I too get too attached to my vehicles--all I have owned and sold ,I regretted doing so later,especially my first generation K5's (had 3 of them!),and my '69 GTO--and my '66 Buicks,I had a 2 door Electra 225 and a 4 door Wildcat-,and 2 80's El-Camino's and one 82 GMC Cabbalaro-all of those are now well over 10K to replace(except the caminos maybe)....mine were not pristine however,and rust took its toll on them,the GTO was hit by a semi trailers rear tire and brake drum one cold June day and was never quite the same after that..
...despite their condition they still were sold a lot cheaper than what I could have got out of them..and the countless hours of labor repairing them and the money spent doing so was for naught in the end...but I still have dreams about those vehicles,even though its been a decade since I had them..
I'm at a crossroads now,I am facing my 83 year old mothers demise,and I most likely wont be living in her house once she's gone--even if I had a good job and could work I'd be hard pressed to keep the place's taxes paid ,never mind all the other expenses,and I have a sister & 2 brothers I'd have to buy out in the unlikely event I'm even in her will any more!..so all of my posessions will have to be liquidated,I wont have any place to store them,and since my sight is getting poorer ,it may come to pass I cant drive them any more anyway....the thing I hate losing the most will be the quonset garage I built here in 1992,I'll never be able to buy any property or feel good enough to build another garage--dont even feel good enough lately to use the one I have!--maybe its partly my mond set thats got me so discouraged,I dont know..I just feel like my body is crapping out on me ,and if I cant use the garage or vehicles I guess they aren't worth having..
My 81 G-10 van I have owned 21 years,bought it in 1990..it has sat in the driveway since 2003 when I got my 82 K2500.and a '79 C-10 Bonanza which I stupidly sold when I was in need of cash more than having 3 vehicles I could no longer afford to keep registered..I hate the thoughts of selling the van,mostly the memories of the places I went in it ,some with friends no longer alive,and the fact I may end up using it for a "home" once my mom is gone has kept me from selling it...to anyone but me its just a POS,couldn't get a few hundred bucks for it probably--it needs a rear spring,some more body patches here & there,and it has a '73 307 engine --not someones dream vehicle by any means,its worth more at the crusher now than I'd get from anyone buying it to use again..and I'm sure sitting has taken a toll on many parts like brakes,etc...but I balk at cashing it in for say,500 bucks in scrap,because that 500 bucks will dissapear the first day--I need work boots,new eyeglasses and possibly eye surgery,clothes,and also still have 700+ bucks owed on my car insurance for the year for my Ford Contour and the 82 K2500--my 85 K-10 Burb has sat in the yard over a year since buying it,I dont have the money to title it and get uit registered,plus it needs tranny work and glow plugs...so if I scrap my van ,and a flatbed trailer on a '52 GMC 3/4 ton 2wd frame with an Eaton full floater,I could maybe get a grand out of them if I stuff a lot of loose metal inside them...but the thoughts of having them gone AND having the cash from them dissapear so fast leaving me not much better off turns my stomach...but they will HAVE to go sooner or later,and later,scrap prices might be squat compared to now,so I shouldn't procastinate--.
I may even have to part with my Contour,which has the most sentimental value of all to me,due to the fact it was a gift from a very sweet lady who happens to be the number one female vocalist and entertainer of the year in Bluegrass..though she has told me more than once I should have traded it towards a newer vehicle,and she probably wouldn't have hurt feelings if I did sell it,I would!..I'd feel guilty as hell,she did a nice thing for a person in need and I dont relish the thoughts of just "getting rid of it" for "profit" (though I might not have the sight to drive it anyway soon!)--I'd almost prefer to give it to another needy person,but the situation I am in now,I DO need money to fall back on...
Sometimes I wish that I didn't have these sentimental feelings,and I could be cold and callous ,like most females,when it comes to cars ,trucks and other motorized things,and just be able to send them to the crusher or sell them with no regrets,or concern about the feelings of those who gave them to you...it's one thing,if you have a CHOICE whether to keep things,it really sucks when you DONT and things "have" too be sold though....if I had my way I'd probably still have every vehicle I owned since I turned 16 sitting in the yard!..you may console yourself by sauying "I'll get another better one someday",but the cold hard fats is they aint making any more old vehicles,and the few still existing are not getting any cheaper,or easier to get parts for...I hate to scrap the 307 V8 in my van because finding ANY carbed V8 around here is getting dam near impossible for less than 500 bucks--not that its a real "desireable" engine,but its better than nothing if you did latch onto an old GM car with no motor & tranny...
Sometimes your life just plain sucks,thats where mine is right about now..looking at losing it all and having nothing the rest of my days..
