Vision Too Big For Bank Account????

[jr421]

As a person that is somewhat new to this site and the pro-touring site I understand how projects get out of control and become never ending piles of money. In my experience and realize most of my experience is in restoration with slight modifications you can always spend more. My problem is that if I make a car too nice it never gets driven. It’s a silly concept I know because I thought the reason we built them was to drive them and the nicer the car the more you should want to drive it. I find myself going into a preservation mode and trying to avoid wear and tear on it.

My biggest fear in my build is exactly that I build too nice of a car (over a 3 year period because of budget costs) and I wipe it with a diaper on sunny days in July. I take it to a few local shows here and there and then become frustrated and sell it. I am trying to keep a lid on it, but it is so hard not to buy 600.00 hood hinges and billet tail lights and other awesome parts. I am somewhere in between a junkie and a collector someone please help…..

When I first joined the site I had a vision, unfortunately someone already built it, Todd’s car is exactly what I would build, but after carefully and painfully examining the cost to build a car of that magnitude I came to the conclusion it would become a garage ornament and HOW much fun would that be in the grand scheme of things. I really appreciate this thread because it drove home the idea that I need to make some decisions and I need to gain some more knowledge before I choose a direction. I refuse to build a trailer queen and if I say it 12 times a day maybe I will succeed.

Once again thanks everyone for the awesome thread it may save a few of us from making big mistakes!

[DOOM]

Alot of good points on this thread. My car was to be a COPO clone when I started five years ago. Thats until I found this site. I found out real fast that this was not going to be a cheap venture. I just think eveyone starts out with good intensions. But things always change for what ever reason. We have one member that has to stop because of health reason and we have some that have financial ,or just no more interest. You can go on and on . You just don't know what tommorow will bring..

[GregWeld]

Drive 'em!!

After doing a bazillion dollars in paint and bodywork THE FIRST TIME AROUND -- when they get all road rashed... it's a simple scuff and re-shoot.... the body is already flat... and the trim all fits... Most all of these cars are stored indoors and rarely "fade"... so if it's just the front that gets a little messy - guaranteed the painter can blend it.

Trust me on this one -- it's not that big of a deal -- and is down right CHEAP compared to the dough you WERE spending on the build originally. After you've owned the car 5 - 6 - 10 years - it needs fresh wheels and some interior cleaning and re-carpet - and the motor is dirty. Big whoop - that's what winters are for - yank it - clean it - freshen a bit - and relive the fantasy all over again -- RIGHT TODD?

I drove my 67 BB Vette from here to Bloomington - via Yellowstone which was repaving about 6 miles of road - which meant ROCKS... big whoop I drove slowly for a whole 6 miles... out of a zillion mile 9 day trip.. The nose got painted and the seats where re-done (they're leather so show "wear" instantly) when I got home and before the next regional NCRS meet... My then 10 year old is still telling his friends about that trip - he's 23 now... THAT MY FRIENDS is what this HOBBY is all about... 4 years later - my then 10 year old daughter and I did a "roller coaster" trip for her 10th... in the same Vette -- we did every roller coaster on the west coast... When I got home - the nose got painted - and one door fogged - and it needed a new top because the 115 degree weather in Vegas (or maybe the 200 mph blast from Reno to Vegas) stretched the top and now it had a wrinkle in it... Big deal... she's still reliving that trip.

[ProdigyCustoms]

A big part of my Project Planning conversations focus on putting together a package that can actually be finished within the budget. I tell them if we make a plan, stick to the parts budget and monitor the labor budget, it will happen. Blow any of those and your either going to be in deeper then you wanted to be, or you will not finish!

But to many either go in with no plan, budget reality, or worse make changes along the way as every new trick trinket comes out. Sells a lot of parts for us though!

[Vegas69]

Originally Posted by ProdigyCustoms

A big part of my Project Planning conversations focus on putting together a package that can actually be finished within the budget. I tell them if we make a plan, stick to the parts budget and monitor the labor budget, it will happen. Blow any of those and your either going to be in deeper then you wanted to be, or you will not finish!

But to many either go in with no plan, budget reality, or worse make changes along the way as every new trick trinket comes out. Sells a lot of parts for us though!

Your the guys that drinks a beer in front of an alchoholic and expects him not to drink.

[Greg from Aus]

Great thread guys. I can relate to pretty much all that has been said, especially about the community that comes with building a PT car. I live right over the other side of the pond ( Australia ) and without the help I have received from fellow Junkies on here, it just wouldn't be the same. Times have been tough for some of late, I hope thing improve for those that are in that situation, I am a bit different from Todd I do enjoy the build process, but I can't wait to hammer the **** out of it when it's done.

Greg

[Greg from Aus]

Yeah blame it all on FRANK

Greg

[extralight]

Wow, what a great thread. Just like all the people on this site. Too early on the build to weigh in with the "total" experience but I thought I'd weigh in anyways. I think the key is to focus on your goal/intentions and not make a quick emotional decision. Sure, build your car with the "emotions" you want but make sure it is really worth it. My story is, I'm not a car nut but I like great cars. My daily drivers have been $100,000 cars that I track and drive hard but they are for me to enjoy how they handle not that I drive an expensive car. I was sick of having something you just wrote a check for and "anyone" can have. There are 2 cars I loved as a child and always wanted....4 headlight Vette and a 69 Camaro. Both I thought of buying and had a check in my hand but when I test drove them I hated the handling. Found this site and "knew" what the solution was. Yes I'm a professional but I also grew up in a small town with a figure it out and just do it attitude. Because my day job takes months/years to see something happen and is exactly opposite of building a house yourself an see what you've accomplished that day (which I've done) or "work on car" (which I really haven't done), my project is a great distraction from working "forever" to accomplish something. Because I've learned from "past mistakes", my goal for the car is quite simple, build it for myself, build it to handle and be fast yet reliable so I can actually drive it, build it to thrash it but not kill myself....in other words....keep it off the track since there is no roof or even windshield frame, build it to be unique for me. Above all, have fun with it and from a money perspective my only goal is to "avoid" mistakes which to me is defined as not paying for things twice or paying for something more than it is worth. While I've always like "fine" things....I've always enjoyed finding good deals and "paying" for what really matters. I wanted to do a lot of the work myself, not to save the money but to have the full experience. I just realized that time it would take, takes me away from other things I love and my plan to get the experience with friends didn't pan out because they are all busy and since I'm a professional I don't really have many "gearhead" friends who could help me do it right. The end result is I wanted to be "part of the build" but leave it up to professionals I trust and like....thus after 18 months of me doing the work (which was defined as very little work and lots of research) Kurt from AutoKraft has the project. The 18 months was great for me to really understand "what it takes", what I really want, and help me from making an emotional buying decision. Now, while I'm not "doing" much of the build myself, I've very involved in sourcing parts, design and when I have a chance I go to AutoKraft where I actually get to "help" them work on it.

My hope is someday, after a few car builds through builders and when I'm retired, I can actually "build" most of a car myself with friends. What I truly think I've found is a "hobby" I can do when I'm retired which is the most exciting. I'm only 42 now and all my other hobbies are athletic in nature or things not best suited for "latter" stages in life.

My advice, make all the decisions that it will really take to build the car when you're really sure you won't regret it with the goal of having fun...which ever way you define it.

[scherp69]

Originally Posted by DOOM

Alot of good points on this thread. My car was to be a COPO clone when I started five years ago. Thats until I found this site. I found out real fast that this was not going to be a cheap venture. I just think eveyone starts out with good intensions. But things always change for what ever reason. We have one member that has to stop because of health reason and we have some that have financial ,or just no more interest. You can go on and on . You just don't know what tommorow will bring..

I also blame my current build (or thank it) to this website and pro-touring.com (and Frank ) Until I found these sites, my car was going to be a mild build with a sbc crate, leaf spring/ladder bar set up and a few other mods. I came on here and now it's a full pro-touring build that is taking forever to build. I think we should just shut down the websites j/k. My goal for the build though has always been to save money for the parts, and then buy the parts. Save again and buy again. I'm lucky enough to have a job that allows me to work overtime to save up for the parts. These cars become an addiction! It's how you deal with that addiction that matters. It sucks to hear about the guys that have to sell their builds for whatever reason and life is way to short to worry about cars. If getting rid of it helps settle things at home..that's the way it has to be. For me, having the car to work on is therapeutic. I get to go into the shop and take my mind off things and just beat on some metal.

[DRJDVM's '69]

What a great thread...

Add one more to the "well my car was going to be a simple driver before I found this site...then it was game over on the budget"

Thats what happened with my '69 Camaro. My very first real build....learned a ton...went over budget....have quite a few instances of "if I knew then, what I know now I would have done it different" stuff, but not too bad..... but I still love that car.

On the Cuda, I've taken a big "jump up"....in the budget...in the overall plan.... the amount of fab work etc etc etc. But I've also tried to not set a deadline for myself. I dont want it to take 10 years, but I'm okay with it taking 4-5 years (I'm at 3 right now and a long way off).

The best thing I've probably done is keep the '69 while I do the Cuda.... I still have a fun musclecar I can drive, cruise in, go to shows, tinker with and still drive..... I have that whenever I want and need my "fix". So I'm okay with not having the Cuda finnish real quick.... I still have a cool toy to play with while I build the other bigger and badder toy... I know alot of guys dont have that luxury

I'm also the kind of guy that tends to stick with things once I've started. I dont give up easy and I tend to stick to one path... I dont buy and sell cars or parts constantly.....dont change my daily driver every other year...I live in the same place...keep the same job...go to the same restaurants. Once I find something I like, I tend to keep it forever........

I think just like alot of society in general.... people have short attention spans. They change jobs every couple of years....move to a different city or house....change the daily driver every other year....nothing keeps their interest very long...it always has to be changing.If they dont get it "right now" they lose interest and move on to something else...they change plans...they get blinded by something new and shiney and they lose focus...sell off stuff at 50 cents on the dollar and spend even more $$ on new stuff....

I'm like alot of guys on here.... I do it for fun.... I see it as an investment in ME.....not my car.... I dont do it to sell off as soon as its done...this is my hobby.

My advice....have fun...whether it be a beater of a million dollar car.... this is supposed to be fun. Be realistic with your goal and your budget and dont put an unrealistic deadline on it.