Finding time to work

[3A-C Power]

As of yesterday it's been one full year that I've worked full time, and made money to finance car projects.

Yesterday I was reflecting on how much progress I've made on my plans to procure a rust-free shell, restore it and do a 20-valve engine swap. No progress at all, in a full year - just two Tercels not worthy for the road. And no savings either. I'm wondering where all the time and money has gone.

Is this how other people live their lives - talking about their plans while pissing away all their time and money and getting nothing done except their jobs so they can live another day?

How do other car guys do it? How do you fix your cars up at faster rate than they break, while working full time and taking care of yourself at the same time?

I'm thinking of scaling down my plans for the moment - for example I'd rather have a good running 3A-C engine that exists than an awesome 4A-GE that's only in my head. At least in the beginning, then if I can succeed with smaller things, move on from there.

[Typrus]

Thats how it usually works, as sad as that is.
I'd say you should do this. Go to the bank of your choosing, start an account, and deposit at least $250 in it. Don't take out anything if you can avoid it, simply put as much as you can spare without sacrifice into it. Let it grow and blossum. When you have about $1000-$1500 secured, SLOWLY start in on the car projects. Don't spend it all at once and try not to let it go lower than $250, after all, you might need the extra money if something goes wrong. I'd say start off with new bearings. Clevite? Get high quality bearings, performance if possible. Install these and break them in. Also, get a new gasket for only those places a bearing replace requires. For now anyway. After you get back to that $1000-$1500 range, go for an overbore, new pistons and con rods, along with rings. New gaskets for this as well. At this point, you bottom should be good, unless you opt for a new oil pump. After the bottom end is done, work on the valve-train. I have no idea where to start there, but I'd recommend you replace it all. Cam, valves, rockers, etc.
In time, it will all be done, in the engine department anyway.

I guess what I'm trying to say is to get a big bundle of money together before starting. Not all of it, just enough for a big chunk. This is best, as you can get a segment done with it still fresh in your mind for what goes where. Along with that it saves stress.



Sure encouraging for me, the job-seeker.... There goes my social life lol. Oh well.

[tercel4wdrules]

Is this how other people live their lives - talking about their plans while pissing away all their time and money and getting nothing done except their jobs so they can live another day?

That's what I do, talk and dream, and then hope it comes true someday. I know it will happen, it just takes time I guess. It also helps to have a grandma that will lend /or give you SOME money as well. Don't hurry and watch that you will have a nice car with that 20V in it before you realize it. Oh yeah, I still think there is a white auto Tercel for sale close to where I live and I have seen it going by and has a dent in the bottom rear quarter panel, but other than that I think the body would be ok. It has 161k miles and the owner claims it needs carb work and wants $1200. You could probably be able to drive this car to Canada. The paint from what I saw was pretty good.

[Mac]

same thing happens to me, i wouldn't mind if i spent all my money on my car, because at least then i would have something to show for my money.

[shogun]

same here, i start things but never end up with enough money or parts to finish them

[GTSSportCoupe]

It's always a struggle man. I have the same problems, thats why I drive a couple rusty old 80s cars with minimal modifications right now.

Most of the people you see with brand new cars, or done up project cars are in debt, thats how they do it.

As far as saving money goes, thats really tough to0. Because once you have a bunch of cash saved up you are going to be like: "heck, that was a lot of work to save all that money, and now I'm just going to blow it on an old 80s car? I better use it as a down payment on my first house instead." Thats what would happen to me anyhow.

Best thing is to just budget your life really carefully, and put a certain amount of cash aside for your car each month. But don't save the cash for too long, or you think of better things to spend your money on.

Cars are a huge waste of money. I've spent so much money on my cars in the past, and have nothing to show for it.

Just my two cents.

[3A-C Power]

For a little while, keeping an 80's Tercel in good running order will be a very economical choice. They're reliable, cheap, and parts are still available, sometimes for low cost.

I've often thought about taking one car that was well made and developing enough techniques and experience that anyone could own and maintain that car indefinitely with the knowledge base and parts resources that are available. That would give like-minded people an alternative to buying cars for alot of money. The best way to do that is use a car that has alot of aftermarket support already, and that makes the Tercel a poor choice. They were front wheel drive and had no power to begin with so they aren't popular and have no aftermarket support. As parts are discontinued, there will be no alternative but to make stuff.

Maybe the Cressida would be better? It uses alot of Supra parts which do have aftermarket support. I saw an 82 Cressida wagon for sale in the paper, in good condition for $700. Thought about it, but as nice as a Cressida is I don't want to let it screw up my plans for the Tercel wagon or an 82 Tercel hatchback.

If it ceases to be realistic to own and drive a Tercel, it still makes alot of financial sense to find an old car that's in good shape with available parts, and just change stuff when it breaks. That's what I've been doing all my car-driving years (7 of them) and still spent less than people who drive newer cars, and never went into debt for a car.

If the Tercel wasn't such a good car, I would be driving something else now, as I can afford it. However the Tercel appeals to me all the same as it did when I was 16 years old making $6 an hour. It's just such a good car and they don't, never have, and never will make anything nearly as good.

[Typrus]

I wish we could band all the Terc owners together to get Toyota to make some sort of aniversary edition. Same body, just with a more modern engine (still carb'd with minimal electronics) and more modern tranny. Maybe more accessory options, like front spoilers and all that good stuff. They'd have to have at least 500 people guarantee'ing that they'd buy it. And it'd likely be $10,000 or so. If they had OPTIONAL fuel injection, computerized controls, etc, it'd be nice. Heck, maybe they should bring in the newer Terc's. What are they? The AL36's or something?



Things do progress. Believe me, they do. I watched my engine transfer blossum. I watched my plan from before I had the Blue Terc, the plan of getting Ole' Grey to work, progress. Everything moves in its own little way. It's all a process.

Shogun... I have ADHD so I get passionate about a project, get half-way through then dump it a lot of the time. Not something I'm proud of.

How old are you 3A-C? If you don't mind my asking.

[takza]

Summer vacation....

<a href='http://jamesbayroad.com/' target='_blank'>http://jamesbayroad.com/</a>

[post_a_query]

Well, if we were all "sensible" or "practical"people instead of "fashionable" or "PC" people, we would be well-yo-do, lacking the cell phones, cable tv, credit cards, multiple bank notes and rolling along a the posted speed limit in our economical tercels with grins ear to ear watching the others fly by in the never ending race to get to the next stop light, meeting, divorce, heart attack, and death.

I've found myself in a great marriage to a wonderfully supportive lady, new baby and the fallout of" money-in-my-pocket-itis". The wife had buckets of money, friend wrecked the new car... impulsed out and got another new car just like the first, but it was a lemon (lost 9grand) bought second GREAT new car, but sold it to get rid of the first and lost another 9+ grand there, leased a truck to do all the home fixes on the new house and move in, deliver my motorcycles to buyers and whaddaya know? some &^%@^ road raged and smashed it up right proper, so we'll need to eat another wad of cash just to get out of it as the value is diminished. there's thirty grand >GONE<.

The good news is this crap happened pre-marriage and we're of the same mind when it comes to 80's wagons and she encourages me to get the springs, shocks and all for the ski-wagon when ted gets it all together for us. she wants another turkey for herself (no offense intended, it's our pet name for the wagon) or an 81 subaru wagon like she used to have with that funky passing light.

Saving all of that money ($30,000) from the new cars and investing even part of it would have gotten us into an early retirement.

The bit about starting your car it's own checking account is brilliant! If the younger folks in the crowd pick up that habit and glean any wisdom from this, they'll be able to spare some change when they see some of us on the corner with the sign "tercel needs new springs, please help".

Thanks for the open topic, I don't feel so alone. For what it's worth, it costs about $6,000 to go bankrupt in Texas. Better to stay poor and keep your eyes on the prize

Cheers,
rromig

[3A-C Power]

I went up the James bay road 2 years ago. I should do it again.

[Typrus]

You should give Rocky Mountain National Park a try. Its a cool place. Lots of cool animals, views, sights... 14,000 foot+ tall mountains, glaciers on said mountains, natural spring and runoff streams with cool waterfalls, if the right times of year, said streams are like small rivers, everything is green.. Right times of the year you can see the elk, the moose, mountain lions, mountain goats, bighorn rams, snowshoe hares, red fox, wild coyotes, black bears..... It goes on and on.
Colorado reallt has some AWESOME camping, offroading, hiking, skiing, fishing, hunting, whitewater rafting, canoeing, racing... All sorts of places to go, things to see. In the southwest corner we have the Fossil's. I mean, MASS amounts of places. We go from plains, to desert, to tundra, forests, all sorts of terrain and climate variation. Plus, it's hard to predict the weather, which CAN be a cool thing. It was 80 degrees just 4 days ago. Now its been snowing for 4 days. The summer is mostly sun though. Haven't had a lot of rain for a few years (thus the drought) but its all still pretty nice.

If you like the desert, but like watersports, then give Lake Powell in Utah/Arizona a try some time. Right now the Colorado drought has brought its level about 65 feet down. Its filled by the Colorado River. I don't want to deter you by the way. Its still a great state. Heck, the reservoir just 6 miles down the road from me is about 20 feet down. Problem is that its the 2nd highest IN the state, so it gets crowded sometimes. Its about 8 miles long and 1000 feet+ wide. Its usually around 65 degrees in the summer.



I guess you can expect this spiel out of a proud Colorado native hehehe.