Food for Thought

beanplant · Nov 21, 2004

I'm 18, and I know you can get caught up in the moment....... then reality hits..... Being only 18, paying insurance on 2 cars, and working at oreilly doesn't really leave much time for wasting money. I quickly realized while building my car, you can't have the best of everything right away. When I first started rebuilding my car, I was gonna get a nice set of AFRs, sweet carb... blah blah blah..... Now I've got a set of E7s, and a Holley 650. It's all about the deals. And the love of the cars.... I LOVE IT! Even though I'm broke.

-Shaun

Hack · Nov 21, 2004

Very very good topic and lots of good posts in this thread.

I'd like to add something about priorities. If you're a teenager - please don't put your car above college or trade school. Lay the foundation now, and it will be that much sweeter when you've made it and you can do whatever you want with your car.

VictorII · Nov 21, 2004

Yup -- take the long view. My '65 convert. has been my DD since 1991 when I bought it as a dead 6 cyl/auto and converted it to a V8/(now) 5 spd/3.40 Tranctionlock rear....and a bunch of other stuff. I made one mod. at a time once it was streetable (that took three weeks) with the end idea in mind and nothing took longer than a weekend except the initial conversion. That's one of the beautiful things about these cars, they are so easy to work on. Gotta have a plan.

pabear89 · Nov 21, 2004

90% of the time the High dollor parts are for Bragging rights of I got this and that blah,blah,blah.

Having been around the Block a few times,
Some of the Budget parts work just as well for making a fun to drive car.
And with a little digging around you can make it just about as fast.

Most of the Mag cars are eather trailer Queens or Garage Parked.
and prob don't see over 500 miles a year.

I make Mine to DRIVE.

PB

Darkhorse845 · Nov 22, 2004

My friend had a nice 68 Mustang GT that he sold to his buddy and three
days later he totals it like a fool.His 68 was 100% restored also!

WORTH · Nov 22, 2004

I glad you all took that the right way, I wasn'ty sure when I wrote it if it would sound like preaching, and I didn't want to come across that way.

I'd like to add something that was told to me by an OLD GUY, when I was about 19 years young.

I used to hang around with his son, and he owned a 67 black cougar with a 289 and a 3speed. The car was spotless, but when it was time for a wash and wax, he would wash the whole car and WAX the HOOD only. And he told me,

"I bought this car for ME, and when I drive it the only thing I can see is the hood, and it SHINES real nice."

65stanger · Nov 22, 2004

As we speak.....

Since I've got about three months recovery time before I can return to work, I'm using this time to list EVERYTHING I need / want to do to my 'stang. This will help to prioritize and categorize the restoration and mods.

Obviously, anything that will require purchasing parts that I don't already have will have to wait until I am working again and can budget the $$ for it. Which is okay, because with winter on the way and the 'stang under wraps in my gravel driveway, I have to wait anyway!!!

Ozsum2 · Nov 22, 2004

pabear89 said:
90% of the time the High dollor parts are for Bragging rights of I got this and that blah,blah,blah.

Having been around the Block a few times,
Some of the Budget parts work just as well for making a fun to drive car.
And with a little digging around you can make it just about as fast.

Most of the Mag cars are eather trailer Queens or Garage Parked.
and prob don't see over 500 miles a year.

I make Mine to DRIVE.

PB

Me too. I built ours to be like a show car, but driven daily. What blocks you been around?

chepsk8 · Nov 22, 2004

Thoughts from the Cheap One!

Many here have known me for a long time. My position on doing things with a plan, conserving money, keeping a real goal in mind, etc. I have preached many a time. My proof, my now sold 69 'Vert CHEPSK8. Big-time fun, low investment. I knew what I wanted, knew there was little $$$, just had a realistic plan, and stuck to it. Now I am doing the same thing again with my FFR Cobra Kit. I am again a Low-Budget Guy in a Big-Budget arena, but probably having more fun than most, and building a Damn-Nice Cobra to boot!

My age, a 44 year old kid!

While I agree mostly with WORTH, I feel it's not as much an age factor, as it is really a matter of working within your individual means, and most importantly, setting a goal and sticking to it, without getting siode-tracked by "eye-candy" and the latest gizmo or fad.

One of the reasons I enjoy my position on the Hemmings Mustang Magazine, and my contributions. Real Tech, in your driveway, simple, real improvements, no fantasies.

I must also aknowlwge I had some good teachers early on, who instilled this mindset. Some I have not seen since, but need to say thank you to. Billy Neal, where ever you are.........THANK YOU....

Dan

Ozsum2 · Nov 22, 2004

..........but kids have less cash. It is more important for them to make every dollar count. We have money to burn if we so like.

WORTH · Nov 22, 2004

Ozsum2 said:
..........but kids have less cash. It is more important for them to make every dollar count. We have money to burn if we so like.

While your burning, I have a smallcampfire that could use some fuel over here

Ozsum2 · Nov 22, 2004

WORTH said:
While your burning, I have a smallcampfire that could use some fuel over here

Oh come on now, you 'ole money bags. You still have the first dollar you ever made.

WORTH · Nov 22, 2004

Ozsum2 said:
Oh come on now, you 'ole money bags. You still have the first dollar you ever made.

Ya but it's the only one I got, and it's lonely

allcarfan · Nov 22, 2004

Guilty.

Built a 1990 mustang GT...331 stroker..twin turbo...stage III RPM heads...624.7 rwhp...street car. Ended up selling it....it just was not fun. I ended up taking a huge loss.

Semi-guilty...on my 66. Engine has potential of 400+rwhp. rear gears are 3.89.....through a c4 with a 3200 stall. hence, i find myself scrambling to find an overdrive trans or a gear vendors addition. One thing that is different though, the 66 will be worth much more than the 90gt was. AND, it is being built from the bottom up....CORRECTLY. Lord knows when I will consider it "done."

Shane

mdjay · Nov 22, 2004

My first car was a 77 MII that I totaled within the first year. I was delivering pizza, but it wasn't my fault. Took the money and bought a 65 cp 6 cyl. Still delivered pizza. After about a year of little bumps and bruises (insurance claims) my car had cool paint, and a nice set of rims. I had a lot of fun in that car! I left the engine bone stock. I would polish everything down to the brake lines

Since then my priorities changed. Family and livelihood became more important, but I always owned one and never lost the passion for the cars.

It is truely what's inside you that counts. The time you spend on the details. Your pride shows and other people see it, and envy it.

I agree with all the others. Just take your time, have a plan and just enjoy it. It shows that you have character just owning one.

PS I wish I had this forum when I started out

Happy Stangin' and Happy Holidays
Jay

cardude · Nov 22, 2004

I am not a kid and I still get caught up in all of it too. This is a great mental reset thread and as all say I too really enjoy driving the car. Its fun to work on too but driving is the ultimate goal. I want it too be stupid fast, and handle like a porsche like everyone else, and I know that money will not permit that. It is good to want, that drives you to make it bigger better faster, but it is also good to realize (as I often forget) that getting behind the wheel gives you that sense of accomplishment and enjoyment. the other thing to remember is that a lot of these magazine cars have a bunch of money dumped into them by sponsors and such (with the intent of going into a magazine for promotional value). I for one cannot afford all the parts I would like to put on my ride, so its hard to pick and choose the right thing to get to the intended results.

great post WORTH!

65stanger · Nov 22, 2004

mdjay said:
PS I wish I had this forum when I started out

Me too!

Ozsum2 said:
..........but kids have less cash. It is more important for them to make every dollar count. We have money to burn if we so like.

Ummmmm........I'm no kid, and right now, I have no cash either, and probably won't for quite awhile after I am able to return to work.............

one2gamble · Nov 22, 2004

I understand what worth is saying and I agree. My car will be in the body shop for awhile and I miss her already but the two tone primer paint job was starting to get to me. Make the car fun and safe to drive before you make her fast. Dont forget 400hp in a 2800lb car is a lot of motor.

beanplant · Nov 22, 2004

please don't put your car above college

This is very true. I have never spent ALL of my money on a car. Even when I was 16, I had saved enough money to buy a 95 GT and still have plenty left over. Since then I have saved enough to buy each of my cars in cash. I refuse to buy something I literally can't afford.

I have always had extra money set aside by myself for 'COLLEGE'. Now I'm 18, and when I was building this 69 this year, I wouldn't touch it. I unfortunately had to get into it a little bit though. It dipped from 4000 to 3600 because my friggin motor blew, and it was the only money I had. ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE FIRST. I know 10 years from now I'll have enough money to do what I want to my cars because I saved for college when I was younger.

-Shaun

HistoricMustang · Nov 22, 2004

Hey, I had one of these things when they were new and I just cranked past 56 years old. Got some extra bucks to throw around now but the kids are raised, the house is paid for and my retirement is put back yet I still plan every dollar spent on the old girl. That is part of the fun.

So, set a budget, based on your income and enjoy these early models. I still don't have 400 HP!

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com

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