Posted by Brian on December 14, 1998 at 23:30:04:
In Reply to: Re: Thanks Craig :)(more) posted by TParker on December 14, 1998 at 20:53:01:
AMEN!!!! I will most likely have about 3 to 4 grand in mine when finished with her. (Hopefully by spring of 2000) When asked why, I just respond that "I want to...." Would much rather do it this way than pay a bank $15,750 (my wife's 94 F-150) for a new car that I have no clue on how to fix it if something goes wrong. At least with a 20 year old car I have a fighting chance to get it right (With lots of help from this board!!!)
: You guys are right on I've had my 72Grabber for 15 years the past 2 have been spent rebuilding her, in those 15 years I've probably spent $6000.00 to $7000.00 just to keep every thing going. I only paid $1200.00 for her from the second owner and it was the best money I've ever spent. Come to think of it the past 2 years I've spent around $4000.00 on paint, tires, rebuilding the Engine, rebuilding the transmition, all new front end bushing, adding disc brakes and all the stuff that goes with that and it's still worth it because she mine (not the banks) and I love to drive her. And I still have plans to spend more money on a rear end (hopfully a 9"), fuel injection (from a 5.0) and puting in a T-5 5 speed, so if spending money on something you love is bad than I must be very, very bad!!!
: : Last July I bought my FIRST brand-new vehicle; a '98 Dodge Dakota, extended-cab, 4x4 LOADED, $26,000. I'd never had anything new before and couldn't wait to experience it. New vehicles are nice (love the reliability & gadgets) but now that I've "been there--done that", I want't to buy another older car (I'm keeping the Dodge of course). For one thing, no new car is gonna stay new and before long, it has no more appeal than an old car. Also, new cars are harder to work on because of all the extra krap they have on 'em. They have all that "smog" stuff and the insurance is a killer. I'll never get rid of my Maverick either. There are a lot of ugly Mavericks out there but mine is an exception as are many of yours. But I'm really not brand loyal (although I don't care for Chevys too much). I did finally get rid of my Nissan and now all three of my vehicles are American (2 Fords & a Dodge) and all have V-8s. I may buy a Pontiac next but no more new cars...
: :
: : : When I bought Alice she was in the "poor" catagory... I paid $600 cash... about $400 more than she was worth to some (including the owner's roomate). I shelled out $125+ JUST to get her started, another $500 on the breaks just to make her road safe... over the first year maybe an addition 1500$ on "little stuff" that falls off... starter's that get eaten, (bad flywheel) control arms that are 30 years old, linkage that breaks (once again, over 30 years old) and I know that in the comming months I'll be sinking yet MORE money into her (ball joint, rear linkage, the list goes on)... I KNEW what I was getting into... I KNOW that dropping the straight 6 for a 302 keeps getting pushed farther and farther back....BUT even if I won the lotto or someone handed me a new car in exchange for her I wouldn't do it... (hell, I'd probably sell the new one just to sink the money into Alice...) Someone offered me $3000 for her, current whoas and all and I still turned them down... I don't care what the "book value" is... I LOVE my car... it suits me... (Hot red, tempermental, maverick)... She's MY Maverick, and I won't part with it...