gain, as I’m posted up in front of my laptop for my monthly editorial writing ritual, I’m pondering quite a few things that will likely have a serious impact on my future in this great hobby of ours.

First and foremost is my retirement portfolio—which is really nothing more than a manilla folder with absolutely nothing in it. At the semi-ripe old age of 56, I probably should be very concerned about my financial future … but living in Southern California, I’m actually more concerned about my current financial situation than anything else. But, I believe the flipside to that is, I’m currently investing in two separate retirement funds: a ’69 C10 and a ’48 3100, both extremely volatile market fluctuations, regardless of my contributions!

And that, right there, is the crux of my current dilemma: Is it worth it to continue dumping time and money into something that’s potentially akin to an ’07 401(k) … in a time when certain people in power want nothing more than to rid the earth of said investments? Well, I’m gonna say yes—hell yes!

Some may call it ignorance; I simply call it “passion.” It’s in my blood. I look at a Prius or Tesla and the only thing that comes to mind is, “How much would it cost to stuff an LT in that thing?!” While at the same time, I look at any classic truck, car, motorcycle, and so on, and tell myself, “So glad that’s still on the road!” Sure, it may be super comfy to drive or ride in a brand-new luxury car, regardless of what it’s powered by, but nothing will ever replace the feeling you get rolling down the highway in a decades-old fullsize vehicle, windows rattling, exhaust humming, and the fuel gauge needle plummeting. Nothing. But is that worth seemingly sacrificing a future for? Jury’s still out on that one, but I’m not about to put either of my “funds” on the market anytime soon.

Sure, living in SoCal has its drawbacks when it comes to finances—like, serious drawbacks—and thus, my sights have been on the Phoenix metro area for quite some time now (I already see some of my dear friends’ eyes rolling!). That in and of itself may go toward helping with the future financial security—not quite as much as it would be relocating further Midwest! But still, as much as I have invested in California (time, money, family), it’s not where I want to prop my retirement tent stakes, that’s for sure. Plus, Arizona is so rich in classic truck activity—I might not even notice the slight rise in temperature!

But I digress—back to the “why.” Like I said, it’s in my DNA, even if my father wasn’t an avid collector as such, he injected this addiction in my blood the first time he took me to Riverside International Raceway in 1973 to see my idol, Cale Yarborough (he was a Petty fan, so I always lied and said he was mine too!), running his first full-schedule season behind the wheel of his No. 11 Chevy (where he unfortunately came in 24th, while my dad’s idol got Second behind Allison!). Whether it was NASCAR or the local roundy-rounds, the Mint 400, or NHRA, Pops and I shared a special motorsports bond—one which I compounded and eventually translated into not only a hobby, but so far, a lifelong career, which he was super proud of!

So, good or bad, I can say that regardless of what my future holds, I’m still holding onto this “antiquated” passion of mine. And that should also serve as the answer to the “Why do we do this thing we do?” It’s all in the passion.