When life gets in the way

Well guys,I'm facing a hard decision to make in the next few weeks and there's 3 ways this can go and I'm really torn between them all. Not only is this big financial decision,but it's also a lifestyle decision.

Door number 1 opens and we have my current plan;

My truck goes to v8mazda4ever for the winter and I get the air ride done. I will have a large bill owing at the end,but I've already put some money towards it and given him my Nissan Hardbody to cover the labour costs. If I do air ride,then I have to finish the rest of the truck,so I'm looking at easily spending another $10 000 ontop of the $15 000 I have already spent to finish the truck.

Option 2:

Cut my losses and just sell the truck as it sits right now. Lose a ton of money selling it,but I also lose all the headaches and considerable cost that go long with the truck. I can also part it out and put things back to stock and sell it as is.

Option 3:

Keep the truck,but don't do air ride. Just clean it up,get the body and paint done,interior and audio finished and just have it as a nice reliable weekend cruiser that's finished and all I have to do is get in it and drive it whenever I please and not have to do this that and the other to it all the time.

Now,my reasoning for this whole mess is that,for one,I just bought the Cadillac as my daily driver. I needed a newer,reliable,practical car,so the Caddy fit what I was looking for and I now have a $5700 debt to my name. Well,the 5700 isn't even the beginning. I still owe my parents $800,and all the work on my truck will be costing me well over $5000,so I'm looking at being over $10 000 in debt within the next 6 months. This is not what I want. I'm trying to save money so I can move out of the house and get a place with my girlfriend,and this is a huge decision for me to make. No only would I be moving about 3 hours away from home,I'd be a little further from work,and if I get a place,I may not have parking space for the truck and stuff.

I work fulltime and making pretty good money,and currently my girlfriend is a fulltime university student. Now,I think my future ahead of me is a little more important than some toy truck. Selling my truck can get me some cash to pay off some debts or put towards my own place with my girlfriend.

Basically,I'm at the point with my truck that I've spent so much money on it,to get rid of it is a loss,but to spend more money on it to finish it is going to be even more of a loss. I do not regret anything I've done with this truck. I have met some awesome people and made some very good friends,but at the same time,I'm growing tired of the scene and the drama,the police attention,my truck getting broken into and mostly the cost involved. Yeah it's fun,but I'm just throwing my money out the window.

So guys,help me. I know you don't want to see me lose my truck, but at the same time,maybe it's better off for it to go. maybe I'll just keep it but call it pretty much finished and just need a paintjob to finish it.

I know if I don't go ahead with the air ride,Lance will be quite disappointed but hey,it's my truck,my money and ultimately my decision what happens to it. I've been around you guys long enough you're like brothers to me and I take what you guys say to heart,so I'm listening.

Sorry for the venting,but this has been bugging me for about a week and I just had to get it off my chest.

The first thing that comes to mind is FINISH IT, BAG IT, DRAG IT

But I know that is just the mini-trucker inside talking....

In all honesty I think you should park it somewhere until you can have time/money/interest to throw at it again....but if that isn't possible then I would go with the most reasonable solution....

Dare I say it.....SELL IT Yes, you will be taking a huge hit on the sale money wise....but like you said, you won't have all the headaches and you will possibly gain something out of it.

Being financially stable is very important as well, we are at that age where we want to buy something worthwhile and move up in life...in your case get a place with your gf...if thats what will make you happy then do it man.

Everyone will understand where you are coming from I am sure! If they don't then eff them...Lance is the man, and yeh he will be bummed I am sure, but you know he will get over it...

Everything I have said is irrelevant anyways....This is your truck, your life, your time, your money, and ulitimately YOUR DECISION These are just words to help you....


I know that you will make the right decision, and the BScene brothers will be right there with you....you can never get rid of us

So good luck broham....


Dev

not saying this is the way to look at things BUT this is how i see it.....

in 2004 i was in kinda the same situation as you...i lived at home with the parents, my girlfriend of 5 years moved in with me at the parents house, i was 23 and she was 24. I bought a brand new dodge dakota, new 4 wheeler and a new gsxr within about 9 months of each other. I was in debt up to my ass, wanted my own place and wanted to always buy stuff for the new truck and toys. i knew when i bought the truck and toys i was going to be in crazy debt but was also determined to get my own place to so i busted ass and worked every chance i got to and 6 months later i bought my house. i continued to work my ass off to pay for stuff but in the end it was all worth it. i had everything i wanted, i eventually bought 2 more motorcycles, a boat, another 4wheeler, a chevy crewcab dually and my s-10 im working on now. im still in debt up to my ass but not so bad that i cant pay my bills and still have spending money.

the way i see it is....im not rich, i never will be rich so any way i go i will always be in debt for something and you only live once so you better enjoy it...right? just do what you have to do to enjoy life as it happens. you can sell everything you own, sit at home bored all day and STILL i gaurentee something will come up that you cant afford and you'll once again have to go into debt.

i hope you make the decision thats best for you and your lady friend and i wish you the best of luck!!!

i just got a brand new daily man, putting me in a car payment.full coverage insurance for the next 5-6 years. but i am planning on keeping my mazda. for right now, im just taking it off the insurance and letting it lay low for a while.
but in a year or so i think i will get around on working on it again. im not plannin investing thousands, but im going to take it slow and just do differant things to it. im planning on making it my learning truck. i think i have much more to learn about body work, and custom sheetmetaling so thats what im going to use the mazda for.

so maybe that sounds good to you? let it lay low for a while and do some mods here and there on it as you can afford it...

From the resident old fart: U only get one shot at this game called life and u need to make it one that counts.I have been messing with old cars,trucks and motorcycles all my life (near 70 years now).I dont gamble,chase women or drink to excess,so my "toys" are my one vice.As long as u keep ur priorities straight (be real kind to people cause EVERBODY u meet is fighting some terrible battle),then no matter what u do it will work out ok.U will always regret selling ur 'dog,so my take is store it,work hard save ur money,find a place for u and ur lady,start a family at some point and work on ur 'dog as u get a little time and a little money.Ive had my Maz for 11 years and I just finished it this year and I am real proud of it.I raised 4 kids who came out ok so nobody suffered because I love old trucks.Lol.We will all be here for u no matter what u decide.Hope this helps.BJ

I know I'd probably regret selling it. I mean,I love my truck. It isn't perfect,but it's under construction and that's what it's all about. It's so much fun to take something bone stock,old and beat up and spend the time working on it to build it your way.

It's definetly been a money pit,but seriously,it's nearly finished...bagging it doesn't matter. It's low,it sits nice,it looks cool. I just think right now I have other priorities in life than spending my money on toys. I can put the Mazda away again like last year,but who knows what will happen. It will be stored outdoors in one of those car shelter tarp deelies..

Part of me wants to keep it because my truck is my pride and joy and have had so much fun with it,but the other half of me says to sell it and sell parts from it to build up my bank account a bit and put the money towards my priorities. I'm still torn...

this is just my .02 from past experience c/m.

first off, family is family, and friends are friends, and women & material things come & go...sorta like bj said, life is short, and it is also what you make out of it....
now with that said, the way you are looking at things, it would seem as if you may have yourself in a corner, but if you step back & look at what you have going on objectively from a different perspective, then it might not be so bad at all.....

i know you'd be very upset if you let the truck go after all the time you've spent on it, plus it is a truck, a man can't do w/o a truck, but it is also as i said before, material things come & go. you'll just have to figure out how much the truck means to you personally & go from there. consider this, if you do keep it, you can have the satisfaction of saying I started this project & I finished it (no matter how long it takes or what it cost as long as it is what you wanted in the end, you'll be able to rest with a clear head.)
with those couple thought in mind, hold off making an immediated decision as there are two more issues to discuss.

1. (family) you owe your parents a little dough, make this a priority, sit down, and figure what you can pay them a week/month that is reasonable, and will get that monkey off your back w/o putting yourself in a bind, i.e. $50 a week, and you'll have that debt gone in 2 months. this serves two good purposes

a)i'd do this first cause family comes first, plus once this is gone, you can save some $$ for the apartment/home for you & the lady friend.
b)also if you pay your parents back, they will see that you have your priorites in line, and will be more apt to help knowing that you do have them in line, i.e. might through a little dough your way to help with the apt/house move in expenses or w/e else may come your way down the road.

2.(friends) i'm quite sure your lady friend is good to you, but just be aware that things don't always work out. i've made this mistake twice (not saying you will), you think things are good as gold, get a place, move in together, and you end up getting the shaft in the long run. alls i'm saying is make sure this is what both of you want & can afford.
consider getting your own place first, then on a trial basis, she can come over, this will serve two purposes:

a) people act differently after you move in together, who knows, she could have some social quirk that drives you mad, like flipping the toilet paper roll upside down.....this can drive you up the wall, and could cause problems.
b) she may be a full time student, and as chivalris as it may be to pay the way for the lady, the reality is, if she doesn't help out, ultimately the financial burdon will rest soley on your shoulders, & it will be a burdon till she gets out of school, and that my friend is a corner that is tough to be in financially & emotionally and can lead to a split up of the relationship.

3. now that we've got past those couple issues, if you decide to keep the truck, you have paint, may not be the best in the world, but it looks pretty good. concentrate on getting the truck reliable first, then work on the other mods that you want to do, i.e. paint & bagging, etc....which doesn't have to be done all at once, onsider doing part of the air ride at a time, that will make it easier on the ole wallet. same goes with paint and w/e else you want to accomplish on the dawg. this will keep you from backing yourself into a corner once you get your own place.

now if you decide to sell it, save & spend the money wisely for the apt/house/bills, cause if you don't, you'll be unhappy that you sold it,
and unhappy with unwisely managing the reason for selling it....kinda
like getting a drink of bad milk, then going back & getting another
just to make sure it was bad in the first place.....also on this note, if you
do, i'm sure v8 will understand, just sit down explain it to him.


as has been said by a bunch of the others, the decision is yours, as long as your aware of the consequences of your actions and are comfortable with them, rock & roll, but if you aren't, don't take that fork in the road! wish you the best, & keep us posted on what you decide!

After reading this,not that I disagree with you in any way,but that's almost today's standard of American living,which is living beyond your means.

I'm a simple guy,and I don't need all sorts of toys and material stuff to keep me happy. In this scene I have made more friends that will last longer than any truck I ever own, I have a wonderful girlfriend who makes every day worth waking up for,and I'm at the age where I have to start getting things straight and set up for my future.

One more thought.Whatever u have invested in ur truck is what u invested for yourself.You will NEVER get that investment back.The only way to get any benefit from it would be to keep the truck and continue with it as a project that is never complete.I probably have 7 or 8 k in my truck,it is absolutely immaculate ,runs and drives great,but I doubt I could get much over 4k for it.So look at it as money-do u want to lose at least 1/2 or more of your investment by selling it, or preserve your capital for long term enjoyment.Ur call dude,and I know u will make the right one.Ribbit.Lol.BJ

NYT and Hoc,I really appreciate the words. NYT,what you said is basically how I've been thinking. I've got my $2000+ debt to my parents down to about 800 already,and still paying off. My grandparents loaned me the $5700 to pay for the Cadillac and now I'm kaking monthly payments of $250 on the car. On top of that,I have phone/internet bills,car insurance,car maintenance,food,clothing,RRSPs (401k) and savings to put all my money into every week/month.

Now,for my girl,yes she's a fulltime student,but she just started university this September. She only lives like 10 mins away from school,and she still lives at home. However,her and I live about 2 and a half hours away from each other. Where I work is about in the middle,it's about an hour and 15 mins either from my place or hers. I hate the area I live in,and I quite like where she lives,so I've figured I could get an apartment near her place and like you said NYT,she can come over and stay whenever she pleases. I'm sure she can get a part time job and stuff,but as long as I can afford the bills and she does her share of helping out,whether it be money or just doing things around the house,then things are all good.

I love my truck,but it's a big burden and headache at the same time as it is fun. I've spent so much money on cars in the last 5 years,I could be driving a $30 000 Cadillac instead of a $5000 one at this point.