Truck Question? What should I do

[67Mach1]

Here is the situation... I am lucky enough that my wife makes 3/4 of the income of the family and I can pretty much have most any toy I want. Which is why i have so many trucks and parts trucks right now. DINKS that we are.

Well she recently lost her job and is having trouble finding another one. I've offered to sell some of my trucks to help while she looks. (we have savings but dont want to use it up and have already altered our spending habits quite a bit)

I've sold a short bed last week and now have two decent long beds w/out engines or trans, and two short bed frames one with step bed one with wide bed. I have enough parts to build the two short beds and one long bed having one I6 Truck one 350/350 truck and one 454/400 truck.

Should I turn the two long beds(best Cabs and front ends) onto the short frames or simply install motors/transmissions in the long beds and sell them?

I think I'll get more bang for my buck out of short beds but we are talking major swaping of components vs an engine install.

Neither are what I would consider pristine, both would be drivers but beds would not match the cabs if I did the swap.

Of course I can always sell my suburban if it comes down to it... Just trying to reduce what I have, help the family, and not spend weeks/months doing it to only get a marginal return on my investment.

Thanks for hearing me out and I will go back and clean this ting up after I take a break....

Thomas

[sjarrett71]

Heck, you could just part everything and probably make as much money.

[hvychve]

stupid question, but instead of selling of what your wife worked hard on buying you, why not you look for a better job and work too.......

[JAKES 68GMC]

Originally Posted by hvychve

stupid question, but instead of selling of what your wife worked hard on buying you, why not you look for a better job and work too.......

I loved this line: "I am lucky enough that my wife makes 3/4 of the income of the family and I can pretty much have most any toy I want."

[GREASEMONKEY72]

^^^how about offering some advice and help instead of shooting him while hes down^^^


but you probly could part them out and make just as much if not maybe more money than selling a whole truck

but i wish you and your wife goodluck and hope it works out sooner than later

[67Mach1]

Originally Posted by hvychve

stupid question, but instead of selling of what your wife worked hard on buying you, why not you look for a better job and work too.......

Thanks for the constructive advice, we hadn't though of that. For clarity, I do have a darn good job and work my butt off. She just makes one hell of an income as an engineer.

Seriously, I am looking also but with my job now being our only source of insurance I can't afford to make any changes until she finds somthing. Be it for less money or same. I'll then work on moving to a new company to make more coin.

[67Mach1]

Originally Posted by GREASEMONKEY72

^^^how about offering some advice and help instead of shooting him while hes down^^^


but you probly could part them out and make just as much if not maybe more money than selling a whole truck

but i wish you and your wife goodluck and hope it works out sooner than later

Thanks. I appreciate the thoughts she has some leads right now but I dont want her to have to take something she does not want. Selling trucks or parts may pay the morgage one more month that leads her to a better job.

Issue with parting them out is that they are 1.5 hours away at my grandmothers farm. The Suburban is here, guess I could start there... Otherwise I would have bring one at a time here to strip. It is a good option though that I did not consider. I'll have to think about it more.

Was thinking about offering a pkg deal. Short rolling frame with bed and a good long bed to do with what the new owner wishes...?

BTW: my wife is very supportive of my hobby, w/out her I would not have what I do have and I totally appreciate her and love her for it, among other things. She has demanded I keep the 67 fastback and 69 Mach1. Two cars I have had for over 10 years now. The trucks are all items I have picked up in the past 2 years so they will go away if things dont turn around. They are only possessions and can all go away tomorrow of needed. After all you cant take em with you when you die.

heck even if they do turn around, I have way damn too many projects for one man to ever finish... Just looking for advice on a quick turn item if $ is needed.

Thanks again.

[dan42]

Remember, dude, this IS a hobby, it's one of luxuries that has to be prioritized, and if I were you, I'd pick one and sell everything else. Besides, the one that you pick will mean a lot more to you in the long run. The other thing is, while your life is a little lean right now, someone else's is a little fat, and are looking for deals - price it all right and I guarantee it will all diasappear. Patience is probably a good thing about now. I wish you well -

[67Mach1]

Originally Posted by dan42

Remember, dude, this IS a hobby, it's one of luxuries that has to be prioritized, and if I were you, I'd pick one and sell everything else. Besides, the one that you pick will mean a lot more to you in the long run. The other thing is, while your life is a little lean right now, someone else's is a little fat, and are looking for deals - price it all right and I guarantee it will all diasappear. Patience is probably a good thing about now. I wish you well -

For right now I have chosen to go along with my wife and keep the mustangs. I do like your thoughts on keeping one truck though. (although I think you ment to keep one car/truck overall)

I've had the luxury of $ on hand when great projects/opportunities presented themselves, which is how I got too many. They actaully became quite easy to find and I always had an exchuse as to why I needed the next one.

God has handed us a little wake up call, living a bit outside of our means and not giving him the glory. We will make it through it and if I sell a few and she gets a job soon that means I can go back and focus on one or two of them. If not they will slowly get sold off to keep her from having to take a job that is not good and to keep her from getting too worried about the house/bills and such.

Like your advice on patience... Need to practice that a little more when we get out of the jam also...

Thanks again, I think I will go this weekend and get the one that I feel has the best chance to sell and bring it back to Austin. Drop in a motor and try to get a fair price.

[RACINJASON22]

stupid question, but instead of selling of what your wife worked hard on buying you, why not you look for a better job and work too.......

Wrong, he didn't say he didn't work.

^^^how about offering some advice and help instead of shooting him while hes down^^^

Right, every one run into problems from time to time.

Keep your head up when your down things can only go up.

I say your on the right track. I always try to think of this stuff as an investment so if you have to sell something it doesn't hurt as bad. You could have spent your extra money more foolishly and had nothing to fall back on now. I've been in your shoes and they stink real bad.

[wibilly]

it;s a dam lazy man that can't find his wife a second job. selling toys is never an option relax better days are comming

[68GMC454]

good luck to you..if it was me i would just fo the motor swaps and sell them off...i know what you mean,,my ol lady is finally holding a job, 4th one in about as manny months, im on workers chump change. so my babies sit..i only got one project, and put it up for sale for a really high price, just to get her off my back..told her to get a job and leave my stuff alone, bad enough every thing else i won is in the damned pawn shop..

['72hemieater]

nice. Just consider those trucks your kids and do what every single mom or dad in America does and get another job that makes more money or get a second job. Does your wife have a sister??

[67Mach1]

Originally Posted by '72hemieater

nice. Just consider those trucks your kids and do what every single mom or dad in America does and get another job that makes more money or get a second job. Does your wife have a sister??

HA! Yeah she has one but I can tell you all the brains went to the one I married. The sister is like me and spent too much time playing in College.

We are fortunate to have about 3 more months of savings. But you know how it is, I hate to use that money up or worse loose the house and have 6 trucks to live in. Second job for me is in the works. A buddys oil change place needs weekend help.

and to the guy that suggested a second job for the wife... I have already told her that the Medical Testing Place here in town has two or three well paying studies she can sign up for. She should try to think of them as a few weeks of vacation, catching up on reading and spending some quality time with people she would never meet in her normal life, and getting paid for it.

[panhandler62]

The only trouble with parting trucks is that you invariably end up with a pile on hard to sell components.

I absolutely agree that you should keep the ponies if at all possible. I don't know their condition, but 60s muscle doesn't tend to get less valuable over time.

You'll get the best return on the parts by constructing restorable, driver quality SWB trucks, but if time is an issue I would just get the existing longbeds street worthy as they are. Building frankenstien trucks will undoubtably uncover lots of back biter issues (dang! who knew *that* could rust out!) that you can't predict and that will bog the project down time wise.

[jorgensensc]

My wife and I recently went through the same situation. She too is the 'Brains' of the family and paid more in taxes in 2005 than I made all year (yes I have a real job, firefighters don't make much). Through circumstances she lost her job and we plowed through our savings. To be honest the problem we had was not altering our lifestyle to fit our new budget. We figured she would get a new job and we would replenish our savings. Unfortunatley she was out of work for close to 6 months and it destroyed our savings. She finally was able to get a job making 3/4 of what she made before. Now were are starting to even out and she finds out last weak that her company is closing the new store she just opened 8 months ago and shutting down the entire division. She has a crummy severance package (essentially 1 months pay IF she doesn't find a job, if she does find one she loses the pay). And will be out of a job in 2 months. We will be taking precautions this time and being frugal. I don't know if this helps at all, but I wanted to share in case it helps you out some. Good luck and pray on it.
SHawn

[cdowns]

if possible kepp one truck take the best doors fenders and tailgate for yourself and sell everything else//its getting to be swapmeet season maybe you and the wife could start doing swapmeets on the weekends for your second income

[JAKES 68GMC]

67Mach1, I just wanted to say sorry for my previous post. It was out of line and rude.

I hope you get through this ok without having to sell any trucks. But if you do have to sell some, at least keep your favorite one.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by 67Mach1

She just makes one hell of an income as an engineer.

Where did she work? I get paid crap

She may have a new job by the time you put the shortbeds together.....

I'd get one longbed running well enough to sell as a driver. That should help you get through another month or two with your income?

Then start to put together one good shortbed. If she has a new job by then, you've got a nice swb truck for yourself, or another you can sell.

Looks like you've got some pretty pricey mustangs you could always sell

(I wouldn't want to sell them either, well, maybe the '84 )

Best of luck

[Suicide-D]

PM sent

[67Mach1]

Thanks to all for the kind words and advice. I have a parts mustang that I am getting rid of now and will contemplate the suggestions made here.


She is an Electrical Engineer that designs boards and circuits for computers/servers and phone systems.

Her Last job was with a company in the High Definition TeleConfrencing a three year old startup that laid off 20% of the staff one week after Christmas. She got one month of pay and insurance so that got us through January. My 2006 bonus and savings can get us through 4 months more, figure selling a few rides can help get us through another two months or so.

Holding on to the mustangs until we absoutly need to sell them. The 67Fastbck and the 69mach one are projects so not worth what a restored one would be. However still worth a couple of grand each if not more.

Thanks again,

Thomas

[Cochise]

Thomas, I don't have too much to say about what to do except tithe 10% on the gross of your paychecks to your local church if you don't already. You will go farther with the 90% than you would if you kept the 100% because God will honor you for it. My wife and I used to tithe every once in a while, but we made a vow to God that we would write a tithe check to our church first thing when we got paid. A couple of weeks fter we started, I got a promotion and a raise of $4 p/hour. Money didn't start rolling in, but we were able to start paying off some bills. We are still in debt, but we never have to do without much. If you have any questions or just want to vent let me know. My email is JoeFrus (at) americanthunderbike (dot) org Email me and I can send you my phone number. I will be praying for you folks.

Joe

[sleepyboy]

"simply install motors/transmissions in the long beds and sell them?"


In my mind, the quickest way to turn a $.

Situations do get better. Good luck Bro...