It's all gone. What now? (clean slate content)

Last night I got a verbal agreement to buy my truck.

In the last 6mos I have sold my IS race car, sold 2/3 interest in my endurance car to friends so I can still race it but - as a team member. I sold my enclosed trailer two weeks ago, my open trailer last summer. I'm sick of right seat instructing and DE type driving so I don't just want to get a new track car. I'm not saying never - but I'm done for now. If it's not a race, I'm not interested. I've got a seat in a pretty well developed race car and compete in a 6 race endurance series ... so racing is covered for the forseeable future. Right now I am back at zero. I have no track worthy cars and no means of towing them - and one empty garage bay.

I have ridden 20k mi on my motorbike in the last 18 months and could see a few different bikes parked in that spot. Or a project bike. I ride bikes, but I don't know much about the intricacies/lineage like I do with cars so restoring cool old ones from parts piles seems hard but making old ones run is pretty straightforward. I stare at CL a lot. The idea of having a cheap bowrider powerboat to spend a couple days over the summer on water interests me but like old bikes... I'm a user and don't know anything at all about what makes a good or bad boat purchase. Lots of potential for fail there.

I'm lost in options. I bought a broken Jamis road bicycle and fixed it up so I could ride with a buddy who is trying to get his heart in shape after a little surgery but that only took about 45 minutes to repair. I rode it this AM instead of running. I ripped the deck off my house and made a new one last month. It does not make smoke or noise when it's done and I didn't find joy in the work. I almost brought a '68 Yamaha 50cc two stroke scooter home yesterday to restore - and I still might. Thing is, I berkeleying hate old jap scooters. It is just available, cheap and I'm bored. An empty garage bay to me is like an unsupervised 5yr old walking around a candy store with a $20 bill.

Please refrain from using me as an easy mark to unload your own garage full of crap unless it's really cool ... but let's hear what you lot would do with a clean slate. Perhaps I shall divine some direction!

Do you like owning, collecting, driving, wrenching, or what else?

In reply to Mike:

Owning and collecting are unfortunate side-effects of building/fixing. I have just unloaded the last 20 years of side-effects.

I enjoy things I can use myself either directly from purchase or by fixing/restoring them. I lean more toward active toys. I do not make or restore furniture even though I could. I did just build a fire pit in my yard - because I like to sit next to a huge fire and contractors want more money than I wanted to pay to make one for me. So... there needs to be a reason to build a static object. According to my wife - it does not need to be a very good one :)

I like things that do something. My lathe was a restoration project. Cars, bikes, bicycles, potato guns, actual guns, bows, whatever. If I don't want to use it when it's done - I probably don't want it at all.

Oh man. I'd definitely be building a cruiser that is seriously fast in the drags.

Think big, American (or jag), LS, auto trans, circle track steelies, big turbo. Build it so it can drive in parades, dates, road rallies, etc.

I'm sure you can find a good candidate somewhere far away and start the build with an interesting road trip. Grabbing one of the big body or 4 door or 75+ muscle cars should be cheap. Arizona or California should net a rust free example and a solid road trip.

In reply to Robbie:

The road trip part is very possible - but not for a big american drag/parade car. It's got to be small, sporty and fun to drive for me. A two wheel fly and ride is very interesting as well.

Huckleberry wrote: Please refrain from using me as an easy mark to unload your own garage full of crap unless it's really cool ...

Wanna buy a Cayman S?

Might I suggest you go try some things that might simply bring you pleasure? Perhaps some leisurely rides on your bikes, motorcycle and pedal both. A nice walk or hike. Trying some new restaurants. Flying a model airplane. Riding a hot air balloon. Playing in a garden. Things that bring you joy, or might bring you joy. For joy of life seems to be what you're expressing a lament for.

I really enjoy build projects. Conversely, I hate maintaining the finished results of said projects.

I get a great $en$e of $atisfaction out of building project$ for other people. My niche is tinwork remediation on classic cars.

Learn to fly.

How about a mostly finished pro-touring 64 el camino? From my garage to yours....

Appleseed wrote: Learn to fly.

Hang gliding. Lots of old kites out there for you to restore, exciting to fly when you step off the mountain.

You need an old tractor.

Well since you mentioned bows... I've got 2 compounds that I'll never use again that could use some restoration, if you're interested in that project, Im pretty sure you're near another member I need to visit soon.

I was actually going to suggest woodworking, as that's a hobby I always wanted to pick up and don't have time or space for.

Have you thought about gas powered RC? A friends husband has turned that hobby into a very lucrative business that included a tax write off 3d printer.

Sorta relevant. I'm working on getting my basement cleaned up and reorganized just so I have a place to do stuff like Grant Thompson does at Grant Thompson YouTube Channel

I see it as a chance to learn new skills with a fairly quick payoff that uses equipment I already have or buy new stuff that I don't have but really really need.

Huckleberry wrote: In reply to Robbie: The road trip part is very possible - but not for a big american drag/parade car. It's got to be small, sporty and fun to drive for me. A two wheel fly and ride is very interesting as well.

Gotcha. From your post (and the other musings I have seen from you from time to time) I kinda thought the small sporty package was getting a little old for you. That's why I suggested something from a completely different mindset.

However, a 2 wheeler adventure camping trip around lake superior sounds awesome, as well as say riding the entire coast of Chile would be awesome. Means taking a big chunk of time away from family/home/work though.

You seem to like adventury things. Do some big trips like ride your bike across India or something.

Give me some of your motivation so I can finish one of my projects .or start a garden ?

KyAllroad wrote:

Appleseed wrote: Learn to fly.

Hang gliding. Lots of old kites out there for you to restore, exciting to fly when you step off the mountain.

Interesting. Never gave much thought to this but there is a place about 150 miles from here that has a school/club (Hyner, PA) that I've ridden past on the bike a few times and ... added to list of potential things to try once.

oldtin wrote: You seem to like adventury things. Do some big trips like ride your bike across India or something.

I would love to moto camp the americas but I'm not retired or independently wealthy and I have a family so my travel tends to be the small batch variety. A long weekend here, a day trip there. A lot of it goes to keeping the Mrs happy because she is accommodating of my need to DO STUFF AT ALL TIMES but not terribly interested in participating in much herself. So when we share vacation time - it tends not to involve stealth camping in mosquito infested woods next to a filthy motorcycle. In fact, it mostly has room service and clean linen.

If I were in your position, I'd think about a Ducati. Desomo valves intrigue me, and masteringnthe things everyone says are bears holds an interest. Anything you want to learn about? Megasquirt something? Turbo?, Supercharge?, NOS?!?!

I was going to suggest a lathe-how about a mill? 3D printer? Sewing machine?

NOHOME wrote: I really enjoy build projects. Conversely, I hate maintaining the finished results of said projects. I get a great $en$e of $atisfaction out of building project$ for other people. My niche is tinwork remediation on classic cars.

I did pay for all may fabrication equipment by making roll cages for other racers/friends but after the 6th or 7th one the magic went away and it was just a chore. I'd still help a pal cage a car or fabricate whatever but... prefer to avoid redundancy in new projects. I also have a "no more E30/E36 engine swaps" for the same reason. Time for a fresh platform. Maybe I should put a BMW six in something else :)

wheelsmithy wrote: If I were in your position, I'd think about a Ducati. Desomo valves intrigue me, and masteringnthe things everyone says are bears holds an interest. Anything you want to learn about? Megasquirt something? Turbo?, Supercharge?, NOS?!?! I was going to suggest a lathe-how about a mill? 3D printer? Sewing machine?

You are firing on all cylinders!

There is a Ducati in my past. Would buy again. I did a megasquirt from scratch for an E30, and have a 75 year old sewing machine I found in my MIL's attic and fixed up (for her). I could see learning to use one for making things like upholstery or ?. I'd love a mill - space is limited so I search CL for the benchtop variety often. The 3D printers are interesting but I can't see the ones I can afford being useful as tools.

I would like to improve my TIG welding to be able to make beautiful things in aluminum. Perhaps it's time for another class.

Build something completely different from familiar parts? Some one posted pics and videos of a wooden speedboat with a Jag V12 in the cheap V12 mods thread. Do something like that, but with a Bimmer engine, since you like them.

Bike builds are fun and easy, especially compared to cars. Build something you want to ride, or maybe something silly for Mini GP (I have heard rumors of a class where the only rule is 12" wheels, there's your Ducati build >)

Enter a RallyMoto with your GS, and get major hardcore moto cred by riding it there and back.

Fly n' ride something incredibly questionable a long way.

Figure out how to commute only on two wheels for a whole year and document it.

Or, if you want a change of pace car build- do a challenge car!

If/when I have a clean slate, I'd travel.