Well, I started working on my hotrod my senior year in highschool, making it up as I went along...I should expect things to take a while right? Then my mom died, I lost interest. Then I kinda pittled around on it again. Next I got a job, working 2nd shift, not what I was used to. So I got my schedule worked out to where I could actually be useful and get some work done. I don't have a way to get my t sedan body off without calling on the help of my friends. So I'll pull the body off and do what I need to to on the chassis, get things done. Then I'll have to call reinforcements to get the body back on. Well this last week I made my tranny crossmember clear my underfloor brake setup, that went off without a hitch. I figured while I could get to the frame I'd do the rear shocks, easy task. Well I put the body back on, after going through all the trouble to get my friends over. Wow, everything works great! Well, I go out a couple hours later, and my shocks had almost transformed themselves into very expensive and shiny bumpstops!!!! What the hell, well, apparently for the short period of time I had the body off the frame it had raised itself, without all of the weight on the body out there. Hindsight is 20-20...I'm retarded. Now I get to re-engineer it all...
it's the worst hobby ever,dirty,expensive,and heart-breaking there will be times when you want to bang your head against the wall,but it all becomes worth it when you get a smile out of somebody
Take it from someone who has been at it for most of 45 years. I'm 61 and started playing with cars when I was 16. If you don't make a few mistakes along the way you aren't doing anything. One thing is that when it becomes work instead of fun, it's time to walk away from it for a bit. Unless you are building cars for a living it shouldn't be "work". I've spent a lot of time redoing things that I thought I just had to get done right then instead of taking a bit more time to do them right the first time. We all end up getting some help to do things that we can't accomplish by ourselves once in a while. It's the nature of the game. You can bet when the car makes debut, that same group of guys will be almost as proud as you are.
It's not pointless. This kind of thing will help you plan further ahead, to see problems before they happen and sidestep or solve them. Think of how crappy you'd feel about yourself if you just quit. Good luck
lol, no matter how much I plan, I'm always cutting stuff back off the chassis and re-welding a little further over. makes me laugh some days. others..not so much
Ok now that you feel that way lets see what went wrong so we can help you. got pics of said car? or a pic of the set up? i get that way alot but you got to step back and assess the situation.HAMB can help.
You just can't beat getting experience. A lesson learned from early mistakes is one you will never forget. When you are older you will think back to all the fun you had and the skills you aquired.
I just finished making my 3rd airconditioning pump bracket for my Ford 300 6 powered hotrod. Not eazy cutting 6 x 6 x 3/8 angle with basic tools. I have been working on cars for 50 years now and I think we all have days like that now and then. But that is how we lean and the next project gets a little bit better.
just think, the next car you won't do that again...right? LOL, if everything was easy everyone would be building cars.
We can do things in life and learn .Or we can talk about it all day and do nothing .Even when I feel like I have failed I learn something keep your head up its just metal as I always say
Yeah, I'm feeling your pain. I tore down a running y-block to replace the timing set and install a new four-barrel intake. I buttoned it up last week, installed headers, electronic ignition, new wires, etc. It fired up nicely. I checked the oil. Doh! Antifreeze in my oil. Milky White 30w. Nice. I just hope it's a gasket. Be a damned shame if I overlooked the fact that this thing could have a cracked block. Just last week I reinstalled the steering box. Stupid pitman arm points the drag link right into my nice new reversed eye mono leafs. Gotta bend the pitman - no torch When tightening up the steering box bolts, I noticed a slight resistence. Tightened it down anyway. I looked closer - Doh! I clamped my fuel line between the box and the frame. Idiot. Times like that, I just step back, clean up my tools and sweep out the garage.
It's difficult to completely build a car without some help from somebody or a lot of equipment and a lot of tools. We have all had setbacks and become frustrated when we have built cars. Usually when you make a mistake you won't make it again. It's called experience! Some have a lot more than others but they still get setbacks from time to time. Read Mr48Chev again. Good points!
sorry to hear about all your troubles..they will come and they will go..just keep yourself determined to the end goal.. I have some advise..or a way to get your body on and off all by yourself.. this is how i did it and do it with my 28 Tudor (and it weighs more) I use my engine hoist. I find a balance point and use 2 or 3 straps with the binders still on them i cross them thru the hook on the hoist and hook the ends inside the body across from each other on each corner. put the hoist in the center at balance point and start jacking..it works..ive done it 4 times now with mine i have to stick my hoist in thru the doors window but it gets the job done.
When I was building my roadster, I thought the rear frame was all sorted out until I let the jack down. the spring hangers (behind the rear end mounted spring), were too short and the spring hit the rear end. I already had finsihed welding the rear crossmember. I have to cut everything aprt and weld new spring mounts to the rear end and then move the rear crossmember back two inches. then re-weld everything... Live and learn. Oh and tach weld everything until you see it all fits and works properly. r
Just remember one thing- You're not just building a car, you're building a knowledge base about building cars. The first one's always the hardest, even though they tend to get more complex as you go.....
The second chassis gets easier...fewer Oooops! After that, you'll still learn each time some little gremlin finds it's way into the build. Hang in there! 1. At least you didn't build in a Pinto gas tank 2. Your garage door has yet to meet an Audi 3. Your clutch works better than the oiled Mini's 4. Your brakes are more reliable than a 60's Vette
At least you have a pretty good idea of what you have. When i started my build i was pretty much alone and dismantled the car. That was 2 years ago already and I get to do actuall metalwork about once every 3 weeks. So now i am backtracking buying a welder and i am going to get the car back at my own shop so i can really start working on it.
Yeah, kind of like when you drop a nut down your carb opening into the intake or when you change the clutch and forget to install the throw out bearing. It's all part of the 'test" you must pass if you're into cars. And you will PASS the test. So don't give up.
Today is the day I get it right! I've been working on an intake setup for weeks, and for years, really. I'll get to a point, and then I'll have/want to start over. Maybe I'll take a picture of all of the Shiite I'm talkin bout ... when I get a really good one done and working. I'll probably get it done beautifully, and it won't work. Thanks, Kurt
have been there a hunert times! take a break, do something different, and come back later. everything seems to take on a new look after a time out. good luck.
I get the same thought at work all the time, why bother? Its just not worth the trouble and I may as well give up and go to the pub. You never get any thanks and you work stupid hours. Maybe being a Paramedic isnt for me?
2 steps forward and 1 step backwards STILL means you made some progress!!! Don't sweat it - the guys telling you how they plan everything 12 zillion steps ahead are definitely kidding whomever will listen - live, learn and move on.
The Jalopy Journal
