This Old Dodge...........

[Dr. Righteous]

Forgive me since this isn't related to a 4th gen but I think you guys would understand where I'm coming from.

Being a Car Guy (trucks included) makes you different.
I'm really not sentimental about places or personal items but cars and trucks I am. It is because a car or truck is more than just a thing. It has always seemed to be part of the family and a real place holder for certain times in our lives.

Case in point is a certain '99 Dodge Durango. Yesterday I pulled the tarp off of it and was happy to see the tires still had enough air to drive it. At least to get it moved from where it had been sitting for almost a year. What surprised me more was the battery was still hot. The main reason I'm messing with it now is there are some large trees that tend to dropping big branches when the wind is blowing. If one hits the vehicle the cost to fix the damage would be more than the ole girl is worth. I give the key a couple of on/offs before starting so it can build fuel pressure and on cranking she starts right up with a congested sounding idle but it smooths out in in a few moments. I can smell the exhaust, the gas has definitely gone bad. I've go a gallon or so of gas in the can left over from mowing season so I add that to the tank.
I back it up onto the drive way and wheel it around and park it in the front yard since it needs a good wash.
As I set behind the wheel I notice the mold growing on some of the plastic surfaces. The interior stinks. I don't have a dry building I can keep it in. Best I can do is tarp it and leave the windows cracked so there is at least some air circulation.

As I sit there I'm filled with doubt. Why am I hanging on to this thing? I don't need it. Wife doesn't want it. It really isn't worth much and it does need some front end work to make it 100% road worthy again. Ever the optimist a old car guy it has to be I review what is GOOD about it, not what is bad. Over all the paint is still nice. It runs fine, transmission shifts fine. It needs some mechanical work done, the kind I'm good at. I have the tools, the skill. I'll find the time. I just don't have the place. I really needs some kind of work shop where I can keep things organized and clean. I've done my time laying on the ground trying to work on vehicle to find I've laided in a fire ant bed or on a pile of dog sh*t. The biggest downside is I'm getting old and I can easily throw my back out laying the ground under a vehicle contorting trying to get leverage to unbolt something. Now I'm starting to feel sick about the whole thing. "Am I just a fool" I ask myself. " Who cares about this old Dodge. "

Wrapping my fingers around the back of the steering wheel I feel the buttons to change the radio station. I remember that is the one I accidentally broke not long after we bought it.
When I got married I bought this Durango for my wife. It was a few years old at the time but it was very low miles and like new inside and out. It was a surprise for her. She worked hard all her life but never had a descent vehicle to drive. What she had was always something worn out and unreliable. Needless to say she was beyond thrilled. Gosh, we were young, newly married and madly in love. Life was good. But things changed in a few months. She was pregnant and we had long decided that she would forgo her career and stay home and raise any children we were bless with. That being the case we couldn't keep the Durango. The payment was too much for my income alone. But it so happened that Dad really like it and offered to buy it from us. So we sold it to Dad for payoff and really hated to see it go. Well, Dad drove it for a few years until he decided he wanted something different then he sold it to my sister. On Thanksgiving a few years later, we were all at the farm waiting for or siblings to show up with their families. My sister calls and said the have car trouble. The Durango broke down. They had it towed to a mechanic and find engine is shot, had no oil in it. Pretty typical. They never did take care of vehicles.
A couple weeks later I'm relaying this story to my father-in-law. He was perturbed as I was. I told him it was just sitting there waiting to be picked up and my sister didn't want it. He said "Well, lets go get it!" So we hooked up the trailer to his Dodge pickup and do exactly that. I was very glad to see it was back in the family. He had the 318 engine replaced with a low mileage engine and they drove it for several years. But by 2017 both Mamaw and Papaw passed away and we inherited it from their estate. It was still in pretty good shape over all but getting worn for it's age. By this time this old Dodge really held a lot of history in memories for me. It changed hands through different family members and now it has come home in a sense. At first my plan was to work on it and make it like brand new; like it was when I bought it and the wife would love it. It would be like old times again. She quickly let me know she had no interest in it. It was "old and ugly" as she put it. We already promised our '14 Jeep Compass to my son so he isn't interested in what I'm sure he sees as a dinosaur that survived the cataclysm. Wife mentioned we could give it to a nephew. No way. It would end up junk in no time. They don't take care of or appreciate anything.
So there it sits. I review the options in my mind. "Just sell it for whatever I can get and be done with it!" No. It isn't worth that much unfortunately. It is worth more to me that what I can get for. In this case there is something more than pure utilitarian value.

I've said before there is nothing closer to a time machine than a old car (or truck). I can get in my '72 Satellite and Instantly the smell of the interior, and being surrounded by the styling that was popular in the 70s transports me back to when I was a young man. Sitting in the Durango moves me back nearly 20 years when I was younger and looked forward to the possibilities of the future. And here I am that future man wondering what to do with all these memories.

 

[danoday]

I can relate, I have a garage full of artifacts of kids toys, car parts, army gear and so on. Most of which has no significant meaning to others as it does me. I think it means your (we) getting old....lol

I think it's a cycle or a process, like if you sold it to a younger dad and son as a project they work on together, and they will create their on moment and memories. For me, most of stuff will likely go yard sale to trash can.

However, family cars, trucks and motorcycles are like family and do bring a lot first memories like road trips, camping, drivers test and so on. I don't think the younger generations hold vehicles in the same regard as previous generations. You will figure it out in time. Good luck



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[Different Drummer]

I can relate also. I have managed to relieve myself of most of the auto toys. Mostly restored autos and a BMW motorcycle. The one remaining dinosaur is a 28 foot boat. Flybridge sport fisherman. Kicker is it is all wood.
Your third paragraph in the OP describes me exactly. It sure is frustrating to have the tools and ability to perform a task but instead spend the money to have someone else do it. Especially when the cost seems unbelievable in comparison to what we remember for the same or similar job many years ago.
I don't know your age but as an aging old fart I will tell you this. As you get older all "The Stuff" becomes more and more a burden measured in direct proportion to your age.
To make it worse you never can sell "Stuff" for anywhere near what you have invested in it. The adage of " buy high, sell low" definitely comes into play.
Good luck, I feel your pain.

 

[Dr. Righteous]

Your third paragraph in the OP describes me exactly..

Like I said, Car/Truck guys are a different sort.

Years ago I had a '69 Coronet I built from the ground up into a mean 383 powered car. It was fast but still drove really nice and got descent gas mileage.
When we were getting married I had a wedding to pay for an really no money. Even though I put my heart and soul in that car I decided to sell it because I was taking a "next step" and becoming a husband and family man. Well, the car was well known and sold the same day I mention to a buddy I was thinking about selling it.
What happened soon after I didn't anticipate. I felt damn depressed over selling the car. I struggled to reconcile my feeling on the matter. But the trouble was in a sense I lost a part of myself. It wasn't that my identity was wrapped up in it. No. In fact I was getting tired of it in a way. It needed a lot more money invested in it to make the body and paint 100%. Money I didn't have. I eventually got over it but I didn't feel I was really "in my groove" again until I bought another car to tinker with. And that is the '72 Satellite I have now. A uninspiring and tired looking old car just like the Coronet was. And even though I've just recently taken the Satellite out of storage where it has been for at least 10 year I'm still "in the game" an not just a guy that laments the cool cars that slipped through his fingers.

 

[LeesEvoX]

LOL!!! look. i replaced my little Mitsubishi Evolution X Engine like 5 times over the course of 7 years.

I have enough rods/pistons/valves to build a ******** V12!!

 

[Daw14]

Trade the Durango for some satellite parts and pieces.

 

[HemiLonestar]

Like I said, Car/Truck guys are a different sort.

Years ago I had a '69 Coronet I built from the ground up into a mean 383 powered car. It was fast but still drove really nice and got descent gas mileage.
When we were getting married I had a wedding to pay for an really no money. Even though I put my heart and soul in that car I decided to sell it because I was taking a "next step" and becoming a husband and family man. Well, the car was well known and sold the same day I mention to a buddy I was thinking about selling it.
What happened soon after I didn't anticipate. I felt damn depressed over selling the car. I struggled to reconcile my feeling on the matter. But the trouble was in a sense I lost a part of myself. It wasn't that my identity was wrapped up in it. No. In fact I was getting tired of it in a way. It needed a lot more money invested in it to make the body and paint 100%. Money I didn't have. I eventually got over it but I didn't feel I was really "in my groove" again until I bought another car to tinker with. And that is the '72 Satellite I have now. A uninspiring and tired looking old car just like the Coronet was. And even though I've just recently taken the Satellite out of storage where it has been for at least 10 year I'm still "in the game" an not just a guy that laments the cool cars that slipped through his fingers.

Had a 72 Road Runner years aback.....seeing that brings back memories (and regrets).

 

[Dr. Righteous]

Had a 72 Road Runner years aback.....seeing that brings back memories (and regrets).

Don't get me started on car regrets.
Back in the 80s my brother and I were buying Charger, GTX, Challengers, Barracudas, for $500-$600 bux and driving them home. Wasn't able to hang on to anything from back then no matter how much I wanted to.

 

[Skatulaki]

Always a Mopar fan, but other cars I liked too ! Had a 77 Olds Cutlass Salon with a 5 speed manual.
Loved that car. Spent a whole summer replacing the rear clip because rust rotted it out. Also rebuilt the trans because I snapped the shift rod revving it too high. Shortly after moving to Florida I was rear ended by a drunk driver and the car was considered totaled, even though drivable, a small tweak in the frame. A Broke college student at the time ( 1987 ), not knowing any better, I demanded $2000 for it from the Insurance company because of all the money I spent on it. They paid me off within a week. My neck was sore for a week, and I blew it off, took the money and let go of the car. Two big mistakes ! My neck has bothered me to this day, and that Cutlass was probably a one of one produced ! Only 150 Olds Cutlass's in 77 had 5 speed manuals, most were Supreme's, some were 442's , different body style. Mine was a Salon. Most had 350's, mine had a 260 V8. It is very possible that I had the one and only 77 Cutlass Salon with 260 V8, 5 speed painted Red, with Red Landau rear top, and rear stabilizing bar. I almost cry every time I think about that car.

 

[2012RAM1500RT]

Man how I can relate to these stories. I've owned soooooo many of the older Mopar muscle cars I wish I could have again. I only have this newer stuff now because the older ones are priced higher than the new stuff cost most of the time. If I could find a '70 GTX in decent shape I would trade my truck for it in a heart beat. Nothing new interest me enough to get attached to it like I use to. These new vehicles will fade in memory easily! Miss the days when we would argue over which of the 3 brands of American Muscle cars were the best and any foreign car wasn't even a factor (still not a factor to me)!

 

[Docwagon1776]

I have a pretty simple question I ask when I have something that's no longer of use to me. "Will my son throw this away when I die?" If the answer is yes, it's gone. If it was me, I'd take a photo, keep the memories, and get rid of it. I wouldn't keep it out of some sense of obligation or nostalgia. Nobody, including you, wants to drive it. It won't bring the past back. Do you own it or does it own you at this point?

 

[Dr. Righteous]

I have a pretty simple question I ask when I have something that's no longer of use to me. "Will my son throw this away when I die?" If the answer is yes, it's gone. If it was me, I'd take a photo, keep the memories, and get rid of it. I wouldn't keep it out of some sense of obligation or nostalgia. Nobody, including you, wants to drive it. It won't bring the past back. Do you own it or does it own you at this point?

Yeah, I've mulled over the same thing. The though is "am I just being selfish?" Recently something happened that made me think.
I've got my Satellite and the Durango parked at the end of the drive way where the entrance to my Dad's apartment is. There is still plenty of room for him to park is truck and UTV but he was complaining that I parked those where I did. I didn't say anything except "sorry Dad, I don't have anywhere else to park them."
This is my house. My property. He lives with us because he is elderly and can't do anything for himself anymore. I move here 5 years ago to have a large enough property to build a proper shop building. Soon after mom and dad had to move in with us (mom passed last year) all my plans were put on hold for them because it was the right thing to do. So my project vehicles are sitting out in the weather since I don't have any place to store them. Where dad lives now was an attached 2 car garage we converted to an apartment for them. I don't even have that now.
Sorry for the rant but Dad complaining just like he did when I was a teenager made me think. I'm less than 10 years from retirement myself and I'm still putting up with the same sh*t. So maybe I'm being selfish. To hell with it. I've sacrificed everything for everyone else my entire life. If I want some old cars and truck to tinker with as old ages overtakes me, so be it.

 

[Juice17]

I have a motorcycle sitting in my shed. 9 years old. Not terribly old. When I left my auto mechanic job said I would buy this exact one. When that time came couldn't find one anywhere then on vacation 600 miles away a rainy day went into a dealer there it was. Bought it on sight and had it shipped home. Rode it for a few years then had more kids and decided I needed to park it. It sat now over 3 years can't bring myself to sell it. I think it's the story that comes with it and the hope one day when kids are grown I'll throw a leg over and see the sights again.

 

[Wingnutt]

Like others here have said, I can totally relate. I've got an '88 Cougar sitting out behind my brother's barn/garage. The wind blew the tarp/cover off a few years ago and he didn't realize it for an entire summer; so now the interior is pretty much shot...dash cracked, seats faded and the windshield has a crack running from one side to the other. It's been sitting for years but last fall we hooked up a fresh battery, put a gallon of gas in her and she fired right up.

She's the first car we were ever to buy new and she's got a hair over 390k miles on her now. Her once beautiful Cinabar paint is faded and half of it has been sanded down to the primer and shot with a new coat of primer in hopes of a paint job that never happened. Her tires are probably over 15 years old and barely hold any air and the tranny's dipstick needs an "O" ring to stop a healthy leak and the air blows warm, BUT she still kinda runs and drives and her V-6 engine that used to produce 145 furious HP is probably lucky to make 90 now.

What makes her hard to part with is that we bought her new, brought both daughters home from the hospital in her and they both learned to drive in her and both drove her to their colleges. We finally parked her back in 2007 with hopes of restoring her within a few years; but unfortunately, that never happened. I would love to restore her after I retire, but for what I would have to spend, I could buy a classic car or truck or a newer performance car.

Daughter #2 has mentioned restoring her, but right now neither one of us has a garage large enough to work on her and she was shocked at what we would have to spend to get her back into decent shape. So, at this point, we still aren't sure what we are going to do with her.