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2 Mopars, or Not 2 Mopars

I have a full time job, family, & friends. Just keeping my daily drivers maintained (commuter+winter salt beater) while working on 1 classic Mopar is more time than I have to give.
 
I want to add that I am very fortunate to even be able to have such a problem, and it couldn't be possible without the help of a few good friends, and fbbo and fabo.

Somehow, myself and two other friends ended up with a few cars each, and we struggle to keep them going, and keep them stored.

I wouldn't have what I have without these individuals, and not just stuff, I've gained so much knowledge from patient people willing to take their valuable time and educate my dumb ***.
 
Solve your storage problem first.

Disclaimer- I have 8 units of "garage", but still not enough room really.

My Dakota has to sit outside.
 
I have 11 cars in the garage, 5 in storage trailers,2 at a friends place,and 3 outside.
 
It is truly a sickness that can easily get out of control! I sold off ten other projects in the last two years!
 
I currently have six. Three that are "finished" (whatever that means since you are never done with them), one project in full swing nearing completion, and two waiting in the queue. I think four would be a much more manageable number for me so I will likely thin the herd at some point in the future. Obviously the manageable number for everyone is different. Pretty sure that the magic number for me will continue to shrink as I get older. A likely scenario would be just the A12, my wife's GTS 'vert, and the 340 Duster that I have owned for 40+ years. Of course I have always wanted a car with those phunny valve covers so maybe that magic number is four after all...:D:D:D
 
I have 4 myself. 2 drivers, one I have to just figure out some wiring and one is my wife's 65 wagon the blew the axle bearings so that is being addressed. I love the fact that I have a choice.
 
70chall440 said:
My retirement plan is that once I get all of mine essentially together, then I am going to rotate them and work on them one at a time improving them as it suits me.
Click to expand...
My dad does something similar. He has 5 vintage cars and has been very diligent about never having more than 1 that can’t drive. He’s 79 and every year he license and tags 2 of them, so they are on a rotation of sorts. All indoor storage on his property. He will go to the grave with all 5.

Right now all 5 are finished. He reports the biggest money pits with the cars are the tires dry rot or flat spot long before they would ever wear out; batteries crap out after 3-5 years; to a lessor degree, oil changes and wiper blades.

To address the above, he has 2 sets of driver tires/wheels (torq thrusts), and 2 batteries. They rotate to the driver cars. He lives in southern Nevada so has year round driving, and of the collection, he has 2 he doesn’t like putting miles on (drag car with 4.56s, and one with 58,000 original miles). The rest he drives the wheels off. Literally will go on 2,000 mile sight seeing trips.

For me, I have 3 and find that keeps me at max, both budget and time. 2 of the 3 could drive anywhere. The 3rd is getting a new engine/trans, disc brakes, upgraded axles and 4.30s. So it can’t drive right now.

You’ll figure out what you can afford and have time for, but my advice is to always have one that you can hit the key on and drive; that will keep you going on the others when you burn out of sanding/stripping/cutting/wrenching, etc.
 
I have always been a traded sort. One or two cars sell to help pay for a "keeper" till it gets thinned out of the herd at some point. I find this almost impossible to do now days. The good part is I started back in mid 80's when they were easy to find, cheap ( sorta), and I had all the good stuff. NO after 35yrs I am content driving just bout anything Mopar wise.
It is just a fun hobby, and car people are great, even the ones that are not so great!!
 
The biggest challenges I face are money (of course) and at times motivation. I do pretty much 99.99% of all of the work on my vehicles by myself; I do not have any local "buddies" that are into cars with me, so being a one man show it takes a while plus its easy to procrastinate. This is the prime reason I am on a variety of forums, to talk to like minded/interested people and to get support, ideas, etc. When I was a kid, I always had 2 or 3 friends that were building cars, but I do not have that now. Sure I could go out and try and "make new friends" but I am a bit old for that. I do have some local contacts and a friend or 2 that are interested in cars, but most are not anywhere near into them like I am or capable of working on them. I have a buddy who loves Mopars but has a lot of physical issues that prohibit him from really working on them, so I am going to do a bunch of work on his 69 Plymouth wagon (original 383 4spd) so that he can hopefully enjoy that car.
 
Kinda in that boat now too. Many of my friends quit racing or went through a divorce and moved away and some have even passed on. At one time I had 12 vehicles including the daily drivers. Now I'm down to 4 but it's looking like 1 is about to be retired and that's my 95 Dakota. The newest vehicle in the 'fleet' is a 97 Diesel and the only car from the 60's is my 66 Belvedere. I also sold several cars years ago to help finance the project car but that money ended up in the household instead and now that I'm divorced.......the cash is pretty much gone.
 
The cars that I sold were all for the most part extensive project cars,two were borderline parts cars. The list of cars went like this.
1968 Satellite convertible project car. Needed the AMD catalog restoration, was bought by a FBBO member.
1968 Charger roller, needs the usual metal replacement, bought by the same FBBO member.
1973 Charger 400 automatic car running project, sold on Craigslist
1971 Satellite 383,super solid project car with a lot of nice parts. Sold to a friend.
1970 Charger 383 car with 440 in it,needed the usual metal replacement, sold on E bay.
1973 Charger roller, sold to a friend
1973 Satellite complete car,rusty parts car,sold to a friend
1970 Charger roller needed most Charger sheet metal, but good bones,sold to a friend
1971 Charger SE matching numbers 383 car, running car needs restoration, sold to a friend.
1968 Chrysler Imperial convertible project car, complete car,440 engine, needs restoration, sold on Craigslist.
I sold these cars for reasonable prices so someone would save them, and all but the 73 Satellite and going to be saved.
 
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