Remember this gem?

Um, yeah. We sold it. It’s gone, along with all of the other cars in the background of the pictures from that blog post (except the minvan of course—we just wish it was gone).

In the last four months, all those cars, plus a few others, have been sold or traded for something else. We only have two cars (including the minivan) on the property that have remained in our possession consistently for more than two years. My husband’s 1971 Buick GS convertible (his baby), has been with us since we first started dating.

Here it is on our wedding night, a few years before he began gutting it and rebuilding it.

The GS is not going anywhere, except to the paint shop, then he will put all the trim back on and finish the interior. Everything else has been completely redone, overhauled, or replaced.

The new additions to the family include these beauties (*remove tongue from cheek*): all of which are currently sitting in the backyard.

This is the 1968 Mercury Cougar and the 1950 Chevrolet. I actually like and see the potential in both. Especially the 1950. It would be fun to keep, but alas, that is not its destiny.

This one I could do without. It’s a 1974 Plymouth Scamp. It is just plain ugly. It’s destined to become a drag racer. He got rid of the Dodge Challenger he planned to make into a dragster.

He SAYS he wants to keep the red 1967 pickup, work on it, and use it for a daily driver and for heavy hauling projects. We’ll see. He’s just like my grandpa was, nearly everything in his possession is open to negotiation—for the right price and/or trade.

There are a few other cars that are not here on the property right now including a couple of parts cars and a 1962 Ford Comet Wagon (similar to the white one in this picture). The Comet will be absolutely sick when we get finished with it and then I’m not sure I will ever let him get rid of it.

We also have another Mustang. This one is not the basket case that the other one was. It’s a 1965 red mustang that needs some body work and new paint but the interior is completely finished and it runs and drives. . . . as soon as the transmission is finished.

It’s always something around here. But that’s okay. It’s our bread and butter.

I’ll be posting pictures of my mustang when it arrives.

Some people wonder how I deal with the constant rotation of what appear to be “junk” cars around here. I admit there are times when it gets really trying. I mean, that Scamp is just hideous, in my opinion. I don’t see the appeal at all.

It’s taken some time for me to acclimate to the environment that comes with being married to a car guy. It’s not that I don’t enjoy classic cars, hotrods, and muscle cars. I do! I love a beautiful car from decades past. I love to drive fast too. But like many people, I looked down my nose at the yards full of cars, sitting up on cinder blocks, rusted out, or only covered in primer. My family has asked how the neighbors tolerate it. That’s one of the reasons we moved to the country.

After nearly nine years of marriage, I understand the guys, who have yards and shops full of cars, a bit more now. It’s about potential. They have vision and passion. Yes, it’s a hobby—an often expensive time consuming hobby that takes up space and lowers real estate values in the neighborhood. They can’t help it. They would be miserable without it. They don’t just love working with their hands, they need to bring to life something that appears to be destined for the junkyard or scrap heap. And yes, some of these guys never finish all those projects. But that’s okay, because they probably have a buddy who can use the parts or the shell of that 1951 Buick that has been sitting untouched for years.

It’s a culture. It’s a way of life for car guys. They love what they do. And I have to admit, I’m beginning to love it too.

Except for that Scamp. I could really do without that scamp. And the ‘78 Riviera he’s trying to talk me into. Dude, it never ends, but I love him and he loves what he does. Why would I deny him his passion? (Especially when it’s how we pay the bills.)

What have you learned to tolerate, or even enjoy, for someone you love?

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