work on current projects or buy another?

Sold my motorcycle for $1000 and I was supposed to put this money towards fixing some trouble spots in my Impala's paint (two relatively small blisters, and a large set of scratches) and a set of snow tires for my wife's car for this coming winter. Which was all fine and dandy when my car ADD went into remission after a serious bout with my RX-7 jones... (went to look at a 93 in competition yellow mica, and the place closed 8-minutes before I got there) but now my car ADD is back and this time it's twice as bad...

So, (and I already have authorization to do either):

Do I paint, and buy tires? (the big push here is the paint is the last big work that could be defined as "needed")

or do I buy this:

I figure my auto-repair budget can recover sufficiently before the wife's winter tires are really "needed".

Buy that!

That is what I would do, but then again I always end up with too many projects sitting around and nothing gets done...

buy it, unless its really rusty.

Normally I wouldn't drag more E36 M3 home until current projects are done... but iff that car is that good do eet

my projects are NEVER done

The car is an hour and a half away, I'll see if I can set up a time for this weekend.

Forget the paint, buy tires, and pocket the rest. That car is nothing special, IMO.

fix current. it feels really good to get something actually done. then save up for the next one.

Its always way more fun to buy a project than work on one. I dont know why that is. Sometimes I think the thrill of the hunt is better than a finished project.

Paint is way over-rated. Won't go faster, corner or stop any better. Won't pay for itself if you sell the car. Can't see it from the driver's seat. If your car is ugly, it buys you elbow room in traffic and better merging priveleges from those who give a E36 M3 about their body-work. Plus, with crappy paint, you park where you want and let others worry about the door dings. Think of all the hours of your life you get back by never washing a car again. If you are really in to this game, you go around the car with a hammer and ding every panel such that it is not worth stealing for the body panels. Toss a few cuts into the interior for max security.

Hungary Bill wrote:

As someone who looks into importing a Lada 2101 via cooleurocars.com at least once a month I would definitely buy the pictured awesomeness.

I love these things. It would be my just looks cool, I don't care how slow it is or how poorly it handles.

I would prefer a 2102 wagon myself.

May I ask what is the car you pictured selling for in approximate USA?

Paint and buy tires

ditchdigger wrote: May I ask what is the car you pictured selling for in approximate USA?

Roughly $875 since the exchange rate is currently in our favor. There ARE a lot of cheaper options, but since this will be my third car in the driveway (not counting the wife's) I don't want to buy too much of a "fixer-upper".

My mind changes by the second, but I count the vote here to be 4 for "buy car" and 3 for "fix the E36 M3 you got" (really, be a kid or be an adult if you think about it ) and there's also a patch of paint thats cracking (over a bondo patch) on the "fix list" as well... forgot to mention that earlier...

ninja edit with more disclosure: after paint I was going to start accumulating parts for a fuel injection conversion on the Impala (inline 6, multiport injection, slated to begin next summer)... but I thought the Lada would make for a stinking cool auto-x toy.

That is all, the vote continues

Well...I'm driving two projects now and have another sitting in the driveway waiting for some attention. So my vote is: Yes.

I have 20 cars trust me, fix the ones you have, I am struggling to think about some of these.

Do as I say, not as I do.

I am guessing a Lada is not rare over there. I would say wait.

aussiesmg wrote: I have 20 cars trust me, fix the ones you have, I am struggling to think about some of these. Do as I say, not as I do.

so true...

got rid of my 53 project because it was so far on the back burner i didn't plan to get to it for years. problem is i traded for another project.

working on and finding stuff is fun, but driving your stuff when it's done and turning heads everywhere is way more fun.

that said - a lada would turn heads. as in "wtf is that did you just drive out of an alternate reality where the russians won the cold war?"

Normally I'd say finish the current project but that Lada is sweet!

My neighbor isn't helping either... He's a huge Lada enthusiast. You can see him driving here (sorry about the crappy music, the people promoting the race the next year did that...)

He's found a blue Lada that was 4.5 hours away. It's not quite as nice, but with a little work... Anyhoo, when I complained about the cost of the gas needed to get out there he offered to drive

jerk...

Obligatory picture of blue Lada:

patgizz said: that said - a lada would turn heads. as in "wtf is that did you just drive out of an alternate reality where the russians won the cold war?"

oh yeah! and it'd be a stinking riot at the auto-x Lots of body roll, no power, hubcaps falling off... the works!

Decision 2012 has officially ended with an appointment at the body shop (friday the 17th). Rest assured though, that pennies are being saved for the right Lada.

-Bill

I want a Lada quite badly.

My neighbor is selling this one:

It's breaking his heart to let it go... but in all fairness he also has these to play with:

(that's his 'ol lady in the passenger seat)