This week marks the 17th year my car has been off the road....

[trapin]

17 years since I last drove my car. I'm not sure on the actual date but I know it was the week of Thanksgiving in 1993. I pulled the engine out and sold it and the car never ran again. After that I started chasing women, late night hockey games at the local rink, partying on the weekends. The poor thing just became an after-thought. A few years later I met my wife and the rest is history.

17 Years ago....I was 22 years old, working for a small engineering firm fresh out of college. Bill Clinton was just starting his presidency, Brett Farve was a 1st year quarterback, the grunge era (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, etc) was in full swing, final season of Cheers, Internet was still in it's infancy (no ebay, google, facebook or even Itunes). Cell phones were big clunky analog blocks, Schindler's List won the Oscar for Best Picture. I could go on but it's too depressing. LOL!!

I'm wondering if I'm the longest out of the game here on Pro-Touring. Who's been out longer?

[mdprovee]

Tony,

You are a little longer than me. My car was apart for 14 years, went thru 2 moves (not fun piling all the parts into a shell, push it around, then unloading again), a long term relationship, a wife, a divorce, and a second wife, kids, life, etc. Then was able to get it built, which took 2 years. So 16 total. Keep your chin up as once it is done it will be all worth it.

[DarkBuddha]

I'm empathetic. I've sorta driven my Mach since (in or out of the garage, around to the back of the house, etc.), but the last time it was in proper driver condition and saw actual road under its tires was nearly 15 years ago. Worse than that is that it has been in the same "nearly done" state since 2006. And in spite of being only an 50 miles away for the last 18 months (instead of 3000 miles away for the previous 10 years), I've yet to be able to make any progress on it. But that's gonna change.

I've got a deadline I've set just to get the car legal, insured, driveable, and roadworthy... not "done" by any means, just good enough to start using it again. If there's anything I've learned from this process, it's that letting a car sit is one of the worst things you can do to it... perhaps even worse than having an accident. It's that bad to me.

So Tony, take heart, buy a cheap motor and fix it "good enough" and get it going again. If not now, when?

[bretcopsey]

Tony, I think you may have me beat by only 1 or 2 months. My 68 was my daily, and the heater core sprang a leak winter '93. I parked it and started driving the S-10 my brother left behind when he left for boot camp. I tore into the Camaro with intentions of fixing all that was wrong with it... Marriage, house, kids all have delayed progress-one day!!

[MuscleRodz]

the car in my avatar I bought August 93, drove summer 94, took it apart winter 94, and never went back together. After having it languish around for 15 years, change my mind and rework certain items 3 times, I felt it was best to sell it and move on rather than tear it back apart a 4th time, not to mention I have 2 other personal cars needing finsihed that were in front of it. I will buy another 68 eventually and build it as rendered.

[Jim Nilsen]

I feel your pain Tony, You will get there and it will feel good when you do even when it all doesn't go right.

I bought my body for the Cormaro in 1991. The car hadn't been on the road since 1976. So it was a long time for this car to get back on the road.

It was damn near 19 yrs to have it running. I almost died trying but decided to put off dying and finish the car !!!

Goodluck with your day it shifts into the next gear!!

[twosaturns]

I've been a fan without a car about as long. at the beginning of '93 I had my '70 Nova, bodywork done, gatorbacks, addco 1" sway bar. friend offered me a deal I couldn't pass up (he had a big block he wanted to put in it) I wound up w/ a '78 malibu stick car and a lot of plans.
then I completely lost interest in doing it. once I didn't have my Nova anymore, I didn't want to dive into another project.
by the end of '93, I had met my future wife, moved twice and was driving a '86 GTI.
no regrets really; much happier w/ my wife than my Nova :)
restoring our Victorian twin and raising our 3 kids is my focus now. having an old home w/o a garage also saves me from bring home a 4 wheeled orphan that will cause me heartache!
in '93, 17" wheels were expensive wheels on the ZR-1, everyone was putting TPI on their cars, holley standalone TBI was out, and 5.0 mustangs were everywhere. Troy Trepanier was painting everything monochrome pastels, and pro street still had a stranglehold on the hobby.
maybe I'll get back into it someday, but I get my fix visiting this forum!

[wingman]

You've got me beat by a little. I parked my '85 IROC in '96 and it still sits. It's third on my project list. And now the famous "but it ran when I parked it" line. :seizure:

[JEFFTATE]

Tony , get that car running and drive it to an event !!
Finished or not !

I believe in you man !

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

damn... 17 YEARS?!

i dunno how you did that.. and i cant even imagine the changes to the car in that time.

Tony.. post up pics of how its currently sitting.

[85GPLEf41]

I feel you!! My 85 Grand Prix hasn't been driven for no more then 2k miles since 95....And that's when my buddy bought it! It sat in the sun for about 5 years till i got it and now it has sat for the last 10 years with me, the last 4 years in a garage. It has been moved twice going on three. I have gone through alot of crap and i still managed to hang on to it. lol! I still have hope and dreams for it but i still have to get a few more things in a row then its on! Good luck and keep your head up and the a quote from Joe Dirt " keep on keeping on! "

[Derek69SS]

16 years for my SS car...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/Derek69SS2-1.jpg

Took that pic the day we went to look at it in December 1994. Bought it about a week later... I paid $1000 for it with no engine. It still has no engine. Very solid true SS396 car with no documentation.

I was 12 years old at the time, and $1000 was my life-savings. Figured we'd throw a smallblock in it and get it running for me to cruise to high school with. Then I bought my '69 Malibu when I was 15 and got a little "distracted" with it. I'm OK with that though, I can hack it up with no feeling of remorse.

I've been saying "I'll finish the SS in about 10 years" for roughly 13 years... Now I have kids, so they'll probably end up restoring it.

[mikey]

I'm sorry to disappoint all of you but I seriously doubt anyone has me beat. To make it short I bought my Camaro in oct 88(from a pawn shop ) and towed it home with a tow bar. 6 mos. later I was deployed to Alaska for a year. I returned home in april 89 and it promptly went into storage (no garage). There it sat until Feb 99 when I bought my garage with the house attached. I dismantled it some got back into racing sprint cars so it sat some more. In 02 it got moved outside while I did a quicky 1/4 replacement and paint job for my daughters first car that took 7 years along with a few other projects. There was also along time where I absolutely hated working on cars at home let alone go to a show or cruise night. Hell I even took my dd to work to have the oil changed. Finally in june 09 it moved back into it's rightful place the garage. I've still only gotten a little done to it other projects keep getting put in front of it( but they do provide the $$$$ for it). now the house remodel is taking up some of my free time (gotta keep the wife happy first) I have been collecting parts like crazy though all nos sheetmetal, dse suspension and lots of other parts pretty much everything except wheels, brakes, engine and trans. I have actually set a goal for it to be in trailerable shape by the 2nd sat. in april 11. The local Camaro club has it's first cruise that night I intend to take it and use it for advertisement for my shop that I plan on opening in a couple more years(HOPEFULLY). I'm finally fired up and realized why I got into this business in the first place to build hot rods and custom cars.

[BonzoHansen]

You got me beat - except I've never seen it with an engine in it. I bought my 67 in Feb 1995 (I had to look that up, now I am sad). I bought it, finished my trans am project, went back to school for my MBA, met my wife, changed jobs, finished my MBA, got married, sold the TA, bought a house, had a kid, changed jobs, had another kid, bought the 77, changed jobs...

I swear to god I'm gonna get it going soon. Right after the 77 gets a little more attention. :hammer:

[DarkBuddha]

I'm sorry to disappoint all of you but I seriously doubt anyone has me beat.
Actually, our family built a barn to specifically house our family's collection of project cars in late '87, before we moved to Carlisle PA for a year, including a '69 Fiat 124 Sport coupe, a '62 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint, a '67 Ford OSI (euro), '76 Ford F100 shortbed, and a '65 Buick convertible. We thought it'd only be a year or two that they'd be in there, but 23 years later and there they sit collecting dust and rust.

[wellis77]

You've got me beat as well, but I'm getting there. Mine has been down for about 8 years.

[paulk68]

You got me beat. I bought my 68 camaro when I was 15 in 1994. I drove it 3 years in high school and my first 2 years of college. So, I parked it in my dads garage in 1999 and that is where it still sits today. So 11 years for me. OH MAN saying it out loads hurts.

[CRCRFT78]

13 years and counting for my Nova. Time sure does fly by without ever really noticing it.

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

man... do you guys at least keep a simpler hotrod to tide you over for that long?!?!

i did Stormy for that exact reason!

[MCMLXIX]

I got my 69 Camaro as a graduation gift in 1991. My father helped me adjust the points and get it running... drove it around the farm on the weekend and started pulling it apart... Hasen't moved under its own power since.... Bought and sold parts as technology inproved... now it sits as a shell waiting for some attention... 19 years...... crap I'm getting old....

[mc84_zz4]

Well you got me beat, mine sat around for 8 yrs, we moved, and it came off the trailer, then the 100+* temps did not agree with, and it began making some terrible sounds, so it got parked.
Kids in school, new job, etc, my SS sat in the garage waiting...In hind sight it worked out for the best, since my older son bought his first car to go to college (which he crashed 3 times in 1 year, the 3rd was a total)
I feel your pain, I hope you get it back on the road soon. :cheers:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/poster62746821_Objectives2-1.jpg

[scherp69]

Wow after reading these, I don't feel so bad now. I drove mine last the summer of 2002. Parked it at my parents place before I went to Depot (RCMP's police academy) for 6 months. Got posted in a small northern village for 2 1/2 years and got to come back to the same city I was living in before. Brought the car from my parents place and started working on it a couple years later. At the rate I'm going, it will be about 11 years once I get it going again.

[Rhino]

After I purchased my '68 Camaro, I traced it's history back quite a ways. It was stolen, recovered, sold at a police auction, then in a junk yard for a number of years. Previous owner picked it from the bone yard, then decided it was too much work for him. It's been off the road since the late 80's (88-89 not sure exactly when) but I purchased it in 2007. I've never driven it myself. We pushed it onto the trailer and then into the garage. It's rolled a total of about 50 feet since I've owned it. :)
Hopefully I'll have it rolling around on it's own 4 wheels late February, then moving under it's own power late spring.

[67rsssls]

You have me beat. It was 10 years for me last July.

[dropit69]

Damn Tony ive had like 15 cars in that time frame..lol..what you need to at least drive it ?..ill donate parts or time to come help ya on it ..im not that far away..get it Driving !!!!!!!

[NOT A TA]

In about 86 I did a valve job on my DD 66 Mustang. Drove it around the block after reassembly and it ran great. So I decided to clean up the engine compartment. Took off the timing cover to polish the aluminum because I thought it would look cool. The timing chain and gears looked a little worn and before the end of the week the whole car was apart! Talk about project creep! Then I bought a Firebird to play with while the engine was at the machine shop. Then when the engine was done I worked on the stang occasionally BUT several Camaros, Malibus, trucks, Firebirds, Valients and a couple wives later the Mustang still begs to be finished. The engine was never fired so now it'd have to be torn down and checked. Mold ruined the new carpet because I thought the cowl was sealed but it leaked and was covered. All the new aluminum engine dress up parts have corroded.

It's had several indoor homes the past 25 years and stayed outside a while. Was home to a racoon family while in a garage. Was stolen in Atlanta while I was moving and recovered later partially stripped of it's new parts with no insurance coverage. Today it sits outside at least 3rd in line of projects that need to be done on other cars first that will take at least a year. I took apart a good usable car then pushed it aside and dragged it around the country refusing to sell it. Should have sold it 20 years ago to someone that would have enjoyed it.

1986

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/Scan_Pic0002-1.jpg

2010 You can tell it's been a long time since I worked on it by the "new" stereo! LOL

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/07/66Mustang002-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/11/66Mustang0021-1.jpg

[trapin]

Thanks for sharing your stories fellas. I hope this thread can be theraputic for some and a revelation to those lurking that this place is in fact NOT for people with big money.

To answer some of your questions, the main reason my car is not running has nothing to do with bad luck or misfortune on my part. My wife and I made some terrible financial decisions over the past 10 years and we are now paying for those mistakes. We have not filed bankruptcy or anything, we are just a couple of slaves to our debt right now. Basically we barely live check to check. When we do get extra cash we have to prioritize it and spend it on what we need, not what we want. The Camaro is not a need right now. We've also adopted the edict; Cash Is King. So no more running up credit for me.

When will it get done? Who knows. Right now we are in the middle of a big move, we are renting out our house and taking over my folks house that they no longer need. We got real lucky in this respect. I also have a ton of after-school commitments with my kids; Karate, Skateboarding class, Football, etc. Very busy Dad right now.

Nobody needs to feel sorry for me, I got myself into this mess and I'll get myself out. Besides, at the end of the day they're just stupid cars anyway. The true measure of a man is in his character, not how cool his car is or who he knows or how many times he gets in a magazine or wins an event. I often find the most interesting people here are the ones I know little about who either have modest Pro-Touring cars or are slowly churning away at the process, like me. I salute you brothers. LOL!!!

My big dream is to head across this nation with Bill, Brian, Yancy and the rest of those crazy road trip people who go out to SEMA every year. I would love to do that.....and I will.

I just hope Bill Howell's still running it when he's 85 years old. ;)

[DarkBuddha]

Oh boy, do I feel ya... especially being a slave to debt and the busy dad thing. I try to keep it all in perspective too, but boy are there a lot of distractions and temptations. All things in time and in moderation, right? Oh, and Tony, when you're ready to go on that road trip, drop me a PM... mine should be about ready by then too and I'd love to make that trip!

[BonzoHansen]

man... do you guys at least keep a simpler hotrod to tide you over for that long?!?!

i did Stormy for that exact reason!Yes, that is why I bought my 77 Z28


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/07/66Mustang002-1.jpgPut the SBC in it. :)

[MonzaRacer]

Well lest go back a few years to get where I am now. Fall 89 working at local radiator/machine shop, building a 76 Buick Skyhawk w/327 on the cheap, like whole car was labor and about $400 total and that included new intake and new block huggers. Started working first of the year full time at Sear as technician, drove my 69 Pontiac at time. Bought a 61 Ford F100 longbed unibody to haul it with to drag strip, Skyhawk finally ran best of 9.29 in 1/8 on street tires, made 8th in points and buddy who was one of my part sources 71 Vega ran high 7s and settled in 8s and he was points leader. We both lost in points run off,,,,,.
So I decide to make Buick street car, swapped in unwelded rear end, had exhaust installed. Even installed a set of G70-14 tiger paw bias tires on rear.
Well spring I was romancing a girl a Pizza Hut, won her over ,bought rings, got engaged. Buy 70 Monte Carlo, clean, very rust free, no engine/trans.$175,00! Tranny went in Buick, so I buy tranny from Monte from guy I got it from, and swapped in my 327, it goes for few months then drops a valve from soft rockerarm.
Friend with machine shop had a later 350 from 78 Blazer(the Blazer actually got the original block from my Monte!) , so I borrowed it. Girl cheated, broke up. Installed 4.88 posi in rearend! drove those for about 6mo till got ran off road into phone poll, caved in quarter, bent axle, traded for 64-67 12bolt 3.55 posi. Sold Buick body in here somewhere and my 66 Impalla Conv too. Replace quarter in there somewhere, wrecks, deer, etc.
Late fall I think about buying buddies 86 Ford Ranger w sbc/pg in it. Finally get it around Christmas 92, meet another girl. /find out near first of year that by March many Sears stores are gone.
So Im engage, switching jobs, not sure where I am going. Wind up at local tire shop as tech, about 5 mile from home, but they dont like my relationship with fiance'. Then June 93 got job at Chevy dealership,,then wreck the Ranger, buy another,sort of breakup ,she calls, pregnant, but wants to string me or ex bf from before me along. I make sure he doesnt force her to have abortion(besides if she had done it it would have actually drover her into mental institution, even now she admits it would have),built second Ranger from first one, nearly get best unfinished at local show/cruise.
Well move to march 94, daughter born on 14th, total truck and get hurt on 22nd,,,,broken hip socket, collar bone.
7 weeks later I am building the 402 bbc I had been gathering parts for. To install in Monte Carlo. Built bbc and was doing machine work on crutches, Installed it, got it running and drove back to work 10wks to the day in 70 MC with 402 bbc, 2 wks later swapped in diff trans.
Dec 94 switched jobs, spring 95 first new tool box, boss gave me caddy motor and trans, dumped engine, used caddy trans to rebuild parts then pulled tranny, and rebuilt over weekend. Get fired, get job in Bedford In, that doesnt last long.
Buy a motorcycle, in there in Bedford.
Well find job closer to home in Washington started in September, but had been having issues with BBC so I by an 85 GMC with tranny/diff issues from father of guy I got Ranger from.
He gives me rear end and trans from parts suburban he had,
Well totaled truck not hurt, got $1500 in truck, totaled for over $5k! So back to 70 MC, fall of 96buy a 71 MC to fix/sell. Winter 96 we have ice storm,,,should have stayed home, minor wreck of 70, so simply swapped to 71 MC,,,3500 miles later cam breaks, I abscess a tooth and build a roller 350 short block I had over weekend, heads had been fresh on 71 when I bought it so had good friend who I had bought 402 block from, and he had taken my job at rad shop. He fixed the valve that got tagged when cam broke nad lifter jammed a rod and broke it.
so i build a fresh engine. This one over time I hone my Qjest tuning skills, install a HOT roller./
Well 98 or 99 I get back a Factory V8 Monza I gave away back in 87, less engine. build swing arm suspension, help buddy with drag car.
Well 2000 rolls around,working 2 jobs,,,start dating lady down road after she kicks husband out and files for divorce,,,we swap the 355 12 bolt into the 71 and go drag racing,,, oh yeah in fall 98 I bought rear CoolRide from Bret Voekel at ART for it t ofix bad springs.
Well we go racing, do ok, everything seems good,,,,,later on we break up.November 2000 I am driving back to work at AutoZone as I had 2 jobs, hit dog, lose control, nose first over bridge. Oh and my dad was diagnosed with Myeloid Leukemia in spring. Like monday after he gets out of 6wks chemo I did this.
so I ask him if I can use new garage to put engine in 75 Monza, so Im driving his truck as he cant get out(no immune system) and working nights on car after AZ work. getit running, no trans shift(was trying to use an air cooled PG) so I pull TCI trans out of 71 MC, swapped in in and drove.
Through winter, ripped rear lower control arm out, welded back in, got the yellow 77 you see as my avatar, I had gave it to same guy I gave the 75 too.
2001
He gives it back. I find an S10 spindle swap kit at v8monza.com.
Dad passes away, I take vacation after that and build yellow 77 Monza.
AWESOME car.
Fall 2001 blow tire and total 77 monza, friends help me get 70 back on road and I am in my trailer.
Well June 02, leave tire store been at for nearly 7 yrs, got to Bedford, Work for Goodyear, I know 70 needs work so Ilook for truck as I now own dads car trailer.
Get my 78 C10, swapped in roller engine from 71, wrecked 70 MC totaled, this sucks.
So build hitch for truck, make plans for it. 03 moved to Firestone employment.
04 we put full air ride in in over Labor Day weekend.
05 Get me a 79 Camaro body t oput BBC in, think of drag racing again,,,,,,06 swapped 79 Camaro body for my blue 77 Monza.
Jan 07 mom get liver /kidney transplant, I get fired, 5 weeks later at truck and auto shop.
Well from Feb 07 to Nov 08 I starve, in April of 08 I got my Buell, still working little at a time on Monza. As funds allow.
Dec08 Ford tech. March 09 out of Ford, looking again. Find Pep Boys ad, turns out guy from home town is SM, so he hires me as he is going out.
Well then really get serious about PT theme of Monza and needed home for 402BBC so I got 84 2dr Caprice.
In this mess I acquired a 61 283, w/ steel crank. A set of 461 double humps, 2.02/1/60 ,screw in studs , guide plates, cut for big springs.
So now I am amassing parts to go forward on Monza and Caprice, and looking at installing a 77 454 all stock motorhome engine with 47k on it.
Besides i can get it for $500 air cleaner to oil pan.
And this is 20 years of wheeling, dealing, aches, pains, and hopes and dreams.
OH and did a few Power tours in there.
So now here is to hoping to be able to have 2 cars running soon.
Right now waiting to see if I 96 Caprice parts chassis(for diff and abs brakes and maybe some interior).
My cars not being done may not hold record but the way I ended up here now, is a dooozy.

[bl1tzw1ng]

I'm on 18.5 years right now. Every year I say "this is the year" but I have yet to be right.

[Jedrattle]

I am right there with you but with a slightly different twist.

I have a `47 Studebaker pick up that I have had since mid `91.
It was a gift from an ex girlfriend. I got it with the theory that I would garage build it from the ground up! I thought I could do it all!! Boy was I wrong!! LOL Young and dumb for sure!! I built up the chassis with a chrysler torison bar front end and an 8 3/4 rear end. A mild 360 and 727 auto. I had a well known builder (in my area) pan cake the roof and add 3inches to the back on the cab. I pushed the bed up 2 1/2 inches and back 3 inches. That made it look awesome. It sits with an 1 1/2inch rake on american 5 spokes. I got it running in 2001. It has been a complete nightmare ever since. I have 4 different cams, 2 sets of heads, etc., etc. Rewired twice. 4 stereos. Still has no wing windows. It still has some of the factory paint with rust, and primer helping it out. LOL (I have no pics on this computer)

It is still running and driving but everytime something breaks, I get mad at it, it would sit for 6-12 months before I fix it. Everytime I changed the cam I had to replace the cam bearings because two of them were flaking real bad. So I need a need new engine. It handles like crap! The brakes are the worst thing I have ever driven!! The list goes on! I drive it like 3-4 times a year...maybe.

I have had a ton of other vehicles come and go during this time. Guys that I have known for years, ask me once in a while..."You ever finish that old Studebaker" To make matters worst between life problems and my vehicle ADD, I never get anything finish. Plus I have too many interest....Off road....Harleys....street rods...muscle cars....RC cars...dirt bikes....women....too many and never enough $$!! lol I have like 9 cars/trucks right now! I have come to the realization I will never have the $$ and time to finish any of them to the level I want. So I have narrowed it down to 3 'extra' vehicles. My `69 Landcruiser (rock crawler/off roader), my `47 Stude, and my `68 convert Dart. Now, I want to finish my Stude and then move on to the next one but, work sucks and other life problems are preventing anything from happening to any of my vehicles! The final twist of the knife is.....In 2000 my dad and I had a 'Garage scene photo shoot' with both of our Studebaker pick ups in Classic Trucks magazine. My dad's truck is finished and is waiting for a 'finished' photo shoot! While mine looks exactly the same!!:banghead:

[NOT A TA]

Welcome Jed! Have a cup of coffee and sit, you fit right in here! LOL

[Keith]

I'm going on 16 years and never have driven it. I bought my '67 GTO w/o a motor. I tore the entire car down for the resto and then priorities changes - grad school, marriage, houses, kids... I started the project again this year and not disappointed at all. My build will be so much less of a compromise now as I can better afford to do what I want and there is a much better selection of parts and inspiration.

[Boatmark]

I just counted, and the Corvette has been off the road for just over twenty one years. (August 1989) I put it away in my parents garage for what I assured them would be no longer than six months when I moved to another state. Since then it has moved to several warehouses and garages in three states, but never again under its own power.

Just started work on it again this year, but with the way things are it will be at least another couple of years until I can devote the funds to finish it. I didn't plan on a recession and the bills piled up during an extended unemploymnet getting in the way of progress.

I hadn't really thought about it until this thread, but I was twenty one when I bought it, twenty five when it went into storage, and type this at forty six. Oh well, hopefully at fifty it will be a badass car again. And it will be the car I bought at twenty one! How cool is that.

[Kenova]

man... do you guys at least keep a simpler hotrod to tide you over for that long?!?!
:lmao: Yeah, sort of.
I bought my Nova as a roller in July '96. The plan was to throw in a SBC 400 I've had sitting around since the mid '70s :hand: . Thought I would clean up the engine bay a bit before hand, and before I knew it the sub frame was out of it and disassembled and the rear suspension and gas tank followed. It's been back together and waiting for some electrical and fuel system work, but I'm quite certain the sub frame is bent. You would think that huge dent in the front cross member would have tipped me off :banghead:.
There was the usual "life" stuff slowing me down, but for the most part I've just been too lazy to work on it. My daughter bought a home towards the end of October so I've been going almost non stop helping her with some renovations, and I'm loving it! I'm now looking forward to getting back to the Nova in the new year.
Back to Amir's quote, I bought my '77 Vega from a friend five years ago and swore I wouldn't touch it untill the Nova is back on the road. It ain't easy. This thing still has the original 2.3 with an automatic trans, and the carburetor is a bloody pain.
Like Tony, I hope to some day do things like going to RTTH or the Hot Rod Power Tour. If I wasn't afraid of getting run over on the Interstates I'd take the Vega-matic.:lmao:

Ken

[DarkBuddha]

man... do you guys at least keep a simpler hotrod to tide you over for that long?!?!

I wouldn't call it "simpler", but that's the main reason why I bought my XR4TI... now look at it. Talk about "snowball".

[Steve68]

That looks just like my neighbors car!!!! I'll post a pic!! The blue Chevelle,



Sept 92
Tony same with me! the BBC had a bad cam but it ran good under 3K, but the night I took my buddy to his dads, he was moving to CO.(now dead) the trans T400, gave up 3rd gear, drove it to a big storage area I had, there it sat !, tore it down, then eveything changed, girls, drugs, raves, partys, BMW's hanging out in South Beach,clubs, LOTS OF FUN!!! worked on it very little,

Then Stielows "RED WITCH" and I said hell thats how I want to build my car! basically just like my 88 325is with Racing Dynamics suspension, big brakes HP, and everything, then the Nova showed up, back to drag racing/street racing, which led to hanging out with Frank(prodgity) Then the basics, life, marrige,divorce kids, house cars, I actually have lots of parts on order, I really planned to get it rolling by the end of december, I doubt that will happen, I'm waiting for the Glink and VA kit, but thats just the parts in my sequence to get it to where I'm ready to assemble it like a model, getting ready to make a post in the build section, soon,

[Jim Nilsen]

I just counted, and the Corvette has been off the road for just over twenty one years. (August 1989) I put it away in my parents garage for what I assured them would be no longer than six months when I moved to another state. Since then it has moved to several warehouses and garages in three states, but never again under its own power.

Just started work on it again this year, but with the way things are it will be at least another couple of years until I can devote the funds to finish it. I didn't plan on a recession and the bills piled up during an extended unemploymnet getting in the way of progress.

I hadn't really thought about it until this thread, but I was twenty one when I bought it, twenty five when it went into storage, and type this at forty six. Oh well, hopefully at fifty it will be a badass car again. And it will be the car I bought at twenty one! How cool is that.

A lot of young kids think us old guys have all kinds of money to have a car like we do and it never occurs to them that you may have owned it forever and bought it cheap at todays prices but expensive to us when we bought it.

Patience and persistance is what makes a really nice build keep going when the funds run out and life takes over.

[CamaroAJ]

OP, i was 10 when you took your car off the road. didn't mean to make you feel old lol.

[fantasygoat]

I could never leave something sitting that long taking up valuable space. Decades? Keeping small, store-able parts for that long I can see, but a whole car?

Reading people's responses, the problems seem to break down to the following:

- No Plan
- No Time
- No Money
- Wandering Attention

All of these seem like surmountable problems if you really put your mind to it. A project sitting there for *decades* just seems like hoarding to me.

[patriot68]

Dec 1991

[Jim Nilsen]

I could never leave something sitting that long taking up valuable space. Decades? Keeping small, store-able parts for that long I can see, but a whole car?

Reading people's responses, the problems seem to break down to the following:

- No Plan
- No Time
- No Money
- Wandering Attention

All of these seem like surmountable problems if you really put your mind to it. A project sitting there for *decades* just seems like hoarding to me.

When you have no money you can still plan and when you have no time you usually have money to buy parts because you are working ot. But when you have no garage you have no car! Most of America uses the garage as a storage unit rather an garage these days and actually making something or even thinking about making something in a garage is a better use for most of them than just a storage cell.

Biggest part of the problem for most is getting garage space, once you get it the snowball starts. Get a car to fix up and then it's in pieces for a long time and you also run out of space and the wife wants some room back and.............

It took me a long time to finish because of life and money and I can see some thinking we might be some sort of hoarders because in a way we have the preservation attitude it takes. But it akes a long time or a lot of money for time to build a car and when you are learning how, it takes a lot longer for those who are challenged.

My hat goes off to any one who finishes something as big as restoring a car no matter how long it takes them. It takes a lot of patience and persistance to get past some obstacles even some of the best have trouble with.

There is never all the money you think you need to do your car if your goals are higher than your ability or your dreams are bigger than your lifetime income. A lot of us here built our cars on over time at work and that comes and goes as qickly as you think you can get your car done.

You hit the nail on the head for the problems but I think there are a lot of us looking for those ways to surrmount them, especially the $$$$$ part.

[trapin]

I could never leave something sitting that long taking up valuable space.
You would if it meant something to you.

[whistlin six]

Thanks, this thread just made me feel better about leaving my car parked for six years.
The wife lit a fire under me and said "either drive it, or sell it".
That wasn't too hard of a decision to make lol.

[EFI69Cam]

Owned since 1986 restored 1990ish Modified a bit then tore it down in 2003 when the itch to modernize it hit hard. Now 4 kids and two work promotions later it still sits. Story of my life, money or time pick one. Personally I pick the watching my kids grow up and being succesful at work over building the car. It'll get done someday.

[LateNight72]

Mine hasn't been on the road since 1980. But then again, I've only owned it for 5.5 years.