RW - The key to this "lifestyle" is to tell yourself that you are having fun loud enough and often enough that you come to believe it. You can't tell me that spending 8 hours changing a 244 blower motor is intrinsically less onerous than, say, fishing. I mean, did you ever clean a fish? ;-) Train yourself to extract pleasure from learning new skills. Build a tool collection that you can enjoy on non-automotive projects. And finally, share your talents and tools with others who share your avocation

Fundamentally, DIY bricksters are rebels. The target of our rebellion is the conventional wisdom that we must spend a small fortune to enjoy the freedom that comes with personal mobility. I like to think that in refusing to plop down $30k+ for safe, reliable transportation, we retain a bit of our humanity.

In the end, all of the 140s and 240s will drop from the ranks of the daily drivers, most to the p-n-p yards, and a lucky few to genteel retirement as a nostalgia classic. With a little luck, elbow grease, and planning, we and our cars can make that journey together.
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'88 244GL, '89 244GL, '90 244DL, '91 244, '92 244