I don’t know you, except through our interactions here, but…
From seeing your enthusiasm, and attention to detail on your custom project, I think it would be a huge loss for you to give up your hobby. Unless you realllllly need the money, don’t sell. Selling would leave a hole in your life — to not to have it to think about and toy with. Even if you use it only rarely, it’s a part of you now.
Thanks. I'm kind of embarrassed to say that the money doesn't make any difference. It's not that we've got more than enough money stashed in the banana stand (oblique Arrested Development joke), but we have enough to finish our time here comfortably. I wouldn't sell the car if I could foresee Marianne getting more comfortable in it as time goes on.
I'm a wizard at the "buy high, sell low" investment style, but learned to just put our IRA bucks into moderately aggressive, broadly diverse mutual funds and to leave them there. I've got financial spreadsheets that model our budgets, tax load, income, vacations, and capital spends until our projected expiration dates (85 for me and 95 for my bride).
Although we'll start dipping into the principle in a few years, we should skid out of this mortal coil with cash for unplanned events and a bunch of equity in the house to share with our family.
I love the car more than anything else I've ever done, but I love my soulmate of 54 years even more. I can't be happy if riding in our car makes her so worried. We went everywhere in the car when we finished it. Then, there were a few roads with too many blind curves and a few bad drivers, that were excluded from our itinerary. Last fall our bi-monthly breakfast rides up Haleakala were deemed too uncomfortable because of the roads and drivers. We're down to short jaunts north to the grocery or coastal cruises down to visit our good friend Jeff Bezos at La Perouse (as Foghorn Leghorn liked to say "That's a joke, son").
I nearly bought the farm 15 months ago with a case of diabetic ketoacidosis and have had lasting limitations on my breathing. Essential tremors limit my fine motor control and make working on the car frustrating at times. Marianne has become very protective of me and while I still go out cruising and to car events alone, she worries about me. Not totally rationally, of course, but she feels what she feels.
Just hold on to it? Eh, it would be a waste of garage space AND my granddaughter would eventually decide that I'm saving it for her. It's not a great car for a sixteen year old. Even I would be worried.
The car is running perfectly and there's nothing I need to do to get it ready to sell. I don't want to sell it, I don't need to, but I can't see that keeping it can be easily resolved with the other issues. I have never had nor wanted a garage queen.
So, there it is. Not something to be solved, but something to be celebrated for having had it as part of my life!
I really appreciate the concern and advice. Youse are a good bunch of guys.