Ever regret building a car?

[VintageMusclecar]

Everyone always talks about "the one[s] that got away", i.e. the cars they've had and regretted selling--I'm just wondering who else has ever regretted building a car in the first place?

[HawkX66]

Hell no! It's had it's ups and downs, but I wouldn't change a thing.

[ssl78]

There is none I regret building. You seem to forget everything that when wring after they are done and sorted out. I do regret selling them

[TDW]

I've got three cars sitting here that I built. I don't regret building them, as they are what I wanted. What I do regret is throwing thousands and thousands of dollars at them. Now that I'm thinking about selling, it has hit me hard that I will never get back anywhere near what I spent on building them. Although I knew that going in, reality is a bitch.

[napa68]

I've got three cars sitting here that I built. I don't regret building them, as they are what I wanted. What I do regret is throwing thousands and thousands of dollars at them. Now that I'm thinking about selling, it has hit me hard that I will never get back anywhere near what I spent on building them. Although I knew that going in, reality is a bitch.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This!

[Salvatore]

Truer words were never spoken Tony! Labor of love.

[njsteve]

Yup, my infamous 1972 Trans Am in the mega thread. Seven years in body shop prison got me to the point where I got angry any time I opened the garage door after it was finally finished and thought about how many years I wasted letting a restoration shop not work on the car but bill me anyway. I had to sell the car eventually and move on to another project to clear the angry cloud from the garage.

http://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=79126

[firstgenaddict]

Someone got a beautiful and painfully CORRECT Trans Am! I loved that car!

[L16pilot]

No regrets building any of my cars which have ranged from VWs to Street Rods in the 90s to my passion, early 2nd Gen Camaros. I've learned a lot along the way, so my skills improve and each gets successively better. By the time I hit 90, I should have it down pat.

[ZLP955]

Never regretted afterwards, but like so many, I've suffered the restoration blues at some point during the build, and considered selling up. Have to go and focus elsewhere, then come back to it when the mojo returns!

[Chazman]

Several years ago I was moaning to a couple of good friends about how much money I was putting into a project, beyond what I'd get back if I sold it.

They gave me words of wisdomw. They said: "Charlie it's a hobby not a business. You're doing it to have fun".

[earntaz]

Amen!!!

[BJCHEV396]

Never,ever add up your invoices!File them away and enjoy your ride!

[earntaz]

"File them away and enjoy your ride!" For sure!! Do not let the wife/mate know where they are!@#$ ... TAZ

[The Boss]

Saving something so that one or many may enjoy it in the future is never a bad thing. Even cars that are modified have their appreciation on different levels.

Cars are a collection of stories - never lose sight of the fact that although we may own them, we are only custodians of them for a given period of time. How we treat them during that time reflects more on us than it does them, and becomes part of their story.

[Steve Shauger]

Saving something so that one or many may enjoy it in the future is never a bad thing. Even cars that are modified have their appreciation on different levels.

Cars are a collection of stories - never lose sight of the fact that although we may own them, we are only custodians of them for a given period of time. How we treat them during that time reflects more on us than it does them, and becomes part of their story.

Very well said Chris.....:biggthumpup:

[Tracker1]

I've got three cars sitting here that I built. I don't regret building them, as they are what I wanted. What I do regret is throwing thousands and thousands of dollars at them. Now that I'm thinking about selling, it has hit me hard that I will never get back anywhere near what I spent on building them. Although I knew that going in, reality is a bitch.

Truth brother, truth.

[Billohio]

I am at the stage of i wish i never bought this. Parts are tough to find, and i tore the labrum in my hip during mid restoration so not much happening. One guy makes all the interior parts and he's had health issues, so at least I ordered all of that at once and have it ready to go in.

The interesting thing with this car it was delivered to the factory so it has some odd history but we will never know. A guy told me that used to work there said the cars went into a pool when they could use them whenever they want. But he said this car was too nice for that to be its case. It was at the end of the model year so that rules it out as a magazine test car.

It is a rare car but that also makes it hard to find parts. They built around 320 and there's 130 in the registry. 32 of them are black, and this car has a white convertible top which is really unusual. It might end up being one of 10 left. So I just wish someone had done it beside me it's not like working on a Camaro. 1961 Chrysler 300G

[markinnaples]

Really cool Chrysler Bill.

[Billohio]

Thanks Mark I need to get back to it!

[scuncio]

Whenever I begin to regret building a car I sell it. Life's too short!

[x77-69z28]

I'm starting to feel that way with my 70 Z28 project. It a 5 year endeavor and doesn't look like its gaining any steam. The body has been on a rotisserie in my friends body shop for the last two years. The engine has been at my engine builder in South Carolina for the last 5 years. I'm frustrated.
Buddy

[Tig65gs]

Never regreted building any of them,I love building cars but at a point in life where business,family and kids have taken over. It doesn't help when you work on cars for a living either. I find it hard to just keep up and maintain the cars i've done. I have one car that's been on the back burner for 25 years. So hopefully down the road when i retire i can get back to doing projects,for now its going to be buy cars already done and enjoy the ones i have. Tig

[Lee Stewart]

I refuse to acknowledge my stupidity in public. So the answer is an unqualified YES! Leave it at that.

[427TJ]

"Charlie it's a hobby not a business. You're doing it to have fun".

This.

[70-SS/RS-L78]

Bill that is a Sweet Ride!! I always liked them old Chrysler Letter cars.
Your chrome guy will be real busy thats for sure.
Mark

I am at the stage of i wish i never bought this. Parts are tough to find, and i tore the labrum in my hip during mid restoration so not much happening. One guy makes all the interior parts and he's had health issues, so at least I ordered all of that at once and have it ready to go in.

The interesting thing with this car it was delivered to the factory so it has some odd history but we will never know. A guy told me that used to work there said the cars went into a pool when they could use them whenever they want. But he said this car was too nice for that to be its case. It was at the end of the model year so that rules it out as a magazine test car.

It is a rare car but that also makes it hard to find parts. They built around 320 and there's 130 in the registry. 32 of them are black, and this car has a white convertible top which is really unusual. It might end up being one of 10 left. So I just wish someone had done it beside me it's not like working on a Camaro. 1961 Chrysler 300G

[sixt9rsx33]

I'm starting to feel that way with my 70 Z28 project. It a 5 year endeavor and doesn't look like its gaining any steam. The body has been on a rotisserie in my friends body shop for the last two years. The engine has been at my engine builder in South Carolina for the last 5 years. I'm frustrated.
Buddy

If you need an engine builder let me know.

[sixt9rsx33]

I ended up selling the cars I regretted building. Wanted them out of sight and out of mind, and yes being impatient on the sell side cost me money. I tell my self it is a hobby not a business. Glad to hear others comfort themselves with the same song and dance!

[cook_dw]

When you build a car knowing that the end result will be to sell to fund other things and you become attached to said car; then yes, you regret building it. But that is the nature of the beast. But Project Bull Fighter will be coming soon.. :headbang:

[earntaz]

It always cracks me up when family/friends/etc. ask >> "when well it be done?" My response is always the same >> "when its done, its done -- not a second sooner". I learned many moons ago not to put a time schedule on some of these "projects" ... TAZ

[VintageMusclecar]

For me it's not so much of a regret re: resale value, but more an enjoyment return on investment issue. I guess I just don't enjoy this as much as I used to. Then again, spending more time under a car replacing broken parts than I do behind the wheel probably has a lot to do with it.

[frankk]

I think the same thing is happening to me.........I don't enjoy it as much as I used to.

[njsteve]

I enjoy the tinkering aspect of it all more than the finished project. That was why I recently decided to replace the 6.5 diesel engine in my original owner 95 Suburban. I have never done anything major on a "modern" vehicle. I was always in fear of anything with a computer controlled system on it. But it was fun and exciting to pull that 1,000 lb hunk of iron and install a brand new assembly line engine, and be able to remove and replace all the fuel injection components from the old long block to the new one. I even bought the diagnostic program for my vintage windows XP laptop to set up the injection pump and retime it. (A guy in Sweden, of all places, reverse engineered the OBD-1 program that GM no longer supplies to its dealers to set the TDC timing). I got a great deal of satisfaction when it actually started up! And the ultimate leap of faith was then loading the whole family in it and going on a thousand mile vacation trip.

It was also cool to do the autopsy on the old engine and actually confirm the worn bearings predicted in the oil sample diagnosis...as well as the cracked block that was expected as well.

[novadude]

It always cracks me up when family/friends/etc. ask >> "when well it be done?" My response is always the same >> "when its done, its done -- not a second sooner". I learned many moons ago not to put a time schedule on some of these "projects" ... TAZ

I have a bad habit of trying to hold myself to a schedule on car projects. It really sucks all of the fun out of the "hobby" and makes it feel more like a second job. As we all know, everything takes 7x long as you think it is going to take when playing with these machines.

[Arrowsmith]

Speaking of regrets….I’m sitting here with my super low mileage Monte SS for sale. No good bites except for several ugly low ball offers. So the other day I pulled the car cover off of it, opened the door and sat in it. I said to myself: “Man what a great car. The paint, interior, undercarriage, engine compartment and trim is nearly perfect. I dig the way it feels when you sit behind the wheel. I dig the way it looks. I dig the way it drives. It really needs nothing aside from more power. It has the best potential of any car I’ve ever owned and I’m quite sure I’ll never find another one as good. So why am I selling it?”

I really couldn’t answer that aside from the fact I was really tired of working on cars. So I didn’t work on it all year. And after looking in the mirror, I decided I now really miss working on cars. In fact my wife is probably very tired of me bitching about it.

And I know I’ll regret it if I sell it.

[earntaz]

Speaking of regrets….I’m sitting here with my super low mileage Monte SS for sale. No good bites except for several ugly low ball offers. So the other day I pulled the car cover off of it, opened the door and sat in it. I said to myself: “Man what a great car. The paint, interior, undercarriage, engine compartment and trim is nearly perfect. I dig the way it feels when you sit behind the wheel. I dig the way it looks. I dig the way it drives. It really needs nothing aside from more power. It has the best potential of any car I’ve ever owned and I’m quite sure I’ll never find another one as good. So why am I selling it?”

I really couldn’t answer that aside from the fact I was really tired of working on cars. So I didn’t work on it all year. And after looking in the mirror, I decided I now really miss working on cars. In fact my wife is probably very tired of me bitching about it.

And I know I’ll regret it if I sell it. There’s a solution: I’m going to keep it :)

Game On.

That's the spirit that makes this hobby worth it ... just enjoy it!!! TAZ

[olredalert]

----I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I generally enjoy the resto more than the finished product. With that said, I'm winding down on cars as I have boats to occupy my time.
---- I have had a few restos that didn't go well. One customer car comes to mind where everything that could go wrong did starting with an untrustworthy seller and an owner that bought the car sight unseen. It went downhill from there with two mistakes on choices of subcontractors on my part (engine builder, and body guy). I lost a good customer and a friend on that one and I had to work to get it off my mind......Bill S