Great post and timely... back in my garage heaven after a focusing on those other things for the last year.
Last fall I repainted my car in a real paint booth thanks to a kind body shop owner! Thanks Brian! Since I had a booth and not in my garage I wanted to attempt a Winfield full fade paint job, red candy over gold with a gold pearl flake final coat. Another gallon of clear over that so I could cut and buff it out. Well, it turned out pretty good, but being a big car (19 ft long) cutting and buffing takes a long time. Re- buffing and straightening the stainless trim and refinishing a grill I haven’t assembled in over 15 years has taken most of the summer. What has been most satisfying is wet sanding with 1500 grit ( by hand) as I don’t want to sand through my clear coat. And being satisfied with the smoothness of it. I then carefully wet DA sand with 4000 grit. It’s almost shiny again. The time has come, out comes the buffer and compound. In just minutes a deep gloss comes through. The panel that hours ago was bumpy with orange peel, a few specks of dust and the occasional small run is now flat and mirror smooth. A few hours have gone by. Tired muscles and body, but I force myself to put my sanding supplies away along with the air tools, buffers, rags and supplies. Before I start the car to return it into the garage I take another look at the one finished, glossy panel before parking back indoors. Only eight more to go!
I share this "Christmas-like" feeling! I finished building my (very small) garage last November and moved in around Christmas time. What better gift than new tools and equipment? Isn't using them for the first time like riding the bicycle you just have received for Christmas? But I think the real Christmas break is when I can join my friends for 3 or 4 days of intensive mechanics in Burgundy. A 4 to 5 hour journey to get there, spent imagining everything we'll be able to move forward on, the topics we need to discuss, the latest news from other friends that we mustn't forget to share, the latest project idea we've been thinking about... before to be in the shop from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., working non-stop on one or another project (like our Bunce H modified '59), stopping only to eat some good food and drink coffee or glasses of wine on the office of the shop (some pictures found on the HAMB helped in the decision to build it!). Pure pleasure for a few days with buddies bound by a common passion, moving forward together on projects. Each one, with their own areas of technical (and culinary/wine) expertise, is like the Santa Claus of the 2 other one! Hopefully, our wives aren't (too) upset about these moments when we disappear. That's also the magic of Christmas!
So true. Just yesterday, I checked to see how far back my first post was. Seven yrs almost to the day. A lot has happened in that time. I remember my neighbour asking me how long it would take when I pulled up with a trailer full of Model A bits. I confidently said max two years! lol! Yes, I wish I was done a long time ago, but in reality it’s not the destination, but the journey. It’s almost as much fun doing the research, looking for and travelling to get parts, and the best part are the folks you meet along the way.
I work on old cars for a living & yet still crave time in my own shed working on one of my projects. The clutter that's accumulated due to limited time & discipline (don't put it down put it back a friend often says to me) to clean up hinders some of that joy, but some good tunes & a lazy day tinkering is a joy. This is at a time where it was reasonably tidy As time goes on, I am learning to enjoy the journey, rather than race to the end.
Love being in the shop, working hard or just tinkering. Always listen to music while I'm out there. It's my hobby, sanctuary, and therapy.
The Jalopy Journal
