so here's the deal. i am a teanager, so as you all can guess money isn't exactly "growing on trees" for me (also keep in mind i am in about $2000 of debt, because of the car). i have a '68 coupe, with a stock 302 and 2-barrel. i just can't seem to be happy with it the way it is, no matter the fact that it looks pretty good. its just that i want - as i know most ppl want - you guessed it, more power. so i am at kind of a cross-roads. my choices are, either sell it, pay off my debt, and maybe come out with more $ than i started with, BUT stand the chance of not getting another classic, or keep it, drive it the way it is for a few years until i can maybe do more to it. so i am in need of encouragment. plz don't laugh at me.
-®

 

Nobody's laughing. haha...I am no teen any more and money still don't grow on trees. My kids seem to think it does though. I vote to keep it. Work on it and add to it when you can. Or you could sell it to me. But, really, I've had my 69 for 25 years (or there about) It has its good days and its bad. I have almost sold it more times that I can count but, always ended up fixing it. So, keep it, drive it, work on the debt, and when you come across some extra money (tax time, maybe) put a little in the car. Even small upgrades are enough to make you want to keep driving it...then you start to get the comments when pulling into the corner store..

One day it will become an addiction. It won't turn into the car you dream of overnight but, eventually.

 

pay down the debt, then fix the car. easy plan.

 

I would keep it and tell myself, that once I am finished studing and start working,
then and only then will I let the power bug bite. Remember, girls (qualification: most)care more about
looks than power, when it comes to cars................

Jav

 

This is a situation you will encounter many times in your life. What you want versus what you can afford. The good news is you have already figured out the answer...or at least what the answer is not. Many people go with what theywant regardless of what they can affordand they end up in trouble. I noticed you are level headed enough not to have included piling on more debt as an option. I say keepthe carif you can and live with the limitations until you can afford to do otherwise. If you can't keep it, well there's more good news...old Mustangs are plentiful and there will be a lot of them around when you are ready. But, if you do that you may find that the classic takes a back seat to the costs of getting married, having a family, buying a house, buying groceries, etc. Good luck. I'm sure you'll do fine. You seem like a smart kid...like most of the kids on this forum.

 

Keep the car. I'm 46 with 3 kids and still kick myself for getting rid of my 68 when I was 19. Pay off you debt and work on the car when you can.

Sell it and youWILL regret it.

 

keep car as is. make power in the future
I'm working full time, have no kids and I have to postpone power upgrade until at least another year.
so drive as is and enjoy it. and yes ya, you'll kick yourself up the ar$e for selling it if you do

 

Well said Honeygold. That's what I meant to say. See...I'm not always an a**.

 

Keep it.

I had a 1980 Trans AM in high school that I sold and regret it to this day.

Take the long view and improve a little here and a little there. You have a lot of time to play with and over the long term you could build one seriously nice car.

I know how you feel though. I struggle with patience at times wanting to do everything right now to my Stang when I look at it. But at 35 y.o. with two kids that isn't very realistic.

So instead of fixing everything "now"....I make a list of what I want to get done on the car then set my priorities. Some things I have gone ahead and gotten done because they are pretty inexpensive and help the appearance of the car. For example, I replace the $15 antena last Friday because the old one looked like crap and was bent at the top. I replaced my dash pad last night because it had a large crack on the passenger side. Other things I am going to do in the near future because it really "needs" to be done...for example working on the wiring.

There are plenty of other things I would like to do to the car but short of winning the lotto they will have to wait.

Unless you are independently wealthy you have to look at the overall project as a marathon not a sprint. But that is like most things in life where you have to take the long view, set a goal and work towards it one step at a time.

 

Stick with it bro. Summer is coming up soon, get a good job to pay off the debt, then start putting stuff on the car. 40 hrs per week at $8 an hour (decent rate for teen here in North Texas)= $320 per week
In 6 weeks you could have the debt paid off, save a little, then next summer start buying cool stuff. Thats the way I've always had to do it, cuz I can't work much during the school year and still make good grades. Good Luck!