Have you ever wanted to say f-it?

This is why I'm done with "ultra nice" cars. Clean drivers and cool beaters are all I care about now. Otherwise it's just overwhelming and you have a heart attack everytime you get a rock chip. Stay realistic and keep it simple...

 

Seems like we have all been in that fix a time or two. I would say just let it set for a while until you feel like going at it again. Looks like you have a lot of time in it and it would be a shame to just give up. If it takes a while before you can get back at it thats OK. You will be glad you kept it once you get it on the road.

 

been there done that.this is my truck thinking about getting rid of it to...i just traded for this, man is it a tire burner! gettin burned out also but the thrill of the ride is awesome! bad ass truck you 're doin there it sure will look killer if you get it done..........

 

easy big fella! stay calm your mojo is always close by, you'll find it! i lost mine because of health reasons but found it. i will admit being in the garage doesn't compare to being at the brothel, but one hell of alot cheaper!

 

Looks like a sweet ride you have there.The crappiest feeling in the world is selling it and seeing someone else drive off in it or being towed away.2 years ago I decided to sell my Dart .I decided to put the money into finishing my Camaro. After dumping all the money in the car I still wasnt able to drive it.The car has been nothing but problems. Everything fought me tooth and nail.Finally get it all done.Well driveable To a club get together there was a huge lake of tranny fluid. thought I fixed it then the carb leaked. everything that went wrong did at the same time. Its been a year and a half.I have not stepped in the shop at all.Find another hobby. It will come back.
Or have buddies come help out.
I know Im the new guy here but it seems like everys pretty cool and been there too.
Everyones rides here have been paid in blood sweat and tears.

 

Brothel
I agree moral decay is always cheaper than mental and physical anguish

 

prioritize.......servive!!!! thats what i did!!!!no health insurance, sick,bills,my brother in law forclosed on me, friends turned on me.... I made it..prioritize..you put money in that truck you dont have, you'll soon hate it !!!
slow down and come up w/ plan "B"

 

All of you people have made ALOT of great points. I need to finish up my suspension but thats hard without a welder. I have all my body work supplies to do all the work. All i do is auto interior for a living so the interior dept is taking care of. Its hard to find good help these days to help you on ur rod. After reading all the posts I have a diff. outlook on my 4 year project. I grew up with my dad in the garage building cars and this one is my first REAL hot rod and to me I want to finish it and drive it back home and pick up my dad and give him the first ride in it to show him I did it by myself. I dont have alot of money it so far ($3000), As far as im concerned I'm way ahead of most guys doing this. I appreciate everybodys input you have no clue.

 

When ever i lose that feeling i always look at other peoples projects and get inspiration.

 

I got one done (65 C-10) and one in the works (37 plymouth), sometimes I think of selling both and buying one nice car. But then I realize I like building them, even if it takes a long time. The first took 3 years and the second will take longer. If you do the math, a $10k vehicle is $277/month for three years - you have to plan for the expense, it's not easy.....

 

First, put down the beer, that camera wasn't even close to level when you took that picture!
Anyway, I'm 60, and things in my life have really gone to hell, it wasn't supposed to be like this, but it is. I broke my back a couple years ago, I'm never without pain, and my business went to hell because of it. My wife got a job at walmart to help make ends meet, well, she lost that job last month, at the same time I find out that I need a new roof at over $9000, and that's if I wait for the Amish to do it! My health insurance went up to $911 a month at the same time, so we changed to some cheap ass insurance with lousey coverage and a high deductible just for emergencies, at a time in our lives when we need good insurance most. Winter is fast approaching, and I don't know how we're gonna heat this place! I'm not even gonna get into the personal problems I'm having right now.
Sooo, I considered selling the 54, but then realized that working on it, is the only thing keeping me sane right now, plus the fact it really ain't worth much as a project. I do feel sometimes though that maybe if I'd stop messin with this car, I could figure a way out of this mess.
Good luck, and as Red Green would say "Remember, I'm pullin' for ya"

 

STICK WITH IT, your dad will be proud of you. just for him to see that what he taught you in the shop is being used for something positive will make it all worth it in the end.....when I get into a rut like you have, I pull out a pile of car mags and start looking for ideas that I can do for little to no money out of pocket expense, write them down in a notebook and take them to the shop. or come here for ideas, this place is full of them... good luck with your truck, looks killer...........Scott

 

Easy, I never get anything done.

Don't be like me, keep plugging away. Nice looking truck.

 

We all have gone through this, some of us several times.
For instance, my Buick as a prime example. I've owned it thirty years, no b.s. Lost interest in it a few years back. During one flurry of interest, found a 322 in Illinois. Conned a friend into going WAY out of his way to pick it up. Got there, the seller forgot to mention a small problem, block and heads were cracked, and very obvious
So, left it sit for a year or two, then we moved. Took it along and parked it in the garage, losing more interest in it day by day.
,Found a replacement, a '46 Roadmaster in Ohio. Swapped photos back and forth, hours on the phone with the owner, finally decided to buy it and sell my '55. Three days away from going to buy it, my wife lost her job.

So, canceled that deal, ignored the '55, this was in '04. In 06. I was GIVEN a 401 & S.T.400, the only catch was that I had to take the whole car. No sweat, it was stored at the car dealer I worked at. Well, if it's too good to be true, it is. The junk man knew it was mine, but he stole it! I found out two days later, it was scrapped out and gone. But karma's a bitch, he got busted for stripping buildings in Detroit, on TV no less!

In '07, another friend offered me a 455 & T.H. 400, on a late 70's frame. A on/off again kind of deal. Well, we finally did the deal, now I'm fired up again. So, this car has not moved from the garage in four years, now it's under way. A old friend is assisting me, along with my son in law to be someday. We are all fired up, another work day is coming up this weekend.

So, just put it down for another day, it's a hobby, not a job.

The work situation, it's a bitch all over. I was lucky, the place I was at before was slowly starving me out. Luckily, I had a lifeline tossed to me and grabbed it. Things will improve, not as fast as we would like it to though.

Don't make any snap decisions, weigh all options before you sell it so you do not second guess youself later. Remember, it's a hobby a. stress reliever,fun, relaxation, not a job.

 

and just as bad, all you hard work and dedication just sitting in a field somewhere rusting. just hang in there, things will get better.

 

....It's the journey, not the finish line....

And my F1 frame has sat bare over a year now waiting for the cash flow to come back around. Yet, I refuse to give in. I have fumbled through each day by being here on the HAMB, FTE, and other sites to keep me informed of what's going on, and picking up ideas. I earnestly believe when things turn around, I will be that much quicker at achieving progress because I have kept adding tips and tricks to my repertoire.

 

I'm 61 and have been through this a lot. Almost gave up until I finally figured it out. The answer is you have to do whatever it takes to get the thing on the road ASAP. Drive it and the perspective changes.

It doesn't have to be just right or just perfect before yoiu drive it. It's never done anyway and that drive for perfection completion is a joke. Who cares what people think?
Do whatever it takes to drive it ASAP. That includes duct tape and vise grips. All you really need are good brakes, solid steering and the safety of basic igniton wiring. Some of my best memories are stalling out in traffic as a kid.
I didn't check where you live but figure out what it will take to get it on the road--time and weather-wise. Break it into days, double the time for fudge factor and that's the answer. No beer until a given amout of work is done.

 

Not much that I can add that hasn't been said quite well above.
Looks like you've done a lot already. Looks great.
I had a 66 GT350 H that took nearly 20 years to do a ground up resto on. Went through the same storms of life as most people do. Thought I'd never get done. I got some motivation from my brother. Sometimes everyone needs a push. Finally got it done in 2004. I was so glad I finished it and didn't give up.
Here's another way to look at it.
Think about some of the hell people in WW 2 went through and never gave up.
The poor souls that survived the death camps and managed to come out not hating the world.
You're just working on a car. Put it down for awhile and come back to it.

 

I got my truck in peices when I was 18.I drug that sumbitch around with me in peices for years going through layoffs left and right.Hell once the city even tried to take it from me because they felt it was a danger to the neighborhood kids.I almost gave up a few times,but I always knew that if I did I would regret it.If it werent for my wife and father in law I probably would have had to get rid of it at one point.Man am I glad I didnt do it!!!I drive it almost everyday and thank god that I kept it and struggled through the build.My plan is to give it to my son someday.Hopefully he will rebuild it (with me) and learn all the great things i did about building it and living it.

KEEP IT MAN YOU WILL THANK YOURSELF (AND ME) LATER!!!!!

 

What keeps me going? I see light at the end of the tunnel!
My build,
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=324514&showall=1

 

I think you have the right perspective here. Just take a break and go back to it when you are ready. I'm sure there is a HAMBr in the area that could lend you a hand in the welding dept or just in general.

Don't give up. If rods were easy, everyone that reads a rod magazine would have one. Think of it as a form of expression of who you are...

 

If you're broke put a tarp over it and come back later, or sell it. I'd tarp it. It' s a pretty cool truck.

 

Okay, but how do you manage that without either:

A. Doing nothing - the car stays worth about the same

or

B. Being Chip Foose or someone, so that when the build is done you can auction it at Barrett Jackson and maybe even make a profit..


???

I mean, I've never seen a super involved project that you can easily get your money back out of, unless you finish it and it's a high enough demand car that you did the majority of the labor on yourself that you have less money into it than the going market price.



Personally, I just gather parts until the time comes I can throw the labor at it and get a lot done in one shot. That saves a lot of hassle, if I need something it's nickel and dime stuff and not big money bits and pieces.

 

I have 2 to do lists one is free stuff< my labor then the money list. I want to get the car running and driving so cosmetic stuff isnt in the picture. Rattle can paint jobs ok with me at the moment. one person here said they needed welding done but they were good with interiors. Im sure you could find someone who welds that needs interior work. Horsetrading is great at times and its a good way to learn stuff along the way.

My only problem is finding kool car people where I live now.Its kinda hard to figure out problems at times by yourself.

 

Didn't read the whole post. How to finish in bad times? Do eveything you can possibly do without spending any real $$$. When you think about it that's more than 1/2 the build, maybe even more yet. Labor. The dirty grind-degrease-sanding-welding-wrenching-cleaning parts that all needs to be done at some point. When you get to a major expense take notes or tape a remonder to that part and move on. Before you know it everythings rosey again and you have $$$$ to get it done. Shift focus but remain focused. Works for me.

 

Dont give up. You`re almost there. A break is what you need,anyhow...it gives you time to plan the next phase...maybe a 6inch chop & lots of louvers...?

 

it's only 7:54am and I've already said it twice

 

I like the title of this thread. Maybe there should be a f-it club, seems like there would be alot of members, including me at times. When you feel like that take a step back, look at what you have already done. It's like a narrow path of vision. Close your eye's and re-open them to the full view in sight. And like someone else said, get it running and go burn the tires off it for awhile, that will get your blood pumping to "get er done"....

 

Consider yourself lucky man most of the time i'm scrambling to find even a few hours every 2 weeks to work on my ride which makes it seem like it'll take forever! Do all the body and interior, after that's done see where you're at and go from there.

If you need a welder see if any hambers in your area would loan you one or at least bring it over to use for a day or two. Where there's a will there's a way and there is no spoon.

 

I've said it, just not today yet. You just have to hand in there and it must be something you really like. If your not having fun....why do it.