Longest term project car???

Not a car, but I started restoring my 1968 Kawasaki W2SS 650cc in around 1982, and it's still in pieces (although I have bolted a few of those pieces back together.   )

No pics since the car hasn't see daylight since the 90's and is located 4 hours away.

In 1981 my dad bought his second Opel GT project.  He drove it home, picked me up from soccer practice, took the family for a spin around the neighborhood, and parked it in the garage for restoration.  It hasn't left the driveway since 1987 when we towed it from our old house in Virginia to their current house in North Carolina.

After reading some of the posts in this thread, I am feeling much better about not having my project car on the road after only 18 years (coming up on the anniversary next week). It has however been stored in at least four houses with me and made a one trip across the country. I really need to get back on the small things I keep putting in front of going to DMV and getting the paperwork sorted out.

I bought my 64 Spitfire in 1989 (I think).  I thought I could go through the brakes, change the fluids and drive until I could find another TR3. I got the worst case of shipwrights disease and it still isn't finished.  I put it in storage when I brought home the TR3.   

My dad has had the cowl and suspension to build a '30s GM (I think Olds) woody since as long as I can remember. He's had a Bugeye Sprite shell since at least 1998, too, with the intention of building an Altered-style dragster out of it.

Mid 80's I did a valve job on my DD 66 Mustang. When I finished I took out for a test drive and all was good. Got home and started cleaning engine compartment and decided the timing cover would look good polished so I'd pull it off and replace water pump at the same time. Timing chain was floppy and down the rabbit hole I went since the MIL at the time gave me a Montego that she stopped driving because it wouldn't shift (vacuum hose cured that).

So I decided since the Mustang could be off the road (temporarily) I'd rebuild the engine. Well....... Might as well put forged pistons etc. for nitrous right? It was the 80's! And well, gonna need a stout driveline right? So rebuild trans with shift kit & the better internals, and build a 9" rear with Detroit locker right? Well I'm gonna need some wider tires to put the power down and Mustangs have narrow wheel wells so order up some frame rails and if I'm doing that for wheel tubs I might as well get sheet metal to fix rusted quarters. Which, leads to a paint job. Since all that's getting done, might as well do over the complete interior right?

A few years into the project the Montego is on it's last legs, it's been driven all around the eastern states to BMX nationals with minimal maintenance and leaking oil way beyond reasonable beater usage. I'm searching the "Bargain News" (pre internet) and see a 70 Firebird that would be a good parts car for my kids 70 I go buy it but he doesn't want to buy it. Turns out to be surprisingly good buy, so I figure a paint job and a set of Cragar wheels will put me in a cool old bird as a DD. Progress on the Mustang halted.

I got carried away with the bird, then a 71 Valiant, then a 78 Chevy hippy van, then a 78 Malibu,  81 Malibu, 67 Nova, and on and on and on never mind the classic cars I was fixing & flipping. At one point I had 15 old cars with 1/2 registered at any given time and would rotate usage on nice days and had other trucks etc. for lousy weather. Meanwhile the Mustang sat. Then I sold half the cars to move south. The Mustang was in my enclosed trailer when the whole rig was stolen.

Insurance wouldn't cover anything because I didn't have comprehensive on the 84 454 3/4 ton Suburban tow vehicle soI bought another tow vehicle & trailer out of pocket. THEN the rig was recovered with the Mustang partially stripped still in the trailer. I flew to Atlanta & repaired the Suburban in the impound lot and drove it the rest of the way to S FL.  Still haven't worked on it and now it's been almost 30 years. It sits outside covered, still at the bottom of the project list with 4 cars ahead of it.

So now I'm "that guy", people stop by asking if the cars for sale. I'm that old guy who says "No, I'm gonna rebuild it." A lot of the work's been done, but still a long way to being driveable.

As purchased below.

[URL=http://s240.photobucket.com/user/NOTATA/media/66%20Mustang/014.jpg.html][/URL]

Couple years later with shackles removed, dual exhaust, different wheel covers, and SNOW tires, because DD.

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After theft recovery.

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As it sits now. Here's what happens to those nice shiny aluminum bits under hood if a car sits outside. Was a pretty engine when I dropped it in.

[URL=http://s240.photobucket.com/user/NOTATA/media/66%20Mustang/66Mustang008.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s240.photobucket.com/user/NOTATA/media/66%20Mustang/012.jpg.html][/URL]

[URL=http://s240.photobucket.com/user/NOTATA/media/66%20Mustang/66Mustang001-1.jpg.html][/URL]

challenge mustang strip car and race it

My personal rule is that if I haven't honestly touched the car in 5 years and don't anticipate starting it this coming year, it's time for it to move on.  I'm obviously not serious about the project. 

That 5 year anniversary hit this past September for my 88 Turbo II Rx-7.   I felt guilty looking at my FC every day for the past few years. 

I still casually miss it, but it's nice not having to look at it and feel the guilt :)