Mint79Supreme

Does the economy have being so bad have any effect on keeping your toys. I know if things don't start getting better soon one of the first things to go will be my 79 Cutlass. Being retired doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room when the stock market is so bad and prices are running away. Downsizing the motorhome would be second as the wife likes that.

Olds64

Since I bought my Oldsmobiles with cash I don't have to worry about "making the payments" on my project cars. I am currently trying to sell my 64 98 but that is due to the fact that I want to have one project at a time.

rocketraider

Well- they're all paid for, they take little in the way of upkeep, and they're cheap to insure. Paying for their new digs isn't a real chore, and since it's a permanent structure I have to pay for that whether any cars live in it or not.

I am considering a refi on the home equity loan I took out to build it. I locked at a fairly good rate for the time I borrowed the money, but I wonder can I do better. I had to do something to get a tax break.

Redog

I'm sorta OK.

We just had a baby. Things would have been a lot tighter if I didn't total the Delta, but the sad thing is, that car was set for a few years, maybe about 3 or 4 weeks before the accdient

Still looking around at other Olds. Either a Delta or Cutlass in around the same year, but I do have 1 loan and might be buying a minivan soon, IDK.

hamm36

I dam near starved during the Clinton administration. Selling my Cutlass never crossed my mine. Now, I make 2x my best job in the past ever paid. Car is being totally redone. Down economy ?? Spending more then you bring in will shut down any economy, now we know?
"debtor is a slave to the lender."

dan2286

Since I dont make payments on mine and it only takes money when I have it, it will never get sold because I am broke. I put to much damn work into the car to not be able to enjoy it.

I just look at it this way. I most likely wont be broke for ever, I will just deal with it. If I sell my car just to temporarily make my life easier, I will most likely regret it when I am not going through hard times.

Dapapadon

I tell my friends my kids can sell my cars when I die. Short of that I'm keeping them.

Don

projectheaven

Dan2286 you took the words right out of my mouth.

red rocket

I would eat rice and beans before I parted with the Red Rocket! Besides gas is $1.39 in NJ now so no matter how much the 455 sucks down I can scrape together some gas money to get 'er goin!

Olds64

Gas was $1.37 in OK a few weeks ago. They decided to bump it up to $1.59. I hope we can continue to enjoy these cheap gas prices.

joe_padavano

Amen. That's the beauty of an old car. So long as it isn't your primary transportation, it can sit until money (or in my case time) is available. My wife's expensive hobby is horses and unfortunately you need to feed them, care for them, and deal with "emissions" whether you ride them or not.

marinus_

After we bought our first house, money was pretty scarce. I stored my Hurst / Olds at the time in my sisters barn so my wife wouldn't see it and keep on reminding me that I should sell it.

Out of sight and out of mind.

I was ready to sell it last summer after I bought my 64 Starfire but if I can't get a decent dollar for it then It would only be a waste of money to sell it. After all, it has been bought and paid for over 18 years now and doesn't owe me a dime.
If I sell it then I am sure that the money will get spent on something stupid like 'the kids education' (just kidding)

Toro68

My Dad had to see his 63 Starfire, becasue of this ecomony
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3032621

68conv455

Don't sell your cars! Life is too short not to enjoy a reasonably priced hobby. I've had my cutlass for 4.5 years and have yet to drive it as I'm still restoring. I walk past it everyday coming in and out of the house. Sometimes I pause to look at it and a happy feeling comes over me.
When my wife gives me a hard time about it, I remind her how fortunate she is that I'm not into boats or airplanes.
In my case, I'm trying hard to put a little extra cash aside. I'll be ready to pounce when someone else feels the pinch of the economy and sells their beautiful car at panic pricing.

2blu442

Hard times come and go, hopefully this one is on it's way out. I agree with the others that my old cars are paid for. I also have spare parts and know how to work on them. It's a personal choice but if you can keep your hobby alive through the tough times, even if you don't spend much money on it that can give you something to enjoy when your dealing with unpleasant things around you. If you decide you have to sell the car as Chad (csstrux) recently did, stay involved here. You can keep the interest alive and buy another one when things get better. My 2 cents. John

marinus_

I know a lot of guys who spend more money on golfing in a year than I spend on my cars. On a nice day in the summer I can take the whole family for a ride and the kids just love going for a ride in "daddy's old car".

gearheads78

Cars are to be sold only for the following reasons
-to buy another car
-to buy tools / equipment to work on cars
-to buy land to store cars
-to buy/build garage so you have a place to work on cars
-to buy trailer to go get more cars

That about sums it up for me

gearhead1218

Sure, money is tighter now than in the past. But everytime we spend a little on our rides, we're only helping the economy. Yes, a hendred dollars alone won't help the economy, but if everyone here spent a hundred dollars to the same company, just think how great that company would be doing. Plus that company has to get the parts from somewhere as well, so then we get the trickle down effect.
I just ordered $900 worth of fuel system parts from Jegs last night (don't tell the wife), so I'm trying to do my part.

As a whole, I don't drive my cars enough where I worry about the gas prices at all. My Cougar gets decent mileage, and runs fine on the cheap stuff. The Olds is a different story though. 93 octane minimum plus booster, or 103 race gas at $6 plus a gallon and single digit economy does hurt, but the fun & pucker factor does counteract that.
I guess there are worse thing to blow our hard-earned money on. Drinking, drugs, or gambling doesn't give you the same feeling as a group of cheering, squeeling little kids as you light-em-up in front of them.

citcapp

When you pry the keys from my cold dead fingers, you may pass my cars to the next person to enjoy. Working on them gives me pleasure even though I cuss a lot when I bust my knuckles. The hobby keeps me out of bars (Drinking beer in the garage with friends while talking or working on cars is more fun anyway. Its even fun hunting down hard to find parts and using this site. Talking to other Olds people just adds to the general fun of the fix/restore/go fast hobby.

oldcardoc

My classic car is great therapy (not to mention pleasure and enjoyment) and a better investment than the stock market

Oldsguy

I Love my hobby and Love my cars. My best friend buys new cars for his daily drivers, I buy slightly used ones for my daily driver. I buy my Oldsmobiles for fun and will not sell them unless they are a threat to my wife's well being, she is the everything to me and they would go first. But that notwithstanding, they are staying in the garage/driveway. I can't wait until spring to un-cover the project and start working on it again.

gearhead1218

What's the matter with you Dan???
Your wife is more important than the cars, what gives?????

daves62

[quote=dan2286;56728]Since I dont make payments on mine and it only takes money when I have it, it will never get sold because I am broke.


x2

442much

My 442 was paid for in 1981. If cash is low she can sit in the garage. Insurance is $150 a year for full coverage and the antique plates is a one time $35 charge(which I'm finally going to get) to have it permanently registered. Besides, the global economy hasn't hit us yet. House prices are expected to go up 3% (which is a far cry form the 35% per year for the last couple of years) and there is no major layoffs...yet. But we know it's coming...

Olds64

Man, I thought I was a pessimist.

z11375ss

I agree with oldcardoc. My Olds is therapy. Taking it out and banging gears ALWAYS puts a smile on my face. Put a price on that! Since it's paid for there is no reason to get rid of it. Besides who's buying now anyway?

Chumley

Regarding Oldcardoc, did you have a W-32 car as well as an SX? As I understand it , SX's were ther Y-79 option, or am I learning something new? I sold my '70 SX also over 30 years ago. Ah, regrets...... Chumley

Lady72nRob71

The worse this economy gets, the happier i am to put money into my cars...
For my 2 Olds, investing in them is WAY better than our current crappy stock market! I know I can get all that back (and more!) should I sell them later (if I can ever think of a real reason...)
Putting maintanence $ into the 2 daily drivers is fine, as I never plan to buy a new car, and never will if the big 3 go under. I will die before i buy foreign...
And being single means i can do what I please and continue investing in real American iron!
And as mentioned already, this is therapy for me (despite loosing half a fingertip last night ) and keeps me out of trouble and out of the bars...