So, I get an email from an Olds contact / friend from years ago today...

has a cancer, looking for homes for his parts.

Sigh

I'll see what I can do...

we are all getting so old I worry that none of the Olds vehicles and especially orphan parts will be any more than scrap metal when this group thins out.

Assemble what you can into entire cars, quick!

 

its been bothering me for a few years...ive lost so many family members and close friends its scary...and i keep waiting for the "moms gone" call...

i keep wondering when i can start looking forward to living instead of wondering about dying...its weird..but its how i fell and have felt for a couple years..i'm not afraid of death..i just wish it wasnt on my mind every day..and a few times a day...whats the balance?

i remember my grandpa made to old age and his number 1 complaint was he out lived all his friends and his family...and i always told him he had a huge family with grand kids etc..all his kids where alive etc..and he said it just wasnt the same...freaked me out..

 

One has to remember, when it's your time it's your time... Old, young, doesn't matter... In additional to older family members passing over the last few years, we had two losses this past year (four months apart) where one was only 39 and the other 43 (heart failure and brain aneurysm) neither had any previous health issues... That being said - live for today - someone else will clean up the hoard of vehicles and parts... I consider my hoard a life insurance policy for those I leave behind...

 

I have recently been wondering what would happen to all the Olds parts I have stashed in the garage if I were to suddenly not exist any longer. The wife has no idea what's what so either someone from the local Olds club could clean it all out or it would get tossed.

'67 400 engine - complete but disassembled, lotsa new parts for a rebuild
'72 244 engine - complete but disassembled
Boxes of small parts off my departed '70 Supreme
3 rearends: 2 O-Types and one 8.5" 10 bolt
3.90 Richmond ring and pinion gears (O-Type)
3.42 GM ring and pinion gears (10 bolt)
complete differential rebuild kit
2.5" exhaust pipes
spare axle shafts
4 or 5 good camshafts

I really either need to put these things to use or sell them.

 

Your wife and kids clean it up, is what happens. I am cleaning out two houses of passed relatives currently. I think the value of the parts will start to go down, which is actually a good thing.

 

I've been thinking along these lines as well. My father passed away November 2013 at age 96, my mother last year in May at 87, my mother in law is degrading quickly in assisted living/memory care (89yo), and I took a tree trunk to the chest and was impaled at about 25mph on an offroad dirt bike ride at the end of September 2015. After a 3 hour wait for the Flight for Life chopper on the side of the mountain, the EMT told the ER doc and my wife that had it been another 15 or 20 minutes I would not have come home. I had lost so much blood that the EMTs could not find a vein for the IV - no BP, no pulse, skin turning grey - it was a close thing. I'm thankful every day that I get to kiss my wife, talk to my boys, and keep playing with my toys.

 

And that sir is how it's done! Instead of worrying about it being your last day, be greatful for today. At least that's how I do it.

 

Two ways to look at everything, nobody gets out alive. Use to tell the kids that "today is the first day in the rest of your life".

 

So... who needs Die&sell parts?

I don't even know what I am getting into yet. Not as big as my stash I am sure

 

I've got a couple car buddies I've had this discussion with. We've agreed to help liquidate each others collections giving the proceeds to the family. I do have some rare pieces that are only identified by the casting numbers. I've made sure my buddies know where those parts are stashed so they get close to market value for them.

But yeah, I agree with the comment shared, live for today.

 

People used to trust and sell for good deals to people who were going to use the part. I wonder if we can somehow get that back.

 

My old man has a LOT of antique motorcycles - several in the process of restoration - and a LOT of parts, most of which look very similar to each other, but slight differences can make one part worth ten times what a nearly-identical part is worth.
His philosophy can basically be expressed as: "Buy low, then don't sell."
He knows where everything is, and after decades of study, can identify each part by appearance, so essentially nothing is labelled.
We all gotta go sometime, and when he goes, going through that stuff is going to be a full time job.

When I go, I think my wife will rent a Bobcat, push all my car crap into a pile, throw my body on top, set it all on fire, and dance around it laughing.

- Eric

 

Triple by pass is how i got into racing and bought my 1970 442. Six months after by pass i built a 24x30 garage to add to a existing 21x37. I scattered the 70 with a friends help did a complete frame off and raced this car 7 months later. Called a bucket list. My friend if he lives longer than me gets all of my parts. He gets to sell all my toys less the 1938 street rod and my 1970 442 kids get them. Right now that would be three cars he get to get rid of. The wife knows this.

 

Well, I think it's pretty simple for members here who have parts inventories or whole cars, for that matter. If you aren't survived by any good friends who are car guys, just make a list of what you have and give it to your spouse or a (non-car guy) good friend or relative along with your CO log-on info. At your demise, that person can do a post explaining what's happened to you, what cars or parts you have (had?) and how they want to deal with them.

In most cases, I bet there will be a CO member nearby who will be happy to go through stuff and help to get maximum value for it.

Also, sorry to hear about your friend's bad news, Octania.

 

Im bringing all my cars and parts with me when I go.

 

People ought to start doing that before they go. Form a preferred members buyer's/seller's club.

 

Its always good to have a plan. So, yea make a list.

Share that plan with the folks involved. Make sure everyone knows it.

Don't leave a bunch a stuff to people that might not know or care about it. It will be a burden, and it might it hurt them on taxes. Don't give anything xtra to the govt. if you don't have to.

You don't have to have an attorney or an estate planner. In some states you can do a TOD. Transfer On Death. Visit yor DMV and ask about it.

 

I have started writing on parts with a white grease pencil to identify what they are. This will not only help the poor soul tasked with sorting through my stuff after I'm gone but also will help me in the future when I can't remember what's what.

 

I had a great uncle who lived to over a 100. One time I heard him say that for 20 yrs every morning he said to himself well I made it through the night I wonder if I ll make it though the day? Then every night he would say well I made it through the day I wonder if I ll make it through the night ?
Railguy

 

I always regret the day i promised to do extra-shift on work on friday. On that weekend we were going to summer-cottage, and visiting my grandparents on the way. Due to the extra-shift we didnt went to summer-cottage that weekend, nor visited grand-parents that weekend. Next week i heard from phone that my grand-father died that weekends sunday on home. Ive been very sad about that ever since, since i know i do too much work. But i cant help myself, i really enjoy being in work, almost more than in home. Same on my father. Its confusing; is it worth to have own house, car and hobby cars, if youre always on work? Im still young ( 24yr), so i have time to change that, but i fear sometimes im driving myself to eternal loop of just doing work and not enjoying free-time. At 24 i do have pretty new car, owned just by me, american hobby car, owned by me, motorcycle, owned by me, just the house is partially loaned from bank. All payed with own work.
I _must_ brake down sooner or later. Its partially sad that money drives the world.
I work from awakening to going for sleep 8-10 months in a year, and rest is vacation. Currently im in vacation, been now 5 weeks, and im already bored..

Most important question in my mind is, to ask from your partner, did you enjoy your life with me? In my mind, thats all that matters in the end. I can live with myself, i only care did my partner enjoy it too.

 

Yeah, few folks on their death bed regret not having spent more time AT WORK.

*sigh* to complicate matters here... We have had a Steffordshire Terrier for oh 5 years now, she's getting old. Kinda Clueless.

About 2 yrs ago the wife brings home an older female lost dog or reject that needs a home. Small Jack Russel terrier. Fearless. Fears the pit bull not the least. I was hesitant at first and stand-offish. Stupid dog circles THREE times always counter clockwise, when excited, at the door, etc. I finally started to pay some attention to the terrier when I saw that Ellie like to play with her- chase critters, stick tug of war, etc. She is so small, I took to calling her "snack" russell terrier- a good snack for the pit bull. One day I sit down with my chicken dinner and the bitch jumps onto my lap and takes the entire piece of chicken and runs off. We had a come to Jesus meeting about that behaviour.


She's a PITA and barks at the squirrels, and pesters the birds under the porch and the birds in the cage in the house. Barks at strangers, barks as fire embers that try to excape the fireplace. What a useless mutt. Pees on the floor from time to time. Fights with me at bedtime, then bites at the covers. "fights" ellie over anything. In other words...

Everyone loves her to pieces. She is old and kind of fat. I saw her have a seizure one day last summer after running across the yard tying to keep up with ellie.

So, the plot thickens. A few days ago, maybe Wednesday, she quit eating. Hurled in the house a few placed [wife cleaned it up]. Then she went from active watch dog to totally inactive. Does not eat or drink. Does not go out to pee or poop. Lies still barely breathing. We thought maybe she scarfed a rawhide bone whole or ate too many Kleenex's which is her fave. We took her in for x-rays and they found nothing. Hundreds for that, then they want more $100's for blood work to see if anything shows up....

To me it looks like organ failure, and she does not have long unless we can come up with many many $100 bills for more and more treatments. To maybe gain 6 mos? She's barely able to move or hold her head up anymore. So different from 3 days ago. It looks to me like we have maybe one more day and she will pass away.

Bummer for the family. Anyone had any good luck getting blood tests then finding somthing treatable- Vet had mentioned pancreas failure perhaps?

Monday everyone has to be at work or school, so she's alone in the house all day with Ellie and two cats and two teasing birds.

 

Chris, that is tough. Losing a family member is one of the hardest things to go through. Even when they have four legs.

I know what I would do, but I'm not going to type that out.

 

Agree with Don. If you don't have the scratch to get her diagnosed (which may only confirm the bad news that you already know), it could be time to say goodbye. Don't let her suffer.

 

The vet will give it an injection and it will be gone in a couple of minutes. It's not an easy decision ,but much better than letting them suffer. I've seen cases in people that would be better off if they only could have this option. Larry