vettepoor

Hate to admit it, but I too have been feeling the itch to sell my 57. With age and all its perks starting to take hold, the hobby just isn't as much fun as it once was. Routine maintenance is becoming quite a chore, where I used to look at it as "therapy". I'm sure my wife would take me in for a mental exam if she knew my thoughts. Good luck with your decision.

tuxnharley

Hmmm, well, I'm 65, had open heart surgery this past January, have 7 vehicles (6 plus the bike) to take care of, and spend about 1/2 my time taking care of my 92 year old Mom.

I'm nowhere near ready to get rid of the '67, or the '06 either for that matter, although I have considered "thinning the herd" a bit by selling 1 or 2 of the other vehicles. I've owned my '67 since '71 and am the 2nd owner. It requires surprisingly little maintenance, but does now need a new convertible top.

The '67 will be the last car to go other than a DD, and I will not sell it - it goes to my grandson! I do not need the money from it, and am fortunate that my parents set things up so that there is adequate resource for Mom's care.

If I needed the money for family reasons it would be a different story, but in my case its more of a long range family issue than a short term need.

Kerrmudgeon

I totally understand where you're coming from Russ, and I'm only a few years younger than you. I don't even like fixing my own junk anymore. hands hurt, back and knees hurt too. Too bad, I really enjoyed your builds bud. Great reads.

corvetteed

I agree w/both Kerrmudgeon and Russ..... I'm rapidly getting to the point where I'm satisfied to just drive 'em, not work on 'em too much, and that pretty much applies to most everything else, like yard work, house repair work, long vacations, oldies dances, judged shows, etc., etc. Mostly, I'm good w/just 'hanging out', and having a cold one w/my buds.

oldgold49er

Well said.

MrPbody

We do what we enjoy until we don't enjoy it anymore, then move on to the next thing. I've enjoyed a lot of things over the years, but still have plenty I haven't done yet, but would enjoy doing. I bought a small sailboat (ok. three actually ) a few months ago, and we've been enjoying the heck out of that. also bought a small fiberglass (Surf Side 14) camp trailer that I've been refurbishing. it's just about ready to enjoy also. I built a rack on the truck to haul the smallest sailboat, so we can take both at the same time to parts unknown.
I have no regrets about no longer being physically able to enjoy building cars. BTDT and have lots of T shirts and memories…….. and an awesome 62 Corvette to drive. it has a trailer hitch on it now, and it easily tows the boat or camp trailer. Like I said earlier, the Vette stays with me for the duration. Just like my wife, it took too long to get the right one, so I'm keeping them.

Cheers,
Russ

Frankie the Fink

I'm in the same boat with you guys. 15 years ago the wife and I were avid bicyclists and kayakers; then 10 years ago we moved to a waterfront house and did the whole boat/jet ski thing, and now I'd rather just enjoy the water view than be out on it. We're just slowing down it seems... I walk 3 miles a day but other than that I'm also cool just "chilling out" now.

The classic cars are starting to get somewhat tedious too. I think cutting back to just one again will strike a good balance for a few more years. I have amazingly good health and can still work on them but the interest is waning some and other priorities are taking center stage -- grandkid is one of them and aging siblings of both my wife and I are making us want to spend more time with them than hunks of rubber and steel.

SledgeHammer 2.0

I am in the same place you are. I spend a lot of time helping my 80+ year old parents. I sold most of my cars and all but 2 of my motorcycles, and while my shop sure looks empty compared to what it used to look like, I am a lot happier. I kept my 66 because I have owned it the longest and my oldest son said he wanted it someday and I hope to pass it on to him. I have my Dad's 01 Electra Glide in my shop, it was his pride and joy and I am honored to care for it. Hopefully some day my son will feel the same way about the Vette.

Keep the car you like the best, sell them off one by one and you probably won't even miss them. I don't miss any of the ones I sold.

rfn026

It seems that when we were younger we all wanted a collection. Now we're not even sure we want one car. They all take work. They also take time and money.

I just wrote an article about starting a collection. I've already got one planned on getting rid of a collection.

All of this talk sent me to my files to find out when I wrote my first column. It was 1981 and it was for Motor Trend. That's thirty-four years of monthly columns.

My herd consists of four cars, and three actually run. Two of them run really well. My son is only interested in one of the cars.

Maybe it's time?

Richard Newton

Frankie the Fink

Well - our kids don't want our cars; all us old farts want to unload what we have so we're not buying them... I hope those Scandinavians have boat loads of money.

corvetteed

You're right about the next generation not wanting "our" cars (the vintage 1950's & 1960's) era. I regularly go to a Cars & Coffee here at the local Chili's, and at the one on Saturday, there were over 600 cars, mostly 1990's and newer Ricers, VW's, Audi's, BMW's, etc., with only about 50 or so 60's & 50's models. Seems that only guys in their 60's had the 50's & 60's cars, and the 20 & 30 Somethings could not have cared less about "our" cars.

rtruman

I always liked the torque thrust wheels what a ride I would keep it
you know its different with us guys who have one special car. I know friends who have a garage full of nice one of a kind autos but when you have one nice its hard to think about getting rid of them ,did it once and missed it had to ditch the new one and get the old one back.

MrPbody

Yup. there does need to be made clear that there are two types of "toy" cars. there is the "collection" of other cars that come and go over the years. these are the ones I compare to an old saying about owning your own business: "the two happiest days in a mans life are (1) the day he buys his own business and (2) the day he sells it." the other type of toy car is a whole 'nother discussion, and the one I believe this thread is mostly about. that one car that you've owned, or wanted to own, since a very early age. the one that still puts a smile on your face each time you drive it, years later. the one you still secretly sneak out in the garage just to admire. for those that don't know what I'm talking about, then it may be time to sell. for those that do understand, it needs no explanation.

Russ

Revfan

Gosh!
What a difference a couple years make! Two years ago I started a thread along the lines of, "Who is ready to let their beloved car go..." with the ultimate goal of finding a well loved, well cared for C2.

The resounding response/chorus was, Not "No" but HELL NO!

Frankie the Fink

What poet said, "...but at my back I always hear, time's winged chariot hurrying near".

I was 54 when I bought the '61 with a rubber neck and ball bearing back and could do all the zany restoration tasks to get it up to snuff. Now, ten years later, still in excellent health, but I don't look forward to some of the work I know needs done but is a PITA -- like replacing the pitted windshield pillars with the rechromed ones I've had in storage for 3 years.

Plus - I think we all feel the market is waning for the first generation Corvettes...when I'm the youngest guy at a Corvette show; that's worrisome. I've also all but closed out my IT security consulting practice. I'm financially in very nice shape and don't want to work anymore and don't want to hear anything about another freakin' delivery deadline for a product !! So, I'm on a vector to simplify my life wherever I can....

I'll be down to one classic car within the next 24 months... I figure the split window is such an icon that, like early Jags and pasta rockets, its value will continue undiminished.

SupremeDeluxe

This is a surprising thread, to say the least. I am probably one of the youngest people on here (36), but I have to say that I am losing my intensity for working on old cars very quickly. I have had many Corvettes of different generations, and have been working on cars since long before I could drive. Now with a wife, a baby on the way, a new business in startup mode....I dread each old car failure that comes up because the repair/restoration activity is another action item on a long list of life chores that needs to get done. In short, it has become way closer to work and far away from fun.

I have no desire for any more old cars at this time. But I believe I am more fortunate than most in that I already have my "holy grail" Corvette, a red 435 convertible. This is the car I built models of as a kid and always coveted as the best of the best. If I sold it, inevitably I would have to embark on the search for another, better example of the exact same car to replace it. A zero-sum game. So when it starts pissing me off, I just put the cover on it and plug in the battery tender.

rtruman

Boy well said ,you hit that one on the head Good test for the car owners wondering whether to sell or not to sell.

65 fi

There is a time for everything.
However, another thought may to take your mother occassionally for a drive. The stimulation of an occasional ride may make her feel young again.

leif.anderson93

Can I get an Amen, my brutha!!!! That is exactly where I'm at

corvetteed

Yeah, this captures my thoughts exactly; if you've got that one "special" to you, anyway, 'toy', that's the one you'll keep till they pry your cold, dead hands from; but for all the others, even though they're nice, or hot, or cool, or whatever, those are the ones that might be up for "the thinning of the herd" when the time is right, which seems to be now, for some of the guys anyway.