Have you ever had - That Moment<O</O <O</O I mean - that moment - where you are working on your project or doing whatever and for a point in time, be it a second, a minute or even hours, everything is right with the world. All your stress has drained away, all your problems and lifes little difficulties are on the other side of the garage door waiting but for - that moment of time they are somewhere else.<O</O <O</O I had that moment last night.<O</O <O</O I swapped a new battery into the Scout and then sat on a footstool at the front wheel and changed the plugs. For about an hour I was as happy and at peace as Ive ever been. My garage time is my time so the phone gets turned off. A light rain cooled the garage. Folks driving and walking by stopped to look and talk or just gave me a thumbs up (and one Holy Crap followed by a near accident). Even the frustration of chasing a new combination seemed surmountable and almost fun. For that hour, everything was right in my life and I was happy with where I was in this world.<O</O <O</O Of course, after I walked out of the garage and turned my phone back on I came crashing back to reality<O</O
Totally agree. Working on my cars is therapy. I can spend hours working on something stupid, but in the end, you just feel good!.-MIKE
agreed, working on the 'A' aint allways easy but it is fun and the time goes by too fast, but working on the boat is a differant story. I just HATE working on the boat, don't know why. I guess just doing maintance on something is not as satisfiying as creating something.
Every time I finish a particular part, or area on my personal build, It feels good. I can't imagine being one of the many car guys (my customers) that don't get to feel that satisfaction,because they can't or don't build it themselves. I guess they probably get it from something else they do.
You need that time, man. I live with my girlfriend and love her very much, but you need that time to yourself. I've found that it's great to share done or usable cars with significant others, but the build is my time.
For me, working on my truck / cars is therapy...it's time away from the world. I have been through the ringer with family stress this past 1 1/2 years and without my project I may have gone off the deep end. My truck, as frustrating as the stopping points and missing parts can be at times, has helped keep me somewhat sane. You know something "right" is happening when hours pass and you don't even know it.
I know what you mean, Saxxon. I was chasing an ignition problem in my AWB Chevy II, and when I made a pass down the quarter mile a week ago Saturday, the engine ran clean all the way through. The problem was fixed, and I shook my fist in elation. Victory was mine, and all was right with the world.
I'm a long time runner (jogger would be more accurate). I've heard of "runner's high", but it still eludes me after all these years. But "builder's high", now I get that every time I am able to eventually defeat some stupid little design or fab problem. It's usually something that most of you would knock out in minutes, but with my hammer & hacksaw engineering abilities, it takes me a while. Thus the little victories when I occasionally win.
Been doing that for years. Just last night I swapped a water pump and timing belt on an Audi. Required removing the bumper and radiator support, headlights, and lots of electrical and hose connectors. Bitch of a job, but then I smelled VICTORY. Slept well last night.
Oh yeah. I love "non-honey do list" weekend days where I can be in my garage wrenching on my 61 all day with no interruptions. With Rockabilly a-blastin' and cold beer drinking, the world can KMA!
My wife is younger, and good looking...great physically, and is hot rod crazy. Great mechanic, (worked with me in my shop for 5 years, then resumed her management profession) She just doesn't weld enough, but it seems to 'come back' each time. Don't think I take her for granted: I had two exes that were Monsters! We work together when she's home, late afternoons & weekends...Now, the time I spend with her fabricating and rebuilding is quality. I prefer working with her to working alone. We did an upper engine overhaul on her Series 5 BMW a few years back...She was well versed in the Marque, so she did one side and I did the other...hardly had to talk, just worked in harmony...A neighbor came over to hang, but we weren't in 'conversation mode'...He exclaimed, "You two are the Bonnie & Clyde of High Performance cars!" She said, "Yeah...Keep talking, and I'll have Clyde shoot ya!" Those are my favorite moments...the ones before someone comes over! LOL
Happens to me too! Not as often as I would like but being in my own little world in the garage is a slice of heaven I'm sure! That's why we like it so much when it happens! Wish I could bottle it up and save it for the bad days!
Even the most simple tasks take my mind off the days problems. Time in the garage is time well spent, even if nothing significant is accomplished...
A few years ago I was in the garage working away on a part, doing a little welding, a little grinding, a little hammer, a little dolly, and finally a little filing. I paused and realized that my Dad had given me that file over 40 years ago, for me to use on my model cars. I had finally graduated from plastic to steel. Dad has been gone for 20 years now, but I kind of felt him there with me. I said thanks Dad, and went back at it.
I agree a 100% I go out to the garage and the rest of the world is checked at the door. I feel really good afterwards !!
You bet, buddy! I don't have those moments all the time, but it's great when I do. A real feeling of peace and joy. More often than not though, you could hear a string of profanities issuing from my garage. I guess that makes the "moments" more special. I can completely relate to this too! A lot of the tools I have belonged to my father. Many have been in regular use for 80 years or more. My dad has been gone for over 35 years but I still feel his presence when I use those tools. My favorites are some Craftsman wrenches. My dad scribed his initials and the month/year that he bought them. 6/43- or June 1943. They aren't chrome plated. Instead they are stamped "War Finish".
I painted my axle 3 or 4 times in the past days, with differents colors, was trying to get an old look, I had those particular moments everytime when I looked the axle... Sometimes it happens that I am working, I am a carpenter, I have in my workshop also parts of my car, when I see parts of my car, I stop, I look for a while, sometimes for minutes, and that's when I have those moments , and I forget everything, and then I go back to work as usual ...
Had one of those moments years ago when I was building my T bucket and in the middle of the night I woke up out of a sound sleep and had figured out that I had the distributor wired backwords. Out to the garage in my bath robe, move the wires around where they belonged and busted it off with open headers at 03:00 am. That didn't get me any points with the neighbors but made me smile when I went back to bed. Last weekend putting the 500 Cad in my 71 GMC 3/4 ton was the exact opposite. Nothing went right and no parts house within 100 miles seems to stock simple parts for a 500 Cad.
Yep. Working on a project is bliss. It doesn't matter much what it is. If I'm working with my hands, solving a mechanical problem or improving something, I am happy. Long gone are the days when I used to get frustrated because a project wasn't going my way. I've learned patience and confidence that ANYTHTING can be fixed. The only real challenge is finding the time to dedicate to certain projects. Even if I only have 20 minutes, I savor that time with my tools.
I love it and crave it. I've been invited to non car related gatherings that just turned boring or stupid or stressful. "Well, guys, I'm going to go work on my car." "What's wrong with it?" "Nothing." Exit stage left.
Does cleaning and detailing them count?? The stress washes away and i am in a happy place when i'm making them look good. I told my women co-workers this once and they looked at me like i had 3 heads. I guess you just don't get it unless you love them like i do. Gasser Girl
There's a great surfing documentary featuring Laird Hamilton called, "Riding Giants". It's about guys who big wave surf. In one part, they ask surfers what it's like when they can't surf because the surf is flat. Laird Hamilton's wife related what Laird had told her. "It's like being a knight who kills dragons. When all the dragons are gone, you question why you're here." That's how I feel sometimes. When I can't drive or work on my car, I'm truly lost.
yup, had "that moment" last night while scraping a half inch of undercoating off my Dodge fender. Over 90 degrees, pouring sweat off me like I had a hose on my head and loving every minute of it.....
Hot rod endorphins. There have been times that I've worked well into the wee hours, isolated from the rest of the sleeping world, and totally in my element. In my experience, it's second only to a warm summer night's drive out in the country in an old car that's running well...with my sweetheart next to me. No traffic...old farms along the way...and it feels like times gone by. Heaven. It's been a while since I've really experienced that...and I miss it. Life's stresses have gotten in the way in recent times. But I look forward to enjoying it again soon. Nice thread, Saxxon.
The Jalopy Journal
