What would you tell your younger self?

Will do.

 

Sorry, that might have come across a little harsh. Was really meant in a spirit of fun. Hard to convey that in text sometimes.

 

No offense taken.

And, you're totally correct about that. Sometimes I probably take things too literally here.

I get what you were saying.

I had an '85 Supra when I was young and broke, and dumped every penny I could spare into it. I ended up selling it without ever really finishing it. I could easily consider that a waste of money. But, I had a lot of fun, and learned a lot from the experience. So, I don't really feel like it was a waste.

But, maybe that's just my way of rationalizing it so I don't feel bad about wasting my money.

 

Should've never sold my '71 240z and my '06 Wicked White Evo IX GSR

 

That's easy!
1) She's not worth i
2) Dont go to Tijuana
3) Keep the 510 and the '89 Toyota
4) Buy that Delorean (they wanted 2k (divorce))

4Runner
2" lift (for snow mostly)
275/75/17's are fine
Good skid plates, good sliders
Go wheeling with friends and you won't need a winch

 

This list could be very long, but I wish I still had my 77 Ford Bronco and to a lesser extent my 06 Jeep Wrangler LJ Rubicon. No mods for me! I am too stupid (not mechanically inclined) and too lazy to go thru the trouble of modifying the 4R. That's why I bought a Pro! No regrets! My mountain bike, skis and archery gear are my true toys!

 

I started down that path in high school, had a 71 Camaro with a straight six, super clean one-owner car, and all I could think about was doing a v8 swap. At the same time I was interning at a local paper as a photographer. The editor was talking to me about equipment one day, and I mentioned the car project. He asked me what I wanted to do more: be a photographer for the rest of my life, or have a fast car for a year or two. I ended up spending the money on my own darkroom and some new camera gear. I'm still a photographer.

 

An excellent example of the False Dilemma fallacy.

 

Ahhhh. You guys talking about previous cars made me sad.

I miss my 93 fd. I put everything i had at the time(single, well paid, young 19yr) into this car. Really this is the car that started my passion. Pure sex on wheels. Well you know the story... had a kid, and toys had to go...





That is all.

First mods for any 4runner, front and rear e lockerz

 

Well, no, actually.

Scenario: You have $2000, how do you spend it?
Option 1: spend it on a depreciating asset
Option 2: spend it on tools that will enhance your ability to generate income
Option 3: do not spend it (assuming savings account, not assuming investment risks in other assets)

Is that a false dilemma?

I thought the false dilemma fallacy was more along the lines of pushing a limited set of options, and assuming that one is true. In this case, there are many things one could do with the money, but essentially, everything other than an investment is a depreciating/zero-value asset. Investing in the business is still an investment.

Would love to understand your point better.

 

May I add a 4th option;

option 4: spend it on something that brings you joy or gives you an experience. Like a vacation, going to a show (concert, comedy,etc) or spending it on a hobby. Which for many of us on here, the hobby is our vehicle and that hobby involves more than just driving them, it also includes working on and improving them.

If you have your bills/house in order, money should also be something you use to bring joy to your life. I see no point in going to the grave with a fat bank account. That said, one should always opt for the option that best suits them and their needs/desires.

 

I think the point is that the two options aren't mutually exclusive. Maybe you didn't have the money to support both options at the same time, but you weren't necessarily limited to giving up one to pursue the other. Putting it on the back burner may have been an option.

In the overall spirit of this discussion, I think the point is that putting money into something that enhances your quality of life isn't an inherently bad idea. It wouldn't be considered a prudent financial "investment" to pour money into modifications on a vehicle, sure, but if you're able to afford it and it will increase your quality of life, then go for it.

 

The false dilemma fallacy pushes a limited set of options while inferring that those are the only options. And that’s what you are doing. (You even numbered the options.) Your scenario assumes that you can’t get any more money. That you can’t get a second job. That you can’t barter for the camera or car parts with items you already own. That you can’t borrow the funds from family and friends. Add your favorite creative out-of-the-box solution to the list.

I am in no way contradicting the editor’s wisdom of investing in income-enhancing equipment versus toys. However, there might be many courses of action that lead to both getting a camera and putting a V8 in the Camaro. The editor’s advice precluded those possibilities. That’s the false dilemma.

What do you shoot? I’m a FujiFilm guy myself.

To bring this back on topic, my advice to your younger self would have been to sell the straight six Camaro and buy one with a V8.

 

I think the new Z28 will be battery? There’s already a COPO electric available.

 

Interesting, and I think this response assumes something that isn't quite true, that my work is unfulfilling and I need a hobby. My work is my hobby.

On top of that, and I'll discuss this in my next response, I've learned to focus. That includes how one spends ones time and money. But I'll go into that next.

 

Last I checked that’s a $500 a day habit. And I don’t know anyone in the DEA to get it from!

 

And shit runs downhill.

 

Interesting, I think it's a false dilemma because, for the sake of brevity, I'm not providing the complete picture, with the entirety of the discussion I had when I was 17. To be frank, those were the options that *I* chose, because the conversation I had was about *focus* (pun intended). So, there's no false dilemma, I chose to limit myself to two choices because I knew myself well enough to know what I was interested in.

Some people can focus on multiple things, job, family, hobby, what have you. I don't do that. I can focus on maybe two things at any given time, and as I got older, I learned to focus my education on my photography so that I only had to focus on one thing. Once I got good at it, I was able to focus on having a family.

So, the reality is, I chose what was important to me, and put the limitations in place for myself. Whatever you want to call it is up to you, but for me it was about being focused.

 

This small measure of civility didn’t go unnoticed. It is appreciated. Your prior post seems to have stirred the hornet’s nest. Don’t let it get to you.

ETA: this is an active topic with several people cross posting at the same time. That often leads to misunderstandings and an elevated heat level. Let’s just let this topic pass into the abyss with the assumption that we are intelligent guys with good intentions.

 

Well, I'm genuinely interested in the conversation, and improving my own ability to communicate. I fail a lot, but I'm trying. I honestly do not want to irritate or purposely anger others.

 

I can see it now, SR5 Limited, the first ever street legal, emmisions legal, electric COPO Camaro on the highway?

 

Just put a couple mirrors on it and call it a day.

 

This is why I don't do the wild monkey dance anymore.

Maybe, just maybe, if a kid popped out as a fully formed 6 year old. But a baby? OH HELL NAW.

 

Then a deer runs out and totals it?
See, that’s why if you own land and someone asks “mind if I hunt your property?” You say sure. And Va. code protects the owner from any liability unless you fall down an open well or something.

 

I'm certainly not irritated and don't get the sense that anybody else is. It is difficult to tell sometimes, but that's not the feeling I'm getting from this conversation. I will suggest that you may be reading into some of the responses a bit much though. For example, I didn't read anything that would hint at anybody implying your being unhappy with your work, only a suggestion that money is meant to be utilized, ideally in such a way to bring you more joy. That's not to say spend it all like there's no tomorrow, or that you have no joy before spending extra money.

 

As much as I was obsessed with Supras in the late 90's and early 2000's (yeah, before Paul Walker and Vin Diesel screwed it up for everyone), I really think the RX7 was the best looking of the Japanese sports cars back then.

Much respect for building it with the right motor!

 

I always liked the NSX and S2000, but Supras were awesome in my book as well.

 

This conversation certainly became interesting!

A lot of good posts in here.

 

Italian dude got a new one in 93 I think. It was nice but the American cars were badass!

 

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