At what point does one say "screw it!" with cars?

My dad at 69 serves as my inspiration. Despite multiple health issues, he gets up early every morning and has his coffee, reads the paper and figures out what he needs to do.

As he has told me, everyone else who has retired from the same place he worked who didn't have something going on is now dead.

The ones who did have something to do, are going stronger then ever.....

Age and physicality isn't the defining factor....it's desire..

Nick
 
Newport 66 said:
To counterpoint some of the comments (which I agree with BTW) is the drive and desire to do something more than sit and wait to die.
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My point is I don't want to maintain all that anymore. I want to travel and do stuff I've been planning to do for several years. In the last seven months, my brother and six friends have all died, and all but my brother are my age or younger (I'm not 60 yet). That'll smack you hard in the face real quick! Life's too fuckin' short to gather stuff forever. Contrary to popular lore, he who dies with the most toys, doesn't win ****. He is a dead guy whose **** all goes on to someone else. I'm looking to offload stuff, downsize substantially, and DO things while doing things is still an option.

My view is this - you might live another 24 years and die naturally, or die 24 hours from now and get hit by a truck.

This wasn't meant to be a downer-thread, just stating my current lack of interest in maintaining a small collection of four old cars and one truck. The fun factor isn't there, right now. If I sell out, I sell out. ****, I may BUY a couple more, who knows? But, I guarantee you are a LIAR if you haven't had the same thoughts before, or recently.
 
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I'll be 48 in 16 days and I've considered selling my two cars recently. I haven't been driving them much and I'm really losing interest in working on them at all. The carb on the 300 is a bit rich but I have no desire to sort it out. I would like to do a frame off on the GTO to fix short cuts the previous owner took and restore it to my level but again, no real desire to dig into it. Maybe my attitude will change once the rain goes away are we are back to normal sunny days in SoCal. Then there's the whole getting up at the crack of dawn on Saturdays to hit the Early Rodders Cruise in La Canada. No real desire to do that. It all started going downhill for me a couple years ago when one of my really good car buddies passed away at 63 from pancreatic cancer. I used to look forward to heading up Saturday mornings to look at cars, talk **** and eat breakfast. The other guy in our little crew just turned 80 and although he's a young 80, he's got physical limitations on what he can/can't do. There's a Friday Night Cruise at a Ruby's Diner close by that starts up next month as does the first Wednesday of the month NHRA Twilight Cruise at the NHRA Museum in Pomona. Maybe I'll start hitting those and forgo the early morning stuff. Or, maybe I'll sell them both and bank the money for a different car in the future. Who knows?
 
patrick66 said:
My point is I don't want to maintain all that anymore. I want to travel and do stuff I've been planning to do for several years. In the last seven months, my brother and six friends have all died, and all but my brother are my age or younger (I'm not 60 yet). That'll smack you hard in the face real quick! Life's too fuckin' short to gather stuff forever. Contrary to popular lore, he who dies with the most toys, doesn't win ****. He is a dead guy whose **** all goes on to someone else. This wasn't meant to be a downer-thread, just stating my current lack of interest in maintaining a small collection of four old cars and one truck. The fun factor isn't there, right now. If I sell out, I sell out. ****, I may BUY a couple more, who knows? But, I guarantee you are a LIAR if you haven't had the same thoughts before, or recently.
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Patrick, I agree with thinning the herd. Lyme and arthritis are getting me to cut down my number of garage hours. We had a 2000 Concorde LXI and a parts car. So many things wrong on Concorde, I junked both. Got $200 and was happy to get rid of them. My fleet is now down to 7 vehicles, but only 2 are running, driving projects: 70 Fury Vert, 72 Fury Coupe. No non-running projects allowed.

I think old cars aren't the problem, but overloading yourself with them is the problem. Sell 2 vehicles, so the load seems a little lighter and maybe the joy will come back. I still love my 2 Plymouths and they are NOT FOR SALE.
 
A saying I have seen a few times goes like this, "We don't stop running because we are old, we get old because we stop running..."

But having said that my 68 T/C wagon has not moved in almost 2 years, been under a car cover and piled with crud, but I really don't have much desire right now to do anything on it period! But the building of the new shop will be great for working on projects and I suspect once that is done the desire to work on the old C will rekindle. But as others have said a 10K lbs 2 post hoist is going in and with lots of room for working it should help me get many years more out this, and other hobbies.

Since moving North and having acreage and lots of open trails right off the property my youngest (16 now) daughter and I have discovered quading....and we love heading out on the trails for a few hours of riding. So that right now is more enjoyable then working on the old car. ;)
 
patrick66 said:
I've mulled over getting rid of all of my old cars, except one, for awhile. Getting old sucks, and since 85% of us on this forum are over 55, you all know that. I don't have a lift, so getting under a car is downright painful. It hurts. A lot. Just kneeling down to clean a car hurts. This **** just ain't physically fun for me these days.
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I hear ya Patrick. I am 51 and i have abt every muscle in my body still sore from the job i just finished. One thing i am learning is the best thing on some stuff will be me paying the garage to do the job even if it isnt that difficult. Btw, i dont have a lift either but am gonna look into those portable lifts that cost abt $1500. If anyone reading this has experience with one please opine! Patrick, do not let the pita of wriggling under the car and old age take any of your joy.
 
patrick66 said:
My point is I don't want to maintain all that anymore. I want to travel and do stuff I've been planning to do for several years. In the last seven months, my brother and six friends have all died, and all but my brother are my age or younger (I'm not 60 yet). That'll smack you hard in the face real quick! Life's too fuckin' short to gather stuff forever. Contrary to popular lore, he who dies with the most toys, doesn't win ****. He is a dead guy whose **** all goes on to someone else. I'm looking to offload stuff, downsize substantially, and DO things while doing things is still an option.

My view is this - you might live another 24 years and die naturally, or die 24 hours from now and get hit by a truck.

This wasn't meant to be a downer-thread, just stating my current lack of interest in maintaining a small collection of four old cars and one truck. The fun factor isn't there, right now. If I sell out, I sell out. ****, I may BUY a couple more, who knows? But, I guarantee you are a LIAR if you haven't had the same thoughts before, or recently.
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You do have to achieve balance.

I'd say to take inventory of what you have and start prioritizing what you would want to stay and what goes. Keep the drivers and sell the projects even if you loose money. Then go on a vacation that doesn't concern cars. Cruises are nice... You disconnect from the internet and your cell phone.
 
I'll be 56 in April. Too many projects. One month I'm heavy into my Harley's doing stuff, then spend time on the Aprilia Tuono up in the twisties, then another couple months wrenching on the Aprilia RXV, and riding in the desert, then play around with the 300 and my Dually. Then my middle son just called and wants to take me on some long range fishing trips like I used to take him. Then wife wants to take another cruise this September.

Just relooked at my 2018 taxes....I owe. Messed up in 2018, so kinda tight this year. 2019 will be much, much better tax wise. Already worked on that issue. Did have to let my gardner go, got rid of a couple storage units. Bought new lawn mower, weed wacker, leaf blower etc. Cut the grass for the first time myself in like 30 some years, took me all afternoon. Gardner and his helper do it in 30 minutes, took me a few hours...WTH!! Then laid in bed resting my old, aching back! Kept the pool man though lol.
 
At 57 I've had the same thought sell all but one, unfortunately I love all Mopars. So what I've decided to do is focus one, the Charger will get all of the attention this year (Money). The charger has been in the works for 29 years.
IMG_2526.JPG
 
commando1 said:
I'll be 70 soon and I'm not half the person I was when I retired at 55. I hurt and I hurt badly. At 55 I could kick the crap out of a Marine.
That said, I look at my present, and what I know to be my last, car. It's finished but gawd forbid if anything should go wrong with it. Other circumstances have me sticking close to home so I don't drive it and it just sits in the garage kept alive on the trickle charger. It galls me to see it just sit there. There's no market for it, at least at a price where I'd rather put my balls in a vise than give it away for peanuts. I won't do it. I wish I could sell it. I truly do.
Age. It's all about age. And health. F*** the money and the possessions.
I still like all things cars but I'd be happier as an observer. Besides, I'm disgusted with what I see happening out there now. GM building electric skateboards? WTF...
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While there will be some outliers there will definitely be more that feel as you do. I haven't reached that point yet but I have mentioned it as it is almost a rite of passage. Right now I generally don't have any physical issues with working on my cars. I definitely have zero health issues to speak of.

When I actually have physical aches and pains is after a day on the Hornet. Started there are the age of 44 and am now 65. Try walking steel decks for an 9 hour day. A typical day is like this last Saturday. I am working the O9 level. The hanger deck is considered the main deck so it is Deck 1. Everything below is Deck 2 and so forth. Every deck above is O1 and so forth. Each deck is basically one story you access by climbing ladders.

I show up walk back 400 feet to stow food, walk forward 400 feet, and go from Deck 1 to O5 and climb seven stories as the hanger space is two stories. I then come back down and head to Fwd. Machinery on Deck 4 to see the current progress. So that is climb down 10 stories on steel ladders. Down there they are hanging up venting and there are only two of them (over 70) and even though the piece is relatively small there is no way they will lift it 10 feet up. So I end up helping by standing on the generator, those two hook line to it, and a retired Navy Chief (watching, don't they all) pulls on said line. Now we need to squeeze it in and line up the holes and newly cut gaskets before installing around 25 1/2" and 40 3/8" bolts. I am 10 feet over the deck sitting on a pipe and leaning in to get the top half in a tight space. You see I'm the youngest and slimmest while Tom uses a 10 foot ladder for the back half. The damn thing took 2 hours and there are plenty more to go. This so we can run the main ventilation system down to this compartment.

After lunch it is walk 400 feet hanger deck and then up 7 stories to get tools and then up another 4 stories to the trunk I am restoring. I go back and forth over those 4 stories about six times and in between stand on the steel deck for 4 hours chipping paint. Clean up three decks of chipped paint pieces, vacuum three decks in the nooks and crannies, walk down while closing up, drop stuff off at O5 and then down to after brow on the Hanger deck where I collapse in a chair. My hips, knees, and legs are burning. Security guy mentions remembering one night where I collapsed on the deck right outside. Yep, the muscles simply gave out. So I sit 20 minutes and that was enough to exit the ship and walk to the car. I used to do this stuff three days in a row but now it is not possible for two days. Also I spend 9 hours down there and most only spend 4-6 hours. I won't stop what I do there till you drag my dead body off though since the desire is still burning.
 
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I feel you brother. Being only 50, I feel like much more. I’ve had torn meniscus surgery on both knees in the last 2 years and along with being 6’8” 300 lb has taken a toll on me. I still have to have something to tinker with but, it better not be too hard or I’ll lose interest fast.
I pick and choose my projects to fit what I’m willing to put myself through.
If it’s not fun to me then I most likely won’t mess with it.
 
patrick66 said:
I've mulled over getting rid of all of my old cars, except one, for awhile. Getting old sucks, and since 85% of us on this forum are over 55, you all know that. I don't have a lift, so getting under a car is downright painful. It hurts. A lot. Just kneeling down to clean a car hurts. This **** just ain't physically fun for me these days.

Case in point: My brake booster on the Imperial went tits-up in October. Haven't pulled it yet to get rebuilt. My motivation is zero, concerning the Imperial. I haven't touched the Hudson since early November. My Corvette needs a fuel pump, which is just a 45-minute job...don't even have to pull the tank! It sits, too.

My sons are pretty ambivalent about old cars in general. My younger wants the Coronet when the day comes where I achieve room temperature (years from now, I hope!), but he doesn't help on the old cars. He does do his own work on his truck, thankfully. My older son has his Buick, but he is the same way about working on it.

Point is, the thrill is gone with the cars. I'm planning our club's show and cruise for June 8th. And I'm not excited about that, either.

That free Chrysler on the For Sale thread? Five years ago, I'd have had my trailer hooked up and been on the road Saturday morning for it! And I thought about it, but declined it, even though it was just 7-1/2 hours away.

Ok...rant over. Just gettin' **** said. Have a fine day.
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How big a collection is it?
The worst part is when people get too old and decrepit but still want to hold on to their collections, which is fine, but then their families can only see dollar signs once the owner is gone.
 
I'll be 64 in a couple of months and I'm making the best of every day that I have left.

I'm not going to let anything get me down. I'm going to do the things that make me happy.

Cardio.....its getting better. I can walk for 10 minutes on flat ground on a good day now. I couldn't walk 10 feet for most of the last 2 years. Most of you know that I was in the Army for 20 years. I ran 5-8 miles.....every day. I enjoyed that! Those days are gone forever.

Just cruising in the Blue Beast is one of the things that I enjoy. I'm going to as many NEOPMA ProMod and 422 Allstar's (Nostalgia 60's Super Stocker's that run in the 10''s) that run on tracks within 100 miles of me. And of course Carlisle this year.

Northeast Outlaw Pro Mods

 
late to thread. .. i am over 55 too. health good enough for an "old guy", not enough skill to work on only the most basic things, enough cabbage to get help with everything else.

BUt i have NOT lost the thrill I remembered my whole life.

under my Dad's arm, preschool age, while he revved his '64 Goat 389 TriPower. i was excited because he was, but also because that was friggin thrilling even when i didnt know anything about cars AT all (NOT ACTUAL CAR, but I know it was blue and loud)

perry.jpg


feels the same way, sometimes, over 50 years later. da heck .. i am STILL "sick". some of y'all know what i mean :)

That said, somewhere in the next 20 years, i gotta liberate myself of 5 dozen cars. its a practical, economic matter. I hope I am still healthy enough to enjoy the dozen or so I will have left. one day, they will go too but i hope I aint around to see that, a long time from now.

in the meantime, my feeling there will be people who will still enjoy "old cars" -- just like I would have done for 70 years -- 20 years from now. to the extent that is NOT true, or legislation outlaws IC's in the next 2 decades (more likely probably), then I'll have a buncha 2 ton paperweights. A problem for sure .. but that aint my orange money and people will probably get some great deals.

I get what people are saying though .. I wish everyone the best in their choices.

in my case, i just hope to be able/healthy enough to enjoy the hobby for a few more years, find some good homes for some stuff, and tool around in my Scenicruiser for a few years at the same time..
 
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thrashingcows said:
But having said that my 68 T/C wagon has not moved in almost 2 years, been under a car cover and piled with crud, but I really don't have much desire right now to do anything on it period!
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I wonder how many others felt like that and it was now 5 years, then 10 years, then 15 years and then finally 20 years of being piled with crud before they get around to selling. By then it has wasted away and many of us say right here "why do they wait so long?" How many have we seen on Craigslist like that?

Thought I'd single out your words so they could be more easily looked up in 5 years in case...
 
68PK21 440.6bbl said:
I've had a whole slew of friends pass away at 50 years old. Don't know what it is about that age of 50?
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A friend who passed 50 a couple of years back, has since joked that "at 40, the warranty expires; at 50, the troubles start."
 
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