You are in the middle of a minefield! Thread carefully, very carefully!

 

This has been a very entertaining thread, appreciate the laugh guys. For me, lately if I have to make a non-Preapproved purchase...I purchase it through the business. She seems content with it so long as the business continues to make money and support the family, though recently she was encouraging me to purchase truck parts. Now just need to find extra hours in the day to be able to work on the truck and install all of the parts.

Good luck Bob, it does sound like a trap...or she has purchased something of her own and is going to use it as a "trade"

 

I think it all boils down to the fact Bob can make a profit and Bob himself appreciates beauty (that's one pretty panel truck)....

I got a counter example.... my mom's 91 year old boyfriend was a mechanic (worked in a BPO factory - Buick Pontiac Olds) and a life long "Chevy Guy"... He has no body skills at all, pure mechanical. He drags home mashed up beat to hell junk that doesn't run, gets it running and then tries to get a profit out of it. Well it's still ugly so nobody wants a ugly car so bad they will pay to cover all his costs, he looses a little money every time - and that is only counting junkyard parts and initial purchase, no labor included.

Right now he has a 3/4 chevy truck, and his most recent purchase was a ford taurus that some kid got stoned out of his mind and baja'd through a corn field.. .dents everywhere busted the radiator/grill etc. He got it running, replaced the radiator and grill, and is now driving it, exhaust leak (he can't hear it but it sounds like open pipes to me) smashed up body and all. He's driving it cause he can't get anyone to buy it for more than he put in. He drives my mom nuts and she is ready to have the police pull his drivers license just for age if she can, not because of anything but his "junk collection".

The one before that was a VW Beetle - not as bad a condition but same story, he sold it at a small loss.
Before that was an antique tractor, small loss there.
Before that it was some car, gave it to a relative cause he couldn't find a buyer....
etc etc.

 

Bryan, other than "reality TV" very few people make any money flipping cars, mechanically or body work wise. The only way I've been able to make any money is to get extremely lucky finding a deal and sell what I bought by parting them out. Even then if I added up my time to investigate a possible purchase, drive a distance, load it onto my trailer, drive it back to my shop and then spend twenty plus hours dismantling the car and then haul away what is left to a scrap year. If I counted the hours I spend on this stuff I'd bet if I clear $10/hr, at most, I'd be lucky. Just as long as I can make a few bucks and find some parts I need I'm happy.

 

Oh, this angle should have been brought up earlier. it's a real possibility that a trade has occurred unbeknownst to you, or soon will be made. The type of trades that I have to endure are things like:
Hosting her side's family reunion at our house.
Her going to Florida for six days with her sister to the ridiculously overpriced Universal Studio park or Disneyworld, and not clipping a single coupon the entire trip.
Having to replace my favorite and comfortable house furniture that me and our cats have worn out but still think are good, with uncomfortable new modern pieces.

You get the idea.

 

Not my wife, she won't spend a penny on herself. She like to use the reverse, "I spend my money on stuff that benefits the entire family" She like to play the martyr whenever possible.

 

Not sure why this would be an issue. At that age, if this is what makes him happy and keeps him active that is amazing. My father is about 5 years younger and because of a back injury and arthritis can't do much of anything except talk and sleep. That is sad to see. And my FIL who is 8 years younger and in good health does nothing but sit in his comfy chair and looks at the walls all day and might read a book. That is even more sad.

 

I think the issue (for my mom) is that everything he drags home looks like crap and he does nothing to fix the body / aesthetics.