Art & Inspiration Your stash of unfinished, or future projects, Lets see em !

Alright guys, it seems that a pattern occurred in my life,.. When I would sell a car, somehow I would buy enough parts to build two to replace it,.. Or you get a smoking deal on a future project you just couldn't pass up,.. Or you take all those parts, Build a roller and put it into storage for a future build.. But somehow, You end up with a project that you just never get to.. Or, a pile of future projects your never going to finish.

After Fast Eddie and Fab32 passed. I closed the barn, And frankly haven't done much with cars seance.. I went back into doing gunsmithing and firearms restoration / conservation.... About a month ago I got the itch to pull a project out of the barn and start making sparks again. Opening the barn was a little overwhelming... Seems I have a lot of work ahead of me (Should have it all done as I reach my 125th birthday).

Well.. Here is my little stash of "unfinished, someday projects" .... Yes,... I have a problem. Sooooo am I alone ?.. Or do you guys have one or more projects stashed ?.....
LET'S SE EM' GUYS !

 

I can spot several of your problem projects that I wish I had!

 

My pile.

 

Holy crap, Harms! If I had all those projects, I'd feel so overwhelmed I'd have to quit my job and work full time on them or sell some off.
I sold off all my future projects to build my 34 coupe. IF...I ever get it done, I MAY buy another project but not before........too much bothersome distraction from my primary [and only] project.
Here's what happens when I get more than one project at once..I can't make myself leave it alone and finish one car first!

 

IMG_3934 by charleyw posted Nov 28, 2016 at 9:20 AM

IMG_6351 by charleyw posted Jan 27, 2018 at 12:36 PM

 

Hiding in the shed at work.



This one is next.



-Abone.

 

My late friend Randy Nash aka Deuce Roadster impressed on me that if you have too many projects nothing will ever get done, he had been trying to build his roadster for several years and he told me of a elderly gentleman pointed out that Randy had too many cars and no ready cash to finish what he was building, after thinking about it he looked around and decided the one car he really wanted was his roadster.

Randy sold his F-100 project,and several other desirable cars and a bunch of 4 speed transmissions on BB engines and his car was finished in less than 6 months.

When I started building the '54 Wagon I started selling off projects to finish the car,a 64 Falcon,66 VW and a 67 Chevelle and that cash flow from the sales got the car on the road.

Presently I have one project in the barn,a 65 Ford pickup which I have owned since 1972 and hope to build it someday. HRP

 

My first car sitting forlornly in my garage....waiting....

 

Parts car for my fathers SS409 resto. Whatevers left, Ill build it. Complete front end is there, previous owner pulled the body and restored the frame.

 

One of the problems here, is that I think if I sell some off now, I will get $X for it. If I do some work to it, I can get $XXX. The other is, I think the next owner will either put on some terrible wheel/tire combo, have it painted with something like the ZZ top stripes, put in some high back buckets, etc. Or, he will finish it to my vision, & I will be jealous, & pissed that I sold it.

 

I would count how many I have project vehicles I have completed before adding another. More than one is too overwhelming for me. Not so for some

 

I started driving my 32 as a daily in January this year. It then hit me that I always wanted a rod since late 50s building models.

Do I regret spending most of my 66 years in a shop? IDK...but that does not matter, as the past does not exist. I was out this morning to visit my 90 year old mother in a rehab place with her broken arm.. She looks out her window to see a few people gathered around my car, and I had to tell her that happens a lot'

then I stop at store, a guy a bit younger than me starts talking...he knows people I know, I worked with his relative, AND one more of at least a dozen other strangers said so far ...he says "my brother has a basket 32 he's had for at least 18 years...

I may never work on my 3 projects again, I am having a ball out driving just ONE. I am heading out soon to the local fireworks where people come in afternoon to eat and BS.. or I can go in my shop instead??...NOPE, I won't. Lol


Lyme disease nearly took out my brain last year, so I know that changed my outlook on enjoying life in other ways....which got me out of the shop. I'd rather be out there on the roads, or going to, or at a nice place to meet people.

I'm also now working on my neglected home, making it all "eclectic", inside and outside, like I always envied seeing other adventurous people do.

I was out till 10 pm last night, such a nice cruise with windows down, cooler temps after such a hot day.
.

 

My buddy’s secret stash (one of several)

 

Cool shot! That 67/68 fast back rear stance pic makes me want one
Pretty cool toy box ya got there even if you only look at them from time to time, like a old Hot wheels collection, which is what that shot reminds me of

 

A good friend of mine put it the best way I've ever heard on all of his project cars.

"I've got 5 rare cars needing done and in the process become the guy I always hated growing up, when asked if anyone are for sale I reply, nope I plan on building it someday, and here we are 8 yrs later and no closer"

 

so easy to take on a future "to get to soon" project - in the beginning so optimistic that you can do it within a reasonable time line and budget - then the list to do gets longer and the deal on parts not there - the initial motivation not there -plus, day to day life gets in the way too - one or one hundred can be too much - we all have to face ourselves, and that can be scary - but, if you stop you can always plop down in front of the TV and just sit -

 

I know , right?

 

I get into collecting vintage car parts so much that sometimes I feel I am going to get crushed going out to the garage. Getting to that point where I should just put everything including the 27 T Tudor on here for sale and clear my mind and shop and then just settle on one vehicle and enjoy it like the re is no tomorrow. I know the swapmeets shakes would come back soon though.

 

I sometimes think I have too many and wonder what it would be like to only have one love like I had in high school but then I realize that in high school I had the only car I could get my hands on. It was not my dream car but I made the best of it. As I got older I realized that I would only be satisfied with my favorite cars and parts and figured no matter how long it took,I was going to build them. Now I am glad I aquired all of my favorites and have spent years collecting all of my favorite cars ,rare and hard to get parts. Over the years I would find the parts for one and just be getting on a roll with it and then parts for one or more of the other's would show up so I would jump on that one for a while. I was never stopped working on a project because of waiting to find parts for one car. Something always showed up for one or more of the other's. I consider this my hunting season. Now i am into my building season. I missed a lot of good cruising over the years but now I have no regrets that I half assed my perfect dream cars. They are EXACTLY what I wanted and I enjoyed the hunt as much or more as I will driving them. I feel like a kid starting over with every thing I ever wanted and have a kick ass shop, years of knowledge and experience to really be proud of what I end up with. Yes I do envy the guys that I have seen driving their cars to car shows etc. but I don't regret never getting mine exactly the way I want them just to get there quicker and as I said,I still feel like the same kid starting again the right way. I don't see ever being bored in my life time.

 

Must be a Wisconsin thing lol Larry

 

I think maybe going to swaps ,thinking about the look of what my car/trucks needs to end up like is sort of a therapy if you will. Thought dirt track racing would be a blast but found out the building the car and technical side of it got my motor reving more.

 

just got this one in Long Island ...all orig

 

I understand if you own several that are done but if you have a garage full of basically non running rusting projects that are just setting what's the point?

I'd rather sell and see someone else do something I couldn't, hopefully finish the car, than see it sit and rust some more just so I can brag about a bunch of cars I own that will never be finished just so my family can scrap them when I die. But I guess you can't win a pissing contest with a 2 car garage.

 

My current [Unfinished] project that's been sitting now for circa 5yrs due to health issues. Time to pull my finger out

 

I can't post a photo of my projects. There isn't enough room in my storage barn for a camera! But its ok. These things will be worth a lot in 50 more years. I may be kinda old by then though.

 

In actuality I have been trying to sell some of ones I know at 63 I will never get to . But despite popular opinion project cars are getting harder to sell. A lot of finished cars out there for sale and considering the cost to build , they are affordably priced. And I have the ability and shop and equipment to do 95 % of the build myself. Engine machine and chrome plateing are the only things I can't do. And I still could not build a lot of them for the asking price. Larry

 

Probably going off track, but some of the rat rods on Craigslist that look like a tornado threw them together, the prices they are asking blow me away.

 

Your right lets stay on subject. In the morning I will take some pictures of my barn find collection ! Actually I did not find them, I've known where they where for years! lol Larry

 

I suffer from the same disease.

 

Some really good advice here.
To add a little to that;
If you have multiple project cars and not the time to do them all justice, sometimes selling off the least desirable ones to fund a shop to finish them, is also a good idea.