Hot Rods Have You Ever Hated a Car by the Time You Were Finished?

I have a love/hate relationship with my 34 Ford. I love the looks and wanted a car that was light, pretty and one that don't see often in my area any more. So, I bought and started building a 34 Tudor Sedan. At this time, I am trying to get a bunch of aftermarket steel parts to fit together with gaps that look like I gave a shit when building it. I have had the front end on and off so many times, I've lost count and I am not done yet. There are some days I just can't force myself to do it any more and I walk away. I will finish it...eventually....I think... but I am of the belief at this time that I will hate the car when I'm done.

Have you ever hated a car by the time you were done building it?

 

I had one car I sold then bought back so I got to hate it twice.

-Abone.

 

Not yet.

 

That is why you see so many project cars for sale. People get frustrated that it just does not go together like an AMT model car kit.

 

By the time i get them built i am ready to sell or trade them off.

 

Yep. I have a stalled ‘32 roadster project. I was just a working man (now retired) so had a pretty modest budget. I bought a cheap ‘glass body. It had so many issues it just sapped all my enthusiasm. We’ll see what the future brings.

 

Rock, I know you are a perfectionist (not a bad thing) but sometimes a car in primer and blankets for seat covers can be just as fun. I feel your pain as I try to build two cars at once.

 

Ha, Ha, Ha.
The track roadster I built used to mock me, every time I went out to the garage to work on it!
While walking out of the garage, after finishing for the day, I would turn around and give it the finger, as if to say “you didn’t beat me today bitch!”
The Hot Rod building gods have been with me the whole time on my current project, I guess they saw, I don’t give up easy.
Stick with it, give it the middle finger, and keep moving forward.

 

I haven't had a single car that I haven't hated or felt defeated at some point during the process. For me the joy is almost all in driving it, and that's what keeps me motivated to keep going.

 

Yeah....

 

yep, I have a 55 chevy I am getting mad at will be up for sale soon

 

Always enjoyed the build but when they were done the lure of the money left me with no remorse after they were gone. Many times regret for selling set in years later. But life went on as did building more cars.

 

Thanks, guys, for sharing.
Now I know it's not just me.

 

It was a 1964 Barracuda. Totally rust free. Took it for its first drive and the rear end howled. I had never encountered having a rear end that was totally dry. Lost all interest in the car.

 

Can't say I ever hated my '39 Chev when I was building it, but I sure questioned my choice of the purchase as I got into it and kept finding more and more rust. I knew when I bought it I was going to have to do more metal fabrication than I'd ever tackled before, but I probably told myself 6-8 times that I'd found it all, only to discover more rust holes to repair!
I often moved on to other parts of the build, and was working on some other part when I'd get just the right glance at the inside of the body and notice pinholes of light from outside jumping out at me! It was discouraging to see some of them, as once I did it often lead to even more showing up as I looked closer. Both of my body flanges where the rear fenders attached to the body were so many small pinholes that I had to replace the entire flanges on each side. And the only way to do it and keep the body from shifting was do the repairs in about 8" strips by cutting that much out, tracing on new metal, tack on nuts, and then weld in the new metal, and keep repeating until both sides were done. About a week's worth of work to do both sides, and I was sick of cutting, welding, and fabbing fillers by the end.
But I still loved the build once I got through all the damn rust repairs, and moved on to the rest. I'd never take on another car this rusty, but glad I did it once! All new floors, rockers, tail panel, lower doors inside and out, lower quarters, fenders, and just about everything in the lower 6" of this body. Plus those flanges on the rear fenders!

 

I still love my 34 but the hood fits terrible. I don't hate the car, just the hood. I think I'm gonna admit defeat and have my bodyman buddy [Jimmy] fit the hood to the car correctly before I take a sawzall to it!

 

Never hated a car, but I've known a lot that were not worth the time or money to finish.

 

I hear you!

 

Heck, I hate my DD after an oil change.

 

…it seems to me some cars/trucks fight you every step of the way. It can be tough to muster up the motivation. I always focus on how cool the first drive is going to feel.

 

It's not so much me hating the car, as much as the car hating me. It's always been a battle, Me vs. the build...proud to say I never let one of those bastards beat me.

 

On my 30 A it was one step forward two steps back. I told my wife if it don't run and drive good I'm burning it.

 

Have You Ever Hated a Car by the Time You Were Finished?

Yeah, only one car ~ "The Chevelle from HELL" HRP

 

Building a car at home in your garage. Is a love/hate relationship! BUT, once done and enjoying it on the road, the hate portion fades away until the next build.

 

Many Times...

 

I'm sure some of my cars hate me. [they're just testing my patience]

 

I hate my wife's foreign pile of crap after an oil change, it's the dumbest oil filter housing design I've ever seen.

 

I hate them all. It’s a Love Hate thing when you stop and think about it.

 

So I did an OT rod. Almost all is aftermarket and there's no standard between companies. In shop lingo it means ya gotta fuck with EVERYTHING. When I restore or preserve a part or car I feel good. If I build a part I feel good. This car made me feel like I got caught riding a girl's bike or busted fuckin the fat chick under the bleachers. Girl's bike didn't seem to roll off so well so the car's name is "The Fat Chick". It got a bit wrinkled in a minor incursion so it's back. The other car was like one of those never-ending domino demos where they keep falling. We named that car Purgatory. All summer cars. Summer fun, summer not...

 

All of them.