Buy It or Build It?

[biomedtechguy]

I'll see my dream come true.

 

[Hey-O]

I'm 65 and I know all the men in my family died in their mid-eighties. (I have insomnia, I'm looking forward to getting some sleep.) Both my kids are car fanatics. My hope is someday (Let's figure 35 years per generation) that a kid in 2102 says this car was my great-grandad's. My biggest issue is I buy too many cars to keep all of them in tip-top shape. I just got the word I have to spend $700+ on fixing the '69 Charger and a lot of it was fixing things less qualified mechanics did wrong.

Here's my list right now.
The '69 Charger is fixed but it still needs some paint correction and a seat cover.
1970 GTO drag car. Needs paint.
1970 Coronet 500. Needs interior, driver's door skin. Who knows what else.
1971 Charger Needs buffing and reassembly after paint.
1971 Challenger. It's in good shape.
1973 Pontiac Grand Am. Under construction.
1981 Camaro BumbleBee. Needs a few things but it's supposed to be a POS.
1982 Dodge Ram 50. Looking good.
1991 Ford F-150. Pretty good, with a few dents.
1997 Camaro SS. Looking good.
2006 Hummer H3 Needs some things.

Daily driver 2006 Pontiac Vibe (Toyota) Runs like a champ. I drive it a lot. I don't have any ego wrapped up in my daily.

I get tired just reading all that, first. My friend who was 69 told me every time we were together, longevity runs in his family. His mother was 94 and his father was 95,THEY buried him at 69, Brain cancer. You have no idea, how and when.
These guys with all these cars that they will never have the time or the money to fix are only kidding themselves, you can't save the world! I have built a few, non Mopars, in my life. It's not entertaining to me anymore and I'm glad it is to someone, because I will buy and never build another car in my life. By the time I put ten thousand plus under the hood, a Currie built rear-end, with shipping for 4 thousand. I spent 750 bucks on a 67 GTO , his and hers shifter 13 years ago and I wish I still had that picture of me standing in the trunk of a 71 Nova SS, feet on the ground and NO trunk floor at all. Floors so bad that I had to replace them a section at a time so the car wouldn't fall in half. Front and back frame pockets gone and about 5 inches of the bottom of the firewall ate with holes. I won't bore you with the thousands of dollars spent on the rest of the cars, because you know where I'm going with this.
I bought my Coronet and I know there's no way I could have built it for what I paid for it and I probably paid to much, I don't care!!! I'm 65 and fun now is having the money to buy whatever I want, I can't buy time, I tried that before, It doesn't work. Those that say my car isn't for sale, that's what the guy said that I bought mine from, everything is for sale, when you hit that magic number. Stupid, maybe, having fun, for sure!!! If in doubt, read my second sentence again, I'm not a Debbie downer, I'm a realist. As always, this is just my opinion.

 

[biomedtechguy]

Right on @Hey-O
Fortunately a couple of years have passed now since I was at the funeral of the third of 3 friends (since we were 15 or 16 years old) that died in as many years.
I'm 60, even though I think someone much older than I must have typed that, especially with no kids or grandchildren, gaging the passing of time isn't easy, and I am very "young in spirit" but my body aches more than I'd like.
My point is that, for example, I just missed going to one of my favorite car show events, "Mopars at the Battleship" in Mobile, AL at the Battleship Alabama. This is the SECOND year in a row that I haven't gone. My Roadrunner is ready "enough" to go, and while I'd go without it if I had to, it's that great a show, I wasn't "in a position" to go...
The "vacation camp" by the beach on the Mississippi Gulf Coast that was to be of MAJOR benefit for the ONE "guaranteed" vacation we allow ourselves each year, the week of Cruisin the Coast, when she drives her 1965 421 cu in Tripower GTO and I drive my 70 Roadrunner about 45 minutes from our house to the "camp" and can STAY there, well the nightmare of a 3 year old SAGA of trying to build and finish it is finally just about done! THAT has been a soul shredding money pit of despair and financial strife, but it is practically finished. I already told my taskmaster, my wife, that I'm not going there to cut grass or clean the pool or do much of anything else. I didn't think EITHER of us were going to be able to go to Cruisin the Coast last year, AT ALL (that ONE "guaranteed" vacation I mentioned) because of work schedules and financial drain. Oh the IRONY that the place that was to take our Cruisin experience to the stratosphere has been the reason why we COULDN'T go. She's also doing her Nurse Practitioner school work, as a RN, getting to NP is something she has wanted to do for years.
ALL OF THAT and other obligations have taken charge of my life, making my life NOT MY OWN, and that is a place of MISERY that I no longer want to be in.
So with the construction project basically done, her approaching the end of her school work (and hopefully making a good bit more in pay) I am looking to punch big holes in my schedule to be able to enjoy my Roadrunner more, and to live life more according to what I want to do, rather than my days being filled with my business responsibilities (that really don't bother me, I love my job, my work, and my clients) house upkeep responsibilities, and my wife demanding that ANY other time I have outside of that be consumed by her never ending list of crap that either she can do or she/we/I can pay someone to do.
It's a long post, but definitely relevant to the OP because his question, like many in life, boils down to:
Time
Money
Managing a balance of the two.
I can hustle a little more to make more money, but I can NOT add years to my life, and that number while unknown is nevertheless getting smaller, and I don't want to, I REFUSE to spend however much time I have left being miserable because I am not enjoying ANY of it.

 

[Hey-O]

Outstandingly said!! I enjoyed reading it and I can tell it's an honest view thru your eyes!! Nurse Practitioner, my daughter is a CRNA. I get where you're going on this subject!! I see you differently now, Thanks for sharing!!

 

[barbee6043]

^^^I am 74. Most of my close friends and some cousins never saw 60.
Live life, you are never guaranteed tomorrow.
I have owned many Mopars since mid 80s.
I love the hunt.
I love the build
I hate to sell but I have always had to sell some to afford others.
I am still amazed at the BS it takes to sell a decent car worth the $$$.
I can tell the prospective buy, all body/paint work is DONE. Then they ask me how much rust it has?????

 

[biomedtechguy]

Also relevant to the topic, while I was enjoying driving, cruising, and occasionally racing my Roadrunner with the warmed over 440 6bbl that has been under the hood since I bought it, I have taken it "out of service" for a few days, weeks, even months to do upgrades. Since many were "want to" upgrades or changes versus "need to" repairs, I was able to plan ahead, financially, acquiring the parts, and scheduling a time when I'd be less likely to drive or race it anyway, and the shop or I could get the work done as quickly as possible. When you can plan ahead, that equates to less wasted time and maybe taking advantage of a sale or "multiple items discount" to save money without buying cheaper parts, and having time to research the plan and parts to make it more likely to not have any unnecessary time delays, wrong parts, and especially now-parts that may not be readily available.
I'm having the 572 aluminum stroker put together as my budget allows so when it's ready, my car is ready to receive it. Some of the parts/systems I've had installed met an immediate need or desired upgrade, but while I was having an "area" (front suspension, rear suspension, drivetrain, accessories and serpentine belt system, etc) done, I went ahead and had the stuff the 572 is going to require installed as well. It will help the performance and reliability of the car with my current engine, but it won't have to be changed or upgraded once the 572 is ready to go in.
By doing work on the car in logical sections/systems all at once, including immediate needs and future upgrades when possible, that also minimizes cost and down time, making for more opportunities to drive and enjoy the car.
That's the overarching theme here:
Having a, having "THE" classic muscle car you want AND being able to drive and enjoy it as much as possible!

 

[Durandal25]

For me it was always about the story. Cars that are as close to the original owner as possible. My current ride was the worst one I ever did by far......but had the best and clearest owner history. What a neat find it was. The restoration made a dent in a my wallet, but the journey was worth ten times that. I'll always have that.

 

[biomedtechguy]

@Durandal25
I got curious about your avatar (I'm on the forum on my smartphone 99%+ of the time I'm here) so I clicked on it to zoom in...
and
What a great movie!!
Hanover Fist, overcome by the Loc-Nar during his paid off testimony that was supposed to benefit Captain Stern....

 

[chargervert]

My friend had a bunch of project cars that he had to pay other people to build. He spent over 100k restoring his 70 V code GTX. I told him that he was better off selling off the project cars and buying done cars that he didn't have to pay other people to build and he can drive them now. It has worked out well for him and he has over 50 cars,most of them are done or near done. Unfortunately I don't take my own advice and I have more project cars than I will ever be able to finish in the time I have left. I am just starting to downsize now, and I am facing some hard choices.

 

[barbee6043]

^^^^ few people can spend $100,000 to restore one car much less 50!

 

[4406bbl]

And then there is the problem of finding nice factory parts. An early 80s restoration is kinda like gold because they usually have those. Buy done cars unless you are young. The "culture" of restoration shops has changed and 100k will not get a car done.

 

[barbee6043]

^^^I agree. I have now hit 74 and it is hard to get down AND back up.
I have a good 64 Savoy all body work done, and most of the interior. But Tx is not the hot bed of Mopar! Like pulling teeth to sell a decent car at a more than fair price. No one wants to travel much less pay a transport.
It will eventually sell or I will keep on till it is done, then drive it or if I kick the bucket the wife ill sell it. She's a better salesman.

 

[Richard Cranium]

^^^^ few people can spend $100,000 to restore one car much less 50!

 

[Richard Cranium]

I am just starting to downsize now, and I am facing some hard choices.

Bull Twinkies. You sell two and then buy three more.

 

[Dennis H]

Buy.

 

[Richard Cranium]

The past three cars I've bought were survivors (not that I planned it that way) and all needed some degree of tinkering and finessing. I don't mind doing that kind of work, but I have zero desire to get into a full blown restoration.

 

[Durandal25]

@Durandal25
I got curious about your avatar (I'm on the forum on my smartphone 99%+ of the time I'm here) so I clicked on it to zoom in...
and
What a great movie!!
Hanover Fist, overcome by the Loc-Nar during his paid off testimony that was supposed to benefit Captain Stern....

Heavy Metal. Awesomeness

 

[threewood]

It depends. I thought building my own was a fun experience I needed to do. I wouldn't have done it any other way.

 

[Ron H]

Been many posts on or near this topic. At my age, having restored three vehicles and too old to do another, my research (no – not saying I’m an expert) has led me to believe buying is cheaper than building. This also depends on how much work one can do vs what they need or want to farm out. My first car was a serious rust bucket and swore off ever doing another rust-belt vehicle again although it turned out nice. Well, the only original body part remaining on it was the hood. But following my swearing, next car was from CA, rust free with a few exceptions. Much easier tearing it down and getting it back together, yet I ended up investing some $35,000 in it. Cash outlay has a habit of being larger than imagined, lol. This amount of cashola is likely $10,000 plus what I could ever sell it for. But, as some members have said, they were not in it to make money on it…just having their ride the way they wanted it. This is where I’m at although there are still a few things I’d like to do yet. Anyway, I’ve come across some beautiful cars that were restored or kept nicely (finding they had photo albums of the restoration). And for the prices they went for was less than I know I could have restored them for.

Some people aren’t car builders or want to be; but they like cars they buy rather than restore. I wouldn’t trade all the B, S, & T’s (and $$$$) in my past rebuilding the rides though. It’s an experience and accomplishment that you own and sort of become a shared soul with the car. Now I’m of an age where I doubt I could hold up doing another and interested in maybe buying another – but damn – I’d have a tough time selling the ride I've built. ****, one day I’ll have to or let my offspring dump it as they have zero interest in old cars..

 

[Demonic]

I like the fact that many of these builds are saving a car that would otherwise get junked. I think back to some of my parts cars from the 80's and 90 and cringe.