Yesterday I spent some time working on the Dirty Cougar, the first work I’ve done since before the February King of the Heap event. I re-aimed the headlight on the wrecked side of the nose so I might have at least one useful light (the driver’s side is absolutely freaking hopeless, even with a new bulb), I re-applied the KOTH stickers for the March event that is coming up this weekend, I made sure that the 5.0 and AOD are still happy, checked tires…you know, the usual stuff. Not that the car really needs it…I’ve driven the Cougar so much since the February race that Angry Grandpa’s battery actually went flat. It’s actually a pretty decent bomber of a car, comfortable, quiet and a solid cruiser that has a good heater and a shockingly good sound system, but after some consideration and some discussions with friends, I’ve decided that after the March race, that the Cougar will be moved on. There’s already a full plate of projects at BangShift Mid-West that need my attention for the year…not only do I need to get my ass in gear and drop the Imperial’s transmission for it’s full rebuild, but I need to get started on the Great Pumpkin Mustang’s five-lug conversion.

And it seems that I’m not the only one thinking that there’s one car too many in the lot. My friends Paul and Riley made the call to sell their beloved Volvo rally car so that they can continue to make headway on Paul’s strange Lancia affliction that has needed attention for…how many years now? (Nothing but love, Paul, you know that!) Seeing his Scorpion get finished is a strong enough goal that the Volvo can be made into a sacrificial lamb.

As an addict that has had a few relapses (like in 2010, when I was up to nine individual projects that all needed major attention, plus a side project for someone else) I’ve come to understand that there is a point where you have to raise your hands and say, “enough”. Unless you’ve got the money and the acreage to just roll the shell into the back forty until you’re ready to mess with it, you have to limit what you’ve got on hand. I’ve violated the “four cars max” rule that Haley and I agreed on from the moment the Cadillac limo showed up last January and the only reason I was safe with the SN-95 Mustang was because it was all for her car. 

So, for our question, we want to know: where do you draw the line?