Projects Opinion Poll:Built or Unbuilt

No more important than anyone else here. No less either. This was, after all, an opinion poll. The man called me out for my "ridiculous opinion."

 

Come on kids play nice now nothing wrong with having an opinion……

 

I sometimes lack the energy to attend car shows let alone build a car. I prefer to refine a prebuilt car that someone else has taken the financial hit on. There is always something to do/improve and I am rarely stranded in the garage for months while missing show seasons. Its an age and fitness thing I guess.

 

I ticked option one but that's a bit extreme for my car, it was not a clunker but needed quite a bit done to it to be road legal here in Austria. Plus - and in this respect we have similar (or worse) idiotic rules to yours - it had the right size engine and the right type of gearbox entered in the papers. We still need to type approve anything non-stock but it's easier to do this in respect of the smaller changes I had/have in mind, and this is a completely different proceeding from the bi-yearly inspections we have (pretty bad themselves but nothing like a type approval). The 2nd reason is that, unlike most forum members, I do not have proper garage facilities, so taking the car apart is a big no-no. Also, by not doing the above I can still drive and enjoy it between jobs. And yes, whether I like it or not, at 64 I am starting to feel my age so over-extending myself would be, IMHO, STUPID (my masochism has its limits).

Now, if I had a proper garage with all the mod cons (lift, heating, space, full compliment of tools, no Karens as neighbors) I just might be tempted to consider a project. But tht's not the situation, so...

 

Just to clarify about type approval: before 1994 the law on automobiles here was type-blind. It was basically the old British roadworthy system, in which any car was deemed roadworthy if it fell within a set of universal dimensional/performance/etc. ranges, e.g. headlights between X and Y apart and between A and B above the ground, brakes more powerful than a certain measure, etc. The idea "1964 Mercury Comet Caliente" had no legal meaning: it was irrelevant to roadworthiness.

After 1994 the law here changed radically, in that types became legally defined. The roadworthiness of a 1998 VW Golf, for instance, no longer depended on conformity to a set of universal standards, but to the legal definition of "1998 VW Golf". I have all kinds of problems with that, but here is not the place. However, it isn't retro-active: vehicle types older than 1995 are still legally undefined, and subject to the earlier universal standards.

So we don't have it as bad as you. I understand that you have retro-active type approval, which involves researching what would have been "standard" for a type as defined by the factory in 1928, say. Did Austria ever have a type-undefined system?

 

AS a Old Timer now, I'm into OT original rides, currently have 3. Garage /work time was fun, now just work/pain. I've worked too many hours all my life, first learning a trade, then my own business 36 years with a second business, racing hobby 21 years, then back to car hobby till my expiration date also a DIY guy, all with having a family, luckily with a great second wife who understands me and my passions. I respect the guys that spend years in the garage turning junk into jewels, not my deal, I never had the time or chose to make that time, I did spend many hours in the garage with hobby cars and race cars. Check my albums I did it all, possibly in contention for, " He who dies with the most toys Wins" my wife got me that sign, also "Happy wife, Happy Life" LOL. Recently purchased a UTV, Toys, you name it, I've had them all with the exception of an airplane. Sitting here with my am coffee enjoying sharing with the HAMB my thoughts with fellow "Car Crazy's " we are the lucky ones. Everyone Have a Great day !

 

Everything was more or less free or relatively easily type-approved as one-off (Einzelgenehmigung) until we made the mistake of joining the EUSSR which has standartisation everywhere. Basically on my car they would look to what was available from the factory in 1964. Now the funny bit: because these cars were officially sold here by the then Lincoln-Mercury dealer, and a 427 was offered (even if on paper only, all of those cars were homolgation specials under NHRA rules and none ever crossed the Atlantic), I could type-approve a 427. I did think about it for a bit but that would have meant I'd have had to source out a 427 side-oiler ($$$$$) and do the work before even going to the Ministry of Transport (see my original post)... I decided to settle for a 289 which is what the papers say (it could - just - be a 260 but going down in displacment is not the problem) and is better for the handling. I should be able to get front discs, racing seats, 5sp box and 4 barrel carb legally approved but it will cost and be a PITA.

Count your blessings...

 

I've had them all with the exception of an airplane

Well?
Dan

 

I've had a few starting from scratch and a few others that ended up being completely redone and they took years. When it comes to the amount of time they've taken - the problem is me! I've treated both types of projects the same way.

 

At some point in the life of most, Father Time influences the vote.

I personally went from number 1 to number 3.

Number 2, UNLESS I personally knew the project manager and had seen his / her work, would never have been an option. Have seen way too many "improvements" that were actually only "changes"

Jon

 

Subject, Airplane. Back in 75, end of season my first time in a bad crash in a midget, I took a 3 years off driving for my neck to heal and started my Tool & Die shop in 76 and ran it till 2012. In 76 I took flying lessons and got a VFR pilots licence in/for a 152 Cessna, a small 2 seat slow airplane. It was interesting and fun, never pursued it and let the licence lapse. I was building a new Midget racer for my comeback in 79, racing is pricey fun, Airplanes/ flying is big time $$$, I've been retired for 15 years. Happy, Thankful to be here or anywhere, Enjoying our great hobby.

 

I am probably not alone in having folks look at your car and say "I want to build one of those someday". I ask if they really want to build one or if they just want to have one. Usually they admit they don't have the skills, time, or space to build one. I tell them to get a part time job and put all the earnings toward a finished car. They will be time and money ahead.

 

Airplanes is where ya separate the men from the boys for sure. My old boss had a 182 Wed fly to food shows and stuff. My other buddy had a pos cub float plane on our lake, and that was a pretty awesome plane! He sold it, but a guy on a lake about two minutes down the road bought it and keeps it tied to his dock.

 

My next two are ones that someone else started.
Always did the clunkers most my life being a mechanic and always buying tools, equipment and the house payment the nice drivers were out of my price range.

 

#1,#2, and #3..... WE BUILD SOME!!!! WE BUY SOME!!!! we drive some and we STORE (forever) some....
THEN WE DIE!!! GAME OVER!!!!!! and some pencilneck buys em cheap and makes a BOATLOAD off the Junkers that our kids had no interest in!!!!! GLAD MY 3 Kids are GEARHEADS!!!!!! Slobbering lil puggs they are waiting to get their greasy palms on the cars im leaving them....LOL.... The Main thing is a Knowlegeble family that knows WHAT its WORTH!!!!!!!!!!