Kawi2strokes.com Forum

ok, let me preface this with the fact that I am a working man. If I say Ive got 7 motorcycles, a boat and three cars you might think Im loaded, well Im not. The 3 vehicles I have? One was free, and the other two cost $500. Seriously. The last one was my son's car so maybe it doesnt count but it is registered in my name. The bikes were all basket cases or lucky finds.(cheap) Luckily, I do ALL my own work to all my junk, and I can squeeze lots of life out of anything. My $500 van? Ive put 40,000 miles on it over the last three years and its going strong.

Point is, every year at tax time, I wind up getting a bit of a refund and usually I try to take a chunk and have some fun with it, (Thats how I got my boat one year, $1500) although mostly it goes towards bills. This year, we have a new sales manager at work and I am BUSY. Ive had a hell of a January and the bills are not behind. Tax refunds have been delayed as well, and its not like Im dying to have it at this point, for once in my life anyway......

I cant decide whether to take some $$$ and fix up the stuff I have, or buy more stuff. Ahhh first world problems. My son bought an old RX7, and I have been working on it for him (and test driving it) and I LOVE it. It FEELS like a 2 stroke, light reciprocating mass, revs to high heaven, even goes "braaaap"! LOL

I am considering buying one for myself, a junky old one, around $1000 or so. I just dont know if I want another headache. Its like having another mouth to feed. At what point does one become overwhelmed by junky mechanical projects??!?!?!? Its not like I would pour thousands of dollars into the car and make it a "tuner"(dont have it). id just get it running well and drive it to work and back, I dunno.....

My son gets alot of thumbs up from older folks in his old RX, and I think thats soo cool. And all the Honda kids try to mess with him, so far he ignores them, or so he tells me. (I tell him they had to do ALOT to their civics to make them low slung and sporty, his RX7 was made that way. I used to have hot rods, but its been 20 years since I had a car that I liked. You know, really, the $1000 RX7 would be like the corvette that a more successful man might buy at this point in his life. Maybe I should do it.

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1972 S2 350, 1972 F9 350 Bighorn, 1975 KX400, 1981 YZ465, 1980 XT500 (Built for MX) , 1987 KD80, 1995 MZ Skorpion, TTR 125, 1994 KDX200 , 1978 Mobylette, 1985 KX350R-F91m (Frankenstein) and a Doodle Bug

Do what ever brings enjoyment in your life, especially if the overall cash outlay is within acceptable reason like it sounds like it would be with this RX7. And besides, it'll probably be relatively cheap compared to these Triples we are all hooked on! If you get tired of it later on, you can always sell it to someone else with more interest and/or time at that point. Go for it and have fun!

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"Only cheat the cheaters, boy - you can't cheat an honest man!" Mordecai Jones - The Flim Flam Man.

Try and do EVERYTHING I don't worry about money and usually have enough to do anything I want (within reason). Dave Ramsey has it right.

I paired down on my projects and bikes little while ago - just had too many things going on and not enough time (and a lesser degree money) to work on it all. I'm comfortable with my 7 bikes, 1 car and 1 truck (my wife owns and maintains her own car - Volvo cross country wagon). I collect tools, computers, meters and much more. Constantly on eBay and Amazon too.

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This is true. Where I grew up the hills were so steep and long, when your ball rolled down the hill you just said "screw it"...

Hey I am working man too bills bills and more bills also I have more unfinished projects that I care to have , currently doing some soul searching and possibly unload some of this clutter that is laying all around my place , ya can't always follow your heart some times ya gotta think it thru decisio9ns decisons, its your call good luck.......

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1975 S3 project bike
1974 H1 project bike
1972 Yamaha R5
1974 Yamaha RD350

Priority....priority.....priority....

#1. do what is finacially sound for the long haul
#2. do what yields the most fun and least burden
#3. remember that sometimes less is more, move towards less.
#4. decide, move forward and don't look back

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Busy doing more riding than wrenching.......

I agree too many projects isnt very fun but I am probably the king of too many projects. I am trying to get rid of some stuff and concentrate on just a few projects. Its hard to let stuff go that you have aquired through hard work and beating the bushes. My weakness is I always see the finished project when I look at something but there isnt enough time to chase parts refurbish and rebuild everything. So right now I have narrowed down my projects to these, 72H2, 75 Z1B, 72DS7, 79GS1000, 71 Fastback Mustang, 80 Hatchback Mustang, 80 Ford Fairmont, And if I ever get too it a 75 RD350. I am forever optimistic and I know I will have plenty to do for the rest of my life and maybe my sons will complete some of the projects that I dont get to !

Thanks for the replies!
Yeah my head is still spinning. My better half is starting to give me some real grief about the junky old sports car deal. I think its because she has to listen to me whine about all my projects all the time, that would be one more thing I would be agonizing over. Its funny, whenever I DO get some extra $$$ to spend, I am a wreck. With all these "mouths to feed" (junky mechanical oddities)... who gets the attention.... . I just need to stay off craigslist. I have seen so many neato bikes go by the last few weeks. ( I refrained from attending a large swap meet in York PA a few weeks ago--mostly because I was working and making double time that day.)

The argument could be made to do what I already have, but better...I race vintage MX (on a shoestring budget)...I sure could use a proper pair of boots and maybe a neck brace. And some new shocks for the old bighorn. And I am in the middle of redoing the interior on the old boat....time is a real issue. My wife LOVES fishing more than I do, it takes up alot of time but I dont begrudge it because its that one thing that we both love to do. My reasoning with the old car is that it could be fun simply driving it to work.

In all reality we as a family, are going to upgrade the family vehicle first and foremost. (and hand down the old minivan to one of my other kids) I've managed to save a bit and when the old refund finally makes it here, we are going to try and find some sort of 4x4 crew cab pickup..something that can pull my old boat...and if it can fit some bikes in the back, then that would clear the way for me to get rid of my old work van....that might make room for some old 5 speed something-or-other. OF course the old van is pretty neat. Lets see, a rebuild kit for my van, a loud exhaust and some vintage Cragars and a flame job.

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1972 S2 350, 1972 F9 350 Bighorn, 1975 KX400, 1981 YZ465, 1980 XT500 (Built for MX) , 1987 KD80, 1995 MZ Skorpion, TTR 125, 1994 KDX200 , 1978 Mobylette, 1985 KX350R-F91m (Frankenstein) and a Doodle Bug

I liked the way Ric put it. When I posted earlier I did not mean to give the impression I was rich because I'm not - but when I say I don't worry about money it's because I just don't. I've always had enough to do what is needed.

Back when I was raising my family in the Bay Area, as a single wage earner things were very tight. Times when I rode my H2 without a clutch cable because I could not afford one, or pouring 30wt motor oil in the tank because I could not afford 2-stroke oil.

But over time things because easier and I accumulated more bikes and more projects. Most never getting done or sometimes on the cheap (never good). But I also raised to son's and of course they needed bikes and gear - then cars - it goes on.

Would not have changed a thing.

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This is true. Where I grew up the hills were so steep and long, when your ball rolled down the hill you just said "screw it"...

Try to find one rx in turbo.. I can tell ya there quite the rush.. I'd love to find a twin turbo someday..

The guy says he's not sure if he wants another headache and you tell him to find a rx7 with a turbo