i may have to sell my stang

[BlackVert]

if you have seen my other thread about the 1967 fairlane, my wife might insist that i sell the stang if i get the fairlane.

i have decided i cannot let this fairlane get away.

so i may have to put the stang up for sale. a man has to do what a man has to do to keep his wife happy.

i'm thinking $15,000 is not unreasonable as it will be after getting it on the road. after i get the seats re-covered and have it painted, then i think $20,000 would be a reasonable asking price. the engine itself is worth probably $10K.

or maybe i should sell the engine for like $8K, have a 331 built from all the parts i have sitting around, and put that in and sell the car for $10K

what do you guys think a reasonable asking price would be?

 

[wytstang]

You'd have a better chance selling it for 10 then 15-20 g's for a 12 yr old car. Unless you have time to let the car sit for sale and wait for the right buyer.

 

[94-302-vert]

Depends if you are pricing it to sell or pricing it to appease the wife...

I think that the $15/$20k are good prices in the condition you have stated. I would not go about selling the car/engine seperately though... then if it doesn;t sell you have a "boring" mustang and a really expensive paperweight...

 

[ProKiller]

i haven't seen the thread about the fairlane, but i just can't believe after all this time and money you've put into that car in the past year your going to just sell it. i'm off to see the fairlane now....

 

[earleys94gt]

If the wifes not happy, YOUR not happy.

 

[parchisi]

Yeah, a fairlane would be nice....but all the time and effort, then you're selling it right off the bat? Botch. But its your decision. Hope you get the most enjoyment out of whatever path you choose.

 

[Black Stampede]

Personally I agree with the people who think its rather ridiculous. I cannot see selling your car after you spent sooooo much time waiting and waiting and spending dollars and dollars for no reason. It just makes me wonder why you had the motivation to do it in the first place if you were willing to sell so easily. Idk, I just don't see it.

 

[Adam95GT]

id part it out personally....

 

[BlackVert]

i haven't seen the thread about the fairlane, but i just can't believe after all this time and money you've put into that car in the past year your going to just sell it. i'm off to see the fairlane now....

Personally I agree with the people who think its rather ridiculous. I cannot see selling your car after you spent sooooo much time waiting and waiting and spending dollars and dollars for no reason. It just makes me wonder why you had the motivation to do it in the first place if you were willing to sell so easily. Idk, I just don't see it.

Yeah, a fairlane would be nice....but all the time and effort, then you're selling it right off the bat? Botch. But its your decision. Hope you get the most enjoyment out of whatever path you choose.

please understand this ... i have obsessed over this stang for over a year now planning this build, and now it is so close to being done that i can almost taste it. this has been the longest year of my life because of all this crap with the stang.

so no, i definately do not want to sell it.

the thing is that a car like this fairlane does not come around hardly ever. stock 390 fe engine, the whole drivetrain has been rebuilt in the last 20K miles, there is very little rust. they are extremely rare ... there were only 2,117 convertible gta fairlanes built with the 390 fe engine. and the price is very reasonable ($12,250). 5 years from now, after i get it painted and have the seats re-upholstered, i'll be into it for about $20,000 and it will be worth closer to $30,000.

so here is my plan ... after the fairlane is in front of my house, i will start working on her to let me keep the stang. i'll probably wear her down eventually.

if i really do end up having to sell the stang (which i doubt), it will be alot easier to find another 1995 mustang convertible than it would be to find another fairlane like this one. and i will know exactly what i want to do with it and how to get it done quickly this time.

 

[Nik_95Cobra]

Lay down a strong pimp hand and tell her you're keeping both!...Nah JK. But like you're saying...Open up a cars for sale magazine, look in it and see how many stangs are for sale, VS how many fairlanes are for sale that are the type of fairlane you want. There has to be a way around selling your stang. Even put a hefty price on it so that your wife will see that you're trying to sell it, and if the right buyer comes along (there's always the right buyer out there), you can get a price that will make being without it worth your while.

 

[Pokageek]

I think that you'd better decide on ONE car and if you buy that fairlane, you better get her some cash out of the deal. WHY? You mentioned that she was getting tired of you working on cars. After this year you (and me) both) gone thru, the wife will get seriously sick and tired of you working on ANOTHER car project and taking away time from family. Do you know what I mean?

I have seen folks break up over crap like this. Not suggesting you will at all. I do remember talking to another car guy tht came home one day and the wife left a note, It hit him like bricks and he had no freaking idea what-so-ever! So you know your situation better than anyone and chances are you are just fine but be careful and think it thru and either way - have some fun.

 

[BlackVert]

i hear ya keith. i am at the point in my life where i want a car i can just get in and drive. i do not want to be worrying about or wrenching on this car, at least not until the kids are both in college 6 years from now. to that end, i have had the car checked over by a mechanic and he has declared it to be very sound mechanically. the engine was rebuilt 18,000 miles ago, and the rest of the drive train (tranny and diff) were rebuilt 5,000 miles ago. the seller has all the paperwork for all the work. so it is road worthy. all it needs is to be repainted and possibly new upholstery, both of which can wait until the winter when i would not be driving it anyway.

 

[stprorolla49]

Personally, I would not sell the Mustang. Lets be honest, although the Fairlane in question is a very rare car its still going to need work like you mentioned. If your going to spend that effort on painting a re-upholstering the Fairlane, just do it on the Mustang! You've already built the drivetrain exactly how you want it, and very recently as well. If you sell it, you will loose your money that you just put into the 'Stang. If you can get both, more power to ya, but to be honest I think its silly to sell the car you've made your own.

 

[HISSIN50]

.............i am at the point in my life where i want a car i can just get in and drive. i do not want to be worrying about or wrenching on this car...........

Chris, maybe I'm missing something but if you want a get in and go car, old stuff aint gonna be it. I find that with the old stuff, I'm constantly tinkering with little things that act up (jetting, ignitions, etc). They dont have the adaptive-ability or the ability to adjust to seasons, etc like the wonderful EFI cars do.

Y'all might be surprised how long it took me to buy my first EFI car. It blew me away how much more tractable it was than all of my carbed stuff. And that's coming from an old school guy who likes tinkering.

Remember that when many folks sell a car, they're sick of it and there are little things needing to be done or maintenance that has been put-off. Add to that, the car is 40 years old.

I know you're set on this new ride, but we have to point out/remind you of possibilities (so if you do have to work on the car a bit, we don't get an earful from you. ).

Now we know you have been posting rhetorical questions; you're going to get it so post up some pics when you get it home.

 

[blksn955.o]

The grass is not greener.

Step back for a second.

You built a newer car and built it to be one of a kind that can be driven daily and have good street maners. A daily driver with old school big block ci. with kick arse new technology parts in a modern-ish chassis that in its own right is a soon to be classic that is itself getting rare-er and rare-er every day.

to jump the fence to "greener" pastures...

getting a vert classic...I have 0 doubt its super cool and rare. Howerver, daily driving something like that will be a shame if only for the fact it will be open to ALOT of abuse. I dont care how much of the drivetrain is solid its an old classic and if you think the mustang is a drainer classic cars are 100,000x's worse. I would also bet the classis does not drive as well, handle as well, start up and go with the ease of fuel injection. Another thing...if you think the financial market/housing market is unstable...classic cars are like the plague...the market could go 180 and your car is worthless. My second car was a 66 chevy that I rebuilt the driveline and did ALOT of work to...NEVER again will I DD a classic or Drive a classic before the WHOLE car is done the way I want it.

Not to be a nag...but to me its the absolute worst case thing to do. You will be very lucky to get a fraction of the money back out of the freaking awsome mustang you have to do what? Put that and much more into a classic to beat it up DD it? Other than the kick arse idea and chance to own a very cool classic I would say keep what you have.

 

[wytstang]

I will say this I know how you fell as far as having a chance to have the car you always wanted. I don't care how much money I dumped in the stang I would drop it like it meant nothing for a 70-72 Plymouth Duster 340 c.i.d (or 69-70 Charger 440) as long as it is in very good shape (motor, tranny, rear end, brakes). The Fairlane will always gain money each year, while the stang keeps dropping in price. You are never going to get what you put into the stang not matter how mint.

 

[reddy351]

This is more from what others have said in this thread....

Take it from a guy that was married (and IS divorced). What has been said about bad news "coming in from left field" is absolutely true. (SHE may not even know that's how she feels. Till the "straw that broke the camel's back" occurs.) She's already saying things to you that have MY alarm bells sounding. PAY ATTENTION!!!!

My advice: I'd say, finish the Stang, take her (in it) to get ice cream. When you get there, give her tickets for the "cruise she's always wanted to take", just the two of you. (On a ship, not to the local "cruise-in" spot!) And then enjoy knowing that the extra $10k, or so, is sitting safely in an IRA or mutual fund or just some plain ole CD's.
Make her feel special, dude. You can't go wrong with that. Be happy with what you have. (From the looks of things, an awesome family, a great wife, a nice house, good credit, a damn nice car, and on and on.) (Yes, I read/pay attention to a lot of threads, here. ) If I had it to do over, this is EXACTLY what I'd do.

Women look at a man's ability to provide for their needs. (Not just financially. But that is a big part of it. If you go throwing money around on cars, she may not see you as such a "good provider". Believe me, she KNOWS what you spend on the car/cars. She's putting her proverbial foot down, by telling you that you can only have one or the other. That, in itself, is not a good sign. Alarm bells.)
She wants you to spend time with her, one on one. You can't do that, if you are even THINKING about what to do to the car next.
They also want the "perfect father". If you are spending more time with the car than the kids, DANGER LURKS!
If you are planning on pricing the Mustang so that it won't sell and then going to try to talk her out of making you sell it after you have both cars is a REALLY BAD IDEA! (Kinda manipulative, too. She'll call it "selfish". Alarm bells.)

Mine was not over a car, but she claims (maybe a little rightfully so) that she didn't feel as important to me, as she did when we were first married. I let it get to be that she didn't feel that way. She was, I just didn't keep trying to do the little things to remind her. My advice to you, is based on that. I hope I didn't offend.

Just be careful, here. No car is worth even the slightest little bit of domestic turmoil. Enjoy whichever (or both) car you decide you want.

 

[Nik_95Cobra]

Although I've never been married, Very WISE words from Reddy...

 

[94-302-vert]

Although I've never been married, Very WISE words from Reddy...

I don't think I would do it...

Get ths stang finished and enjoy your family... in 6 years you will have time for other stuff... maybe.... I too wanted an older car but do not have the time to take from her and now my son... that is why i have a 1994 not a 1974... I need something reliable so that I can only work on it like every couple weeks and drive it every day...

Do what feels right for you, but I decided my wife/family are THE most important thing in my life... and I do what I can to make sure they know it...

 

[BlackVert]

i am the one who gets up with them in the morning and gets them off to school
i am the one who picks them and their friends up late at night and drives everyone home
i am the one who helps them with their homework after dinner
i am one of the only dads to regularly go to their school functions

my actions and behavior over the years have proven that i am a family man. she even tells her friends how devoted a father i have been all these years.

one of her big concerns is not being able to pay for college.

i make $140,000 per year and i have $130,000 (not including the $20,000 for the fairlane and painting and stuff) set aside for the kids' college expenses (in 5% per year CDs). i will also be able to put $15,000 per year towards that when my son goes to college, because that is what i am paying for his school now. plus, she is going to start tutoring again in a couple years. i think we are in pretty good shape as far as paying for their colleges.

after i have both cars in the driveway, if she tells me to choose one, then i'll choose one. if it comes to that, i'll probably choose the mustang and still be able to sell the fairlane for what i paid.

regardless of which one i choose, i will probably drive the camry much of the time anyway simply because it is so good on gas. neither convertible is gonna get very good mileage.