If you ain't scared then you're these guys in the story. You need to get dead in their *** and get some **** done. Like Chester said with a swift kick in the ***. You're the leader here and your name is "Everyone". Your the help too, "somebody", "anybody", & "nobody." Your problem is that "nobody" has control or your project. Personally I'd fire "Mr. nobody" and figure out how to get your project done without him. 2 days to rough out a chop - Bet me and loose
Anyone whose walked a car all the way thru knows what "the hard part" is. The motivation isn't going to come from what somebody says, its going to come from within yourself. You know the challenge, you avoid the challenge, and make it ok within by saying its trivial. If you've done it before then you can do it again. This place, "within" is not operating with factual information, Encouragement and exhortation won't help that. Go clean your garage so you can get something done. If its so far beneath you to do this little stuff then hire someone to help with the little stuff while you just keep getting the hard stuff done.
[QUOTE=" 2 days to rough out a chop - Bet me and loose[/QUOTE] A lot of talk Mr. 15,000+ posts. You're the type that makes me hate the HAMB. Post on everything with little to no help on the subject. You're soooo cool online man! Just so cool!
A lot of talk Mr. 15,000+ posts. You're the type that makes me hate the HAMB. Post on everything with little to no help on the subject. You're soooo cool online man! Just so cool![/QUOTE] Yep you're right, you win. Now go and prove me wrong , dad gum it!!! 15,000 - really! Where's my 15k party ? Did I miss it?
There's nothing like a deadline to get some motivation going. Some guys want to 'bang out" a job within months and other guys take years to do the same job. Some guys work at a frenzied pace and then collapse with exhaustion. Some guys get demoralized looking at a pile of parts and walk away forever. Some guys work at a snail's pace but just never quit. For most of us, this is a hobby. Hobbies should be fun and rewarding and you should answer to nobody but yourself. If you aren't enjoying it, then what kind of hobby is that? Time and again I get myself into projects (not only cars) just to ask myself halfway through "what the hell did I get myself into again, I must be crazy?". At that point, the motivation comes from needing to finish what I started because quitting is never an option for me. I break things down into little steps and the completion of each little step is a mini-reward and the completion of the project soon leaves me wanting for a new project. Is that crazy or what?
A couple of things here: First, go out and cleanup/organize your stuff. It will do wonders --> A) a sense of accomplishing something and B) it will help you "see the forest through the trees". The beauty of the home shop is you CAN work late and not clean up. However, taking the time ever once in a while to at least pick up and organize the mess, both in the garage and in my head. It will do wonders for you. Second, I know this is hard, but maybe reduce the number unfinished project cars sitting around the property and focus on the one that will be best for you. Be realistic. One more thing --> you have a son. Don't miss out on spending time with him. Get the car driveable (and safe) and take him for a cruise!! When he gets older, take him out to the garage to help. Years ago, when my daughter was young (she is 21 now), I sold an overwhelming project and bought a driver so I could enjoy the car with her immediately. I did not want to spend years working on the car and miss out with spending time with her. Good Luck!
The last car I finished was the '54 Ford Ranch Wagon,it took me 9 years and one month to the day. I was motivated but finances dictated a lot of the build,when I could do a small item like sandblasting I would do that,then paint it..stuff that cost very little but added up to the finished product. Looking at a car or truck as a whole it can seem overwhelming but breaking it down to manageable small jobs. I also made a list and tried to accomplish at least a couple of task on the list every week,I really enjoyed crossing them out and eventually you will make slow but stead progress. HRP
You have to stop and clean up the shop every now & then. It's easy to close the door and turn of the lights and call it quits for the day but if you stay true to this pattern your gonna run out of tools in that big tool box. I spent last Saturday picking up tools off the floor,under the cars and discovered tools under the pile of parts and junk on the work bench. Swept up the metal filings,dirt and trash and hauled off all the empty boxes. I even replaced a couple of light fixtures that helped brighten up the shop,a day spent just cleaning up helped with my motivation. This morning I replaced and adjusted a latch on the wagon that I have put off for at least a month and drained the radiator on the red Deuce sedan to change a top radiator hose. Granted these are not daunting task but I honestly think cleaning up the shop made it more enjoyable,especially when I knew where to find the tools to do the job and not spend 20 minutes looking for one of those five damn 3/8" wrenches that are now in my tool box. HRP
I was a civilian contractor for the AGD during the last part of the Iraq war. I was part of a crew that rebuilt & shipped military vehicles all over the world. When I first started I was a spotter moving large vehicles for transport. I was backing up a PLS to be loaded for shipment. A PLS is a 16 wheel, 8x8, Quad-axled vehicle about 30 feet long with a 2 stroke v8 diesel Detroit engine. I made a mistake. I crossed over behind the vehicle while it was in motion & exited the drivers line of site. The driver slammed on the brakes & exited the cab. Chief warrant officer " John Doe" proceeded to install himself 5 inches away from my face, while moving me backwards, explaining standard operating procedure in the most eloquent profanity, & tapping every sylabil into my chest with a large flashlight. Chief warrant officer "John Doe" spoke to me as he wished for the next five years and I said "Yes, Sir." When I was R.I.F.'ed, He requested to see me. He told me a story that years ago, he was part of a night movement where they were backing up a howitzer. The spotter behind did the exact same thing I did. A piece of the carriage pierced the man's chest & came out his back. Chief warrant officer " John Doe" looked me right in the eye & forgive my French said " He was all ****ED UP." Don't ever ***ume that because someone may say something you think is abusive to you, that the person does not have your best interests at heart. Go work on your car.
I have a pretty bad back injury that slows me down. I have help with the heavier items, friends and my brother has been a big help on my '59. I had to gut the garage, it was that bad. Tossed a lot of **** out, put up a 12' x 12' shed so now I have space. Gotta keep that space open too, organize, toss, rinse, repeat. I've been on a roll since a year ago July, think I've only taken off a month when it was brutally cold last winter and I had a bad cold. I took off last Saturday.. house cleaning (parts stacking too) and Sunday to close my pool. The trick is to keep it moving, like ****** says, put in a 1/2 hour and it becomes more once you get into it. Make a checklist, keep it with the car. Line up small tasks as well, it all adds up in the end. The issue with my Ford is that the build has been taken to a certain level, now everything I do has to be in line with that.
Another thought,sometimes motivation comes in the form of helping a friend work on his project,I did just that when I was building my Deuce pickup and in return he helped me finish up my truck,in record time and renewed interest. HRP
I totally agree. Taking small steps and getting a sense of achievement. Make sure that sense of achievement comes from within. You don't need to please these ***holes that tell you to "get off your fat lazy ***" or criticise your work, they just don't get it. Why does everything have to turn into a ******* match? If you feel like it, google "linking and ranking".
This things still going? Guess I'll add more. 1: you go work on the car but much of the time your re doing work you've already done. You've done 37 engine swaps between this car and the A. Make a plan and stick to it. If you'd left the first motor and trans in it you'd have been doing other stuff and be further along. Maybe make a list of what the plan build is or get a rendering done and then stick to it instead of constantly revising. 2: you tend to act like you'd like the car done right now, maybe that's were having a driving car or two to drive is a bad thing. I use a the other driving car as a means to slow down and take my time, do it right and as my budget allows because I can take the other car to the show. In your situation they may be a distraction, I can go drive it or **** around with it instead of working on the Kustom. The press to have a cool driving car in your life isn't there. Maybe take the sedan and the A and stick them in a friends barn so you know they are safe but aren't really there to distract or enable your lack of working on it. As far as people getting you riled up some times people need a kick in the *** and a challenge to "I'll show that guy!" to get something moving.
Take a chair out to the driveway, and a beer or two. Sit in the chair, drink the beer, look at the side profile of your car, think deep thoughts. kick your own *** in gear, you shouldn't need the HAMB for that. Finish your beer, get up, and get to work. Oh, and comments about why you hate the HAMB might not be a good idea.
Now now that's an exaggeration.......I only remember 35 motor swaps. Unless you're counting the one he's doing this weekend?
The snowball effect doesn't help either. Go to fix one thing find 10 more. I think I need a break from cars. Just reset my head.
Most everybody stalls out at some time during a project, I find, let it rest awhile and go back at it, A BIG motivation for me has always been the fact is, I have/need to do it, cannot/will not pay somebody for the things I can do, Its my hobby and receive great satisfaction when finished. Will say, as I have aged a little 67, its getting to be a lot more work/aggravation, younger years it, was fun work. Here's how it goes now, 5 minute job, 5 hours to 5 days, add another 20% time factor looking for what I just had in my hand. Huge admirationfor the men and big projects I read about here on the HAMB and your car fits into huge project posts. "Git-R-Dun"
do not do that , I have done that and wind up with 2 hobbies or more that a I had to kick myself in the *** to do, plus it spread the money out so neither one made me happy , some times a break will do and reading or looking into new ideas helps .. when I get into one of them ruts I window shop for new ideas or try to force myself to do it . when I work I found if the radio is off , I often start to drag along and it looks like a chore than a hobby .
Just thought I would add once again to this thread. Yesterday while I was putzing around in the garage I made a starling discovery, if I bolted or welded some of the **** that I am tripping over or is basically in my way to my Model A it would help me clean up and get organized, and make my old heap that much closer to being done. Damned shame when the pieces on the floor are actually hot rod parts.
You want me to Come over and paint FOCUS on the good part of your floor? Then when you move on to the next part I'll come back over and paint focus on that part? Your over thinking it. Your not getting any enjoyment out of completing small tasks because your not completing a small task. Your completing half a small task and then moving on to a different one. Maybe once my 46 is in winter hyvee nation<- auto correct for hibernation) I'll come help you and I'll make sure you finish a part before you move on. You've gotta chew and then swallow those small bites before taking another bite other wise you just end up talking with your mouth full lol Switching hobbies isn't going to change that you'll just have half carved pumpkins, half knitted scarfs and half of a really cool tree house.
After reading your build thread my only contribution to this thread is - you have to stop avoiding the chop and finish it. After getting over that I think a lot of the project will feel like it's down hill. I currently have a much simpler build going on and it's like HRP said - chipping away. Since I had a 3-evenings-per-week commitment complete, I've been chipping away, nightly, when the family is in bed. This week will be the first week I have worked on it every day and I can say that I'm much further ahead than where I was a week ago. That feels good. And after the work planned for tonight and tomorrow, I think the progress will really pick up steam.
Your not getting any enjoyment out of completing small tasks because your not completing a small task.
I don't know if this has been mentioned before, but make a deal with a friend and trade labor --> he helps you with yours and you help him with his. Maybe work on one car at a time and pick a couple-three days a week to work on it. And you can work on it solo another couple days a week. Before you know it, you'll be done!
every time I modify anything on my car I get a beer and sit in the garage and look at the job and say to myself "what could possibly go wrong with this?"
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