worth is relative,if you are just plain sick of the build i can relate!! having said that 69s dont make good places to sleep!! so do what you must.on the other hand dont do something rash that you will be kicking your self forever over.and due to the unavailability of good (and even bad) 1st gen camaros,you wont have ANY problem selling it.

 

sorta like dating a stripper,sooo pretty but totally not practical!!!

 

You're right, I don't know your full frustration on the matter because when I built my car, I paid cash up front for my build. What I can relate to, is having $20,000 of my hard earned cash into this car and feeling so overwhelmed because it wasn't running and looked like crap. I was way over my head, just like you. Mind you, $13,000 of that came from side work doing mostly roofs over the course of six years, and my car sat in the garage stripped down to bare metal and literally rusting in front of my face and I remember thinking to my self that all that hard work sweating on numerous roofs, stealing my weekends away from being with my family wasn't worth it and compounded with the hundreds of hours I put into building the car it was a pretty dismal scene. If there is something we can't get back, it's time.

About this same time, I purchased a boat from a buddy of mine for $1,000. What a deal... NOT. He said it only needed a head gasket, and it came with the boat. When I tore the head off, I quickly realized it was a bit more than a head gasket. Two years later and $6,000 (cash) we took the boat out on our maiden voyage. We didn't make it out of the harbor and was towed back into shore. This occurred three other times and to make a long story short, the boat is shrink wrapped in my back yard... and it will sit till next year.

I come from the mentality of "I can fix it" becasue I'm too cheap to pay somebody else to do what I know I can either do, or learn to do, and I remember looking around at everything I had and everything was either incomplete or broken. The things I thought were going to bring me and our family hours of entertainment and joy, were causing me more grief and zero enjoyment.

I understand a dream shattered and the excitement lost. I understand being overwhelmed, frustrated, angry, sad and indifferent when I would see my pile of stove bolts sitting in the garage rusting away, which of course meant more work.... something I didn't need more of.

And yes, there was a time when I was going to sale the Camaro, and it wasn't that long ago.

Sorry for this being so long, but I don't think your alone. You took your build way further than I did and honestly, over all you've got a way nicer car than I do. To date, I've got $31,000 (cash) into my ride and it's still not finished. I'm not sure it ever will be. But if you hold on to that little spark of excitment you once had when you started this project, and take each piece of the project that you have left in small, managable chunks, then that day when your sitting in the drivers seat and you turn that key for the first time will come, and you'll reflect back on what your feeling now, and you'll be very proud of what you and squid accomlished.

BTW, my son who is now 12 loves to drive in the Camaro... and he know's it's part of his inheritance

Grace and Peace.

Jeff

 

This is where I was at the spring of 2007.

My son wasn't very happy with me as you can tell my his reply... My time back then was consumed with getting the car running and to my later disappointment... the boat.

I just wanted to add that a week after this video I ripped out the brand new drive shaft and bent a leaf spring due to severe axle wrap. It grabbed a hold of the new drive shaft loop and worbled it up and down till it broke on both ends. Kinda like how you can break a coat hanger by bending it really fast... Mo-money and Mo-time... I wasn't happy. After that I burnt out my electric fuel pump because it sat higher than the tank, even after I attempted to weld in a sump which failed miserably.

Notice all the "My" statements

‪My pile of Stovebolts‬‏ - YouTube

 

Probably not the best analogy to use when talking to a lady.

 

Thanks guys for all of your advice. The camaro will stay for now. 2 things happened. I haven't uncovered it since last sept. and I let it get to me. I see it hide under the cover every day I walk in and out my front door. I would be really stupid if I sold it. It will get done one of these days. I did tell my husband that it's time we get serious about it though. Figure out the stupid shifter linkage and get the motor running.

 

I think you'll be happy you made that choice sooner than you may think

Get er done! Good times are right around the corner!

 

Thanks...I've been trying to get re inspired by looking at other builds and my own. funny how time makes you forget.

 

You need to at least sit in it once in a while for some inspiration. So, are you now a "born again" 69 owner?

 

a few photos to jog your memory. i wrote out a big long response to try and encorage you to continue the project a few days ago but felt i didnt know you well enough to go there.