Well, the truth comes out now. If you are trying to justify what you are going to spend on the car and how you can't go wrong then just LIE to her and never sell the car---done deal.

 

That's some funny stuff! 20+ years too late for the car chick thing; although, she is coming around. And I'd rather store car parts in Zip Lock baggies instead of her storing body parts.

 

Try to get your wife involved in the Corvette “experience”. Take her out to dinner in it. Go for country rides. Let her drive it. Get her involved.

After owning my my car for a year, my wife wanted her own Corvette. She also helps me in the garage when I need a hand. And she’s gotten really good at identifying other classic cars she sees on the road and gets a kick out of waving to other Corvettes and classic cars.

Recently, she’s been making comments about getting a ‘32 Ford street rod <YIKES>. What have I created?!

 

Ask her if her makeup and all that girly stuff increases her value or is it just for fun.......then run!

 

Lots of sage perspective detailed above information this thread.

But also, like golf, fishing, collecting coins or whiskey (whisky, if you prefer), only you can determine when the costs are not worth the payoff in enjoyment.

 

I don't count the money, or the time i spend on making my car as bad a$s as I can. It's a labor of love, i look at changing the exhaust, finding the correct manifolds, stripping, recoating, and getting a full new stainless system, the same way I look at getting an oil change, or waxing my car. I don't count the cost of oil in the oil change, or the cost of wax when I wax your car I like it shiny, I wax it. I wanted the underside to look good too, a shiny exhaust system did the trick. I would feel the same way about new carpet, or new seat covers, and all of these items are done over time so it is not noticed. If I were to drop it the car off to a shop & get a bill at the end that was the cost of a nice C6, then i would think about it, but I consciously choose to remain ignorant of my choices.

 

Been restoring them since 73 and never lost a dime on any of them except the ones I bought new, but I knew that going in.

 

If you're worrying about explaining how you spend your money you've already lost some of your body parts.

 

That could be true, but the answer might also lie elsewhere.

Couples argue more about money than any other part of a relationship - it's a fact.

She spends too much on shoes, clothes, manicures, etc., and he spends too much on cars, beer, hot wings, golf, etc.

The detensioning of the topic often requires some give and take and learning how to budget together, unless the costs are so low, as a function of overall resources, that they are essentially invisible to the budget.

This is were most folks get into areas of contentiousness in car (or whatever) expenses, which can degrade into bad areas ("you love that car more than you love me" kind of stuff).

Sit down with her and come to an agreement on how much is too much. Easier said that done, but important nonetheless. It is not giving up body parts if the costs of any hobby put the quality of the relationship at risk, and it is almost always a long term mistake to take a take it or leave it stand.

 

You're correct is your essay above but this is a last ditch method that always brings it to a head in lieu of failing with the method you propose.

An alternate method to be tried, Take the time and money and invest it in wine, women and song and see how long it takes "her" to suggest you take up a "stay at home hobby".

 

Well, that just might work out.

 

^ This.

 

We've been involved in cars our entire married life. I built race engines for the first 21 years we were together. We raced cars many of those years. Then I decided I was going to build a a car that maybe my grandkids could enjoy as the cost to do it will be completely out of reach by the time they get involved. We have a pretty good size group of friends that are into the cruise ins that we didn't know anything about until I built the first car.

 

I consider it mutual respect. The car is from the 50's, not my marriage.

 

 

When I first got married in 1967, my wife would send me off to work every day with a dollar bill in my wallet when I went to work for a beer or whatever I wanted to spend it on. It was obvious I couldn't keep the damn check book balanced so she assumed the responsibility of that, making sure the rent was paid, and all other bills paid plus keeping spending money in my wallet.

Around 1971, I started stopping by Willcox about once a week. I opened a monthly tab because I had no cash and Ernie (big) always had some kind of deal he was pushing. I'd buy the stuff and put it in the attic. Every month the wife would get a bill in the mail and she'd pay it and remind me that I had a bill coming in every month. Where were all those parts going she'd ask. I'd say, in storage and one day, they'll be worth a lot of money or I'll buy an old Corvette and need the parts there. That also included a lot of Chevy II and Camaro parts as well.

Long story short, we never had any problems over money. Not that we had a lot. We didn't. But she never complained about what I spent and she spent money on things she liked. Conservatively.

I collect Cub Cadet gqrden tractors as a hobby. Ever since 1972. I have about thirty. Didn't need any more but this was her 50th anniversary present to me she saw in a yard sale. She thought I needed just one more.

Aintcha' jealous of my bride?

 

Frankie has an excellent example. You can stop at the deli or supermarket and buy a couple fish for...$10? give or take and walk out in 10 minutes or less. But probably 25% of the male population of the country buys a boat, a trailer, a motor, a truck to pull it with, reels, lures, electronic fish finders and much more, then spends a whole day or an entire weekend and in some cases comes home with just about those same 2 fish.

It's not about the money, it's about the fun. Yet so many on here don't see it that way.

 

From a financial investment perspective, you also have to subtract the opportunity cost on the money used to buy and fix the car over the time it was owned...most folks don't consider this in their calculation...

The word "investment" is an investment in pleasure, for most cases...

and YES I own a boat...

 

I'm with you Mike. My wife and I got married in 1971. We have never had arguments about money, even though we didn't have a lot. She has her hobbies and I have mine. She knows exactly what I spend. She's a CPA and a retired State of Florida auditor so she takes care of our money matters. She's also a Certified Fraud Examiner so it's not like I could get away with anything even if I wanted to.

She likes to travel around the country by motorhome (used) and she likes to go to Disney World (over 200 visits) so that's what she spends money on. I spend money on my car. But we don't compare what each of us spends. And she enjoys my hobby and I enjoy hers. She's happy to help me in the garage. A while back she bought me one of Eric Freeman's last teak wheels. And I'm happy to travel with her and visit Disney World whenever she wants to go.

Life is good.

 

1963 Corvette "needed work" when I got it...I remember what one mechanic said about Corvettes.. They are like a "black hole or vacuum that sucks money out of your wallet"..

I have never heard of any more truer words than this...