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Index > @ the Pickup Bed (General Topics) > Thread: What would you do?
Thread: What would you do? [' This thread is 3 pages long: (1) 2 3 ']
mazdarx605


Redlining
Posts: 314
posted June 10, 2007 07:14 PM

What would you do?

Hey guys,

I need some help here.I have owned my RE/PU for about 5 years now,and for the last year and a half I have done nothing but move the truck from out of the garage to get at something,and dream about the day that I could restore it.The problem is now I am thinking maybe it would be best to sell it.I don't want to,and I don't owe anything on it,but it may be time.The company I work for is due to have contract negotiation wth our union a year from August,and I anticipate we may be on a strike,but who knows.

My almost 5 year old son thinks the truck is his,and maybe if I keep it it will be some day,and he doesn't want tme to sell it,but then again he has no concept of money,or a mortgage.I am not sure what the truck is worth,but I would think I could get the $3000 I payed for it pretty easy. The thing is like I said I don't want to sell it,and if I did just to have a fund set aside incase of a strike,and then we didn't go then I would be angry that I sold something I love for no reason.I dream of someday restoring it wth help from my boys,and then maybe letting them have it at some point.

The truck doesn't need much aside from fixing dings,and dents,and a little rust here,and there that isn't bad,and paint,but with a big mortgage,and little time with young kids I have no idea when I will ever have the time or money to do this.

I also own a 1979 RX-7 that needs nothing really,and I use it on weekends,and bring it to shows.Niether one costs me anything aside from gas in the RX-7,and insurance,and nothing right now on the RE/PU.

I thought about not contributing to my 401K for the next year,and use that money as savings for a strike fund,but that seems stupid.Do you guys think I should sell my dream for a what-if fund a year from now,or hold on to it,and risk the strike?I am a licensed electrician as well,so I have that to fall back on,but the construction industry around here is slow with the economy,and building being down.Any help on this is appreciated.

Here is a link to my website with pics of the truck.

http://web.mac.com/cdirado/iWeb/Diradosite/74%20REPU.html


Chris
74 RE/PU
79 RX-7 GS

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Klaus44


Redlining
Posts: 365
posted June 10, 2007 07:23 PM

You sound like...

...you're sort of in my position, money-wise... only with more coming in, and even greater responsibilities sucking it right back out...(!)

However, since you have but *one* REPU, and it's in decent shape... and, I'm guessing, selling it wouldn't hold your family for but about a month... and there are no guarantees job-wise, regardless... *but*, you *ARE* a licensed electrician (!) -- KEEP IT!!!

(The part of your post that struck me the most was the bit about what you Love, and your sons being involved in your hobby -- I think that really says it all right there, don't you?)

I'd part with the seven, first -- they're not as rare...

Remember: You can always do *whatever it takes* -- as long as you know what that is, that you need to do to get by. ;)

       
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mwpayne


Hauling
Posts: 195
posted June 10, 2007 08:13 PM
Edited By: mwpayne on 10 Jun 2007 20:17

You are obviously a hopeless rotorhead with a couple of fine examples of rotary history. So..coming from a fellow rotorhead that has 'loved and lost' several RX-7s (my widebody GSL-SE and Turbovert painfully come to mind), my advise is to keep 'em, at least for now. You can always sell them later. They'll likely bring more $$, too.

Speaking for me, I really miss my cars and can't even remember what I did with the money I sold them for!

Good luck, and I'm sure you're very proud of those vehicles, they have obviously been well cared for. Really CUTE little guy in the pics, too. He'll look great tooling around in his dad's REPU one day.

       
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mazdarx605


Redlining
Posts: 314
posted June 11, 2007 09:14 AM

My wife says I am crazy to even think about selling the truck.She says it isn't costing us anything t keep it in the garage then why sell it.Sometimes I don't think she realizes the stress of this big mortgage,and all the other responsibilities puts on me as the bread winner.

Like I said in the first post I don't want to sell it,and I may regret it if I do,but I must think of it.I like our house more than the truck,but I would like to keep both.

My oldest boy almost cried the other day when I mentioned to my wife that I may sell the truck.He said "You can't sell my green truck daddy!" That alone makes it not worth selling it,but I am still on the fence here.

What doesn't help is that I have not driven it in some time,and it does still need some work to be perfect.Heck I dn't even drive the RX-7 often. We used it the weekend before memorial day to go on a trip away from the kids for the weekend with a local RX-8 club,and that put 800 miles on it.But since then I have only driven it maybe 50 miles or so,and that was just recently taking it to a car show.

The truck was so much fun when I was driving it,but no one around here knew what it was,or even asked me about it at shows.It is such a cool,different truck that it would kill me to see someone else driving it,but maybe it is the thing to do.

Any more help here?

Chris
74 RE/PU
79 RX-7 GS

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sparky


Redlining
Posts: 299
posted June 11, 2007 09:44 AM

DON'T SELL.....I had a red 74 repu that I bought from a car restoration buisiness owner. My wife and I decided to have kids and the truck was the first thing to go. I thought my rotary days were over. I still wish I had the truck. I don't think these trucks will ever have the monetary value to justify selling for cold hard cash. Regret sucks. Good luck. Sell the rx-7. They are easier to replace.

       
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Brad


Rotorhead
Posts: 1672
posted June 11, 2007 11:08 AM

It's a real tough call. The logical side of us says if it takes time and $$ that can be used elsewhere, sell it and cut your losses short. The emotional side of us says keep it, I love that truck.

If it doesn't cost anything to store the truck then I'd keep it and sell the rx7 since SA's are much more common. Plus the son wants the truck.

I'm going through the same thing personally right now. My rx7 sits on blocks with a $9000 motor and $2k worth of suspension in it plus countless other goodies. All that dough can be used elsewhere plus it needs to be nut and bolted, and a weekend at the track costs $500 not including wearables and nothing breaking...... And some people say for every hour driven on the track you spend 40 hours in the garage. I'm thinking of selling the 7.

We get to a point when the toys need to be analyzed for their usefullness and possibly sold off. At least we can justify a truck because it can haul a lotta stuff compared to a 1st gen rx7 which has less trunkroom than a Civic.

____________
-brad-
74 REPU Lawn Green
81 Rx-7 racecar. 12a J-
Bridge

       
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Klaus44


Redlining
Posts: 365
posted June 11, 2007 11:43 AM
Edited By: Klaus44 on 11 Jun 2007 11:44

No question...

...as long as your wife's on-board with keeping the REPU, it's a no-brainer!

(Don't suppose the timing is right for a beneficial re-fi on that big mortgage...? My criteria: 1.)Fixed rate ONLY, 2.)NO 'PMI'!!!, 3.)Lower payment, plus long-term benefit via better rate...)


...damn 'logic', mpg's, and the price of fuel... grrr! ...


       
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mazdarx605


Redlining
Posts: 314
posted June 11, 2007 01:58 PM

I don't think we will get a lower rate on the mortgage,as we are at 5.75% I think.The mortgage is twice what it was on our last house,but we love it,and it has everything we want,and then some.

The killer is I finally have a garage,and now I have no time,or money to do the things in it that I wanted to do in the past.28 more years to go,WOOHOOO!!!


Chris

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Klaus44


Redlining
Posts: 365
posted June 11, 2007 03:39 PM

I hear ya...

I got the Mortgage, but *still*, no proper garage... (ugh!)

       
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mwpayne


Hauling
Posts: 195
posted June 11, 2007 07:09 PM

If you do decide to sell (either one), just check here and make sure it goes to someone who will cherish it.
Nothing worse than parting with a rare gem and finding out later some ricer kid covered it with flame stickers, neons, then wrapped it around a tree.
If you care to, let us know what you finally decide. I'd love to have that '79, but the wife would remove my genitalia with a rusty car key....

       
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mazdarx605


Redlining
Posts: 314
posted June 11, 2007 07:36 PM

If I sell anything it will be the REPU.Mainly because at this point the RX-7 gives me more joy,and is in better shape. I know the RE/PU is more rare than the 7,but the 7 is an early production car(5/78) that has about as much provenance as you could ever want from the original owner who I bought the car from. I know If I sell the RE/PU I will regret it,but I have to think about it. Also the RX-7 is way easier to find parts for especially in the crusty North East.I think I have the only road worth RE/PU in Massachusetts,mainly because when I went to the DMV years ago they had no idea what it was,and just guessed at a book value as to what I payed for sales tax when I got the title. I know of a guy in Connecticut that has another green 74,and he is on this forum,but other than that I have never seen another one around here.

I will make sure if I sell it that it goes to a good home.When I bought my RX-7 the guy who sold it only would let it go to a good home,and wated to see my RE/PU before I bought the car,so I brought it by,and he was thrilled to see it as he owned one years ago when they were still being sold new.

I am leaning to keeping the truck,but I don't know.I wish I could see the future.

Chris
74 RE/PU
79 RX-7 GS

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Klaus44


Redlining
Posts: 365
posted June 12, 2007 09:15 AM

I'd predict...:

...higher fuel prices, more humans getting in each other's way, and fewer and fewer REPU's on the road...

"...and so it goes."--Kurt Vonnegut

       
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stook36


1st Gear
Posts: 19
posted June 12, 2007 01:08 PM

keeep it man from the way you sound.... ull regret it in the futures... ull be doin one of those kickin u own asss type of deals and telling urself wut the hell did i do that for...



wait a little if your job almost gets to the point of goin on strike and u know its gonna happen then maybe consider it... but i think ull regret it... and ur kid will be heart broken



does the wifey work???

       
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ovquick


Redlining
Posts: 253
posted June 12, 2007 07:16 PM

What, should I do?

Keep-em both as long as you can, especially if they aren't costing you anything.Yes,there are more 7's than REPUs around, but not more yellow 79's. 1979 was the only year Flare Yellow was offered for the 7, it's not usually seen. So you really have two fairly rare items.If you get down to "I gotta sell this right now" someone here will offer up the cash you want,(or pretty close)so you shoudn't worry about a sale now.That said, you now know you can put the sale off until the bitter end.
____________
Manteca Mazda Asylum
where a boy and his cat live, without adult supervision

       
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Klaus44


Redlining
Posts: 365
posted June 13, 2007 07:55 AM

Sounds like...

...'someone' here can afford cross-country delivery...? (What's that up to, these days, anyways?)

       
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mazdarx605


Redlining
Posts: 314
posted June 13, 2007 08:42 AM
Edited By: mazdarx605 on 13 Jun 2007 08:51

Well when I bought it form a seller on here from GA I payed close to $1k for shipping,but that was in an enclosed luxury hauler.I only did that because the first shipper was jerking me around with the pick up of the truck,so I just started calling shippers,and the first one that could do it for me got my business.It turned out they were really good shippers,and I guess I probably over paid,but that is in the past now.Now this was only shipping from GA to MA,so you can figure to pay more for cross country,but then again you don't need to use enclosed shipping for this truck.

Chris
79 GS
74 RE/PU

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mazdarx605


Redlining
Posts: 314
posted June 15, 2007 08:43 AM

So if I decide to keep it for now at least,should I start the restoration by taking the bed off,and going over the frame with a fine toothed comb,and then on to other parts of the truck,or should I leave it alone in case I do sell it next year before a possible strike?

Option two if I decide to keep it for now is to register it,and have fun with it.Which way would you go?I can get classic car insurance on it for probably less than $200 for the year,and registration fees will only be about $50 total.

Chris

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Klaus44


Redlining
Posts: 365
posted June 15, 2007 09:34 AM

?!?

If you have the time/resources to start a frame-off restoration... what are we talking about?

If you want the 'best' return on your current investment -- drive and enjoy!

If you want to keep her, and you can, then by all means, restore... If not, you know how much additional investment you'll likely never be able to recoup, (sorry to say).

       
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mazdarx605


Redlining
Posts: 314
posted June 15, 2007 10:05 AM

Well I don't have the time to hit it real hard,but an hour here,and there would allow me to start digging into it.I don't however have the money to start anything serious,but I can pick at things in the garage when I get some free time(labor costs nothing). I guess it is crap or get off the pot time with this.I don't want to sell it,but I don't have the resources to make it perfect yet,and I may not for a long time. I guess I am just confused,sorry about that.If I tear into it the truck may just sit for long periods of time with no work done to it,and never get finished.Ahh crap I think it is time to pass this one along!! Maybe I will put my plate on it from the RX-7,and take it for one last cruise,and put it up for sale. Stay tuned.

Chris

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Klaus44


Redlining
Posts: 365
posted June 15, 2007 10:28 AM

*Don't* let me...

(...or anyone else, for that matter...)make this decision for you, Chris! All my shit's been sitting, waiting for the time+money I haven't had at the same time in too long now, too...

Money can be 'important'... but, some things are worth more than 'mere' money... much more.

Sleep on it; don't make any hasty decisions!

You know what's right for you and your family; you'll figure it out.

My own feeling, though, is that you wouldn't have started this thread if you weren't looking for some encouragement towards keeping your REPU...

Best, K.

       
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