Ever wonder what you’d buy if money was no object!

[Pfeil]

Ever wonder what you’d buy if money was no object!

 

[John_S_in_Penna]

On 10/23/2020 at 9:00 PM, padgett said:

A mechanic.

 

Excellent idea!  Even part-time could be helpful

to many in the old-car hobby.

[1912Staver]

I live on the edge of Puget Sound and spent 30 years on the water as an Engineer  so one of these ; if money was no object, would be a given. 

They soak up time and money even faster than 75% of vintage cars , but enjoyable beyond words. 99.9 % of power boats do nothing for me 

but vintage sailing craft are in a class of their own.

 

Greg

 

Edited October 26, 2020 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[padgett]

Perfect for the apocalypse.

[Fossil]

1 hour ago, padgett said:

Perfect for the apocalypse.

I wonder if anyplace is going to be safe for that. And I certainly wouldn't want to be young again. Not knowing what I know now. Just hoping this country will hold together long enough to die of old age. 

[Studemax]

Facel Vega HK500.....

[George Cole]

12 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

 

Excellent idea!  Even part-time could be helpful

to many in the old-car hobby.

Especially as we age.  It now takes some of us all day to do what we used to do all day.

[Billy Kingsley]

if money was no object,,,

[alsancle]

One of the things it took the wisdom of years to figure out for me was that the guy with the Model A is having ever bit as much fun as the guy with the Model J.   So it is a nice exercise to dream,  but getting your own Bugatti Royale might bring you no more happiness than a Model A Ford with a town car body.

 

Most people misunderstand the need for wealth and what it actually brings you.   Assuming you are safe and well fed with friends, etc, you probably won't be happier.  In fact probably the opposite.

 

 

 

[padgett]

Maslow's Hierarchy. Basic but few understand it.

[alsancle]

7 minutes ago, padgett said:

Maslow's Hierarchy. Basic but few understand it.

 

I've tinkered with the idea of creating a needs hierarchy for car collectors.   If you think about Maslow's hierarchy in your own life it really hits home with how brilliant it is.

 

Although I've always thought safety and shelter should be the bottom row.   If an axe murder is chasing you around the back yard I'm not sure you are worried about resting and eating.

Edited October 26, 2020 by alsancle (see edit history)

[TTR]

41 minutes ago, alsancle said:

One of the things it took the wisdom of years to figure out for me was that the guy with the Model A is having ever bit as much fun as the guy with the Model J.   So it is a nice exercise to dream,  but getting your own Bugatti Royale might bring you no more happiness than a Model A Ford with a town car body.

 

Most people misunderstand the need for wealth and what it actually brings you.   Assuming you are safe and well fed with friends, etc, you probably won't be happier.  In fact probably the opposite.

 

 

 

Very good assessment. 

Others than “Prestige”, which I never felt having a “need” for, I believe I’ve accomplished just about everything else on that list.

 

While I consider these “What if... ?” exercises rather pointless, the very short list cars I wouldn’t mind having all fit within that premise as each individually would probably cost more than the entire collection and the building they are/were stored in combined.
Yet their perceived monetary value or appreciation by others would be as meaningless/pointless as everything else I currently have. Be it R.L’’s Atlantic (which BTW isn’t on my list) or anything of that stature, I’d drive and use it/them just as I do and always have all my other vintage cars.

And not having to work for living would allow more time to drive them extensively.

[TTR]

2 hours ago, alsancle said:

If an axe murder is chasing you around the back yard I'm not sure you are worried about resting and eating.

Why would you invite someone like that to your backyard, let alone to chase you there ? 😳
Or have you done something to deserve/warrant such behavior/reaction ? 🙄
If yes, just relax and let it happen or otherwise put a stop to it. 😉
 

Edited October 26, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[padgett]

a) The problem is that youth is wasted on the young. OTOH consider it a blessing can still lift an engine block.

b) I love a good prestige.

c) Without dreamers, those who "it can't be done" is a challenge, where would we be.

d) Once had a friend say she had been married to three engineers and none were like me. Consider that a compliment.

[TTR]

4 hours ago, padgett said:

a) The problem is that youth is wasted on the young.

I guess my youth was different. By the time I was half my current age, I had already accomplished pretty much all on aforementioned "Maslow's Hierarchy"(?), but then again I didn't bother with social expectations or norms like getting settled, married, raising family, etc.

 

4 hours ago, padgett said:

b) I love a good prestige.

According to others, I apparently have some(?), but it has never been an objective in my life.

 

4 hours ago, padgett said:

c) Without dreamers, those who "it can't be done" is a challenge, where would we be.

Well, there are "dreamers" and then there are those who actually do something about theirs, including "getting it done".  Big difference.

I have few life-long friends who, like me, started with nothing (although having myself lost everything twice, once as a teenager and that included my family, I've started with nothing 3 times), but have managed to accomplished a lot more than I ever could, just by "dreaming" big and actually doing something to fulfill those "dreams".

 

Edited October 26, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[padgett]

Have just been blessed with some very big toys to play with.

[1912Staver]

Old cars are part of the self fulfillment need section. But there is so much supporting wealth necessary to meet this need. Like I mentioned before the cars can be relatively simple and cheap. Its the disposable income necessary for a car friendly property and neighborhood, a substantial  car hobby 

garage or shop building, and a good selection of tools and equipment.  And not diverting so much of the family finances  to ones indulgence  that your spouse and / or offspring have grounds for resentment. In many households this is a very tall order , often but not exclusively due to lack of 

wealth.  It is the gray transition area of wealth where the conflicts arise. In some households money is very scarce  and the conflict never occurs  because a hobby anything is more or less out of the question. In other households there is an abundance of wealth and any hobby can be comfortably

undertaken. But there is a wide belt of gray between these two extremes.

 

Greg

Edited October 26, 2020 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[Fossil]

Youth = Going forth blindly without any concerns for reality. 

My mother bless her heart, once said " life is backwards, when your young your full of ambition and can do anything but have no money to do it with. When your old you have the money but no longer have the desire for anything or the ambition to accomplish it." How true this is turning out to be. 

[TTR]

So I guess, to summarize my views on this silly concept of "If money...", I'd obtain those few choice cars and spend rest of my life traveling in/with them all around the globe.

Oh, and buy a private jet for my wife so she could easily join (or avert) my adventures whenever she felt like it.

Edited October 26, 2020 by TTR (see edit history)

[SC38dls]

I feel very lucky I have my health ( thanks to some good doctors and 20 operations) so I’ve been able to work hard and accomplish my goal of supporting my family and life style. BUT if money was unlimited my 38 Studebaker would have some stable mates. AN early 30’s Pierce Arrow and an Auburn would be definitely on the list. Then because of fond memories of my youth a 57 Desoto, 60 Impala, 62 T-Bird and a 67 Charger would complete the barn. Then I would have to see about restoration of this body back to the way it was when I had those 4 cars? Current knowledge says that is just like this thread title - a dream. 
dave s 

[1912Staver]

1 hour ago, Fossil said:

Youth = Going forth blindly without any concerns for reality. 

My mother bless her heart, once said " life is backwards, when your young your full of ambition and can do anything but have no money to do it with. When your old you have the money but no longer have the desire for anything or the ambition to accomplish it." How true this is turning out to be. 

 

That's why growing up in a second or third generation vintage car family can be a huge advantage.  The necessary infrastructure needed for the hobby is already in place and accessible

to the youthful person and hobby participation can happen while still young.  The rest of us may out of necessity  take a number of decades until we are even near the infrastructure starting 

point. In some cases we are quite old before we are at square one.  It is a tall hill. As alsancie's diagram shows. Some of us run out of time, desire or ambition before we make it to the self - fulfillment

level. Just too much of a hill if starting from 0.

 

Greg

Edited October 26, 2020 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[Fossil]

If I could have any car it would be an early 30's Chrysler.  Well decked out but not overdone.  Sedan or coupe would be fine.  Just think Walter got it right back then.  

[Steve_Mack_CT]

6 hours ago, Billy Kingsley said:

if money was no object,,,

Billy my 31 year old remembers the day at age 7 one of these tooled into town and set up behind a local grocery store.  It was a fun day!

[TTR]

4 hours ago, padgett said:

a) The problem is that youth is wasted on the young.

 

3 hours ago, TTR said:

I guess my youth was different. By the time I was half my current age, I had already accomplished pretty much all on aforementioned "Maslow's Hierarchy"(?), but then again I didn't bother with social expectations or norms like getting settled, married, raising family, etc.

 

Come to think of it, in my view, most youth wastes much of their time trying too hard to grow up and conform to expectations of others (i.e. society), loosing their individualism in the process, only to (desperately) try and recapture it at some later part of their life, often to pretty pathetic results.

 

[Guest Mark McAlpine]

7 hours ago, Billy Kingsley said:

if money was no object,,,

 

You can apply on the Oscar Mayer website to be a driver for a year.  https://www.oscarmayer.com/wienermobile

 

They had something in the news about a month ago soliciting applications.  If I remember correctly, pay was about $40k for the year, plus expenses, benefits, and coveted Wienermobile apparel.

 

[edinmass]

 

 

A very old man who never finished high school once said to me.........I rather be rich and miserable , instead of being poor and miserable. The more you accomplish and achieve, it's human nature to want to climb up the next rung. I have never chased happiness in my life.........but I have chased contentment, and I was sucessfull in achieving it for the last fifteen years. 

[Fossil]

My Father in-law used to say "money never choked anyone". True but the love of money can ruin your life. 

One thing I've found is after spending a lifetime being frugal, it's is very hard to change. The wife and I have to remind each other that we can stay in a better motel, eat at a nicer restaurant, or buy a more comfortable car. 

At this point in life comfort and health mean an awful lot more than a big new home at the lake. 

I hope you all can stay healthy during this China virus. 

[George Cole]

26 minutes ago, edinmass said:

 

 

A very old man who never finished high school once said to me.........I rather be rich and miserable , instead of being poor and miserable. The more you accomplish and achieve, it's human nature to want to climb up the next rung. I have never chased happiness in my life.........but I have chased contentment, and I was sucessfull in achieving it for the last fifteen years. 

For the past 25 years I've had a sign hanging in my garage that says: "All you wanted for Christmas was peace on Earth and some parts for your classic cars.  Here's a catalog where you can order the parts.  The peace on Earth part will require helping out with the dishes once in a while."  Like Ed, I had achieved contentment and stability in my life.  I was never afraid to immerse my hands in dishwater.   My loving wife and I had worked all our lives.  We weren't rich, but likewise, weren't poor.  We finally reached a plateau where we could afford to do things we wanted to do instead of doing only what we had to do.  Then after 40 years of marital bliss, she contracted pancreatic cancer.  After a 7 year battle, she was taken by the Lord.  May she rest in peace and in no more pain.  It completely changed my perspective and outlook on life.  You can have all the money in the world, but if you or your partner don't have your health, you don't have anything.

[Fossil]

I'm so sorry for your loss.  I really feel for you.  Couple of years ago I spent a month in the hospital at my wife's bedside as she clung to life by a thread.  Thank the lord she did mostly recovered.  It did change our lives and what things we value the most. 

 

 

 

Edited October 26, 2020 by Fossil (see edit history)

[SC38dls]

My wife cooks the dinner, thank goodness. I do the dishes, it helps get the grease from working on the cars I get under the finger nails and out of the creases in my hands!  
 

[Mark Wetherbee]

I was always the one sitting in a hospital bed at MGH wishing for better health... but since then disability finally canned my career, we moved south, and a miracle drug was approved which has been keeping me healthier in the last couple years than I was 10 years earlier.

 

With that renewal of health I took on buying a car I knew little about and am slowly rejuvenating it to be a comfortable driver... three years ago I would have had a problem setting the timing on my Model A let alone doing deep engine work. That “new” car was a dream and I was looking for one like it for several years never expecting it to happen.

 

Would I like to drive a Duesenberg? Sure! Own one? Probably not but I love seeing others enjoying their cars, toys, and whatever they like to have for a diversion. I love history and learning new things and cars are at the center of my interests but I get satisfaction from other people’s interests too.

 

I also do most of the cooking, cleaning, and shopping while my wife works and I am more content than when I was climbing the corporate ladder to get where I had been. Health is #1 and everything else is that cream & cherry on top...

 

It’s not always about having what you want, but wanting what you already have...

[padgett]

The phrase is TANSTAAFL (from Mistress).

[Fossil]

1 hour ago, padgett said:

TANSTAAFL

Had to look that on up. 

[nick8086]

Real Estate. Let some else fund my toys..

 

If you have money :

 

My list :

 

cayman islands
barefoot beach florida
key west florida
paradise az

 

Edited October 29, 2020 by nick8086 (see edit history)

[Mark Wetherbee]

8 hours ago, padgett said:

The phrase is TANSTAAFL (from Mistress).

Mine is in reference to having lunchtime engineering meetings... not the worlds best catering and work through your lunch hour. Our head engineer would always say “free lunch” and my reply is (was) —>

Edited October 27, 2020 by Mark Wetherbee (see edit history)

[Dynaflash8]

On 10/25/2020 at 10:31 PM, Fossil said:

I wonder if anyplace is going to be safe for that. And I certainly wouldn't want to be young again. Not knowing what I know now. Just hoping this country will hold together long enough to die of old age. 

You never said any words more true.  I'm 82 now and I might not be old enough to get through.  I really worry about my kids and they're in their sixties.  We'll know after next week, but even then we could only have four years to go.

 

But, to answer the initial question at hand, if I had the money I'd buy a '35-36 Auburn Speedster, then a '41 Buick Limited, and then a '49 Buick Roadmaster Riviera (the one favorite Buick I've never owned).

[8E45E]

On 10/24/2020 at 9:26 AM, 1912Staver said:

This is the aiming point. After this the cars are easy.

There ARE some places that look similar near you in Campbell Valley.  

 

Craig

[1912Staver]

Absolutely, , they only run 2.5 - 4.5 Million as long as there isn't too much land, otherwise they get quite pricy.  My X- BIL has done the Kitchen in several of them.

https://bcpropertysource.ca/recip.html/1187793.search/listing.r2510759-1386-242-street-langley-v2z-1l2.93174415

 

 

Greg

Edited October 27, 2020 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[edinmass]

It’s amazing how our wants change over the years. My first building lot was just big enough for the house and almost zero yard.......I loved it..........that was in my 20’s. Twenty five years later, I have  seven acres of grass and fields, with a total of 33 acres, the rest being woods. My house is too big for us at 1800 square feet. My neighborhood has most of the homes in the 6500-8500 square foot average. I wish I built a 1100 square foot house now.........we did the 1800 just hoping it would sell easier. My closest neighbor have two people in 7300 square feet. Disclosure: I built when the area was farmland and undeveloped. I could never afford what I built today. Now it’s just a struggle to pay the taxes...........which have increased four hundred percent in the last fifteen years. 

[1912Staver]

Ed, click on the link. That's typical of my area .Not that long ago they were $350,000 - $400,000 and a remote posibility. Now they are roughly3 times a decent lifetime , after tax income. I would not care except my house was built 75 years ago by a gang of hung over farmers.

You got me beat on taxes however. Mine are only about 300% in 20 years.

Edited October 27, 2020 by 1912Staver (see edit history)