EVERYBODY!!! I DIDN'T START THIS POST BY ASKING FOR FINANCIAL ADVICE!!!
If I wanted financial advice I'd call my freakin' father. And 2 hours later I'd probably put a bullet through my head! (Seriously I love the guy but he talks money until... ...well, you wanna put a bullet in your head!)
I'm not buying ANYTHING right now. I'm not even THINKING about buying anything... ...okay that's a lie. But I'm not buying anything!
In the past 14 months while I worked at AEP, I knocked out nearly THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS of debt. For six of those months I put $3,000 into the lowest bill, and the last six months I put $2,000 to $2,500 (after buying the Viper.) I knocked out FOUR credit cards, one car, and one of my school loans.
SO I DON'T NEED FINANCIAL ADVICE!! I
KNOW how to manage my funds and prioritize my purchases.
That being said, I'm going to move on to the CAR comments as I wanted suggestions surrounding the CAR and the PROJECT - not the MONEY.
I have NOOOOOOO interest in any old car besides a 'Cuda. I don't want a Camaro or a Nova or anything like that. The only reason I even know what a 'Cuda IS is because of my father's '72 340 Cuda that I rode in from San Diego to Annapolis Maryland as an 11-month-old infant. That car was part of my life since I was born. I really didn't come to care much for it until high school (and by then I was already a Viper nut.) When I bought my 'Cuda, I hoped that my dad would support me because of the fact that the purchase was inspired by him. He really couldn't have cared less, and basically suggested I get rid of it the day after I bought it. It was only because I enjoyed working on it and driving it that I decided I was indeed a 'Cuda fan myself and decided to stay the course. So if I get another muscle car, it'll be another round-taillight 'Cuda. But I'm going to buy one that is structurally sound and only needs minor mechanical work. I'd still like to build my own 440 and install it, but I'm not really looking to "BUILD" a musclecar.
HP2, you brought up some phenomenal points and I want to address them because they're the best constructive criticism I've received yet!!
YES - I have torn apart cars and put them back together again. Not quite to the level that I'll be assembling a kit car, but mechanical work doesn't scare me. I know it'll be challenging - that's the draw. It might be more challenging than I think, but again, that's the draw.
NO - I do not yet have the place to work on such a car - thus why I'm not buying it tomorrow! I actually expect that I'll need a THREE bay garage just to build one car! One for the GTM, one for the donor car/parts, and one just for general... ..working. But it's on my plans to buy a garage that's ready to work in, getting a Sears air-compressor, and getting to work.
YES - I have tools. I don't have every tool in the world, but I've got a rolling box that I used at the restoration shop, the Ford shop, Goodyear, etc. I've got Craftsman stuff, Snap-On stuff, Mac, Matco, even Cornwell. The one tool I certainly know I'll be needing is a top-notch scan tool with live-data functionality.
YES - I have skills. I think the preceding question should answer some of that - I've worked at a number of different shops, and of course have tackled numerous challenges of my own. Hell I'm used to tearing out dashboards and doing brake jobs in apartment parking lots. I think getting a roof over my head will certainly expand my capabilities! The reason I didn't want to tackle the 'Cuda work is because it was all body. I have tried time and time again to "feel the highs and lows" of a panel before and after laying body filler, and I simply don't have the hands for it - the feel for it. I can do above-average welding work, but once you get to puddy and paint, I'm quite frankly not the man for the job.
So this has opened up a new area to seek knowledge - body work on a kit car. After a few people mentioned it here, I went and signed up on the Factory Five Racing chat forum (I think it might be my tenth one...) and starting to ask some questions. I'm getting average expectations of 10-15K for body work expenses, which is a little more than I wanted to be responsible for. So I have to think about this some more. In that regard, I appreciate you guys making me think about it.
OH - and by the way, there IS a company that has ALREADY produced a kit that converts the back of the 5.7 and 6.1 HEMI's with a Porsche Transmission. Trust me - I was just as shocked as you might be, but here's the link to prove that I found it already!
http://www.kennedyeng.com/vw_por.htmAnd Stroker, if I had $1,000,000 for a Bugatti Veyron... ...well, you'd have to do a LOT of work to that Dart to keep up with me. ;-) In fact, the Veyron was the ONLY car I considered doing a "replicar" of, but anyone who saw it and KNEW what it actually was would ultimately be rather disappointed to learn that it was a facsimile. By the way did you see the new Veyron Grand Sport convertible? Looks gorgeous. Price? Just shy of $2,000,000. I don't think one of those will be on my financial horizon any time soon!
Jeff