Am I Insane ???????

[Chargen]

I have had about half a dozen different Mopars over the years as all were fixer up projects.Never did get to finish any of them as I always needed to sell cuz needed cash.I have now been without a project for 7-8 years.The wife says wait until the kids are out of school.I did that still nothing!Wife says wait until they are out of college.Did that and still no car.Now I have a daughter and a Grandson now living with us so I guess I have to start all over again and wait until the financing and time is right.Anybody else have these issues?I am not getting any younger and my goal is to get a decent car together the way that I want it and be able to enjoy it before I kick the bucket.Maybe the big guy in the sky has a whole stable waiting for me when I get there.All I know the clock is ticking and I am getting more and more distraught every day.There -now I feel a little better.

 

[63RedFury]

No I do not have the issue at all.I told my Wife on the first date I am in to Mopars and will always have my toys,if you don't like you can leave at anytime!I do not smoke,drink,do drugs,or cheat.We have been together 20 years and married 4.She never says a word about my cars and even likes to go to shows with me.

 

[bigmanjbmopar]

It's definitely a challenge to keep going on a project, I get crap from my wife all the time, We could of had this or that, lucky for me we still have kids at home and get the tax break so she gets her money for projects and if there's any left I get mine for the RR this year wheels and tires...yeah for me!!! at this rate I will still be in debt and not even have the car painted yet lol but I can drive it and enjoy it so I don't care!

 

[Ron 73]

Sounds like its time for a sit down talk with the wife, Im sure you couldn't get away with what you say your wife is with her desires.. My wife never was a dedicated car gal but loved the cars as long as they looked and ran good, When we were going together which is 40 years ago this month i sold a 69 RR and you would have thought i sold my soul she was so mad, If you explain to her how you just explained to us whats going on, its possible she could understand that its time, now and you cant wait any longer. Everyone needs something they like, car or collecting and having fun with what ever your wife likes, Im a blessed man with my wife because she knows how i feel about the cars and has no problem unless i go to extreams with the money, i would look for a car you like, share it with her and sit down and work it out that you can get it and you need X amount of money each month to build it. She cant be that hard hearted it certainly sounds like you have been patient and you did wait, now's the time, as you said, your not getting younger and trust me, it gets harder as the years add up. Most of us wouldn't have the patience to wait like you did, and if you keep waiting, life will continue to get in the way stopping you from doing this.

 

[Northwest]

The clock is ticking Chargen for you and us all. It sounds like you're a prudent guy who has been waiting while you put your parental responsibilities first. That's what you did. In my opinion its time to make some room in the garage, make a prudent choice on a nice restorable mopar on craigslist within a prudent price range and just bring er home. Don't ask permission, just quietly do it. If she kills you, she can sell it back to us.

 

[Budnicks]

If actually you have the money to do a project & won't drastically effect yours & the "wife's life style too much", by doing a project car, or spending someone else's money or some other deal, we don't know about here....... I would just set the ol' wifey down & have a serious talk with her & say "look, I want to build a car, you have told me to put if off for X reasons, X amount of times & I've waited damn long enough, I want to do it now, end of story"... you have done it her way for a while now, it's time you start to do it your way for a while now...

- - - Updated - - -

fair is fair, marriage is a give & take, it's your turn to take...LOL...

 

[djais1801]

i myself like 68383GTS made my passions for cars known to her early on. It helps that her father is a car guy and her uncle...between them ( 06 Carerra S, 07 XLR-V, 54 Vette, 67 Stingray, 62 Impala SS-409, 69 Z-28, 930 turbo)

She comes to car shows/cruise nights with me...I don't do drugs, cheat, gamble, not a sports guy-so i don't sit watching games all year, (except for the NCAA March Madness).. I bust my tail working 2 jobs all year, and she gets what she needs...THANK GOD she doesn't ask for much!!
Her motto is, "as long as it fits in the garage"
Now mind you...i am not mechanically inclined-so everything i have ever had, has been driver condition...i'm sure it'd be a different story if there were boxes of parts everywhere and nothing resembling a car for a long time (her perception)..

 

[super-bee_ski]

Your not insane...
I'm insane, 3 projects going at once.
(Hint: I used to be a little self destructive)
LOL

 

[pistol_grip_polara]

financially it is a challenge for me. I have a house and 2 kids. helps being i got my diesel and a new car for my wife paid off.

If we were ever in EXTREME need i would sell my car, but beyond that... she knows i wont and wont ask. However, if i want to buy parts, i have to sell or trade my other projects and parts.. dont get to spend much of my check, unless i get some overtime or its something small..

Its kind of an agreement for us and it works.

 

[speedchangesyou]

I guess I am lucky, my wife and I hunt together, ride together and when were in our 63 Hemi Dodge and were going through the gears she just wants to go faster....LOVE IT....ok ok she does ask when all the boxes from Summit start arriving......

 

[MoparBill]

My wife has known from day one that I have been bitten by the car bug. She thinks it's better that I want to go in the garage than go to a bar! I keep my car fund separate from the household budget- any sidejobs, overtime, or money fromparting out cars goes in the fund. She knows sometimes I just have to go out there and get stuff done!

 

[HawkRod]

No I do not have the issue at all.I told my Wife on the first date I am in to Mopars and will always have my toys,if you don't like you can leave at anytime!I do not smoke,drink,do drugs,or cheat.We have been together 20 years and married 4.She never says a word about my cars and even likes to go to shows with me.

Ditto. My wife knew I was into cars when we met. On top of that, I have help: My father-in-law has owned a speed shop all his life.

Like you and Djais1801 (and I am sure others), I don't smoke, drink (heavily) cheat, gamble, do drugs, etc. I make sure the house stuff is taken care of and it all works. Thankfully, she is very understanding - not into old cars herself, but understanding.

We've now been married 25+ years and still going strong. Just a little give and take on both sides...

I agree with what others have said. A friendly, but earnest sit down with your bride is in order. Let her know what it means to you...

 

[HT413]

Listen, if getting a car wont put you guys in trouble, you've waited damn long enough. I told my wife this...

You loved it when i rebuilt the house you were born in, the salon you owned and the house we are building a family in. Now it's my turn... and i promise to search for the best damn deal i can on the car and the parts i buy.

It helped when i showed her the Roadrunner pins and patches i still had from when i was in grammar school. She actually kinda likes the car a little.

 

[glassman]

There are some lucky guys on here, including myself. I made the big announcement to her that I was going to sell my aluminum nosed 63 Dodge and the she says, It's about time you buy that Hemi Dart that has been sitting in the barn for 2 years. She understands! YES---You need a project car for peace of mind !

 

[snakeoil24]

Put your foot down, do it and don't ask for permission. No matter what they rarely like our car projects. have adult children living home, tuff economy. So i just say less money is available for supporting the family and do my project.

 

[roadrunnerman]

What was the wife doing while you were waiting for the kids to leave,finish college, and waiting for life to pass you by? My 2nd wife made the mistake of telling me to sell one of my cars. I told her that she would be gone before the cars were. She never said anything after that. She's now my ex (years ago) and I still have my cars. My wife I have now is the one who actually pushed me to get the work done on my car to where it is now. She doesn't mind me going out to the garage every night if I chose to. She knows that she will be the first one to get a ride in it and MAYBE drive it. I think I would have a long sit down talk with your wife and get everything out in the open.

 

[HT413]

We all know the saying, "happy wife happy life." Well "fulfilled husband sane husband." Get that damn mopar and make her happy you did.

 

[sublimegtx]

Well here's my take on it. This is what I did. I hadn't had a nice car since the mid 80's and I always wanted a mopar and never had one. After being diagnosed with the big C in 07' I went through a year of surgeries/treatments. Afterwards I kinda had a different outlook on things and still had the desire for a mopar. After a couple more years of maybe I can justify one next year I decided someday next year won't come. So I started looking, I wasn't looking for a project I needed a driver. I didn't want to spend precious driving time restoring a car. After about 6 months of looking, narrowing it down to a couple prospects I got laid off from work. Well there went my dream. After a few weeks of thinking maybe next year (again) I decided I was going to take the cash I had and buy what I could afford. And that's how I ended up with my Sport Sat (GTX clone). I drove the wheels off it last year, went to a cruise 5-6 nights a week, had the summer of my life A year that I will never forget. Still unemployed, but thats almost out and I'll prolly be working for $12 and hr. somewhere within the next couple months. I may even have to sell the car If it comes to the car or the house (believe me I'm thinkin bout selling the house first) But either way last summer and this spring/summer as long as I have the car will have been among the best years of my life and If I found myself dying tomorrow I would have no regrets.

 

[D575]

It's not the wife , it's the kids, Money grabbers. Not worth the investment. You might break even on a car but never a kid.

 

[Classy67]

Got my "project" 3 years ago and making slow progress on it as money allows. The wife knew I enjoyed putzing on cars so not too much static, been married 37 years. After all, if she can't find me in the house, I'm where she knows I am, out in the garage and not out someplace chasing someone or something else. Sometimes, she comes out to chase me!!!