Projects that broke your heart...

We've all had (at least) one. Here's mine:

1966 Mk1a Sunbeam Tiger. Bought it from a friend who'd lost interest in the build. Body work was done, paint was done. Engine ran great. Had a new clutch, new brakes, rebuilt driveshaft. Had almost all of the parts, a new interior, a new soft top, a very nice hardtop. All I really had to do was chase down some electrical gremlins, source some rarer trim bits, have the bumpers plated, refresh the suspension, and reassemble it. Seemed simple enough, right?

While I was doing the suspension, I decided I wanted to have the front crossmember reinforced. The plans for doing so were readily available, but I didn't have the tools to do it myself. I located a shop that specialized in old British cars and learned that the owner was a Sunbeam guy and ex-dealership wrench. He knew the job and had done several. He also knew the car, having done some some work on it for the PO. The deal was struck and since it was drivable and the weather was nice, I drove it down to him. All seemed well...

One evening I get a call from him and he's obviously upset. His place was broken into and my car was stolen. That was bad enough.

Then, about a week later, I get another call, this time from the police. They had found my car. The thieves had hotwired it (badly - they drove it with the bendix engaged), drove it all over the back roads by his place, ran it out of gas, kicked in every panel on the car, set it on fire, and pushed it into a ditch. Then I got it back.

I got it running again and sold it for a loss. The guy that bought it turned it into a drag car. 10 years later they were selling for nearly 10 times what I had in it. Sigh...

What's your heartbreak project?

'88 325is.

Nice car, did a massive build up and S52 swap (ground controls, Wilwood, etc), the engine popped the headgasket after about 300 miles. (Though the salvage did send me a core head and gasket kit to fix it)

I was so disappointed, I put on the new head, parted out the car and had the body scrapped.

1953 Porsche Cabriolet. Was drivable when I got it. I was young, and trying to work and go to college at the time. I put Speedster buckets in it. Soft top disintegrated during a frog-floater right beside DFW airport. Wipers stuck together and I was sitting in a bucket of water. Soon after, only driving it on nice days, the engine developed a knock. Decided to park it and put on new top. Was overwhelmed by the rust I found. Broke the windshield taking it out. Sent body off to be blasted and they almost ruined it by using the wrong media and removed too much lead. I sold it and a '58 356A coupe to a collector for cheap. Wished I had either of them at this point.

'67 Beetle (European model, probably brought in by someone in the Air Force. VW disk brakes up front, originally 6V, with headlight covers, and metal sunroof). First car I drove solo after getting my license. Drove OK. Started to fix it up - planned several fixes/upgrades, and actually did some. It ran well. Life intervened, had to move and couldn't take it with me. Passed it on to family. Relative has often talked of fixing it up, even made short runs at it before losing interest. Needs one fender reshaped, a complete brake system by now, engine case is questionable, and there's a hitch in the 1-2 shift, IIRC. So it sits ... At least it's in a garage for now.

All of them.

I have a 88 Mustang notchback 5.0 that I got for my son and I to work on. From the broken ring the rebuilt engine had to forgetting to put the hood pins back and having the hood fly open and crunch the cowl panel all to hell as I was getting on the freeway this car may be the death of me. Okay the hood pins were my fault. I was going to advertise the car for sale the day the hoodapocolypse happened. I was so mad at myself I parked the car for 3 years and didn't touch it. I finally have it almost back together, maybe I can get it sold this spring.

The '73 Land Rover parked in my driveway. It belonged to my brother-in-law. In 2008 he was fatally injured in a car accident, leaving behind a widow and 10 month old daughter. He was a tile setter and contractor and used it as his work truck. He intended to replace the chassis, but didn't get the chance. Though I inherited the Rover and have replaced the chassis and repaired or replaced other mechanical parts to keep it running, it will never be "mine".

A Datsun 1600 roadster that wasn't mine, it belonged to a good friend who killed himself. His brother and I discussed completing the restoration that had been started, but we both just had too many things going on.

Next would be the rotary Opel GT I had to cease and desist on, for reasons I won't go into right now. I wound up scrapping the damn shell. That really torqued me up.

SFM6S1299 - My 1966 Shelby GT-350-H. Got it in 1977, but since my parents were footing the insurance, I wasn't allowed to register it

sold it a few months later

Sanchinguy wrote: We've all had (at least) one. Here's mine: 1966 Mk1a Sunbeam Tiger. Bought it from a friend who'd lost interest in the build. Body work was done, paint was done. Engine ran great. Had a new clutch, new brakes, rebuilt driveshaft. Had almost all of the parts, a new interior, a new soft top, a very nice hardtop. All I really had to do was chase down some electrical gremlins, source some rarer trim bits, have the bumpers plated, refresh the suspension, and reassemble it. Seemed simple enough, right? While I was doing the suspension, I decided I wanted to have the front crossmember reinforced. The plans for doing so were readily available, but I didn't have the tools to do it myself. I located a shop that specialized in old British cars and learned that the owner was a Sunbeam guy and ex-dealership wrench. He knew the job and had done several. He also knew the car, having done some some work on it for the PO. The deal was struck and since it was drivable and the weather was nice, I drove it down to him. All seemed well... One evening I get a call from him and he's obviously upset. His place was broken into and my car was stolen. That was bad enough. Then, about a week later, I get another call, this time from the police. They had found my car. The thieves had hotwired it (badly - they drove it with the bendix engaged), drove it all over the back roads by his place, ran it out of gas, kicked in every panel on the car, set it on fire, and pushed it into a ditch. Then I got it back. I got it running again and sold it for a loss. The guy that bought it turned it into a drag car. 10 years later they were selling for nearly 10 times what I had in it. Sigh... What's your heartbreak project?

Wow...........not sure anyone will be able to top that.

1995 DSM. Bought it in good shape. Plans were typical DSM plans. Got hit hard on the passenger side, repaired it. Discovered strut tower rust- had it fixed. Clutch and crank walk at 127k. At that point, the tower rust was back, and terminal. Sold for scrap. I still love and miss that car.

I've had a couple.

One was a 1991 Dodge Cummins 4x4. Bought for $1000 to play with and turn into my tow rig. The day before I took possession, a dump truck ran a stop sign, blasted through two parked boats and rolled. It landed exactly on top of the truck about 100 yards from the intersection and burst into flames. There wasn't enough left for a decent burial.

The second was a 1981 Malibu wagon. My first car that was truly mine. I had all kinds of plans for that car. V8 swap, suspension mods, wheels, the list was endless. I was newly married and broke at the time so it never happened. Then my wife stuck it under the back of a truck. Scratch one Malibu wagon. It ended up in the scrap yard.

I bought The Jed's blue MkVII last summer. Had all sorts of cool plans for it and then had to sell it after a few months cause I ended up not having a place to park it over over the winter. Maybe not heartbreaking but definitely disappointing.

it wasn't really a project but the spare parts marquis I used as a weekend beater and random burnout machine. had maybe 700 bucks in the entire car including the 400 I paid for it. when I found out my wife was pregnant with twins I decided to thin the car count. 3 months after I sold it I seen it get demo derby'd.... 80k original mile rust free 2 door marquis, after that I swore I would never sell another car I actually liked too anyone local.

This Accord is going to break my heart. Too many miles, too much rot. I have easily 3x invested into it what I paid for it. I love it too much to see it go, though, so I keep throwing parts at it and attempt to maintain a dream that I know is going to end with me old yeller'ing it.

As always, the answer is Miata.

It wasn't even supposed to be a project, but it turned out to have more electrical gremlins than any 10 MGBs would have. Bought for $4500, traded in on my Scion 9 months later for $2500. I couldn't sell it myself with a straight face, so I just took the hit.

I had a '70 Boss 302 that I bought for a couple of thousand and then sold for a couple of thousand a year later in the early '80's. I have more, but that one still brings a tear...

Toyman01 wrote: One was a 1991 Dodge Cummins 4x4. Bought for $1000 to play with and turn into my tow rig. The day before I took possession, a dump truck ran a stop sign, blasted through two parked boats and rolled. It landed exactly on top of the truck about 100 yards from the intersection and burst into flames. There wasn't enough left for a decent burial.

I think that story wins the interwebz for today

In high school, I drove the '67 Plymouth Belvedere II hard top that my grandparents had bought new. They bought it before I was born and I pretty much grew up in that car. I sold it for $300 because the the gas tank leaked and I liked Mustangs better. I knew everything there was to know about the Mustang world back then, but had no idea that anyone was restoring Mopars. I didn't know where to look for a gas tank (pre-internet).

I've bought and sold two '65 Mustangs since, but I spent more than decade looking for that old Plymouth. I don't want one just like it, I want that one. I'm pretty sure it gave it's life to help someone restore a GTX.

my '88 Fiero V8. Bought with the intent of making it my 2012 Challenge car. Trusted friend told me to put a proper carb and pressure regulator on it then leave it alone(engine wise). Knowing "better" I swapped in fuel injection and an electric water pump. Car ran, but never "right" couldn't get the injection to work happily with the cam etc. in the engine and no budget/knowledge to get a tuner involved. Ran hot too. Looked like a million bucks though. Sold it to a guy with way to many projects, probably still rotting in his yard

I spent over $20k building a Ford Escort.

A berkeleying Escort.

It ran for 5 minutes. Then ate E36 M3 as soon as Yamaha showed up.

So, has anyone seen my build thread? Or the fact that I am just coming in now, with garage clothes on, for something like the 500th day?

I keep finding things that need restoration, no matter where I look, and the truck is BIG.

Bought a 122s coupe for $1200 a few years age. Had crap all over the chrome, interior was in serious need of repair. Waxed it, wire-brushed the chrome. The paint sprang back with an amazing patina. Re-did the entire interior, built new door cards, sub box, spent 2 solid weeks spiffing it up. It even came with a set of Enkie 92's!

Met a ton of interesting people, lots of honks and thumbs-up when I was going to and from the beach with surfboards on the car. Lots of character, decided it needed a bit more power, but something smaller, like a 4pot ecotech. The dream lasted 2 weeks, T-boned by an old guy who tried to jump the light on a left hand turn. :(

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Upon buying:

A year before selling:

My old KP61 Toyota Starlet. I bought it in "ran when parked, might need work" shape from a neighbor for $80. I juiced up the battery, cleaned the carb, and connected up the vacuum lines correctly and it ran like a top. I did a little mechanical work and a lot of little cosmetic work, put some Yoko A008s on it and some new brakes and AE86 seats in it, and drove the snot out of it. I had so much fun hooning that thing all around the Willamette Valley, and I was never speeding by much, and got 35-50mpg the whole time. It had the factory five-speed and weighed somewhere around 1750-1800 pounds. I was out of work for a while and had to sell it to pay rent. I think I got $600 out of it, and the guy I sold it to got $1500 for it when he moved on. Saw it eight or ten years later on Craigslist advertised as a drift car, slammed on cut springs, ratty, scratched, and faded, parts zip-tied on, and someone had pulled out and thrown away most of the decent interior because racecar.

A friend of mine got me into autocross. We both had to quit for reasons so we started riding bicycles together. I bought a Vespa and he was scrimping and saving to buy a cheap motorcycle. Then Type 1 diabetes hit him like a hammer. Two weeks in the hospital, terrible insurance. Not only didn't he have money, he had extensive negative money and had to move back in with his parents.
I picked up a running but needs work Ninja 250 to surprise him with. It needed tires and a bit of tweaking. I was excited. Three weeks later I burned myself badly. It took me multiple months to heal. Much longer to think about turning wrenches on anything. Another baby was born.
The friend organized his life and got his debts in order and bought a bike before I could get back to work on it. It's still in the garage 8 years later. Still slightly taken apart. I don't really want it.