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Etennuly
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 03:25 pm: | 
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Beautiful hotrod Greg. Too bad the value has taken the fun out of it.
I guess I am on the other side of the fence. I have made money on the majority of the vehicles that I have owned. The sure fire way to not come out ahead is to buy new. Unless the value is gained through the vehicles use.
Funny thing. Many years back I obtained a wrecked near new Z28. Back when money meant a good bit more. 6000 mile $19,000 value clean title car. I fixed it properly got 90 percent of the job done all that was left was to put the final paint on it. It was cut in and completely reassembled.
I screwed up taking it for a test drive. It was so much fun to drive. It would power drift around on ramps, do donuts in parking lots, all of that sideways drifting stuff. Took it to the drag strip had a ball with it. Drove it about six months this way.
Then I painted it. Shit. On this day it became the $19,000 car. After 30 plus hours painting, sanding, buffing, installing factory stripe package I became a nervous nelly. No more fun driving, fear of parking dings, washing the Damn thing as much as driving it. So it became beautiful, now it was useless to me. I sold it a few weeks later.
I have that issue with being the custodian of my low miles original 04 Vette. Just too nice to hammer on. I will hammer on this old one that was acquired for this purpose. |
Chauly
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 03:40 pm: |
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I know of what you speak, Vern. A friend built an AC Cobra Kit:, Beautiful job, built 351, Tremec 6-Speed, the works. Drove like a dream. Then, like you, he painted it. $5000 paint job, and absolutely stopped driving it. I suggested Earl Scheib at $200, then paint it before he sold it. I never saw it driven again... |
Natexlh1000
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 04:58 pm: |
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I only made money on one car: 1987 Mercury Lynx station wagon (Ford Escort)
I paid $300 for it. burnt oil like a two stroke and drivers door had been left open while backing into a pole.
My dad and I beat on the bodywork so it closed, didn't whistle on the highway and looked like garbage.
Some guy bought it from me for $450 after 6 months.
I guess he had an engine for it? |
Ratbuell
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 05:15 pm: |
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I made money on one. This was in...oh, I'd say '05? Coworker said "you need to buy my Volare, the HOA is on my case because it sits in the lot and never gets driven".
I don't want your Volare.
"you're a mopar guy, you should have it - how much money is in your wallet right now?"
um...$38.
"you own a Volare".
Grandmas car. Slant six, auto, factory a/c, 4 door, triple-green - medium green paint, two-tone green interior, dark green gator-grain vinyl top. 30k original miles. Put a battery in it to get it home. Sitting idling in his parking lot while we did paperwork, in 95 degree sunshine, it was blowing 34 degrees out the a/c vents. At IDLE.
Got it home. Buffed it and waxed it, it looked brand new. Put a set of 15" cop wheels on it that I had laying around. Muffler and tailpipe. And...drove it. 25+ mpg, ice cold air, just a neat car to cruise around in.
Cutting grass one day, it was in the driveway. PT Turbo drove by...stopped...backed into my driveway. "My son is turning 16 and he thinks he's getting my turbo; want to sell me that Volare?"
Well...it's my driver right now, I'm kinda enjoying it...
"I'll give you $3500 cash for it".
Let me go get the title out of the safe, I'll be right back out.
...I should never have sold that car... |
Hootowl
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 05:21 pm: |
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Why in God's holy name would his kid want a PT Cruiser?  |
Mnscrounger
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 05:46 pm: |
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Thanks Rat! now I got that STUPID song in my head... |
Crusty
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 06:38 pm: |
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Hey; at least it didn't have Rich Corinthian Leather seats. |
Aesquire
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 06:52 pm: |
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I only made a profit on one car. My first. A '65 Jaguar XKE convertible. Bought it from my high school best friend's father, who ran a garage specializing in British cars, who'd taken it on a mechanic's lien. It needed a top and the exhaust was in the trunk, plus I was still on my learner permit, so he towed it to my house.
My father was very calm about it. And very strict. I could keep it only if I had insurance. "But I'll fix it up first!" No. He understood the temptation to test drive. Insurance, or gone.
The rest of the day was spent with minor variations on this phone conversation. My side. "I need to buy car insurance. 1965. Jaguar. Convertible. 6 cylinder. Just liability. 16. ( click ) Hello? Hello?" The only insurance I could find was $3000 for six months. More than I paid for the car and far more than I had left.
Walked out of the house despondent to find a neighbor looking at the car. Sold it on the spot for $1000 more than I paid & helped push it across the street into his driveway. Afaik it never got fixed up, just sat in his garage.
Never got to drive it, owned it one day. Still, I did have, all too briefly, the prettiest car ever in production. |
Aesquire
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 06:57 pm: |
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Volare! Khan's car!
You can't kill a slant six as long as there's oil circulating. My first van had the slant six with three on the tree. Unstoppable. Drove up every mountain in New York and Pennsylvania that had a glider launch. Often loaded with six or more gliders, pilots and crew. |
Ratbuell
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 09:23 pm: |
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Yep. "Leaning Tower of Power"...especially with the torque-suck of an a/c compressor! Let's just say all the speed laws in the nation were nice and safe from being violated by that car.
The kid wanted the *G*-T Cruiser. Turbocharged. Decently neat little cars, strong enough engine. Bore a passing resemblance to a '49 Dodge I used to own... |
Hootowl
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 09:51 pm: |
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The PT could have been a great car. But dodge f’ed it up. I spent about a month with one (rental). Terrible car. |
Aesquire
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 10:17 pm: |
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I LIKED the styling. Liked the dash. Most uncomfortable seats I've sat in in a rental. Like 2 slabs of wood at an angle like a "V" with a gap in the middle. At least that's what my butt told me after a dozen miles.
I've driven hundreds of thousands of miles on Postal truck seats. Lowest bidder. Paradise compared to a PT Cruiser.
The lack of power didn't help. I didn't try the turbo.
A buddy had the Dodge Shadow with the turbo. The naturally aspirated version was a slug but his was pretty peppy. |
Etennuly
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 05:05 am: |
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Wife had a PT Stock 4cyl auto. Transmission self destructed at 36,000 just before warranty expired. Second trans died at 70,000. Otherwise just a fairly uncomfortable dependable ride. |
Ducbsa
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 05:18 am: |
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My wife's first car was a '76 Volare. After we got married, she got a new car and I got the Volare. The eggcrate grill was a little busted out and my workmates called the car "The Shark." Nobody with a nicer car (everybody) dared to try to intimidate me from my right of way! The oil filter was at an angle IIRC and really made a mess when I changed the oil. Other than that it was a fine commuter car. Although I did weld up the diff on a trip by not checking its oil level (oops!). |
Rick_a
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 07:26 am: |
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The only thing I believe I've ever made money on ever was a single shot 50BMG rifle I put together. Everything else has been well used and at times well worn by the time it's sold.
I had a fairly cherry 4spd manual '79 Camaro Berlinetta with the Rally Sport package in a shimmering metallic dark blue. It was sold while a very incomplete project car. I never put it on the road officially and I kinda miss it. At the time I was just happy to be rid of it. |
Aesquire
| | Posted on Friday, January 26, 2018 - 04:21 am: |
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Dad loves his Prius. He's on his third one. The first he had for years, bought a new one three years ago and traded it on the third a month later. (small one to medium large, small was hard to climb into with his back ) Drives cross country, NY to Florida, Nebraska, etc. Comfortable and awesome real world mileage.
I'm not as fond. Numb, heavy, but stable. Enough power for town or highway.
Much preferred the VW TDI. But you have to like the diesel power delivery. If you love top end rush, get a gas turbo. I liked the implacable way it ignores quite steep hills, and if you go Sport mode, will surprise you up to 70... much like a Buell I just like to ride the wave of torque fairly smoothly up to cruise. |
Rick_a
| | Posted on Sunday, February 04, 2018 - 11:45 pm: |
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I'm liking the idea of a sport pickup.
The wife does, too.
The only problem is it would likely end up commandeered by the spousal unit...which would be fine, I suppose. |
Ducxl
| | Posted on Monday, February 05, 2018 - 01:47 pm: |
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Rick,Marriage is compromise and a Man needs his machine....That your new car may be commandeered by a spouse is troubling.I let my wife use my '10 Ranger for daily duty so she can use the Hemi (I BOUGHT HER) in Summer.Yeah, i'll occasionally COMMANDEER her Hemi for a "Pistol Grip 6" blast.
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Phelan
| | Posted on Monday, February 05, 2018 - 02:02 pm: |
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I like the looks of the 1st gen Chevy Colorado's. Performance, not so much. Not to mention the market around here commands full size pricing for those pint sized trucks. I'm going to look at a 2010 Silverado W/T on Thursday. 60k miles, Single cab 4.8 V8 longbed. $10,300. No power windows, but it does have cruise control. I need something a little more reliability and with a/c to carry 2 bikes to Florida in June. My 1990 C1500 Has 203,000 miles, shortbed (ex cab), no a/c and not radio. No way am I driving to Florida in the middle of the summer with no a/c  .
(Message edited by phelan on February 05, 2018) |
Court
| | Posted on Monday, February 05, 2018 - 05:30 pm: |
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Glad I am no the only one here with a car problem . . . . fun reading.
Fortunately . . . the better half sold her beloved Porsche 959 the years before me met . . . Probably smart . . . she wouldn't want me "borrowing" that one ! |
Hootowl
| | Posted on Monday, February 05, 2018 - 05:52 pm: |
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That's a rare car, even when it was new. Homologation special. Especially rare in the US. |
Etennuly
| | Posted on Monday, February 05, 2018 - 09:06 pm: |
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Got to love a hemi.....even the new ones! |
Court
| | Posted on Monday, February 05, 2018 - 10:59 pm: |
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There is something about the body style of the Semi that looked good back when and still looks good today. It's one of the muscle cars that, as currently styled, remains true to it's roots.
It's got to be a hoot to drive ! |
Rick_a
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 06, 2018 - 08:16 am: |
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quote:Rick,Marriage is compromise and a Man needs his machine....That your new car may be commandeered by a spouse is troubling.
Understood.
We have an understanding. What's mine is ours and what's hers is hers. She gets her car and I have my bike(s) and guns. Whatever she drives is hers. Whatever I drive is "ours." I'd only drive it a couple months out of the year so that's okay.
That's a nice pair of vehicles. |
Etennuly
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 06, 2018 - 08:56 am: |
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"What is mine is ours what is hers is hers"
Hahahahahahahaha
Ow! I just hurt myself!  |
Crusty
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 06, 2018 - 09:36 am: |
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Funny; I always heard it as, "What's hers is hers and what"s mine is hers".
If you don't believe that, get a divorce and see how that goes. |
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