Projectz28

ok, well as many of you know my life is all about little kids anymore and I really miss being able to go hang with my friends. Anyone who has kids knows what I am going thru right now. 2 kids in the house under the age of 3. I just don't have time for my car anymore.

Now before you go and freak out... ***IF*** I sold it I would invest in another one that I could drive.

I have always loved the 99+ WS6 in RED!!! (or black if the price was right) I would love to have a car in the garage that I could just open the door and go... we have a meet, open the door and go. track day, open the door and go!

So before we talk price, let me hear your thoughts.

I will not sell it in parts. I just dont have time to take it appart. It would have to go in 1 piece. I love the car, I love the track but I do not keep my trailer here. At my old house the garage was big enough I could just leave the car on the trailer and park the whole set up in the garage. When i wanted to go somewhere I would just hook up and go. Today I just don't have that time anymore. I don't keep the trailer here, I don't have time even for a track day to move all the crap out of the garage, go get the trailer, load the car on and go. Then do it all in reverse when I get home in the dark. Now if I had a nice Ram Air WS6 or SS I could just open the garage up and go for a drive.

I would love to be able to sit Sam in teh car and go for a ride... he loves cars but he thinks MY CAR IN GRAY!!!! NO thats the color of the COVER!!!!

thoughts....?

Bow94z

dam tough call. I am gonna be in the same boat very soon having a little one around and am thinking to myself will i have time for the Z anymore. hearing your situation puts it into reality for me. i Dont even drive it enough as it is, put 1800 miles on it last year. Now, my car is stock with some tasteful mods to make it enjoyable as a DD compared to a trailer and track car like your's.

I cant see myself selling my car because it was my first car i owned and had it for the last 8years and know just about everything that has been done to it. Yet, when i find time i can pull it outta the garage and go for a drive and give it hell.

If i was in your shoes, I would prolly let the car go and go out and pick up more of a Daily driver car like a ws6, something you can enjoy everyday and not be a pain in the a$$ like load it on the trailer and find time to do anything with it. I think your mind is in the right direction.

Projectz28

I've owned this car since it was almost new. I bought it in December of 97 with 4500 miles on it. It was a dealer demo model and the sales men were driving it all over the place. It was the car people test drove at the dealer and I was the last to test drive it.

I LOVE the car and it has a ton of sentimental value to me but I miss driving it. I use to get my fix going to the track all the time and I knew that would slow down once we had kids... but I would give my right leg to put 1800 mile on a car in a year. Its been done for 2 years + now and I have been out to the track with it 2 times. Once it rained and the other I found out it needs tome trans tuning. It shifted WAAAAAYYY early.

I'm looking at the future and I honestly can say in the next 5-7 years I will not have time for the track. Thats why I think I would enjoy a driver much more than I would this car.

I have TON of money into it. Heck there is just about $15k in the motor, trans and rear alone. I realize I will never get out of it what I put in but if I could get half I would have enough to go buy a real nice driver. I would live to have a convertible

Its a hard thought to even think but I have to be real and reality is I will not get to use this car they way I intended to for a very long time.

I'm on the fence.

Pampered-Z

Really your call bud, but the way my life went.......

Every time I sold the car I later regretted it. I should have left them in the garage. The 70 Challenger R/T, the Old 442, the Motion Camaro. Hell, if I stayed with the 84Z I would have a backhalfed Prostreet car!

And every time I vowed never to mod another car, like kids came first, then as they got a bit older and I hit the track and such I ended up doing the,,, just an CAI, well, maybe a cat back. And now look where I'm at. Same place I've been over and over again. If you enjoy working and modding cars then you are NEVER going to leave it stock. Two years from now you could be throwing parts into another car.

So that said. If the car isn't hurting you ( owe money, needs allot of work you can't afford) well then, that's a reason to sell it, but if it's not hurting you, what does it hurt to let it sit for a bit? If you love it, keep it. If you've lost interest, then sell it.

But don't think short term, in 3-4 years you could be wanting to go racing again. That means either starting over from scratch, or simply taking the cover off the car. So what if you sell the car, buy something else, and still can't find the time to go cruise or hit an occational track day. All you have is another car sitting under the same cover.

Hey, If it is just bothring you that after all the time and money it just sits, I'll bring it to my house and run it down the track 1-2 times a month for you! ( just a thought ).

But honestly, step back and think long term. If you love racing, then your littles one may get into it as well. For me, two daughters and I figured the car and drag racing weren't in their future. Well, I was wrong! I stepped away from racing for about 5 years, sold off a ton of stuff. And since about that time my oldest has been going to the track with me since she was about 8 years old. Now she is in her 20s and knows more about Super Stock, Comp and Pro then most of the guys her age in the stands. Now both my daughters want to get into racing. They want to run my car (not going to happen ), But I'm willing to at least build a little bracket car they can "play" with.

Remember, 3 years old is nothing more then 5 years from being in a JR. Dragster. That could mean you running you Camaro and a JR. on points day! (face it, you gotta like the way I think!)


JB

RBE17

W/o writing a book I'll tell you this, I sold my car to Harold last October and have never looked back. Of course, mine was in boxes and I'm still selling parts. If it was together and running it might have been a tougher call. For me, selling it was the right move. I have enough difficulty keeping the pool clean and grass cut. I didn't need another thing to maintain.

Projectz28

well go ahead and write the book... I am intrested to hear what you think. I know you are very much in the same boat as me.

as for the car I dont owe it a dime and it owes me nothing either.

Well It does need some tuning and new tires but thats to be expected. I just miss driving it honestly. If I could wave a magic wand and make it go back to stock I think I would enjoy it more. Will I ever mod it? sure and some day maybe I will be throwing go fast goodies at it but thats the joy of horsepower isnt it?

I do love it but I could love a nice WS6 6 speed just as much. My intrest has sort of gone in a different direction. 4 years ago I was all over it. Now I just dont know I honestly think I would enjoy driving it more and I can always build another one. The wife might kill me for blowing another $25-$30k on a car but who cares about that?

The other thing to think about is what I could even get for it. $15k? I think I could let it go... $10k I think it will stay under the cover like JB says.

dunno... need more thoughts, keep em coming!

Nostang 96z

Keep the car and make it more driveable for you. Do a cam change, etc until you feel you can drive it around like you want to. 1800 miles a year isn't much so it could still lean more towards a race setup and still make you happy.

I could never get rid of mine either...way too much time, sentimentla value and money invested. This car is how I learned to work on and mod cars. I was in the same boat as you in that it was a PITA everytime I wanted to take the car out until I bought drag radials instead of ET streets (I used to have to fill up the tires every week). I am doing a new more race 383 solid roller combo but it is more for cruising because I never go to the track anymore (I will when it is done to tune it in but that will probably be it). I will enjoy taking it out on nice weekends and cruising around.

97TransAm

Tough, tough call.

The "now" moment for you is no time. Family / young kids. No "me" time in the equation. It lessens up when they hit double digits and through the teens. Everybody in the family seems to have their own agenda and goes in different directions at those ages. Then they hit college and while you have more time to do nothing than any other time, you don't have the disposable income to take advantage of it. sigh. But I see that window opening for me in just a few years.

I hear ya on the flinging up the garage door and go "joy riding" for about 30 mins. That's as much time as I allow myself as the local police begin to "corral" in on me and my antics and I have to park the car and quickly close the garage door.... bahahahhhahaha. Then I spend the next week driving the Tahoe laughing every time I come across one of my "signatures".

That all being said, a good friend of mine has had a '69 camaro since the mid-80's. It was in nice enough condition. Kept at his parents house garage for years, then his own house over a decade. Didn't do much with it because of the same reasons that you are in now. The car just sat and he didn't do anything. Then as my 97 Trans got modded up and he heard of me going here and there and what not, he got the itch. Took awhile to get the camaro running again, then he went full bore and re-did the whole block, drive train and suspension. The kids are older, but not in college. So he is in that window. If it stops raining every friggin weekend, we would be doing more clowning around. So he weathered the storm and kept the sentimental car until the time was right again. But that's over twenty years of missing out.

But in both of our own cases, we do have cars that can be driven on the street..legally. Yours requires more involvement of time just to get it "outside" and even then, it's track only. Makes it tough. Makes things like hOOters, Final Fall Fling and spur gatherings a real hassle.

My vote, given your present situation, would be to get a DD for the "now" that you can drive through the "dishwasher". Five minutes, car is clean, and your are own your way to what ever stupid f-body thing is going down. It's going to be a long while before you can be bringing the Z to the track and play again.

ron

Projectz28

Honestly I would be happy to drive ONLY 1800 a year. My car went a grand total of 0 in the past 2 years and maybe 100 on the trailer. I DID go to the FFF last year Unfortunately going even slightly back to streetable is way, way, way in the other direction. I think its too far gone for that. That motor is way past a cam swap for streetability, along with the rest of the drive train. 4000+ converter, spool and 4.30's, not to mention no interior comforts. No interiour lights, heck the BCM is gone along with the wiring... its easier to get a new car which is why I thought about selling.


Ron, what you speak is what I fear.... I dont want to turn around in 10 years and still not have a driveable car, and still not have time to hit the track. I love the car but the big love was using it. It kills me just leave it sit in the garage and never look at it because the car can't do what I love to do and thats drive. I built it for a track but my life has changed and I don't have time for the track so what good is it?

I do think its really going to be a while. Sam is 2.5, Mia is 5 months.... She wants another still too. (another thread all together )

Right now the way I am looking at it *if* I can get a decent price for it i could easily go buy an SS/WS6 or even a Firehawk that I could take out on little 30 min romps here and there. When Sam and Mia get a bit older they could eve go with me. I then do have the freedom to split for a 1/2 day for the FFF or even a Hooters night. I can still hit the track for some fun bracket racing days, and cruise home with the a/c on.

I'm leaning towards selling it right now. But it would be an if I could get my price.

If I get the bug again I can always build another one. Ive done it before and I can do it again. I dont have the garage to do it in right now but maybe someday I will

an 02 SS vert 6peed would be nice to jump into for a spin to the store

definately a tough call, but don't forget I don't HAVE to sell it. I can ask my price and sit on it if it sells I go get another. If it doesn't sell I keep it Thats almost a win/win for me I think.

Pampered-Z

Bri,

I am NOT trying to he an A-hole. because we both are in a somewhat simular situation:

But over the past few years, I've seen a few freinds try to sell their cars and got bids no where near what they wanted. And I don't think they were asking too much. So I just want to say, you should keep the option of parting the car out. yes it sucks and it's allot of work, but our cars are worth more as a pile of parts then they are whole.

Now, I'm tired of not being able to even drive my car. I've decided on the one last try ( which may be me doing the tuning ). But if by winter the car is not correct then I face two options: One dump it, cut my losses and buy a pure track car, or the LT1 is getting pulled and it's going to become a trailer queen. I honestly don't like either of othose ideas, but it's better then watching it sit in the garage and rot while I dump good money after bad into it!

5SPDCHK

You're really convincing me that kids are NOT the way to go Brian! Actually, this is one of the reasons we bought the motorhome. We're trying to make it a possibility to continue to race after kids (should we decide to have them.. haha). I know it's different for you because Liz doesn't race so it's hard to compare your situation with mine but I guess that's why we've waited so long. I'm just trying to make it so I can go racing still if I want to. I may not even want to though - and that's fine too. I know Rick will never stop - again, I can bring kids with a motorhome and spectate.

Seriously, I think you would regret selling it. I have a friend who regrets selling his first race car every day - and he sold it almost 15 years ago! It's not hurting anything sitting in your garage and I agree that you won't get anywhere near what you put into it - or even what you think you can get for it. People aren't buying right now either - that's how we got such a great motorhome so cheap.

Think hard. It's not an easy decision you face. Good luck.

kazman

I would keep the car and put it into long term storage and forget about it until I could have the time to race again.

Second thing I would do is to find a nice driver. Either a LS1 or LT1 stock convert. Lots of nice cars out there between $5 and $10 grand.

You can sell your Z and buy another down the road however what are the chances of buying your "old" car back? Cars are selling for squat today. Race cars even less. Bad time to sell great time to buy. It may be 15 years before you can have the time to race again. In 2025 it might be nice for you to race the old car again with the option of giving it to your kids. Meanwhile a nice driver would give you the opportunity to take the kids for ice cream and you (if you can ever get out before 2025 lol) to attend F-body meets and races.

I sure if you stored the car near Numida someone on the site would keep it running once a month or so for you.

5SPDCHK

My dad would probably take $3,000 for his Z...

Just sayin'

Projectz28

I will not part it out. *If* I sold it, it would go as 1 piece or not at all. Like you said I don't HAVE to... I just want something I can enjoy. There is a guy at my work who bought a Shelby GT500 3 years ago... its brand new and he has dumped exhaust, intake and bolt on stuff on it. Bought it all top dollar straight from Ford or Shelby direct. Its got 280 miles on it sitting in his garage and I make fun of him for it all the time. He has $65k-$70k into a car that doesn't leave his garage and sits on a perfect piece of carpet. Here I am with a race car that doesn't get raced... ever. IMO its just silly to have a car and leave it under a cover for 10 years. I'd rather have one I can use.

Problem is that I built my car before kids, then had them and my life just went in a different direction. Not bad just different.

Jax, don't let my jibber jabber talk out out of kids... honestly I have sooooooo many good stories and reasons that you SHOULD have kids. But you are right. My wife isn't into it. She could care less about me going too. Heck she will be the first one to say go ahead. But as I am pulling out of the driveway I look back and Sam is sitting at the window crying cause he can't go. I pull back into the driveway and unload the car. I would rather be with him that go racing. He just isn't old enough yet. You have a great this to be able to have your hubby into the same things. A motor home at the track would make it very easy to do you guys will have a ton of fun with or without the kids at your side.

Maybe I should have married you

I dont think Liz would like to hear that though, lol...

I want to buy one. Thats what would suit my lifestyle right now but I can't afford one. I would have to sell my Z first. There is only room for 1 right now and honestly I think I would be ok building another on later on in life. I'll never get my old car back but every end is a new beginning right?


I sold my Black one for $3200 and IMO that car was a POS. I still get calls about it today I bet if he spamed it all over and does not give into the lowballers he will easily get that price

Hmmmmmm, is it a 6 speed ?

5SPDCHK

Maybe? just kidding. I'm pretty sure we are both perfectly happy where we are - well, I guess I can only speak for myself.

Anyway, you're not scaring me off. You're not telling me anything I don't already know about kids - the good, the bad and the ugly. I know what I want and it's just a matter of time. I'd like to get one solid racing season under my belt before I can't race at all for 9 months! Not sure what Rick's plans are but I don't think his life will change in the same ways as mine!

No - the Z is not a 6 speed. You should know by now that an auto is the way to go for bracket racing! And this car is a factory freak... 13.67 with NO mods and 80,000 miles!!!