3 cars (even though only ones on the road). it does need some work (tires, exhaust, passenger floor pan and doors) but its uniquely optioned and love driving it... any thoughts opinions or experiences?

 

[blazinzuk]

I don't sell things unless they are causing me financial hardship (usually due to storing them somewhere) or I lose interest in them.

Sometimes I have because I just simply haven't been able to story them anywhere or I wanted to use money on another project that was more important to me.

Not very hard for me though I do get attached to my cars but there comes a time when I know its time to sell. Sometimes I don't like to sell them but I need to

 

[Stomis]

The only time I sell something is if I loose interest totally OR if its causing me to be in the hole and I want out.

Personally I think you'll be hard pressed to get $1800 for your 87 unless its in really nice shape or low miles or something that makes it stand out from the onslaught of $800 ex-old lady cars ready to be rod'd.

I payed $1500 for my 86 and its a true blue 442 with an astro roof...

 

[Polski-Chevy]

It's harder to get rid of stuff if you have sentimental ties, my in-laws have a heck of a time getting rid of anything so seeing that really made me reevaluate my things.

I decided this, if I can't drive it, shoot it, eat it, wear it, or use it when the SHTF then I don't need it.

That made it easier to sever those ties knowing that if tomorrow went black what would I trully need?

 

[Jessie James]

I don't form any kind of sentimental attachment to my vehicles, that's for sure. However, I have owned over 100 cars too. I also don't get upset when someone door dings my cars.

The reality is that your memories are in your head. Photos can help you remember the good times too. But keeping a broken down car says more about me in a negative way than my good memories, so I'd rather lighten my load in life as far as possessions and give my mind less to worry about and more able to remember the good times!

 

[ryoken]

I don't form any kind of sentimental attachment to my vehicles, that's for sure. However, I have owned over 100 cars too.

that's freakin sad.... I can't stand that, people that just own a ton of stuff, turn things over, buy/sell, buy/sell, etc.... there's a few in here, 84CUCV comes to mind......

i'm all about building great vehicles, not buying one... or not having one long enough to do it...

 

[PARTSGUY]

I'm starting to get attached to my Jimmy. I also have a 64 Nova that I cant stand to part with. The Nova has been mine for the past 12 years or so.

 

[jeff in co]

I am sentimental too. I sold my old truck 15 years ago. My college rig and then got married in it (left the reception). Also have a lot of memories in there with my wife. Well, I found it and just bought it back about 6 months ago.......

Looked for a long time but finally found it! Here is my first thread looking for it.

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188419

 

[tRustyK5]

that's freakin sad.... I can't stand that, people that just own a ton of stuff, turn things over, buy/sell, buy/sell, etc.... there's a few in here, 84CUCV comes to mind......

i'm all about building great vehicles, not buying one... or not having one long enough to do it...

It's always more than a hunk of steel in the driveway for me too. Hell, I bought my '90 15 months ago with intentions of "no mods, don't care about the body...go out and wheel with no conscience". Instead I kinda fell in love with the old pile of crap and the snowball has begun. For me all it takes is a few initial positive experiences with a vehicle...my '90 I got cheap because it had issues. I spent almost nothing, and maybe an afternoon of my time and it was (and still is) running great.

Rene

 

[doubletrouble]

I've got a '79 chevy truck that my parents bought brand new off the lot in '79. I got my drivers license in it, drove it all threw high school and a few years after. I will never get rid of it. I get attached to my vehicles.

 

[ryoken]

It's always more than a hunk of steel in the driveway for me too. Hell, I bought my '90 15 months ago with intentions of "no mods, don't care about the body...go out and wheel with no conscience". Instead I kinda fell in love with the old pile of crap and the snowball has begun. For me all it takes is a few initial positive experiences with a vehicle...my '90 I got cheap because it had issues. I spent almost nothing, and maybe an afternoon of my time and it was (and still is) running great.

Rene

I don't buy things just cuz it's a "deal" or something like that... I buy cars and trucks cuz I'm into them.... Cuda's, Challengers, Chevelle's, K-series, etc...

I guess that's why i love what i build, i only put my efforts into what i have a passion for, not just whatever comes along.....

 

[snotrocket71]

wow, i wasnt expecting so many replies and different takes on the matter. for the record it is relatively unique in my book, its a cutlass salon with every option except power seats and power trunk, black burgundy interior and stock rallye wheels, its pretty much a 442 sans the 9 in the vin, high lift cam, 15x7 wheels, 8.5 rear. air cleaner and 120 cluster (most of which i have including a set of lighting rod shifters). we also have an 86 442 thats been in the family since new that i would never ever sell. it runs and drives just fine but isnt perfect. i may wind up giving it to my younger brother for a steal and let him pay it off somehow... its funny how some people have no attachment and others like myself feel a car is part of the family, i fell in love with it the first time i saw it just like my Jimmy, it moved me on an emotional level. it has character to it, all cars have personality in my book, more over they're like an extension of the owners character. thats my take on the matter at least, i really liked hearing everyones opinion on it, thank you all.

 

[ryoken]

for me it's all about sheetmetal.. the shape of the car.... rims, paint, etc can all be done to taste....

I can't tell ya how passionate I am about the sheetmetal on a

drives me batty on how badarse i think that body is... first gen camaro? they're ok, but a Cuda is a perfect hotrod shape IMO... it's #2 in the next vehicles to do... 41 Willy's cuz i always wanted to try my hand at an oldie, then another Cuda...

 

[tRustyK5]

This body style is the one that does it for me...also Mopar.

I had a '72, loved it and still kick myself for selling it.

Rene

 

[ryoken]

sick... my bud had a black and white one in high school.. nasty, nasty, nasty.... very cool...

 

[tRustyK5]

Mine looked like Grandma's Dart. Cream with a green vinyl top, hubcaps etc. Once the light turned green all you saw was the tail lights though.

I will have another one day. One day when I'm not so financially embarrassed...

Rene

 

[ryoken]

I don't even want to contemplate what it's gonna cost to get another Cuda body.. even a basket case is probably 10 g's these days...

 

[imiceman44]

Well I am not a material guy, but while I am here I want to enjoy things, so I aquire cars that I like, when I need money I would sell the one I least like at the time, although I have a few times sold some of my dear to my heart cars or trucks to keep a roof over my head (57 willys wagon all original) at the moment I have more than 20, and I am selling some because I don't have enough room for them, and the money is tight, but as I said I have a scale of how much I am attached to them and on the top of the list now is my 62 Greenbriar 8 door Van and the 65 corvair coupe followed by the 67 Firebird 400. Mostly because it's harder to find one if I let go of these.
The other trucks I have can be replaced but I still hold on to them till I can't anymore.
In the end the memories are in your head and heart, I don't even like to take pics for memories, if I can't remember them like I am in them, then it's not worth remembering anyway.
So in short, if it causes you hardship I would sell it, I never paid to store my vehicles, no way are they worth that much.

 

[Stomis]

If we wanna play name our favorite MOPAR its all about the demon...

Now because I'm a big late model muscle fan (hence my owning a monte ss, regal and 442 before I turned 21) and we're talking mopar its all about the aspen....

 

[tRustyK5]

I don't even want to contemplate what it's gonna cost to get another Cuda body.. even a basket case is probably 10 g's these days...

There is a '70 Dart Swinger here on CL for $1500, looks straight enough...just don't have the money. 'Cuda's were always more sought after, and there seemed to be a lot less of them.

I didn't mind the Duster/Demon...it just didn't do it for me like the Dart did. I think it's the swept pillars, pretty much every 'favorite' of mine had that. Charger, Dart, Malibu, GTO, and several lesser known cars. The odd feature i always liked was the reverse curved rear glass.

Rene