Easy vs Best?

I see lots of HAMB posts wanting to know the "easy" way to do something, not many about the "best" way. To me, easy means fast and cheap. Best means making a plan, figuring cost, taking your time, doing it right, and safe. Can easy be the best?

 

I think when folks ask about the "easy" way to do something they're not necessarily looking for "cheap and fast", but just seeking the advice from someone who may have done the particular task before and want to do it the most expeditious way possible.

 

There is an old thread in the engineering world that also applies to building Hot Rod's and Customs.

"You can have it cheap, fast, or high quality, Pick 2"

Building the cars that we do is a compromise on many levels.

 

The easy way to me is doing it once RIGHT. not three times, Thats why I love this site I learn from soo many amazing people and can get decades of info right now. I totally agree with lothiandon1940

 

Nothing wrong with asking how to do something right the first time rather than diving in and damaging what you are working, hurting yourself or taking much longer to do the job than you would with the right process.

The first thing that anyone who just bought a 40's, 50's or early 60's vehicle as a project should invest in is a factory dealers service manual for that year and model of vehicle. The instructions are laid out in very simple terms and usually with diagrams. The folks who wrote those books wrote them so anyone reading them could understand them and they didn't ***ume that the reader knew anything about what he or she was reading before reading it there.

One thing I don't like to see is guys throwing out "shade tree" fixes. I see way too much of that thrown out and it is no help to the guy asking the question.

 

I don't think you've read enough. Most of the threads on how to do something are not only for the average garage jockey, but they are thorough. Besides, easy or best, why would it even matter? How about both? With a little planning, you can have both.

 

Sometimes EASY is the BEST. There are alot of folks out there who overthink things.

 

For some, 'easy' means buying an off-t******lf part or contracting out work. That may not be cheap, but it may be far quicker than trying to do it yourself. The quality is dependent on the due diligence you exercise in choosing the part or fabricator.

For others, 'easy' may mean taking aesthetic shortcuts that are nonetheless valid from an engineering standpoint. You may not win shows by using the MIG gun and OE-grade unpolished tie-rod ends but you may end up with a more drivable, more repairable product quicker.

And then there's the less savory meanings, where you get into half-***ed combinations of bits bolted together by people who don't know any better and don't care to find out.

 

All good points. There are a lot of very smart and experienced people on the HAMB with lots of information they are willing to share. Just not sure about those with 2 or 3 postings ask the easy way to put a Camaro front end under a 50 Ford Pickup (just a made up example) but nothing wrong with asking how to do something. Maybe by following the HAMB best can be easy.

 

I don't like redoing things, I'd never make it as a Saturday night stock car racer. All my projects are moving at a snail's pace, but at this time in my life it really doesn't matter, I've ruled out finishing them. Thinking ahead so there won't be a redo does add to the time it takes to do things correctly. Bob

 

Like many terms commonly used, 'cheap' and 'easy' are relative. Relative to one's own cir***stances, financial, experiential, etc. There is another axiom that is worth considering sometimes...."Perfection is the enemy of the good enough". At first glance, that seems to encourage compromising the final result. But what it really means, I think, is that we are better off actually DOING something that is good enough to serve the need, than NOT doing it at all because the solution falls short of "perfection".

Ultimately, we have to satisfy our own personal standards. Ideally, those standards rise as we gain knowledge and experience and we produce increasingly better results. Even so, few ever achieve 'Perfection' in this very imperfect world. But for most of us, IMO, the satisfaction comes from the results of striving...

 

It's good enough, nobody will ever see it. I just hate to hear that, but if the boss is happy with it why should I worry, I just know I can produce a better finished product. Bob

 

I learned a long time ago that when it comes to Brakes, Cooling and Steering, buy the best. You won't be disappointed.

 

i think in that cheap and easy thread the guy was looking for a date---my pet peeve is the people whose answer to any problem is a total rebuild ---the fun is in the figuring and the fixing with a little bs thrown in...