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Topic: (long post) Everyone's doing it, so I will too! (Read 763 times) previous topic - next topic

(long post) Everyone's doing it, so I will too!

If you don't like my long posts, you're gonna hate this one. Here's some fluffy kittens instead.. :p

Seems like there's something in the air, bringing people to part with their cars or consider it. I'm at that same point as well. I am also considering parting with three of my four cars.. (the truck isn't going anywhere) both T-birds and the '88 Mark. I'm having trouble with sentimentality getting in the way, though.

I want these cars to go to people who appreciate them.. but A) most of you are too far away, and B) there are already tons of the big Fox bodies for sale around here. That leaves me with selling them to people who don't appreciate them.. or parting them out, but that's a shame.. there's not much rust on two of them, (the '88s) and the rust on the third is entirely manageable with a pair of replacement doors. Here are the players:

My '86 T-bird, V6, with 169k miles. Seems to have just blown a head gasket, (surprise surprise) and the front suspension's shot. This is also the one with the most rust. But it would probably make a good project car for someone who wanted to do a project where engine and suspension work were already part of the plan. It's a base model, but the interior's in good shape. Paint is still pretty good. All the options still work with the exception of one door lock not locking. This was my first T-bird and my first Fox body in over 12 years, so it does have some sentimental value.

My '88 T-bird, V8, with 168k miles. Needs a fuel pump and the top of the engine put back together. Needs paint and some body work at the junction of the driver's door and the front quarter panel. Windshield leaks. The 5.0 in it has at least one bad set of rings, so it would burn oil even if it ran.. but it would be a good candidate for a swap with the HO sitting in my '88 Mark. Interior was pretty rough but I cleaned up the carpet and put seat covers on over the bad leather. (I cut off the bad pieces of leather) All the options worked last I tested, except the A/C and the radio. (a busted aftermarket unit) Could be used as a cheap DD while another car is down.

My '88 LSC, V8, with about 110k miles. Too many little problems to describe. Will most likely become a parts car, stripped of everything I can take off of it and sold for s or the subframes just hauled off to the JY, but the body is the cleanest of the three. I feel the worst about cutting this one up because of the good body, but there's just too much little stuff to fix in my current condition.

There's a guy here in town with an '86 Cougar that was asking a friend of mine today about maybe buying one of them, so one problem may be solved. But overall, am I being too sentimental here? Is it clouding my judgement? Should I just s all three? I suppose I could get the T-birds working again.. swap in my carbed 351 on the '86, or put the HO into my '88.. but my daily-driver Mark needs work too. Smack some sense into me or something.

Does this mean I'm getting out of T-birds? Sort of. Someday I hope to have a collection of one of every Fox body except the Mustang. I'm a fan of pretty much the whole platform. So I'm not looking to abandon T-birds.. just put them on hold for awhile and maybe find a better one later on.

(long post) Everyone's doing it, so I will too!

Reply #1 –
Short of money or are you tired of working on these cars ? really any of the two choices are valid to get rid of a car. Yeah, there is a sentimental value in one of the cars, but sometimes we need something more than that. I guess i got the point. When i had my cougar working i absolutely loved every moment driving and repairing it, but that was before i started my career at the university. Now i still love my car but this is expensive and time-consuming hobby which i can afford now. Even, driving an explorer for daily driving is cheaper than driving the cougar.

The best if you want to sell the 3 cars would be finding someone who appreciates the fox cars, as you described, but if that is not possible, try selling one and see how the absence of that car affected you. Look at Eric, every cougar he had in the past were relatively a chapter in his life, with all the problems of them, and when he sold one wasnt a happy day but possibily he trusted that some day he can get "the car" when the time and money would be the indicated.

 Id say, sell one, sell two ..... if you want keep one, or sell all, thinking in a future get the right fox car you want (keep some parts!)
1985 Mercury Cougar V6
1989 F-200 V8
1996 Explorer V6
2001 F-150

(long post) Everyone's doing it, so I will too!

Reply #2 –
Short of money, mainly. I'm going to the doctor on Tuesday to see about (among other things) applying for disability because this disease is REALLY kicking my ass these days, and I need a hand getting out of this hole. (if they approve me, I'd like to use the money to learn a few things so I can start making my own income again) Unfortunately that's a process that takes a LONG time. I also need to free up some space in the front yard.

I could see maybe keeping one T-bird and my two current tagged vehicles, and eventually bringing in that Fairmont or Zephyr I've been wanting for a little while now. It would allow me to have two daily drivers, a highway car, and the truck for occasional hauling.
 

(long post) Everyone's doing it, so I will too!

Reply #3 –
Sentimentality is evil. I had a strong attachment to the Camaro I just sold off. I was stubborn for the last 10 years or so and didn't want to let it go. As it was pulled out of my driveway, I was crushed. The odd thing is that I was over it in no time, 2 hours tops. So in your situation, if you got rid of any of your cars, you will feel down about it but once they're gone, you'll recover quickly.

I can easily understand the money issue. When you have too many projects going at once, you easily get discouraged and feel like giving them all up for one good one. My '88 runs good only when it wants to so to drive it on a semi-daily basis is out of the question.
The '86 I bought with money I got from selling a design but now I have nothing left to fix it up. The Fairlane is just sitting and waiting for me to have the time and money to fix it up.

Yes it is easy to say, well all it needs is a little work here and there, I can fix it. That costs money though and it is irritating when you don't have it.

I have 3 projects that I'm trying to complete at once and it isn't working. It doesn't help that all of my income goes to the new car, insurance and so forth. Sometimes I feel I'd give up the '88, '86 and the Fairlane for ONE good solid second car.

So you do what you feel you have to do. If you have to get rid of them all go right ahead. I'm now addicted to these cars and I know of the pain they can be to maintain and drive every day. Thankfully I didn't have to get rid of the '88 when I bought my new car but if it came down to
A) Keep the '88 and don't get a new car or
B) Get a new car but get rid of the '88
I would have easily gotten rid of the Cougar.