Sometimes things just don’t work out.

Pulling the plug on a project car can be an excruciating decision, something a YouTuber who goes by My Life documented after giving up on a rough 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1. For many enthusiasts, such a car looks like a dream come true, however there’s a difference between the fantasy of owning it and the reality of wrenching on it endlessly.

When he first inherited the pony car back in November of 2020 after his dad passed away, the guy said “unfortunately” he was the new owner. That’s easy to understand not only because of the circumstance of how he got it, but also the fact the Ford sat out in the elements for 40 years. That meant plenty was wrong with the Mach 1, making it a project only the most experienced should even think about attempting.

If you follow the channel, you know this guy has some skills, but he’s no pro. Well, life happens and about a month before he dropped the bomb that he’s giving up on the Mach 1, his little brother died at just 29. That brother had been in some of the videos and was the “car guru.” Without his sibling, finishing the car, he says, is impossible.

While there’s the practical side of losing the expert mechanic, we’re sure the emotional toll of having an unfinished project car is heavy. Every time the guy looked at the Mach 1 he probably saw his dad and brother. This just proves cars are more than just objects or mechanical things.

Not only did this guy decide to abandon the project car, he found a new buyer quickly. When he made the video explaining why he was giving up, he disclosed that in about an hour the new owner would be picking it up. It’s a bittersweet end to a journey of two years.