Projects Has anyone got tired of their project?

I am in the process of selling off of all of my projects.

No time, and nowhere to work. Too discouraging.

 

I have been parting with my projects over the last couple years, just tired of having a yard full of broken dreams. (In 3 counties)Money has been too tight to do simple repairs. Even small purchases take a couple months. Gone are the 66 F250, 31 Buick, 71 Chrysler,66, 67,75 El Camino and 59 Ranchero. Dad has the 55 Stude, And The 70 Gto goes up for sale as soon as I can drive 200 miles and bring it home. Geez, no wonder I' m burnt out. I have my 59 ElCamino almost daily driver ready, my Henry J, and my 65 C10 left. Maybe without the storage hassles,and a little money I can get back to having fun.

 

Hey mine keeps me out of the titties bars. LOL. Bruce.

 

Done that before.Pretty much the same as craigslist.Trading for what I want would be better.

 

The two are not mutually exclusive. At least that's what someone told me.....

 

I love working on my cars but my body does not,I was in a severe car accident 35 years ago and my bones are hurting now and I think its aged me 20 years. I am 54 but feel like I am in my 70s the way I hurt but I am going to keep on for as long as I can. Its the maintenance of the late model daily drivers that drives me nuts.

 

Hang in there,thats the fun of getting older.As far as new car maint,we just take it in to the dealer and support their families.LOL My wife's idea.

 

My dad used to say "Your eyes are bigger than your stomach", which is another way of saying I bit off more than I could chew.

It's easy to get overwhelmed when our desires are greater than our abilities. Many times I have said "never again" and just went ahead and took on another project anyway. This hobby is like a manageable mental disease. If you don't manage it, it will drive you nuts.

 

I have been working on this for 7 years and am close to the pointy end....but whenever I get pissed off with it....

then I just take this for a drive.........

or this...and then I feel re invigorated and get back on the job again feeling all inspired.......well it works for me

 

I always seem to have a project, that in itself keeps me going, at 70 years of age I'm a happy old guy, glad to have traditional hot rods as part of my journey!

 

When I get burned out, I take some time to get organized.

If the project is in a home garage, it usually ends up with house shit piled all around it. I get rid of all that, it finds a new home or disappears.
Push the car out, clean the floor, clean the car, put away all the tools, clear off the work bench.
Pull out the parts I have, make a list of the parts I need. See what I have parts for on what area of the car and make a plan to do that little thing.
If really burnt out, I work on the parts I need list, just looking around comparing prices, trying to find the stuff gets my interest level up again.
Selling off parts I don't need works too, generate some cash or trades, meet some folks that may have the same car.

 

I feel your pain pal.... I was recently diagnosed with spinal stenosis, straightening of the spine, arthritis of the spine and a few other things that just make working on my car pure misery... It's hard to get anything done when you have to keep stopping and sitting down to let your back stop hurting....

 

I've started thinning the herd, but I'm keeping my top three projects. I'm getting old, low on money and energy, but guess what, pretty often I hear one of them going "Psst, OVER HERE". It still brings a smile to my face when I start working on one of them and can actually see some progress made. And the work is the reward, whether they ever get finished or not.

 

I wouldnt give up yet, but I would start hanging out at the local car shows and see if you can maybe make some friends that may be able to lend a hand. Sometimes it helps the motivation to have some guys help out that know what they are doing. Finding those guys is the tough part!

 

Agree with drptop70ss. Sometimes we gang up on a 40,either one of mine or a friends, and go at it. Makes it easier sometimes with a helper,etc. Recently we worked to wire and assemble and fire up a friends 40 coupe and put in five 12 hr days-I was beat for a few days after but got and amazing amt of work done. My wife helped a lot too with installing front clip and trim. Friend is only 66 but he was beat too. We were very pleased with the outcome and were on a deadline to go to uph--made it 3 days early !!!

 

I've built a lot of cars thru the yrs and I too am a bit burnt out on it. The cost of a decent body/project car is rediculous, parts too, and prices for services like a paint job far out of control. Body shops take forever, lose parts and do shit work because they rushed thru it after letting the car sit in a corner for months. Now i look for a decent car, lower it, change the wheels and deal with a handful of things to make it more reliable and a better driver.....and drive it. Not too long ago I could build a car and it be worth far more than what I'd have invested. Not true any more. Most fucked up projects I see for sale would cost me more than it's worth to build even if that project was GIVEN to me. I often do the math in my head for kicks when i see projects for sale.

 

Isnt that the truth..and some people wonder why I have been building "patina" style rods lately. Low investment high enjoyment just racking up the miles instead of a lifelong project.

 

That's why I don't intend to do bodywork or paint on the Plymouth.

 

Cripes
At least now I know I have company with people that can relate.
Sitting here day after getting the 3&4 vertebrae in my neck fused together, stupid neck brace is giving me a headache that even the "OXY" doesn't help.
I've got three long term projects that have been in various stages of assembly
(or disasembly), going back to the early eighties.
I have even coined a new phrase, "He who dies with the most "unfinished" hot rods wins".

 

JB_roadrage, DDDenny and more going through tough physical ailments, should be proud of what you have accomplished. one of the many things great about the H.A.M.B. is that those with physical ailments or super muscle healthy types are accepted as being part of the same Family. read threads about guys that take a pile of rust and build into a masterpiece. then there are guys like me than can take a new bolt and a new nut and easily strip the threads - Ha! all the same, with hopes and dreams. take one day at a time.

 

Having gone thru a few physical ailments myself,i find nothing more satisfying then cruising down the road in my old car.Reminds me of the old high school days on Est in San Berdo!

 

As much as I like having a project to keep me busy there will be no more major projects,I spent too many years working on them so now its time to drive.

 

Junkyardjeff, don't feel bad.I am now 63 and if it wasnt for ivpropane, I would of given up on working on old cars long ago. lol. Bruce.

 

I tend to jump around a bit on the project so I don't do one particular thing to much. It seems to help.

 

Funny- I'm the exact opposite. I have my Thunderbird for my enjoyment. I do enjoy talking to other car guys about it, but holy crap.... I want to make a T-shirt to wear when I drive it that says "It's a fucking 1962, dammit!!!". Every time I stop somewhere, somebody inevitably asks me "Hey, what year is your car?".

 

Bruce, it is suppose to take you TO the titty bars.

 

The part I'm burned out on is having to Clean a car for 5 hours after driving it for an hour. I'm in the group of guys that actually enjoy building the car and when it's done, look forward to the next challenge.
I'm now into the type of car I can drive in the rain and not worry about whether my shoes are clean before getting into. The garage find look is getting more and more appealing to me.

 

That is what I call (you own the car,not the car owns you)!

 

I also am getting to hate cleaning them and my sunliner that has aluminum wheels will be getting steel rims this year so its just wash and dry.

 

You are not alone, most of us get tired of the work, especially when we've aged some, let it sit awhile till the ambition returns OR go shopping, plenty of rides for sale. IMO the social part, shows, travels, people is the FUN part, enjoy the "Hobby", I have played with cars all my life and will until my time exspires, free advice from an life long gearhead. Disclaimer !, Free advice, sometimes is worth the price paid !.