Money Money Money

Irvine

Gear Grinder
Feb 24, 2010
9
Willys Model
Willys Year:
I always knew there was a reason I never owned a classic vehicle before. Bought my pickup about a month ago. It is 90% original. The only mod I can find is the 12 volt conversion. I looked under the dash multiple strands of bare copper wire. Well first purchase came to light real fast. New wiring harness. My son and I installed that and engine purred like a kitten. (Actually growlled kinda loud do to a missing exhaust clamp) Son said lets take it out on the road dad!!! I said lets bleed the brakes first. Rears bled fine but the fronts weren't showing any fluid. Pulled the hubs and drums and found an oily mess. Researched prices on brake parts and about passed out. With this truck being so close to original I am trying to keep it that way so I did my taxes and before the wifey could get ahold of the check I ordered the parts. (Told her after the fact) I figure at this rate I might be able to have it on the road after about 10 years of tax returns. :cheers:
 
Bill,
All I can say is welcome to the club... oh, and build a bigger doghouse!

P.S.
You can now never ever under NO circumstances forget her birthday, or your anniverary, Christmas, Mothers Day, Secretaries Day, Easter, Valentines Day etc...
Eric.
 
BioTex said:
...
You can now never ever under NO circumstances forget her birthday, or your anniverary, Christmas, Mothers Day, Secretaries Day, Easter, Valentines Day etc...

LOL, ain't that the truth... :cheers:

Pete
 
Welcome Aboard.

I am still waiting on the 1st time home buyer credit to show up then I get the Green light for mass parts ordering. Lately has been little stuff here and there...

Skip the doghouse, just build a shed..... For you and your son (sounds like he is the one pushing the buttons on you) :thumbupleft:
 
Hello Irvine - congrats on your new Willys and welcome to the forum. Permit an old 'dog' to say a few words (taken from my website) about tricking wifey on money matters.... oh yes and then trying to be the attentive responsible husband on anniversaries, birthdays etc., afterwards:

"Dr. Vern at <www.vernco.com/id430.htm>has a wonderfully in-depth, enjoyable if not tongue-in-cheek explanation of multiple ways for any full-blooded, testosterone-soaked man to fool his Lady. While I sympathize with Vern's sentiment, I feel compelled to warn any young man that might be tempted to put Vern's prose into action. Think very carefully!

If this were 1908 or 1608 or more likely 108 BC, any man of means could secretly outfit his 'chariot' with razor-sharp wheel spiners (as in "Ben Hur") or perhaps repower with a new team of high performance black Arabian Stallions. His wife (or wives), upon discovering the excessive expenditure, would never have uttered a word of complaint - but here, trapped in the 21st century in a western country, pulling the wool over spousal eyes is surely total folly - folly with consequences.

Most men over 40 (all of them over 60) who are still married to their first wives, well know that it is practically impossible to hide automotive (or any other) indiscretions from their spouses for long."

If you spend money on your Willys slowly, a little here and there and always let her know all about it in advance, pointing out how good this is for family bonding (including her), you'll avoid that doghouse more often!

Cheers

Old, still married to first wife, Pavel
 
Hi Irvine

Welcome aboard to the wonderful world of Willys. I have to say the money thing is the hardest part of owning a Willys Jeep. I just dont understand it all. I wanna run mine so bad on the road but I am so afraid a I wont be able to afford to fix it. I guess the newer stuff is just as bad, ever price a crank sensor or O2 sensor or something similar these days??? Some folks dont understand the whole old truck thing. I have figured out that old trucks as well as new trucks are not to be looked at as an investment. It must be looked at like fishing or camping or something like that. It is all for fun..enjoy the ride...
Willys are not cheap but neither is anything else with 4 wheels...
Enjoy your ride and your family too...Most kids around me are into rice burners or video games.. :)
 
Agreed there Mike! It is interesting to look at the young generation just reaching productivity now. Many of them are totally disinterested in the automotive world. My two kids are in their late 20s now and were still brought up to be 'pioneers', to do everything themselves. The daughter can drive a 'stick', do roofing, sew, chop wood, lap valves, do simple wiring, and the son can do anything himself from plumbing, drywalling, transmission rebuilding, brake service, electronics etc etc. But both work in city office environments and neither have cars. We had a lot of fun with our Willys hobby and I can only hope those practical skills will be useful to them someday. In the end through 'Bluebell' our Willys wagon, I got to be with my family much more than if I had just played golf, or just watched TV - it probably cost less too!
 
Good note there on the family time.
I have a 4 1/2 year old daughter who is in the garage helping me when it's nuts and bolts stuff, my 17 month old is quick to come into the garage and grunt at it so I know he will be up for some grease time when it comes around...... :D
 
Eric: your little ones might enjoy The "Gumdrop" series of childrens' stories by Val Biro. They are great little adventure tales of Mr.Oldcastle and his car back in 1920s England. Our kids loved them. Val Biro did some illustrations for kids Jeep stories I believe.

Now back to wiring our Willys!
 
Eric B said:
Good note there on the family time.
I have a 4 1/2 year old daughter who is in the garage helping me when it's nuts and bolts stuff, my 17 month old is quick to come into the garage and grunt at it so I know he will be up for some grease time when it comes around...... :D
I've spent lots of priceless time with my two boys in the garage... My oldest was 2 1/2 when I started my '50 Plymouth and he has helped out on just about everything on the car since. Nine years later, they still lovesit but have little time now with sports and homework... Enjoy it while you can, it flys by in a flash.

Here's our maiden voyage around the block, no exhaust, glass, fenders, or seatbelts... and we loved every minute of it.
[youtube:349setzc]WyhZoadzNy4[/youtube:349setzc]

Pete
 
i've found that if I forgo the purchase of a new vehicle, I can buy older ones for $3000 or less.
I can apply less than a car payment every month to upgrade or repair drivetrain.
I justify it to my wife with the following:
1. I come out with a "new" vehicle that will go everywhere a new one will
2. I can find it in any parking lot because there isn't another one just like in the whole lot.
3. I know every single nut and bolt because I put it there and save the cost of professional repairs.
4. If I do mess something up, I know what it should cost when I take it to a professional to correct my errors (hasn't happened yet!)
5. I get to spend time in the garage with and without the kids. this keeps me from chasing women, gambling, or drinking too much.
6. In the end, I end up paying much less than I would for a new car/truck and it will last more than 5 years unlike the new one.

She seems to agree, we've made it 20 years already and my oldest son decided to make automotive repair his career. he just graduated from UTI in December and is now working at one of our local dealerships.
Remember one thing though, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission!
 
Or, you could just be single. That seems to work pretty well also. Of course, I'm younger then most of you by about 150 years, so I suppose that has to be taken into account as well. (Although I did make it 5 years in one of those marriage things...)
 
Rosati said:
i've found that if I forgo the purchase of a new vehicle, I can buy older ones for $3000 or less.
I can apply less than a car payment every month to upgrade or repair drivetrain.
I justify it to my wife with the following:
1. I come out with a "new" vehicle that will go everywhere a new one will
2. I can find it in any parking lot because there isn't another one just like in the whole lot.
3. I know every single nut and bolt because I put it there and save the cost of professional repairs.
4. If I do mess something up, I know what it should cost when I take it to a professional to correct my errors (hasn't happened yet!)
5. I get to spend time in the garage with and without the kids. this keeps me from chasing women, gambling, or drinking too much.
6. In the end, I end up paying much less than I would for a new car/truck and it will last more than 5 years unlike the new one.

She seems to agree, we've made it 20 years already and my oldest son decided to make automotive repair his career. he just graduated from UTI in December and is now working at one of our local dealerships.
Remember one thing though, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission!

Ok, so that might work on the first one sure. What about number 5 or 6?
 
Hey, I just had my 54 pickup towed home and dropped in the driveway next to my powewagon and 69 jeepster.
Easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission. Lucky wifey comes from a Rubicon jeepin' family...
 
Rosati you are on the right track. I brought my 61 home after having paid off my Wrangler. Four and a half years later, after buying parts at the rate of my old car payment amount each month, I had a complete and useable "new" vehicle. I did add in the money from selling 2 jet skis along the way, but no complaint from my supportive (in attitude) wife. She knew where to find me and I made sure to balance my shop time with taking her out on weekly dates. She now knows that the project will get finished and she won't be neglected. Some of my best shop tools have been b-day etc. gifts.
 
I have not seen this mentioned BUT: Couple of days ago the NoBama administration in its every quest for more power declared CO2 a toxic gas and can now be regulated by them. In addition they also declared a 35 MPG requirement for autos.

I do not know of any state that requires ALL autos to pass emissions tests albeit there may be one. Certainly my '55 Willys wagon does not and in fact does not even need an inspection of any kind. On that same note since its a '55 I am wide open for ANY kind of engine I chose to power it. This of course includes the BelchFire V8, dual 4 bbl carbs, GMC 8-71 puffer and 6.14 geared axle. Yea it only gets 8 gals to the mile but I love every min of it.

So we are flying below the radar and not connected to the Feds via an electric cord. Which for those of you not up on electric card tech or not tuned into what the can do...note the following: Feds is pushing this electric thing HARD and there is a reason for it. EVERY time you plug it in they will and have the ability to know: Who, what, when, where and how much. And they will be able to this in real time :eek: :shock: Not just at your home, but ANY WHERE in the US 24 x 7.

Soon you won't squat to pee that the Feds can't see! :evil:
 
My priorities have always been House, Health, Food, Bills and Toys. Not one penny of household money has ever gone into an old car, boat, motorcycle, etc. I give my pay check to my wife and get an allowance in return and that's how I fund the toys. Extra cash for parts comes from doing side jobs, selling other toys, barter, etc.

Some years back I sold a '53 Merc to pay some hospital bills. I still miss that car but health and paying debt trumps hobbies. I sold a '54 Ford sedan delivery to pay for a new roof on the house.

Since I don't tap into any household money for my hobbies, I can buy and sell anything I want and sometimes get a "What the Heck are you doing" look from the wife but she's got nothing to say. My cars aren't show winners and I've never bought a piece of billet anything, however I still get a thrill and a smile every time go out for a ride in something I've built.

I'm lucky in the fact my wife enjoys the cars and likes to go on cruises, trips and to shows with me. She even helped me put the engine back in the '46 Ford I'm building now and is an expert at pumping the pedal when I bleed brakes. In 2006 we took off from Wisconsin in my '67 Fairlane and we drove to Tucumcari, New Mexico and back on Route 66. Last year we did the Illinois Route 66 Association Tour in my '57 Volvo. 900+ miles and we had a ball.

Christmas and birthdays I ask for car parts. 2 years ago she got me a repop steering wheel and horn button for my Willys wagon. I love it!! Another year it was a carpet set for the Fairlane and this year she paid to have the radiator and gas tank cleaned for the '46 Ford. Beats the heck out of undies and socks!!!

In case anyone's interested---I've got 2 boats and a motorcycle for sale so my Willys can get a clutch, steering box rebuild and seat belts!! I spent my allowance on an old International Harvester dump truck I just brought home!! And I got the "What the Heck are you doing" look. I'll explain it to her later!!

Old Willy
 
Some of us are still kinda young. When I got my 69 CJ5 running my wife and daughter went around the block with me on an Easter Sunday in the snow.... No top, no doors and they had to sit on the floor with a blanket over them... O yeah no windshield either..... It was a ride in the "turd" that I know I won't ever forget......

My day with the family in the unfinished wagon is coming......
Especially now that the IRS has all the documents for my first time home buyer credit. only 6 months going with that pain in the arse.....
 
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