logdog wrote:novaderrik wrote: my trick has always been to be too poor to work on more than any one car at any time... that hasn't stopped me from owning up to 9 at one timeThats part of the problem. Its always easier to find that couple hundred for the next great project than it is to spend a couple hundred on belts, hoses, brakes etc and still need more to get it road ready. Discipline- I haz none!
Ha, that sounds oddly familiar
Anti-stance wrote:logdog wrote: When I moved I cleaned out my garage of all VW parts. Sold, scrapped and gave away everything I had except for one coffee can of bolts. Apparently, like an invasive plant species if you don’t 100% eradicate the source, it will return.This is exactly what I did with the Corrado. I needed the money and gave or scrapped everything. I didn't want anything in my possession that would justify getting another VW. Not because I hate VWs, I just want to close that chapter of my automotive life and move on to other cars/projects. I will stick with road racing but want a new lust. The VW bug had bit me (no pun intended... seriously) 16 years ago and its time to get my feet wet with another manufacturer.
My long term goal is to compete in stage rally. I still have alot of ducks to get lined up for that to happen, but VWs are good cars for that. There is something to be said for racing something you have a bunch of parts for. Of course there is also something to be said for starting fresh.
aussiesmg wrote:logdog wrote:Ha, that sounds oddly familiarnovaderrik wrote: my trick has always been to be too poor to work on more than any one car at any time... that hasn't stopped me from owning up to 9 at one timeThats part of the problem. Its always easier to find that couple hundred for the next great project than it is to spend a couple hundred on belts, hoses, brakes etc and still need more to get it road ready. Discipline- I haz none!
Yes, I'm in this club also...
As long as the $$$ situation in your life is good and having piles errrr cars lying around is not stressing things with family neighbors etc RELAX!!!!! If it makes you feel better go get another one then you will have less guilt per car. Make sense?
logdog wrote:DrBoost wrote: I learned that I just had to purge. I was paralyzed by the projects I had going on. Now that the GLH is gone, the mini suddenly feels doable. So, put a 5.0 in the RX-7 (because you should have already). I do want the Jeep, but like you said, $4500 is maybe a bit higher than many would want to pay. But, when I'm ready to buy a Jeep, we will talk....But when do you get to the Porsche?
Let's put the five-oh in the RX at your place, then finish the porsche over here.
Another common complaint I hear (and have suffered from) is "when I have the money, I don't have the time, when I have the time, I don't have the money"
On my last few projects I started to use this to my advantage. When I'm in a Money > Time scenario I stockpile parts then when the situation reverses I have a pile of parts waiting for me and my time is more efficient because I'm not waiting on things and even if I do hit a stopping point on one part of the job I have other parts for other bits of the job.
logdog wrote: My long term goal is to compete in stage rally. I still have alot of ducks to get lined up for that to happen, but VWs are good cars for that. There is something to be said for racing something you have a bunch of parts for. Of course there is also something to be said for starting fresh.
I think you just put direction to your projects. Thats a good thing to have. I tended to be a little scattered on projects until I decided I wanted to build a nationally competitive mod-class rallycross car. Now, thats the only "big" project I have in the driveway. Everything else is smaller stuff I can work on when I get too frustrated with the rallycrosser.
My recommendation is to start planning around this goal. Map out how you plan to get there, and start executing. Do you want to build your own rally car? Do you plan to buy one already built? Either way, if the goal isn't to start rallying tomorrow, a good start would be to buy the same model you want to rally, and start rallycrossing it, to get an idea of its strengths and weaknesses. Plus, you can always use it as a recce car once you start stage rally.
Easy. I have no desire to have more than one project at a time. Not only could I not afford to build it properly, I don't have the space or the time for more than one.
I have the Miata, which is really more in the maintenance stages now after building all summer. And the Mustang for DD duties.
Although I'm really interested in ditching the Miata after next track season and building one of those MEV cars.
Right now I have three projects going. The Yugo is in construction phase. The Scirocco is mostly done and ready to go when I got it and so it just needs a couple little things. The Spitfire is in the sitting and slowly getting parts phase. To be honest, once I have finished the Yugo and run the challenge that is probably going up for sell and something more road usable is getting bought. I am not buying another non-running car until after the Spitfire is done (in other words for a really long time). I can deal with a few projects but having multiple non-running ones suck IMHO.
Personally, I'm in "purge mode".
Between my g/f's cars and my own, I have way too many cars (and houses) to take care of and a glaring lack of time to get anything within a reasonalbe length of time and space to leave projects sitting for long lengths. Since I can only really control my own situation, I've decided to pare down my own fleet - with any luck, the truck and the E30 will bee gone by the end of the year, thus leaving me with my TDI daily driver, my GT6 classic and 1800ES long-term project. Plus, my g/f's 1800ES (not running, don't know why), Spitfire (engine blew up this year), and MINI (needs 100K maintenance stuff). Not to mention one house eyeball deep in a remodel (hers) and another in desperately in need (mine).
Racing will pretty much be limited to a few auto-x events in the TDI until I can decide what I want to do and have some place to put it (leaning towards a kart right now). I also plan to go back to mtn bike racing for 2013, possibly coming out of DH racing retirement as well.
Work on one thing at a time... and get rid of TV.
I know otherwise-bright people who have half a dozen car projects, and as a result they get nothing done. If they had six cars, one at a time, they'd be done by now...
or put tv in garage.
Decide if you enjoy wrenching more than driving. Do you enjoy being at auto events and not driving? Can you ride in a car and read and not get sick?
If you like wrenching more than driving, then keep the projects, otherwise sell them off at a loss and be done with. If it makes you feel better sell them to someone you think will love them even though they can't give you full price. If you don't enjoy wrenching, find the discipline of racing you like, and fine the car that everyone runs and has a reputation of being reliable/cheap. Drive it until it doesn't make you smile anymore. Don't want the burden of car ownership.....perhaps give co-driving a rally car a shot. You need your own personal safety gear(which can be used for other stuff) and an in helmet headset, which can be as little as $50. Co-drivers are in demand. Early on, you can expect to pay half of entry, but after a while you'll find opportunities to do it for next to free. Fun as hell, and when the car breaks it isn't likely your burden. It can be very cost effective way to get your kicks.
I suffered from this for a while, and once I had a mortgage, wife and child, free time really diminished as well as discretionary spending. I have a single race car(subaru) that can do all the disciplines I like to, and I co-drive on occasion when the opportunities present themselves. Co-driving is a completely different thrill and is a challenge to get good at, and I have a long way to go.
When my brain needs an enema, I bust out Newtons Comet 3D Puzzle...
Takes about 5 min to take apart and put back together (now that I have it memorized). Its a nice break from whatever has my mind backed up. And finishing it is a "little win"...you kinda feel like youve accomplished something. Afterward, my head is clear, and I can focus on whatever was giving me trouble.
what?
Oh...
how do I stay focused on Car projects? Well first I make a list of what needs to be compl
hey, a quarter!!!
logdog wrote: 1988 Jeep Wrangler- The new trans is sitting beside it in the garage... I haven’t been offroading since 2008 and I don’t really miss it.
Do this first. Fix it. Clean it, take pretty pictures, and put it for sale. Your past costs are sunk and unfortunately irrelevant at this point.
logdog wrote: 1991 VW Jetta- I cleaned out my garage of all VW parts. Sold, scrapped and gave away everything...rust free, clean interior. It still doesn’t have an exhaust or brake pressure. ...extra parts.
Fix this second. Exhaust and brakes are cheap enough and relatively easy to tackle. If the rest is as clean as you say these pull a premium to the right buyer. The extra parts = extra cash as well.
logdog wrote: 1984 Mazda RX7- Ex Spec RX7 car without a title and I am really not 100% sure why I bought this. It was cheap. I don’t really fit in it. ... use it for fun until something breaks and then part it out.
Decent plan, but if you don't fit in it, you probably won't enjoy driving it. Since it's already turn key I'd go play with it until you figure out what's next, but I'd probably sell it too for something you are actually excited about.
logdog wrote: If you are still reading at this point, how do you get and stay focused in this world of automotive hobbies? I don’t have time or money to do everything I see but I feel like I am always being distracted by the next shiny object.
There's a certain satisfaction in the closure provided by tacklilng a project. When they accumulate it just becomes overwhelming. The flipside is that there will always be something to do, no project is ever completely finished, and there's a certain balance of finding peace in that.
I have had projects that sat for years that I thought I had my heart and soul in that I just wasn't into any more, that I ended up selling... and I really didn't miss it once it was gone. It sounds like your Jeep is headed this way.
logdog wrote: My long term goal is to compete in stage rally. I still have alot of ducks to get lined up for that to happen, but VWs are good cars for that. There is something to be said for racing something you have a bunch of parts for. Of course there is also something to be said for starting fresh.
Since you said this, I think you spelled out your future fairly well. Dump the projects that don't get you closer to this goal. If you want to run a VW, I would still sell your current Jetta. Keep the spare parts, and go buy a built race car. Since you're at the "getting your feet wet" stage, and are currently bogged down with projects, I would not build a car from scratch. Your wallet will thank you, and you can go put real seat time in and see if you enjoy it. Between the Jeep, the Jetta, and the RX7, the sale proceeds will likely fund a prepped VW and the related costs of transport/parts/spares/etc. to go make a run at your long term goal.
There is a Rally ready mk2 golf on special stage for $2k. Sell the jeep to buy the rally car, sell the jetta to buy your personal safety gear. Sell the rx7 to pay your entry fees.
Smile your butt off as you narrowly miss trees, rocks and wildlife.
It is easier and cheaper to buy an existing stage rally car than it is to build one. Also once you get your points up high enough you can progress to the other classes and advance your license and build something more wild. Once again selling the completed stage car for easy cash.
You guys are making too many good points of various sorts. Where are the crazy people telling me to keep buying cars until it all makes sense?
Many of the points made are things I have thought about when trying to figure it all out. I think I am getting an aversion to cutting my losses. Ive done that alot over the years and it is getting frustrating always dumping money.
ClemSparks wrote:aussiesmg wrote: byYes, I'm in this club also...logdog wrote:Ha, that sounds oddly familiarnovaderrik wrote: my trick has always been to be too poor to work on more than any one car at any time... that hasn't stopped me from owning up to 9 at one timeThats part of the problem. Its always easier to find that couple hundred for the next great project than it is to spend a couple hundred on belts, hoses, brakes etc and still need more to get it road ready. Discipline- I haz none!
Guility!
I had a purge coversation with Mrs. Zero the other night as she can tell I'm itching to drive something.
I REALLY want to do a Challenge car/truck/wagon, but I don't have space.
The E36 5.0 project is SOOOOO close (wiring, move abs pump, and driveshaft) that it would be hard to purge. It does NOT fit the challenge budget.
The 780 4.8 project hasn't been started, but I have 90% of the goods for it to run. I could purge it and keep the 4.8 & 4speed for a challenge project, but this dude can't weld so I not sure how that would help.
Just to get me driving, I could move the 780 to the country and bring the 530i out of retirement for some track days.
Between some track days and planned days in the garage (fix all the black trim is an awesome approach) I should make head way.
I think I'm getting to the point where I would spend the $$$$ on the car to get it done rather than spend the time 
fidelity101 wrote: It is easier and cheaper to buy an existing stage rally car than it is to build one. Also once you get your points up high enough you can progress to the other classes and advance your license and build something more wild. Once again selling the completed stage car for easy cash.
Buying a completed car is my goal but I still think I am a year or two away. The costs of rally are so high I think the car is the cheap part. I want to make sure I dont bite off too much when I make the leap.
sachilles wrote: There is a Rally ready mk2 golf on special stage for $2k. Sell the jeep to buy the rally car, sell the jetta to buy your personal safety gear. Sell the rx7 to pay your entry fees. Smile your butt off as you narrowly miss trees, rocks and wildlife.
This makes way too much sense. 
I mean this in the nicest way possible. Poop or get off the pot. Life is passing you buy. Get into rally now while it still exists. rally vw for sale post Sell the other stuff before you end up on an episode of hoarders.
In reply to sachilles:
kb58 wrote: Work on one thing at a time... and get rid of TV.
I tried that. Oddly enough, I got less accomplished... because I replaced TV with the internet... and well... you can do something while watching tv... internet is all-consuming.
sachilles wrote: I mean this in the nicest way possible. Poop or get off the pot. Life is passing you buy. Get into rally now while it still exists. rally vw for sale post Sell the other stuff before you end up on an episode of hoarders.
Tough love?!? I came here to be coddled!
Youre right though. I need to make my decision soon. I don't think I would have started this thread if I hadn't already deep down came to that conclusion. Of course to end up on Hoarders I need to start pooping in jars and stacking them in the Jetta.
To clarify, I own a single 27 inch CRT tv. I dont have cable or dish. I basically cut it out 13 years ago.
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