Not really a question, more an observation.

People ask me why I am willing to spend the best part of a year fixing up a car that probably should have gone to the crusher, when I could have an old Volvo that runs for around $1000.

The answer. I'm 20 years old, living in college on minimal handouts from the government and a bit of money that I get working in a supermarket during the breaks. This means I can't really afford to have a car I don't know how to fix.

I aquired my parents old Volvo, which I knew to have very low mileage (Speedo reads 88,000, although the speedo was disconected for a year or so, so it's probably more like 100K). It had the side smashed in, and barely ran. Given that it needed body work and an engine rebuild, why bother? Just buy another one right?

Wrong. Even if this car never makes it out of the garage it will all have been money well spent.

A year ago I'd never even changed a spark plug, now I can replace a cylinder head. I'm learning to tune up my motor, how to rix rust holes. I've learned how to use a spray gun; how to replace body panels; how to swap trim without damaging the paint; how to diagonse a defective spark plug; how to do a compression test; how to tell the difference between fuel smoke and coolant steam in the exhaust and a whole lot more.

These are lifelong skills. When I thanked my friend Mike for the amazing work he does on my car (Up at 6 home at Midnight) he said "If I was going to comunity college, I'd be paying to learn this".

One day I might even be able to drive it.
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Drive it like you hate it