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TR2/3/3A Gonna let it go

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bobhustead

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Last month, I did the left rear brakes and axle seal on my car. Took me 3 weeks to get it done. Needless to say I was having no fun doing it and I rarely drive the car. Tomorrow, I am going to a show in Andrews NC with a "For Sale" sign on the windshield. When maintenance goes from hobby to chore, it's time.
Bob
 
I feel your pain, Bob. I'm 75 and down to one hobby car. Most likely will be my last, and definitely the last build/restoration. Let us know if you get any interest at the show.
 
It's sad to hear Bob but truly understandable. Thinking of your decision, an "end of an era" step doesn't come without looking back...hope there's some great memories.
 
I hear you. I'm only 65 and everything I seem to do now is accompanied by a rolling mantra in my head: "I don't want to do this" "I don't want to do this.". It's been 47 years. Bought my B in High School.
 
On the other hand, when I stop working on Triumphs in the garage and come in the house, my dear wife tends to remind me of the 1,001 items she has on her "perfect house list". So, I'd rather be working on axle seals !
 
Sorry to hear that. I am 64 and retired this year. The last twenty years or so I thought I wanted to retire and work on cars. I still enjoy it, but don't want to do it all the time, or even a good chunk of my time. Having a lift helps greatly in still enjoying working on my cars.
 
I sold mine because I couldn't drive it enough. It's to cold or to hot for 10 months here in Texas, and in the 2 good months I rarely go anywhere that I could fit the people or the equipment into the TR2. I do miss it, but it was the right choice.
 
I for one plan on letting my sons(who are NOT car guys) fight over who has to sell what and clean out the
50+years of bits n bobs in the shop.They will no doubt, put it all in a dumpster.But it is my understanding
that you cant take anything with you when you go......
Mad dog
 
mctriumph said:
I for one plan on letting my sons(who are NOT car guys) fight over who has to sell what and clean out the
50+years of bits n bobs in the shop.They will no doubt, put it all in a dumpster.But it is my understanding
that you cant take anything with you when you go......
Mad dog
Click to expand...
I’m sort of with Mad Dog on this one. Let the bones ache. I’m not selling my cars, and my kids can fight over them and all my tools, too, I’ve got some cool stuff and so many extras. I couldn’t begin to list them all.

I’ve started a video library but it’s cumbersome, I’ll need to figure it all out somehow.

Maybe I’m being unrealistic. Maybe inconsiderate of my kids. But for now, I’m not pulling back, and I’m not letting this time capsule hobby and journey into pre-modern nuts and bolts intuitive “learn on the fly” auto mechanics, or the dreams of post-war British sports car mania, fade off very easily.

I look at my Standard Triumph Factory Manual, those guys in the white lab jackets, demonstrating every minute detail of how to maintain and rebuild my Triumph, and I’m doing my best not to let all that become some exercise in futility, all lost in the past.

I’m a silly dreamer, I know.
 
And I’m determined to absorb all the wisdom I can from you guys who have done this for so long, and who know so much more.
 
You guys have no idea what you are doing to your kids. I had to clear out my Mother's house when she died unexpectedly at 57. I had to take off 4 weeks from work and to this day I still have 2 dozen boxes of her junk I could not see getting rid of...and this is 30 years later, adding to my clutter for my kids. The clearance ended in a huge garage sale where I watched items we had bought with her in Europe going for a nickel. This was traumatic, and I immediately started asking my Father to "start downsizing" once he was in his late 70's. He told me he waited to long, so just "haul it all off!"

Then, just 4 years ago my Father had to be moved out of his house when he and my Step Mother couldn't care for themselves. On a time constraint, and having to take another 3 weeks off work, most of their things had to go to "Got Junk". Although they say it will be donated...it all went to the trash dump. To this day every time I call my Dad, he wants to know "who got" this or that. It's heartbreaking when I have to explain it was donated (although I know it was trashed). Every call he thinks I have it all. I drove a Corvette to Atlanta to take care of all this...and I have to explain each time that I had no room to take anything, which I didn't.

I will NOT do this to my kids. I have started this year after I retired...have already sold 2 cars, 2 motorcycles, and hauled off several projects that I realized I will never get to. It's bad enough when a child looses a parent. To make them sort through a houseful of emotionally charged possessions is cruel...and causes a lot of friction between the siblings when they have to fight over who gets which family heirloom.

My goal next year is to become very proficient with Ebay, once I get this Stearman out of the house!
 
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I second CJD's response. My wife was the older sister and executor of her father's estate. He was a hoarder and avoiding a long story we spent months traveling 90 miles one way fighting with the other sisters because "he would not have kept it if it was not worth something". 90% went into the trash and because there was so much toward the end it just had to be put in trash because it just became too much to sort thru. There is more but the point is DON'T do that to anybody you care for. Bruce
 
On Bob's subject though, I see exactly what he is talking about. I restored a TR4A and now midway thru a MGA resto. With only one car for driving now I spend (still) a lot of time tending to it. But working on the cars still keeps me from going stir crazy so I don't want to stop yet (I am 72). But the TR250 waiting for a resto I am not sure anymore I will want to dive in on it. Starting to think about something newer already restored (or not needing resto) and try to do more driving. Trying to figure it out. Bruce
 
Children aside, if there is a surviving spouse, they will have the heaviest burden dealing with our leftovers.
 
I suppose as time goes on, circumstances and views may change. Tough subject.
 
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The thing is to have the conversation about death and possessions before you need to.
Once dad knew he was terminal he was ruthless about getting rid of stuff so mum and us kids didn’t have the burden. Some things were kept due to the conversations. cars, tools and other stuff sold or given away the remainder binned.
Poor decision outcome was to leave a classic car to 2 sons equally. One knows it’s (little) value due to deteriorated condition, the other sees and believes auction prices ( inc fees) for pristine cars apply to this car ! so nothing happens and it gets worse year on year in mums garage.

Talk about it and put stickers on stuff that kids /grand kids want. It’s not always valuable stuff more often memory keepsake items from childhood or pictures etc.
 
I have been through the death of the parents and culling of the possessions too. My parents were divorced but both died within a week of each other in 2021.

My dad had left his house and gone to a retirement home, then assisted living. Significantly downsizing before each move.

My mom was in her home of 35 years, not the one we grew up in, but still lots of memories. She kept everything, birthday cards, old bills, kids toys, you name it.

Luckily I am one of four brothers and sisters, all still living in the same town my parents lived in. We went through stuff together, kind of therapeutic actually. But with my mom's stuff it was a lot of, oh you remember that? yes, does anybody want to keep it? no (except my sister sometimes). Anyway don't begrudge my mom her stuff and was in a strange way may have made it easier to let go.

That said, tools and car parts generally don't generally have sentimental value (special cars might, tools probably not), but may have some market value, so disposing and going through a bit of a different equation.

I dumped a lot of old parts when I moved 8 years ago, and have gotten a lot more picky about buying more tools. But at 64 and just retired I am not ready to give up or start divesting, time to have fun with stuff while I can.

We all age differently, both physically and mentally. Ask me ten years ago what I wanted to do when I retired the answer was restore cars. Now that I am here I am still interested, but interested in doing a lot of different things, including cars still, but not much interest in full restorations, just incremental improvements, small to medium projects.
 
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Reading all this is bringing flashbacks to when I helped Jerri and Shannon, Tony Barnhill's wife and daughter, dispose of all the cars, tools, parts, etc. from his "Garage Mahal" after his sudden death. I'm sure many of you remember that as well - quite an ordeal!
 
Well, as for me I have 3 generations of tools. Woodworking and Mechanical tools. Lots and Lots of tools. My son lives in the Pacific Northwest is in process of building a larger shop, continually tells me don't get rid of your tools. We will eventually move that direction and I'm not sure if I want a roadster in that continual grey gloom. Oh well, I can kick this can down the road a little bit. Its sunny in Texas and we are having a fairly mild summer so I'm driving my TR4 a lot.

Rod
 
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