I get what you're saying about reasonable guidelines. A couple years ago, I had a similar issue when prepping for a cross-country road trip—my old VW camper was parked out front while I worked on it, and someone complained. Had to shuffle it around every few days just to avoid fines. Seems like there should be some middle ground between keeping neighborhoods tidy and letting people enjoy their hobbies without jumping through hoops...
Had a similar experience myself, actually. My brother and I were fixing up an old Mustang in the driveway, and even though it wasn't some rusted-out eyesore, we still got complaints from neighbors. Had to keep moving it around every couple days just like you did. Definitely felt like jumping through hoops.
I totally get the idea behind these rules—no one wants their street turning into a junkyard—but sometimes it feels like cities go a bit overboard with enforcement. Maybe instead of blanket rules, they could set guidelines based on actual condition or something? Like if the car is obviously being worked on and isn't leaking oil everywhere, maybe cut some slack.
One thing I've always wondered: has anyone here tried renting out garage space or storage units specifically for classic car projects? Is that even affordable or practical for most hobbyists? Seems like it might be a decent workaround, but I'm guessing costs could add up pretty fast...
Reminds me of when I had my old Camaro project parked out front. It wasn't even in bad shape, just needed some TLC and a fresh coat of paint. Still, neighbors complained enough that I ended up renting a storage unit to keep the peace. Honestly, the monthly fees started adding up pretty quick—felt like paying child support for a car I barely saw anymore, lol.
Yeah, I totally get that frustration. Had a similar issue with my '68 Mustang a few years back. It wasn't even an eyesore—just needed some minor bodywork—but the city started cracking down on anything that looked remotely like a "project car." Ended up biting the bullet and renting storage too, but man, those fees really do sneak up on you. Eventually, I found a local classic car club that had a shared garage space. It wasn't dirt cheap, but definitely more affordable than solo storage, plus it was nice having other enthusiasts around to bounce ideas off of. Might be worth checking if there's something similar in your area... could save you some cash and headaches in the long run.
"Ended up biting the bullet and renting storage too, but man, those fees really do sneak up on you."
Yeah, storage fees can get sneaky fast. Just make sure any shared garage has decent security—seen a few claims from club garages that weren't exactly reassuring... Better safe than sorry.
