Work on the car
Or
Drive it
No Trailer Queens please

Which one would you rather do?

Its Saturday clear sky why not take the big old mean chevelle for a good run.
Sound good to me.

So why the heck you/Me keep buying junk that you have to work on for the next ten years.

Well I was talking with my Dad and that was the topic.
He found some good deals and wanted me to come in with him.
I gave it a good long 5 minutes and said.
Dad I will back you to the end but I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH ANOTHER LONG TERM PROJECT.
I’ll help from time to time with parts locating.
And if your budget gets tight I will help you in any way possible at 0.0 charge with no stake in the project.
Id rather go fishing with the kids then working on another car for the next bunch of years.
But I don't want to touch another peace of sand paper for a very long time.

I just want to put the Regal back together and then I want to try and break it.
But that’s just parts replacement in a few hours not a 3 month ordeal.

Order, in the universe, is unacceptable; ergo, rust. Working on cars, to put them in order, defies the nature of the universe. You can win, but only short-term. The universal constant of disorder (chaos) will eventually undo your work. This causes frustration. Mowing the lawn, painting the house, shaving (pick your poison) are also futile attempts to order nature. Man though, has contrived to lessen the effects of universal chaos; and done quite well. Man has developed an end-run around the laws of physics. Man has beer.

Order, in the universe, is unacceptable; ergo, rust. Working on cars, to put them in order, defies the nature of the universe. You can win, but only short-term. The universal constant of disorder (chaos) will eventually undo your work. This causes frustration. Mowing the lawn, painting the house, shaving (pick your poison) are also futile attempts to order nature. Man though, has contrived to lessen the effects of universal chaos; and done quite well. Man has developed an end-run around the laws of physics. Man has beer.

Well said. And with enough beer you get chaos so far beyond the realm of whatever greater power there is in the universe that it boggles the mind. Trust me, I know.

Now to the question-I like to work on the things I know how to do and learn more at the same time. I would much rather drive though. I am looking forward to learning so much when we re-assemble the Chevelle that it will be easier and easier to do more on the car so I can get the enjoyment of both. How's that for fence riding?

It's not just "getting there"....it's through the journey that you gain experience and wisdom....as well as learn patience and drink some beer.:beers:

After driving my car I drink plenty of beer :D

I live in a #3 world as far as cars..you are never afraid to drive a #3 car.
of course,they don't see rain/snow or go the shopping mall.

After driving my car, I take a cold shower, its HOT back here in these neck of the woods right now.

I like/prefer driving my car, but mostly because of the work I have (and will continue to) put into it.

I'm not knocking buying a finished car, if I had the money I'm sure I would buy several. But, the fact that my time and effort have gone directly into creating my project would always make it special to me.

the natural balance of the universe ??? as related to shaving , mowing the grass, even painting the house ... are nothing more then an exercise in repetitive motion ...... on the other hand when placed against the shear pleasure of commanding the pure power of reversing the rotation of the earth (IF) you could only get the traction ;) I'd have to vote for Driving :thumbsup:

I am happy to hear form you bunch of recently discharged from a mental institution.

It's not just "getting there"....it's through the journey that you gain experience and wisdom....as well as learn patience and drink some beer.:beers:

Hear, Hear! I'm always working on my "Last" project. Never going to do another. Once its done and I enjoy it for awhile I lose interest. The project is then sold and before long I have another.

My wife says I'm like an old dog chasing cars. The chase is the challenge. Once/if the dog catches the car the dog then moves on.

While doing a car you sure learn a lot, get dirt in the eyes, and cuts. THEN, you get to drive it and get no end of enjoyment. All the past is forgotten in an instant. Problem is, I have one more car to do, then never again. I'd like to get the bumper sticker that says, "If you see this car on a trailer, call the police because it has been stolen".

Well when I finish my 69 ss convertible trailer queen:D I plan on driving it:yes: and enjoy my masterpiece and doing some cruising with the top down:thumbsup:
I wont take it to the mall or drive it in the rain but atleast I plan on driving it!

after driving my car. I don't need any BEERS. I'm high enough!! But it never hurts!! ha ha ha

I just as soon work on them as drive them. But that is just me. I put 250 miles on my 72 last year. I put that many miles on my creeper working on my other projects. I can spend hours screwing with one little part on a project. It is the working with my mind and hands to fab something or to return it to its former shape/condition that keeps me screwing with these old cars. After they are finished 25% of your friends and enemies tell you what a nice job you did, 65% spend their time nit picking it apart. The other 10% just think you're nuts for screwing with those old cars. And 1 month after it is finished you start finding things on it that you would like to change or do over. My 72 has been done for about 5 years, and if the 70 was done, I'd tear the 72 down and do it over.

Work on the car
Or
Drive it
No Trailer Queens please

Which one would you rather do?

Its Saturday clear sky why not take the big old mean chevelle for a good run.
Sound good to me.

So why the heck you/Me keep buying junk that you have to work on for the next ten years. .

That's easy, because it's all we can afford, at least for me. I've been working on my 69 Charger for almost 2 years now and I'm about tired of working on it, I want to drive it....NOW!!! I certainly can't afford to go spend 10 grand or more on a car already done so I keep buying all those rust bucket turds with parts missing and end up doing frame offs that take over 2 years.

That's easy, because it's all we can afford, at least for me. I've been working on my 69 Charger for almost 2 years now and I'm about tired of working on it, I want to drive it....NOW!!! I certainly can't afford to go spend 10 grand or more on a car already done so I keep buying all those rust bucket turds with parts missing and end up doing frame offs that take over 2 years.


That’s the part that really has me confused.
We all know that it cost more to build it your self then it does to buy it already done.

10K for a finished restored car is a good deal
Or
Even 10K for a car that’s almost finished with all the hard stuff done may not be such a bad deal.

I think the problem is taking 10K in one shot feels like a lot.
But I am shore the most of us put between 15K and 20K into our cars. But we do it over 2 or over 5 plus years. So the sting is not as bad.

But I am done with rust buckets. I WILL BUY A RUST BUCKET EVER AGAIN.

I over paid for my Buick because it has NO RUST AND ITS A VIRGIN the only problem is a dead motor (runs but has a hard knock) once my chevelle is sold I will dump every dollar from it into the Buick and finish it in two months then its road for me with the car. of course the Buick will be a street strip car so I know I will have to work on it from time to time but at least most of that work will be drive train parts replacing not installing a 1/4 panel.

I could care less about driving them. Well, maybe tooling around on the street but as for drag racing, just never got into it enough. I would much rather work on them. In fact, the 540 is coming out of the wifes car this winter and going into something else so I am kind of keeping tabs on a few people I know to handle the driving stuff and a few odds and ends. I guess I fall under the old dog chasing the car routine also.

I spend more time working on mine than driving it these days, it's slowly coming out of a long-term rebuild. It does get driven from time to time, just to go blow out the cobwebs in my head. I do enjoy both sides of it, working on it and driving it.

Devin

Yesterday
A great day 80 plus clear sky great day for a long drive or go boating with the fam.
But no I was stuck working on this thing all day I mean I started at 8:30 am and didn't leave the garage until 12:45 AM
I can't wait until this car is done and gone for good.

I can’t see my self doing this year after year car after car. I just can't and will not.

It depends. I work in an office all day, so I find working with my hands relaxing. A day spent working on the car with a ballgame or NASCAR race on the radio is a near-perfect day. But other days, I'm tired of hard work and would rather just go on a drive. The secret is having two old cars, and make sure at least one is running at all times :)

It depends. I work in an office all day, so I find working with my hands relaxing. A day spent working on the car with a ballgame or NASCAR race on the radio is a near-perfect day. But other days, I'm tired of hard work and would rather just go on a drive. The secret is having two old cars, and make sure at least one is running at all times :)

Very good point

But I am a plumber
So more hard work is more hard work

I guess may be if one of my cars was on the road my need to get out of the VAN (work) or Van (mini for fam) would satisfied and I would not be so miserable.

Work on the car
Or
Drive it
No Trailer Queens please

Which one would you rather do?

Its Saturday clear sky why not take the big old mean chevelle for a good run.
Sound good to me.

So why the heck you/Me keep buying junk that you have to work on for the next ten years.


The secret is having two old cars, and make sure at least one is running at all times:thumbsup:

I recently sold my convertible '66 Chevelle to focus on building my Hardtop (couldn't afford to do it otherwise)... I purposely went out and bought another "classic" car to enjoy while I work on the Chevelle (I know it will be YEARS before its done)... I KNEW I'd want to be out driving when the weathers nice...

The "new" classic car? Its a '70 Chevelle, and despite telling myself it has a strict budget, I find myself shopping for stuff all the time (and nice, unnecessary stuff too)... :rolleyes:


I was hoping to buy a nice cruiser with a V8 (stock would be okay), and nice paint. I ended up buying a car that needs paint, but has most/all of the mechanical work done... Its still shiny, but alot of chips, and a new hood (black coating)...

While I was doing the frame-off resto on my '69, I was in heaven...I absolutly love the work. Its like threapy for me. I can spend a few minutes turning wrenches on the Chevelle and all the worlds cares flush away.

However, after getting to finally drive her for the first time this weekend...I think I now enjoy driving them the most. Just something about having that much power under your foot, knowing that there is nothing else on the road as cool as the car your driving.....not to mention that every single head turns to look and follow us until we have gone out of sight. Priceless.