Yes, we can already hear you typing furiously away, explaining that “there’s no such thing as too many project cars.” While we’d love to agree with you, there’s a distinct difference between working on more than one project at a time and hoarding a bunch of cars that need too much work to run.
At any rate, what was the …
You mean the first time I realized I had too many project cars?
Haven't hit that point yet, but with three "fun" cars, one of which is out of commission right now, and another that tends to require constant attention to keep running, it feels like I am close. Being in the rust belt, and hating seeing cars disintegrate while sitting, I think I'd know I have too many if one needs to be parked in the grass for more than a day or so, or parked on the street during the winter.
When I run out of parking spaces. I still have yard, so we aren't there yet.
Robbie (Forum Supporter) said:You mean the first time I realized I had too many project cars?
rcutclif
For me it would be the first time I realized it, and then actually DID SOMETHING about it.
Right now I have a challenge car project (XKR) A 'fun' project ('65 390 FS Ford), a long term project ('46 CJ2a), a U42T mini truck that will need a clutch soon, a 25' cabin boat in the middle of an outdrive overhaul, a '58 Healey 100/6 that runs and drives but is about to be needful in the brake and suspension department, a late model Wrangler that loves little projects, a 2500 Suburban 6.0 4x4 that is 100% neglected and LIKES to be left alone, and the wife's van (note the lack of description or care lol.)
This is after I downsized recently.....so i don't have a problem, thank you very much.
I was already starting to feel like my things were owning me when I had 2, now I'm up to 3...one runs, one ran when parked in the before-times, one mysteriously stopped running in February (probably gas went bad despite having stabilizer mixed in and needs new gas + fuel system cleaning) and is getting a body restoration.
In reply to Colin Wood :
The first or the final time? The first was 30 years ago.
I had 3 Morris Minor Travelers, 2 MG T series, the Black Jack special, the Jaguar XKE. V12 racecar. One Jaguar XJ12 sedan and customer cars. In for restoration or race preparation. ( a Lotus 11 LeMans waiting for space.
The most recent is when my late Mother-in-law's stuff started filling the garage.
When the number hit two was pretty much what did it.
My metric, and one I'd recommend to any car enthusiast, is when you exceed how much covered parking you have. If you have to park it on the street or in the yard, you have too many imo. Old cars and collectors degrade too much if left in the sun and rain. If you're that guy with a yard full of cars, then sell em so they can go to someone who can store them properly or they're just going to return to the earth before you get to them.
SupraFiend said:My metric, and one I'd recommend to any car enthusiast, is when you exceed how much covered parking you have. If you have to park it on the street or in the yard, you have too many imo. Old cars and collectors degrade too much if left in the sun and rain. If you're that guy with a yard full of cars, then sell em so they can go to someone who can store them properly or they're just going to return to the earth before you get to them.
Depending on how you look at it, my covered parking spots are somewhere between 0 and 1
I feel attacked.
I am definitely in the to many right now. If I just got one or two more perfect projects I could justify getting rid of at least one of the ones I have. In that way those 3 additional projects would really free up mental space.
In all honesty it's hard to give up on them because I struggle to see them for the reality of what they actually are today. I see them in my mind as what my plan for them is when finished. I'm emotionally invested in my plan and my dream, not the pile of parts to make it. Giving up on that potential that is much harder then giving up on the Rusty Useless shell they really are. Selling the cars would be easy, they are just cars, I could get more. But to sell them feels like giving up on the idea and that's painful.
The second I realized "finished" was more important than owning another project. I get little if any satisfaction from owning a project car other than the one I am currently working on.
I have the opposite problem. I don't have enough. :-(
NOHOME said:The second I realized "finished" was more important than owning another project. I get little if any satisfaction from owning a project car other than the one I am currently working on.
I'm the opposite. I find less satisfaction in owning the finished product vs figuring it out and doing the building.
The first time I realized I had too many projects was a winter where I was forced to change oil in the driveway. I built more space. Now I get aggravated when I have to change oil on the floor if the lift is occupied for too long, but I haven't had to do it outside since that first lesson, so I did learn something!
Yup, thats me. I've had a 3 car shop for 20 years now, but it actually always was a 2 car shop, with room for lots of benches, work stations and just enough storage. Of course, I've always had over 3 cars, so the shop is always so full that it's awkward to work in. Currently it's filled with 3 cars mid restoration that can't sit outside, so I do my oil changes in the 6 feet of space in front of one of them, with the back end hanging outside.
The obvious solution is to downsize the fleet. So of course, I am instead building my dream shop, which will comfortably fit the 5 long term project cars I have, because I'm an idiot! Yeah I'm not ready to give up on them either. But, retirement isn't really that far away so I figure if I can comfortably store them inside for the next decade or so, whats the problem? They will be too hard/expensive to replace then, and what the hell else am i going to do during retirement lol.
The real downside is I don't feel like a car guy anymore. I've been a construction guy for 2 years now, and it will take another one to get it fully done and usable.
I have always been super envious of my 1 car garage friends, who pour 100% of their money and time into a single car. Some finish it completely, then get another and start again, others just keep making the one car better and better. Meanwhile I have one pretty nice car (that still needs to be restored), and 4 half finished undrivable projects. I see the error of my ways, but I'm still unable to change course. At least learn from me! lol
gumby said: "...I'm the opposite. I find less satisfaction in owning the finished product vs figuring it out and doing the building..."
That's me. I enjoy the journey, figuring out all the details, and when the car is done, drive it enough to prove that it works as designed, then lose interest (that, and being a stick, and heavy traffic, and competing interests, etc, etc).
I had a repair shop, and I owned 11 (eleven) cars. If no customer cars were on premiss that ran, I could not go home for dinner. It cured me. August 1986. I have maxed at 4 cars total since. Almost the entire time at 2 total, just where I am now.
When you're 14, own 5 cars, and the jeeps brakes are leaking.... I kid.
But when driving them becomes a chore.
I've only ever had the one project car. Having multiple seems like a way to spend more money and accomplish less. Honestly, I'm not sure my Miata even counts as a project car any more. I can't remember the last time I changed anything that wasn't just maintenance and I can't think of anything I need to do.
In reply to gumby :
Maybe I did not say that right.
I need project cars to progress to being finished. I need to see steady progress if I am to get that satisfaction feedback loop.
Once the car is "done" I move on to a new project. Historically, I have kept one "done" project car to drive as one does hobby cars. If a project car graduates to "done project " and I already have a "done" car to drive, then something needs to leave cause I want the money and space to do another project.
I have a friend who suffers from hoarding. It's one of the toughest mental health issues to overcome.
He gets such a high from buying the thing becuase the thing is gonna be so cool. That high wanes and so obviously he has to buy something else. He's got 40+ motorcyle projects that will never get finished.
The stuff owns him; even at fire sale prices he has 35-40K worth of stuff. If he sold it off he could buy several really cool bikes that would bring him so much joy on a daily basis (he retired this year). I sold him my YZ125 several years ago and every time he rides it he has a huge grin all day.
He had some really m tough years so he bought the projects with the thought that when he got back on his feet he'd have them up and running but now he's over run with them.
It's an easy trap to fall into.
There are times that I think 1 is too many.
Blasphemy, I know.
As soon as I realized I'm more of a driver and tinkerer than a builder of a large project. Somewhere I have cars on jack stands that will run the day I get my checkbook out to have someone else finish my project.
Tom1200 said:It's an easy trap to fall into.
I'm borderline between packrat and hoarder. It's very difficult when you can't help but attach strong emotions to inanimate objects, or want to hold on to something, "just in case". What helps/hurts me is being aware of some of the stuff I've missed out on because of it, but also being aware of the times my habit has saved time/money on something.
I can't say that I really want a project car right now. All my vehicles run and work as intended. I play with them some but they're never projects. I just don't have the time or space. Hence me selling the corrado, that put my garage at maximum usage....
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