Anyone else get bored with their Mustang after a big build?

[Kline12]

So I've had the car for 5 years, and have been building it for the past 3. I went all out with the build while I could before I moved and took a job making less money. 1999 mustang gt with custom paint, bags, built terminator swap, fuel system, etc. The works. But now I find myself completely bored with the car. The thought of spending more money on it makes me sick to think about.

Now, all of my friends and most of my family think I am crazy for doing all of this work just to turn around and sell it. Plus, the sentimental value is there big time. I absolutely love the car, it's almost like a member of the family. However, I hate driving it. No a/c, smelling like exhaust fumes after driving it for more than 30 seconds, and convincing the girlfriend to ride in it anywhere is just a pain in the butt. Why keep a car that you hate to drive?

It's replacement would almost certainly be a c6z. I know that isn't a luxurious step up, but coming from a new edge, that's like upgrading to a Cadillac lol.

Has anyone turned right around and sold their pride and joy after years of ownership and hard work? Did you regret it? What was it's replacement? Has anyone kept a car for the sole reason of sentimental value?

And lastly, I know there are plenty of mustang guys gone vette on this forum. I've never heard of anyone regretting selling their cobra from a c6z, but is there anyone out there that has?

 

[oldstv]

Off topic, but who built your engine?

 

[OETKB]

I get bored after just thinking about a build, then not even doing it. I searched on and off for four years to buy a "low miles' LX 5.0 five speed Foxbody just like I wanted to build. Drove 10 hours round trip to get it. Did a few odds and ends over the next few months, then decided I liked it just like I had it. As soon as the fuel pump started making racket and I had to contemplate dropping the tank I posted it on Craigslist and it was gone the next day.

I got a call two years later from a totally disabled guy who could barely talk. He had bought it from my buyer. He couldn't drive it, but liked it so much he bought it just to stare at in his garage and crank it up every once in a while.

 

[Iamchris]

Well, my response was going to be... sit on it a while, then decide if you still want to sell it. But, being you have modified it to the point of making it unbearable to drive...

You could maybe make some improvements to improve the smog, ect... but really at this point, you could also swap to another car for less pain.
Graduate up to the Z!

 

[Kline12]

Kennedy Performance in Lexington KY, and then tuned by Lee Blankenship.

Off topic, but who built your engine?

 

[oldstv]

Thanks. Reason for asking, I am looking for an engine builder for my 2003 Cobra motor with twins.

 

[Coiled03]

I've sold two mustangs that I owned for years.

I regretted it for a few days, maybe a few weeks. Then I realized it was just a car, and got over it.

 

[MG0h3]

no point in having a car you dont enjoy driving

 

[Brutal Metal]

YES.

 

[My94GT]

Parted my 94 after doing a full build, cage etc. the car just was snowballing and wasn’t fun or realistic anymore. Got into bikes had gobs of fun doing track days for a while then sold that.

I’m about ready for another car and love the build process but these days I just want a turn key car to drive on the street so I’m so undecided as to what I want.

 

[Riptide]

Some people never make up their minds for long. Just one phase after another. If that describes you I would avoid dumping much money into anything. You'll be in and out of love.

 

[lilcoop03]

You're going to love going to a c6z. I did it and don't miss my terminator one bit. Do it

 

[IronSnake]

Put your big boy pants on and make the decision for yourself if it's worth it. The problem is you certainly won't get your money back out of it.

 

[SID297]

Some people just like the build process. Once it's done the excitement is gone. Time to move on to the next project.

 

[Screw-Rice]

Why does it smell of gas after 30 seconds? I know guys who run no cats and don't have that issue. Can't imagine you'll get much out of it when every test drive results in smelling like a fuel station. Fix that and decide from there.

What do you think it's worth and is it better to part it or just take one big hit? Not to be mean (mostly) but every buyer is going to look at it as a modded GT and not an 03/04 Cobra. Do you have a set price in mind?

 

[CV355]

Oh, I can definitely relate, OP.

I "invested" tens of thousands into my '00 GT. Wanted to hit 4 digits and run low 8's. Lost somewhere on the order of $40k-$50k when I sold it. Who knows, maybe more. Here's what I learned:

1) Performance or Driveability. Pick one, or buy a supercar.
2) You're never "done" until you sign a bill of sale
3) Regret is shorter lived than debt

Why? Your expectations did not match reality, and your mind will try to compensate for that by making you blow more money into it (this is not an insult- hear me out). I wanted the same driveability characteristics as a stock 2000 GT, but with 1200hp. Guess what? You can't reasonably have it. Something has to be sacrificed. This is incredibly normal and what consumerism is based upon. Marketing wants you to believe that when you purchase _____, your life will be measurably better. Have you ever bought something and the novelty didn't eventually wear off? You don't think back and go "oh man, it was so nice to own ______." Instead, you go "Hey, I remember when I did __________ when I owned _________." Experiences are more memorable than simply ownership.

As for regret- you're facing a form of addiction. No joke, and we all have it. Any regret you will feel eventually fade, especially if you get a replacement that matches closer to your expectations.

 

[96dreamer]

I was nearing the point with my car. After doing damn near everything besides forced induction it was getting expensive to progress any further. I bought an xj to play with to keep the mod bug happy and distract me from the car. Somehow I still ended up with a novi 2000 sitting in my garage in addition to having way to much fun spending money on the jeep. Now i'm dealing with two money pit projects instead of one. I think it's all just part of the car game.

 

[mc01svt]

prepare to take a gigantic loss when you sell it. Very small market for heavily customized GT.

I never understood why people do "built" new edge GTs. It is 10x simpler and cheaper to buy a cobra.

 

[Weather Man]

Some people just like the build process. Once it's done the excitement is gone. Time to move on to the next project.

This man gets it. While a serious build can be quite vexing, the challenge of pushing the car to completion is satisfying.

 

[Famine]

I would use this as a learning experience and the next go around, I wouldn't do modifications that destroy the vehicle. Because racecar nothing.