Projects Stalled or slow builds: What made you work on it the last time?

There is a lot of good advise here. I am 73. I started my Model A 3 1/2 years ago. I have had many long term project motorcycles and machining jobs before the A. This is by far the largest,most difficult, and fun. As mentioned, working on one project and doing it one piece at a time works. I wrote my plans on note book pages. The plan would include small things like tighten a bolt or paint a bracket, and large things like make an exhaust system. Doing the small things would get me going. Sometimes I would write skip until later on an item and gonto the next thing. By checking off things done,it motivated me to do more.
I have an advantage as I have time to work in my shop since I am retired.
I am close to the first drive and then upholstery to finish the car. Bob I hope you can get motivated.

John

 

I've slowed down with the '59 Ford, which is running and driving. Having a hot summer here in NY and everyone is busy... but they always have time to take a cruise when I offer it. I'm spending more time between the beach and pool the past month. But we'll get back into it. The trick is to really never stop on a project, keep moving it along no matter how small a task may be.

 

I'm working around a back injury and just feeding the cats was a big to-do this morning. I got people that help me, as I help with their projects.

 

I must be a member in good standing of the too many projects club along with the too many interests club.
I got questioned by two friends yesterday when I went to the Vintiques show about when my truck would be back on the road. That's going to take a bit of time but I do work on the roadster a bit at a time as chores and lately ot daily drivers allow. I'm beginning to think that the best way to make progress on your hot rod projects is go buy a brand new inexpensive daily driver every five years and not have to deal with working on a work car instead of working on a project car.

My biggest slow down is that I need a shop to work in so I can actually make some progress rather than trying to work out in the driveway in front of my rather tiny 1030's one car garage. Hopefully that is solved in the next few months and I can get some work done rather than haul stuff out to work and hauls stuff back.
Not workplace injuries but in the past few years a dislocated shoulder and bum knee have slowed me down something terrible.

 

First do the math on the money. How much does your dream car cost completed? It will cost you AT LEAST that much to build your car. Don't have or don't want to spend that much money? Time to be realistic. It is 2016 not 1960. $1.00 in 1960 is $8.0o in 2016. So $100 = $800 and $1000 = $8000 and $3000 = $24000.

Second why do you want a hot rod? To park at a show and show off for a bunch of strangers for a trophy? Or to just get on the road and drive buy yourself for yourself? Building a car to impress others will always be a failure. There is always someone with more money, political connections and talent than you. It is a losing battle for anyone but a shop. If you build a car you can afford and work on. Who cares what other people think? The point is to get on the road safely and reliably. Paint, interior and chrome is nice. But not required AT ALL. How many cars are sitting in garages because the owners want a Magazine cover car for $2,500? Do the math BEFORE you even buy a project.

 

{This works for me} I have always had a Hot Rod to drive, since I got my drivers permit at 16. So the motivation to finish a project, or to have something to drive, was never there. So I don't care how long it takes for the next project to get finished. I do know this. I will never give up on it, I will never sell it, and I wont start another project, until its at least on the road. One of the best things about the old car hobby is { time} you can walk away from your project as long as you want, and it will still be there when you return. I have had people to ask me if this is my last one. I just say , only if I don't get it finished. I have a 27 T coupe that is going on ten years, and counting lol Ron...

 

DO NOT BE LIKE ME AND WAIT TILL IT's TOO LATE. I will turn 80 in a few months and with lots of physical short comings the work will never get finished. Started gathering cars in the 50's and have some very nice material to work with but with no kids I fall under the hated "he will never finish it but won't sell it" category. With no kids I wonder what will happen to my "Babies". The 54 Olds 98 Starfire Convertible is in Dick's Car Museum in San Marcos, Texas and my high school car, a 41 Willys Americar coupe, all original, is going to the AACA Museum if they want it. A few of many waiting.

 

I was never good at math, the cars are all emotion, and at this point in my life I don't give a shit it they ever run, I'd be happy slamming a finished door shut. Bob

 

Sorry for the double post---I'm a computer dud.

 

I was going great on my 46 chevy coupe, the Larry Watson got sick, I spent a lot of time with him. Taking him to his doctor , which had thought he had something different than cancer, stayed with him in the hospital, then his house, the to city of hope several times, over the last few months of his life I just got on a bummer, dropped my projects and let them set for several years. The beginning of this year I started farming out things that I would have done. (hurt my back). Now I have a 47 cad at upholstery shop, 50 chevy & 63 vette coupe at different paint shops, and a 48 Diamont T at a fab shop. When those are done I"ll get back on the 46 coupe.

 

Went out to the shop this morning and pulled the cover off my sedan delivery project and started a list and schedule to get it going again. It's been on the back burner for at least six months. Unlike most here, I'm retired and should have all the time in the world to get a project on the road. However, when I look at the list of things I have to maintain, I have to wonder how people who work for a living get anything done!

 

Itseems like ive always got three or more on the go,but i prefer to do it this way,so when you go to the swaps you always find pieces for one or the other,just dig in,get it done!


Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I used to think this was funny.


Now........not so much!
Anymore, I'm happy to have regular bowel movements!

 

I've been in the gathering stages for the last 5 years.... Finally got the body but the bodywork will have to wait until I can get a roller together.

So right now I'm waiting for my frame so I can mock it up and start welding.

 

Sell everything and buy something done! Or just sell everything. What's for sale?

 

I have had my favorite project car for over 25 years now, drove it raced it, etc. It sat for 7 years at one point because I went through some hard times, but I hung on to it and got it going again. I currently have 3 projects going, first my oldest and most favorite driver, which recieved a new engine in May but it leaks which pisses me off, but I have to pull it out to reseal the oil pan, but is hung up by project #2, my son's hotrod which lost the oil pump pickup in April and self destructed, so his is still on the stand. Then third on the list is my avatar, which the engine is in process for while my only trusted machinist is still able (he's 75) but funds are limited so that is slow too. Eventually they'll all get done.

Devin

 

If you want motivation get rid of that dumb ass signature line that says you don't give a fuck about finishing it.

 

The best thingis to not let them stall.
Slow motion is better than no motion, the only way to get them going again is to get them going again. Pull your pants up and do it.

Do you know what happens if you can't find time to stop and take a dump? Well You'll eventually shit your pants- it will take you longer to get back on track. Did you know you can get your project started again in less time than it takes to take a dump?

 

Yes, as a matter of fact I do!
See my post # 43.

 

I'm in the same boat. 32 years riding in a AC cooled truck, 38 years of having a AC cooled house have made me very lazy in hot weather. I did manage to get the Chevy engine/tranny combo out of the Linc just before this really hot, humid weather set in. Having only a couple of hours at home 5 days a week, I have to keep up the grass cutting and bush hogging on Saturdays, so most of my free time is taken. About 4 hours in the heat and I'm wasted for the rest of the day. Cooler weather is just around the corner though, and I will get the 302 pulled and mocked up into the Linc before real cold weather hits if I'm lucky. Thinking I may buy some roll plastic and enclose my carport for the winter so I can heat it a bit and work on it through the winter. Want to have it driving again before spring.

 

9 Months start to driveable. Down to bare frame and back up again. I just turned 70. Get with it man.

 

I just re read the following thread....this is the only one I never stopped working on, went straight through start to finish, in about 8 months.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/plan-ii-62-chevy-ii-drag-car.853793/

I had a serious goal, that I knew would be tough, but possible, to meet. That was great motivation!

 

I'll be there tomorrow with a trailer


What'cha got in there, kid?

 

Hmmmmmm...I don't think I even realized my project is stalled 'till I read this...damn! I gotta get busy again!

 

Here are the 3 rules I follow to get things done

1. A body in motion stays in motion.
The biggest De-motivator is spending too much time on the computer, or watching too much tv. As long as I'm up and moving around things get accomplished. I haven't had cable tv in over a year, and I can say that this is the most productive year I have had in a long time.

2. Keep 1 project drive-able at all times.
Having at least one project that I can drive keeps me from getting overwhelmed.

3. Be realistic
It would take me 20 years to build a perfect car on evenings and weekends, but I can put together an average car in 3-4 years. It turns out that 95% of the people who admire my vehicles cant tell the difference between a perfect car and an average car, and I sure as hell dont notice the imperfections when I am behind the wheel.

 

I solved two things in one move>>>I traded a 40 ford coupe project car I could not sell, for a HUGE commercial zero turn mower with vac....a big lawn now only takes 15/20 minutes ...and one less car to worry about finishing.

But I did work on my car again today, so I could drive it out for some build thread pics. It was hot/humid, but I wanted to drive it around the lot
.

 

The only "advice" i can give is to get ALL the parts and tools you'll need ahead of time and in one place. This should save time and give you some momentum at least.

And if you can't afford to buy everything at once, then that should tell you something.........

 

I put my 32 on jack stands and pulled the bucket seats out and went and got a mini van seat While I was at it this was a good time to pull the disc brakes off and put my Wilson brakes and buick drums well that was 8 months ago and I have lost the drive to work on it so I bought a FJ40 and put a ls in it I guess I need to get off my lazy ass and get my car back on the road . But I stopped building my 33 3 window to build this car and also started a 28 roadster on 32 rails . Well I am through whining about it just need to find a upholstery guy and get my seat covered .

 

Bob, years ago i was faced with this same dilemma. i was told to seek the advice of a wise monk who lived high in the mountains. for three months i made my way across deserts, through jungles, over rivers to reach the base of the mountain. i lost my guide on the ascent and nearly lost fingers to frost bight in the weeks climb. when i reached the temple, and bowed in front the holy man with my query i realized i couldn't understand a word he was saying.......the answer then hit me as i noticed the donated Nike T-shirt showing under his robe...................JUST DO IT.

 

Great read. As I read thru this thread I started looking at the whys of these old projects, you know what I mean, Why am I doing this? why am I spending all of this money? Why can I not get back out there and do more? Why did I stop working in this? Lots of whys I guess Hummmm.

I'm in the same boat to some extent as a couple of posters "stienauge and bamamav" both bring up real good points and that is the damn heat. Seems like this year the heat and mostly the humidity are so bad here in the deep south. Now I finding me asking the question. Is it really the heat is worse this year or is it maybe "ME". I must now take a personal note:

I am a retired Marine, spent 30 years in the Corps and for those years my life had real purpose. In 1995 I was wondering around with some friends in one of those far away places you read about from time to time. Well there were these fellers there and they must not have liked is walking around in there Hood. After exchanging or maybe I should say interacting with these folks, it got plum western on us. In the end we convinced them the era of there ways and left. I only wish it had been that easy but myself and 5 of my team members ended up in the Hospital in Maryland. I was there for two years, and didn't come out the same as I went in. I was also one of the lucky ones. Life is not the same for me as it was before that day, I have found that life can change and change quickly, how's about in the blink of an eye. You don't have to be in a dangerous place, you can be in your office or in your home were its supposed to be safe and have everything change in that blink of an eye. In a lot of ways it not really about what happens to you, its about how "YOU" handle it. For me I lost a lot one minute, I was superman in the next moment I couldn't wipe my own butt and I handled that loss very badly VERY BADLY.

Hot Rods in many ways saved my life. I had taken up the easy chair in the living room got me a big ole bowl of Cheeto's and there I sat, just waiting out the clock. Dwelling on what "HAD" been. Last winter I started building a New Car. A 1931 Ford Tudor that I had seen setting in the same place for several years. Last winter I got back a lot of what I had lost because of that little Model A. It provided me a reason to get out of that damn stupid easy chair and go do something, anything. I got that car up and running and have been driving it this spring and summer. Now it is time to make it what I really wanted in the first place--Hemi Powered-- I have the engine setting in the shop, I have purchased several thousand dollars worth of parts for that engine including heads from Hot Heads, cams lifters, pistons, and all of the other things to make it the forever motor for my life saving Model A. Now its hot and I am old, temps in the shop right now as I wright this note is 102 degrees and I am using this as yet another damn stupid excuse for not getting out there, and getting out of that easy chair.

So after reading this thread a couple of times I'm done with excuses. I am going to figure some way to work out there in this heat and I'm doing it today. No more stalling for me.

I'm off to the shop. Its too damn important not to!!