Throwing in the towel

[DonaldSmith]

I've had my 47 DeSoto Suburban for the last 20 years, and have had some good times.  But chronic back problems spoil the fun.  I anticipate no improvement in my back problems, which rule out heavy lifting, and limit standing and walking to ten minutes before a mandatory sit-down.   Plus I've suffered a big hit to patience and perseverance.  Routine maintenance is difficult, dreaded and delayed. 

 

The car runs, but roughly.  I'm not up to troubleshooting it, but it should be no challenge for the gurus on this forum.  The car needs maintenance, some minor body work, and minor items on the frozen-in-time to-do list. 

 

More details in the Classifieds.  I pegged the asking price somewhere between Number 3 and Number 4, negotiable, of course.  I think I will continue to lurk on this site, and chime in occasionally. 

[desoto1939]

don: So sorry to hear that the car has now become an issue becasue of your health. Might also suggest that you list the car with the National Desoto club

 

rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

[Tom Skinner]

Don,

Any young hands around? Offer to teach them and pay them to work on her. maybe even offer the car to them for sale at some point. I know we aren't getting any younger, and I hate to hear you have back trouble. I wish you the best of luck which ever way you go, By the way I saw your Car Pic - what a beauty. Good Luck!

Tom

[Sniper]

That is a beautiful interior.  Good luck with finding an owner that will love it as much as you apparently do.

[wagoneer]

What a vehicle; I love it so! One day I must have one of these full size three row, full length straight 8s! Something with wood grain, and convertible like a phaeton.  Sorry to hear of the troubles, but your hard work and passion will certainly attract the right buyer to carry on. 

[Los_Control]

I feel your pain, back injuries are as non descriptive as bad English.

I was disabled at age 48 with a back injury ... I just turned 58 June 14th.

I am very slow to get anything done on my truck. I actually use it as physical therapy ... push, pull lift, bend & mentally I enjoy the few wins I get.

 

Some people would be better off going to physical therapy, I just prefer getting dirty and working on my truck.

I have to admit I get discouraged often.  As a retired carpenter, I built a garden shed this year, should have taken less then 4 days and took me 6 weeks.

Same with my truck, just takes longer. Would be same on your Desoto.

 

We all get frustrated and pissed off.  Be sure you really want to sell it. If so I I say go for it. Something you will not regret later.

[knuckleharley]

3 hours ago, DonaldSmith said:

I've had my 47 DeSoto Suburban for the last 20 years, and have had some good times.  But chronic back problems spoil the fun.  I anticipate no improvement in my back problems, which rule out heavy lifting, and limit standing and walking to ten minutes before a mandatory sit-down.   Plus I've suffered a big hit to patience and perseverance.  Routine maintenance is difficult, dreaded and delayed. 

 

The car runs, but roughly.  I'm not up to troubleshooting it, but it should be no challenge for the gurus on this forum.  The car needs maintenance, some minor body work, and minor items on the frozen-in-time to-do list. 

 

More details in the Classifieds.  I pegged the asking price somewhere between Number 3 and Number 4, negotiable, of course.  I think I will continue to lurk on this site, and chime in occasionally. 

Maybe,if you can stand seeing the car owned by someone else all the time,you can find a younger relative or friend that might want it?

 

That way you might be able to ride in it,or even drive it sometimes?

[Bryan G]

I hurt my back this spring which sidelined me from working on the car for a few weeks. After several visits to the chiropractor I realized the shapes he was bending me into weren't much different than how I was bending myself crawling around my Chrysler! Kidding aside, I hope you're feeling much better sooner rather than later.

[joecoozie]

Sent you PM & email

Joe

[Frank Gooz]

Donald,

I so sorry for what has happened. You have a great looking car. You have been a great help to me, inspiration for leads, go to people for my suburban. even joining this forum.

Also the Pertronix conversion wiring.

I wish you the very best.

Frank

[Plymouthy Adams]

Odds are this is facing each and one of us as we age and or meet up with unfortunate events.....I wish you good health, peace of mind and extended sympathies for the tough decision to sell and go to the next phase of life.   Do not bow out of the community.  Knowledge is the key to participation, not ownership.  

Edited June 22, 2021 by Plymouthy Adams

[DonaldSmith]

Why should I hang around with a bunch of smartasses?  Because I love you guys, and I'm a smartass in my own right.  I'll continue to vicariously wrench with you guys, and chip in when appropriate, or when inappropriate.  My mind is still sound, and I'm healthy, aside from limitations in activities.  Although I'm beginning to worry about myself.  I turned right the other day, and found my left turn signal on.       

[Plymouthy Adams]

just continue making two more right and you would have turned left as indicated..

[Merle Coggins]

Having seen the car in person I'll say that someone has a chance to get a very nice ride. If I lived closer, Don, I'd be there in a heartbeat to help you with the needed tune-up/repairs. I sympathize with your struggles and wish I could do something to help you out.  

[Los_Control]

20 hours ago, DonaldSmith said:

I've had my 47 DeSoto Suburban for the last 20 years, and have had some good times.  But chronic back problems spoil the fun.  I anticipate no improvement in my back problems, which rule out heavy lifting, and limit standing and walking to ten minutes before a mandatory sit-down.   Plus I've suffered a big hit to patience and perseverance.  Routine maintenance is difficult, dreaded and delayed. 

Really none of my business @DonaldSmithWe sound like we have same symptoms. The mandatory sit down after 10 min is a killer and something I have to deal with.

Just curious what you have tried to help improve it.

What I have found helpful is spine decompression. Going to a physical therapist they simply grabbed my ankles and leaned back and stretched out my spine.

I was able to be more active and stand longer and get things done. But not really cost effective for the cost of pt. and it only last for a week or so.

Then I went to a chiropractor here in town who has a decompression table. I went on Thursday & my back felt better. I felt bad. Sunday I was throwing up blood ... he ripped my guts out.   First & last visit to a chiropractor .

Now I am thinking about buying a inversion table and try it. Have you ever tried one? Last thing I want is unused exercise equipment in the office.

 

Last visit to the DR I went to Lubbock spine institute and got a cortisone shot, they said would last 6 months ... lasted 4 weeks.

 

I have 2 issues with my back ... 1 I ruined it lifting weight,  2, it is filled with arthritis... they call it sciatica or something and #2 is why I was disabled.

I think if #1 was fixed with surgery, I could live with #2 Doctors will not do #1 because of #2.

 

For different reasons our tail bone will change position. and it actually closes the pathway for our nerves to our legs, pinches them off and causes numbness in the legs.

This numbness gets worse with more activity. This is symptoms from a bad spine. And with arthritis it actually builds around the nerves and pinches the nerves tighter ... This is very painful. When I mowed my lawn with a push mower. First night my legs would throb with pain so bad, there was no sleep, another day to recover, and 3 days I was fine. And mow the lawn every 7 days.

I went through a bad car accident with cracked ribs, broken pelvic, broken collar bone one side & cracked other, punctured lung and a month in the hospital. 4 months using a walker.

 

@DonaldSmithI say I feel your pain, I do get it. That numbness in the legs can be the worse pain I ever felt ... We are intelligent people. We know if we touch the fire we get burned. So we just do not touch it.

We cant give up, we just have to keep pushing ourselves with some sort of exercise. Keeping the mind active is important as long as pushing our bodies to its limits.

 

 

 

 

[Marcel Backs]

My friend is using inversion therapy for a messed up back due to a car hoist mishap. He swears by it! All that the sorcerers with a PHD usually push is painkillers which is about as useful as the a-y in okay. Chiros maybe should have taken up wrestling instead of docterin. M

[knuckleharley]

5 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

Odds are this is facing each and one of us as we age and or meet up with unfortunate events.....I wish you good health, peace of mind and extended sympathies for the tough decision to sell and go to the next phase of life.   Do not bow out of the community.  Knowledge is the key to participation, not ownership.  

I am facing it right now. My infected left leg seems to never get better,and now the docs are begging to mention the "amputation" word. Can't drive original 30's and 40's cars and trucks if you can't operate a clutch.

 

Which isn't really the worse part. The worse part is I will no longer even be able to fool myself that I am once again going to be able to redo and then drive them. I have been ignoring reality and buying parts I knew that were needed when they came up for sale,and now it is beginning to look like someone else is going to end up with my project cars,and with any luck at all,will be interested in the period-correct parts.

 

I have always loved working on them or saving them from the crusher to sell to someone who does want them more than owning them,anyhow.

 

Getting ready to put a rough 63 Fury convertible that IS restorable up for sale as soon as I get feeling good enough to take photos of iHat. I bought it by accident. Drove about 300 miles to buy some parts I DID need,and discovered this convertible the guy was getting ready to load on his trailer to haul to the crusher. Of course,once he figured out I wanted to buy it,he was no longer the least bit interested in getting "crusher money" out of it,so it cost me 500 bucks and a trailer rental to get it home. Still has the original poly 318 and push button 727 in it. The guy told me one of his neighbors bought it new,and he bought it off the neighbor when he quit driving. He was going to do some work to it,put a new top on it,and drive it around,but his son shot the windshield out with his rifle,and then somebody wanted to buy the front fenders,bumper,and grille to repair a restored wreck,so he decided to scrap it.

 

Had no eartly idea what I was going to do with it after I got it home,but I knew I didn't want to see it sent off to the crusher,so here it sits in my yard. 

 

Got a few other that are nothing but parts cars I am going to try to get rid of,too.

 

[knuckleharley]

3 hours ago, Los_Control said:

Really none of my business @DonaldSmithWe sound like we have same symptoms. The mandatory sit down after 10 min is a killer and something I have to deal with.

Just curious what you have tried to help improve it.

What I have found helpful is spine decompression. Going to a physical therapist they simply grabbed my ankles and leaned back and stretched out my spine.

I was able to be more active and stand longer and get things done. But not really cost effective for the cost of pt. and it only last for a week or so.

Then I went to a chiropractor here in town who has a decompression table. I went on Thursday & my back felt better. I felt bad. Sunday I was throwing up blood ... he ripped my guts out.   First & last visit to a chiropractor .

Now I am thinking about buying a inversion table and try it. Have you ever tried one? Last thing I want is unused exercise equipment in the office.

Don't even THINK about using an inversion table if you are going to be alone while on it! This is especially true if you have mobility problems or blood pressure problems. If you live alone,maybe get a geezer pal to come to your house and take turns using the table with you so you each have someone to help you get back on your feet if you have problems.

 

[plymouthcranbrook]

Spinal Stenosis is so much fun.  I had one surgery in 2019, did somewhat better after about a year of rehab and healing.  Not to had for about six months or so(could almost walk a city block without stopping).Then about a year ago it began to return.  Tried to keep going but finally called the Neurologist in December of 2020.  Must be neropathy he said(you know medical people, they hear  hoofbeats and think horses, sometimes it’s zebras). They did an MRI and found stenosis  had returned.  I had one Epidural in April which did almost nothing.  Another one last week which seems to be doing something so far. If that dosen’t work I’m told the next step is spinal fusion.  So I am going to wait it out this year and see.  If things become manageable and I can go back to my part time job and be able to do at least smaller things on the old cars I will keep them for a while. Otherwise I suspect I will join the line of folks here “enjoying” lifestyle changes.  

Edited June 22, 2021 by plymouthcranbrook

[knuckleharley]

Old age sucks,and unfortunately there is only one cure for it.

[pflaming]

I’m surprised me how many are in life changing health situations.  I was going strong until I hit 81 a year ago. Will be 83 in September. I'm battling leg issues, primarily bursitis in my right knee area which has affected a lot of things. I moth balled my shop in March to try to get better and stronger.

 

Now in Maine for the summer probably until September. Then return to finish the Suburban and the ‘53 coupe, both very close.  Then will sell both. 
 

Will ship my ‘52 truck and Sportster to Maine where we will go and stay next spring. To day, walking is difficult,  I just contacted Lyme disease and I’m on the list with a neurologist for intensive testing regarding full body spasms. So many of us are in similar boats.

 

I wish each and all renewed strength and well being. 

 

paul 
 

 

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by pflaming

[knuckleharley]

2 hours ago, pflaming said:

I’m surprised me how many are in life changing health situations.  I was going strong until I hit 81 a year ago. Will be 83 in September. I'm battling leg issues, primarily bursitis in my right knee area which has affected a lot of things. I moth balled my shop in March to try to get better and stronger.

 

Now in Maine for the summer probably until September. Then return to finish the Suburban and the ‘53 coupe, both very close.  Then will sell both. 
 

Will ship my ‘52 truck and Sportster to Maine where we will go and stay next spring. To day, walking is difficult,  I just contacted Lyme disease and I’m on the list with a neurologist for intensive testing regarding full body spasms. So many of us are in similar boats.

 

I wish each and all renewed strength and well being. 

 

paul 
 

I'm not surprised. I am GUESSING that most of the regulars here are 50 years old,or older.

 

The reason for this is the same reason we love these old cars. When we were kids growing up we saw our fathers,older brothers,neighbors,and the "Kool Kids" in high school working on and driving them. This made our connection to them very personal. We wanted to work on and drive them too,just like the people we admired.

 

The truth is this is a dying hobby. Within another 20 years or so it will be illegal to drive any pre-computer car or truck,and probably even tractor and lawn mower,without a special "one-time permit".

 

Hell,by that time the left might succeed in having us all living in "Stalin Apartments" in cities and forbidding even owning a car without a special permit.

 

At any rate,with rare exceptions the teens of today that are growing up and interested in cars and trucks are mostly hot rodders,and they will be lusting after stuff like the 4dr Hemi Dodges,supercharged Mustangs,etc,etc,etc. 20 years into the future the lucky ones (those with the "right" connections) may even be able to get special permits to buy gas to drive one once a week!

 

Add to that the facts that cars were simple to work on prior to the 1970's,and anybody could go to a Sears store and buy enough Craftsman tools and a box  to put them in for a reasonable amount of money,and for the most part needed very few special tools to do anything at 
home. Not to mention none of our neigbors could even imagine such things as "Homeowners Associations" ready to spy on and report anyone doing anything so low-cultured,and more than ready to hit you up with fines.

 

We are a dying breed,regardless of generation. We,and the automotive world are the victims of circumstances,and there is no fighting that.

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Edited June 23, 2021 by knuckleharley

[neil and ethan]

Hey I have   no idea of back pain , do not want it. I am 63  and my hips hurt , I cut back farming this year , pain takes the fun out of everything. 

 Finally getting experience enough to tackle things, and where was all this information when I was young. The internet. Etc .    A little late for me .

   I think along the same lines as you these days , what's doable and what is  not. You do what you have to do. I know I am not a regular here.

 But wishing you the best.