Am I worrying about a car for no reason?
Posted by GhostSims@reddit | projectcar | View on Reddit | 49 comments
What’s up everyone. I wanted to make a quick post asking a question to the people with project cars and just people who love cars in general. I wanted to ask if not having a project car, say a Civic or Accord, at 16 is running out of time… I swear all of the guys around me have the dopest cars but they are a little older yet I still feel the need to have a crazy cool project car ASAP even though I’m 16. Just want to see if it’s something I should worry about or if I’m just tripping out about it for no reason 😂
Hope everyone in here is chill with this question, trying to get to know people anyway 🙏
Noflashystuff@reddit
Highly recommend that you don't buy a project unless you've already got a reliable and running vehicle. You can't have a project without money. You can't get money without a way to get to work
Most of the people preaching the FOMO "it's too late, don't wait" won't be into cars in 5 years. I'm almost 40 and just now got to a point where I have the space, tools and skills to start tearing shit apart. Doing it on a shoestring budget ages 16-20 was next to impossible.
Unless you have a work space of your own and a safe place to store the car? Don't buy a project.
Do you own your own tools (not your friends/family's)? If not, don't buy a project.
Keep your daily driver bone stock. Get something that's good on gas- you need that money for parts.
Unless you're willing to sacrifice a lot of time and money - it will always be a "project."
Most dudes with cool builds under 30 y/o are either incredibly rich, in crushing debt, or both.
If you're really about the life, you will find a way. But anyone who says that the cost isn't heavy is lying to you and themselves.
In the meantime- look into vocational education classes for auto repair. Learn how to fix things, and understand the fundamentals. Find friends who like to work on cars and help em out in the garage.
After doing all that, if you still want a project- then it might be for you.
TL;DR: don't buy a project unless you've got the space, time and tools to do it right. It's never too late to get a project.
Global-Structure-539@reddit
Hope you've got money. You'll be wrenching more than driving
notgreatus@reddit
It's too late bro just give up
Kdoesntcare@reddit
Project cars aren't cheap. Step number 1 is funding.
I was planning a build for my old '92 GTI but once I started writing a shopping list I found that just a single part I'd need for the build would have cost me $2,000 before the wiring and standalone computer I'd need. I paid $2,000 for the car.
Plan was a 16v head on an ABA block (an ABF clone) running fuel injected ITBs
Mysterious_Dream5659@reddit
I know people are joking around but I understand what you mean. Yes EVs suck ass and yes they will one day replace ICE cars however there will still be old v8s on the market to buy and fix up, you won’t be able to drive them daily because of the gas prices in 10-15 years but they will still be around.
Psyche1297@reddit
It’s good fun especially if you want to learn, but you will have no money. Source, I’m 18 with an old BMW
MarcusAurelius0@reddit
I drove at 30 year old car when I was 18 in 2008. I wouldnt recommend it.
Blu_yello_husky@reddit
I had a project at 16. Its nothing but stress. By the time I got it complete, I rarely drove it because i was always afraid of someone stealing it or scratching it. I understand wanting to be one of the cool kids in high school, but looking back on it, I was just a douchebag with a flashy car. People probably clowned on me behind my back. Just focus on having a car you like instead of trying to impress other people.
heekma@reddit
Buddy at 16 you don't want a project car.
You want something that is reliable, inexpensive to repair, insure and drive.
That is how you enjoy being 16 with a car.
SunWaterGrass@reddit
Toyota Solara (camry) from 18-24 was the dopest thing for me.
I have a sportier car now with more expensive problems. I miss how that toyota was just a work horse.
CanoegunGoeff@reddit
My first car was a 1996 Camry that my grandmother purchased new. Its now ten years later and I daily drive something else now, but I still have my Camry, because it has become the sportier project car, as I’ve manual swapped it, rebuilt the engine, and put some wide ass tires on it with some custom suspension, and now I’m collecting parts for another engine for it, but with a turbo and other big boy project car parts lol.
Kinda goes along with both the most popular sentiments I’m seeing here so far:
First car is just a reliable car for a young person to get around and make money and learn.
Any car can be a project car. All that makes a project car is something you work on yourself for the love of it!
SunWaterGrass@reddit
and 3. Camrys are the goat when it comes to reliability
CanoegunGoeff@reddit
For real. Really any 90s Toyota tbh. My fiancé and I both daily drive first gen RAV4s and honestly those have been even more reliable than my Camry, even with my own RAV4 having flood damage in its past. 255,000 miles and counting.
Big-Energy-3363@reddit
Word!!
Curly4Jefferson@reddit
Yeah, this. When I was 15 I wanted something I could tune or fix up and be cool. I got my granddad's 2wd Ford Ranger instead.
I initially hated it, it wasn't even a real truck compared to other kids who had full sized trucks with V8s and exhausts and lift kits.
That damn truck took me everywhere all through high school and college. The only work it got in high school was oil changes and washes.
That 90s Silverado my friend had with an exhaust and lift kit always was breaking. The mustang and fiero at my school that I thought were so cool turned out to be giant heaps. Sure I wasn't driving something 'cool', but I never missed anything cause my truck always got me there.
Big-Energy-3363@reddit
Save money! Are you going to trade school or college? Just get a Camry, Corolla, Civic etc . Keep it dead stock until you are launched on a career!
CanoegunGoeff@reddit
And even an old Camry can become a project car :)
0nlyTy1er@reddit
Maybe not the “dopest” but I saved when I was 16, bought this junker when I was 17, got it running and driving at 18, and now I pimp all the fat hoes at 19 ;)
Yeah that’s me eating a chicken sandwhiche btw 🙏
missinmy86@reddit
Dude is this a joke? Literally the first year your legally allowed to drive “too late”
Brother I have a project car right now and I’m gonna be 40 this year. I also probably had as many projects as birthdays of not more.
Don’t rush, you will miss the learning part, just start working on whatever you have now. Even if it’s just tightening the spokes on your bicycle. A gear is a gear no matter how you look at it. Start learning the mechanics of machinery and you will have a dope project I’m sure soon enough.
Heck make money. Get some old lawn mowers and learn to clean and repaint it and tune it up maybe even rebuild a few small engines.
You gotta just start getting dirty and breaking some shit (that’s inexpensive)
HonestPete70@reddit
Having a project car is a symptom of never ending project car syndrome. It's a disease not a badge of honor. Get out while you still have space in your garage and driveway! Once it starts food looses flavor and the internet only has three things on it Facebook marketplace Rockauto.com and Ebay. You want your family seeing you addicted to talking about the potential a completely bare RX-7 FD chassis or a "slighly burned" 1986 Winnebago with an LS has??? No. It's not pretty. One day you'll wake up and find your back yard has 3 different versions of the same exact model of car and each has been cut in half in a different way, font to back, side to side and top half bottom half, and you don't remember if you got them that way or not. Stay away young prince! Be free of this horrid vapid addiction. YOUVE BEEN WARNED!!!
But if you get something cool take lots of pics and keep us posted on progress.
GhostSims@reddit (OP)
Haha will do. Probably going to get an EX Civic. Love those. Just any Civic that’s manual and runs well really 😂
rawkguitar@reddit
Why does your profile say you do influencing and digital marketing?
Is this another AI bot account?
GhostSims@reddit (OP)
Nah I actually do marketing haha. I’m learning scaling right now as well as digital marketing strategies overall with long term friends and other connections who they know. It’s pretty sweet. Will definitely help with the car once it takes off
shupack@reddit
Life is not a race, with everyone starting at the same point , going in the same direction, and trying to get there before the next person.
It is a walk around the park. You start when YOU start, go your way, and go as far, or as short, as YOU want to go.
There is no need to compare your walk against how someone else's walk is going.
RexCarrs@reddit
Get a grip!
First things first. Be concerned with finishing your education. That will follow you all of your life. A project car won't.
It sounds like you have friends with cars where you can lend a hand and "get your feet wet", so to speak. Doing this won't cost any money, you can learn, walk away if need be, or enjoy the fruits of your labor when you get to ride in a car you worked on. Project cars will be available all of your life.
Your education needs to come first.
Big_Gouf@reddit
It's just the trend right how as people around my age are reliving their glorious import racer days.
Same happened when I was 16-19. Anything from the 50s era was waaaaaaaay over priced as my grandparents' generation were retiring and buying or fixing up 'that car' from their youth, then 15 years later the muscle car scene shot to the moon.
Give it another 10-15 years and the 1st wave of 2010s American Muscle cars will be the next thing to take off in value and desirability.
Get something running and driving you can enjoy now! Then fix it up or upgrade it here & there as money allows. You get a bond with your car when you can have fun and rewarding experiences with it. Versus a brick on jackstands soaking up every free dollar & minute you have. Then it becomes something you resent and lose interest in.
Blue_Fox_97@reddit
Youre worrying about little stuff man. My first car was a beat up 1992 Ford Mustang that I inherited when I was 15. It was my daily driver for almost a decade while I was flat broke. Im now 28 years old and I’m JUST NOW financially in a place where I can start working on it.
Blue_Fox_97@reddit
Dont stress about it too much man. You have plenty of time
13Vex@reddit
I bought a “daily” (it was a project car unbeknownst to me) and it would’ve sent me into debt if i didn’t know how to fix it. It’s sorta fun but also a horrible financial choice and extremely problematic when it’s your only car.
That’s your decision to make, choose wisely. Project car, or a car that works.
Efurd68@reddit
I had project cars at 16. some people have them young some dont. Dont focus on everyone else or what they have. If you look at what older people have you got to remember 1 they could have grabbed them when they were cheap. example i bought one of my 81 c10s in 05 the other in 2012 and i paid 700 for it running at that time no one wanted them and there was a ton of them. 2 Older people have worked years to get what they have, yea some people got stuff handed to them. Also 16 is not running out of time, plenty of people build cars up into there 60s and older. If you want a project car wait and find one that you want dont rush into a project car just because
Warren1317@reddit
Wanted to get a Porsche 924 at 17. Big mistake. I would have fucked my wallet and the car.
Working on cars is much more different than what you see online. It takes weeks (sometimes more) to receive parts, and it might not even be the part you need. You need lots of tools and space.
I finally bought a 924 at 22. It took me a year to get it running and I have to fix lots of issues link to my absolutely inexistant knowledge of actually working on a car.
What you want to do is learn about cars, get all the theory in your head. Once you get a job, and save enough, yeah go for it, buy a project car. You still need a daily tho. I'd avoid getting a daily that you use as project car. Simply because you want something reliable that can get you around and is cheap to insure.
YousureWannaknow@reddit
In some countries 16 is not even legal to drive 😅 Why rush mate? Look what you like, learn and maybe, just maybe, think about gathering funds for future. Small steps..
Doctah_Whoopass@reddit
No such thing as running out of time, but you do run out of money.
Traditional_Brush719@reddit
I'm 23 and I just got out of college. No way in hell am I getting my first project car until I'm at least 25. No need to rush man!
fakecarguy@reddit
Honestly I sort of feel this. Now that I finally have a garage and funds for a project car, I have very little time and energy to actually work on or drive my car. Would have been cool to be able to do this stuff earlier in my life when I had more time but I’m only ~25 rn lol.
But honestly I wouldn’t sweat it. Now is the time to invest in yourself, and set yourself up for success. You’ll be a lot happier in the future if you’re actually able to afford the cars/tools/garage you want rather than spending too much time on cars now and neglecting your future
GhostSims@reddit (OP)
Yeah for sure I get it. I appreciate it. Had a Camry but macked trees with it and snapped my humerus… cars gone but now I’m just working up for a new one that I can make look good and daily. Just taking it a day at a time really.
PSYKO_Inc@reddit
Priorities man. Biggest thing is to get something reliable. You don't want to be missing school or work, or have date nights ruined because the piece of shit broke down. Again.
Best way is to have a boring reliable daily driver, then look for something cool for a project. This means that if you run into problems with a mod or have to order parts, you can still get to work/school/dates in your boring, reliable daily. Too many times in my younger days thrashing till 3am to get my ride running again to leave for work at 7.
Resist the urge to mod your boring, reliable daily. The engineers at Honda/Toyota/GM/wherever put in a lot of thought into making your boring, reliable daily the way it is, and probably thought of things that you didn't. Just clean and detail it, fix the things that are broken, and do the routine maintenance. Maybe upgrade the audio system or add some window tint if you must, but that's it. Keep it reliable and boring.
Signed, the guy whose life has been way easier since buying a boring, reliable Prius, while continuing to wrench on custom trucks and old school Cadillacs.
GhostSims@reddit (OP)
Feel this, appreciate the input 🙏
4linosa@reddit
At 16, you don't actually have the disposable income to have a project car. I didn't get a project car until I was 40. So it's never too late. The best part is that I also have a home and garage to keep it in so I can take it apart and leave it for the next session. (Not always the best since I still haven't lined up the door and it's been an embarrassing long time.)
ridiculusvermiculous@reddit
WTF
ShortbusRacingTeam@reddit
Any car can be a project car. All you have to do is stop paying other people to work on it for you.
Emotional_Dare5743@reddit
This is the answer ⬆️
Fox7285@reddit
Everyone else always has something cooler, getting your foot in the door will help. Just be realistic about what you're getting yourself into. I recommend buying the best car you can afford and that a minimum it runs, drives, and stops. Having a car that you can use while working on it keeps you actively engaged.
MysteriousDog5927@reddit
I hate to break it to you but you probably don’t have project car money right now . Every time you enter a store for the littlest thing it’s hundreds of dollars .
GhostSims@reddit (OP)
Yall funny. I get what you’re saying though. I have a job and am working on digital marketing stuff too so I’m hoping to get it soon, I just overthink like crazy over the matter
SarcasticShottz@reddit
Yes you are almost out of time and you will forever drive a minivan
Far_Kangaroo2550@reddit
It is true that if you don't have the coolest car at 16, you will never learn to work on cars or have a cool car yourself. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you OP. It's just crossover suv's or the city bus for the rest of your life
Ghost17088@reddit
Yeah dude, you’re practically a senior citizen. Should have bought your first car at least 15 years ago. Personally, I bought my first car 3 months before I was born and restored it by the time I was 7.
shanerGT@reddit
You're experiencing FOMO. If you're so inclined and financially able to support a project just go for it! Just cuz others around you are doing it doesn't mean it's sustainable