just curious what you guys go when you start to loose interest in a project? like, how to get the brain juices flowing again. i have a bad habit of starting and not finishing things. i try to keep my mind in it, but it doesnt work. i havent gotten this way with my current project, and i dont want to either. any ideas? trey
If you don't need the car as a daily, then just take a break...go do other things that interest you...walk away from the car...don't think about it...put it out of your mind entirely and give it a few days/weeks. The excitement and fervor will come back...then you can work on it again. At least, it works for me! R-
I end up not doing much on my projects sometimes and then I'll go to something like the Roundup or even just watch american grafitti or something and it all comes back. Go watch that hemi coupe clip a couple of times or something.
I agree. I find that having more than one project also helps. When I get tired of one, I switch to the other for a while. If I get tired of working on cars altogether, I just don't for a while
Don't feel like your alone. I'm in that same funk right now and it happens to me every year at this time. It's hard for me to get motivated and stay motivated when I can't drive him. I'm spending time doing other things that interest me, and will get back into the garage probley after the holidays. Just don't do anything drastic, like sell it. You might regret it later.
I am in the middle of doing a retro living room in my basement, a '50s diner in my basement, a 650 Yamaha bobber, my '50 Chevy custom and I play music on the weekends. In my spare time I work on things my wife finds for me to do. When I start losing interest in one project I work on another. The only thing that gets in my way is having to go to work Mon.-Fri.
I get like that too, I think if i had people that lived locally that were into the shit too it would happen less frequently, cos I'd always have other people to help out and to put in ideas, kind of like this place in a way.
i know whatcha mean switchblade. not a lot of people around here are interrested in anything, so no matter what i do, its hard to find others that do. i have been thinking of buying an older motorcycle and building a bobber. i dont know how hard it would be to do, probably not very. i think it could be done cheap. just something to fill the time when im not working on the dodge
Build a mini-bike. The cool thing about building a mini-bike is that you can finish it fast, for little $$$. Once it is done, you can say that you have actually finished a project..... and when/if you can pry your happy ass off the mini, start working on the car again... HC
Take all your tools out of the box and clean out the crud in the bottom of the drawers and then clean the tools and arrange them better in the tool box. Close it up, and park it in the way in the doorway. Clean all the crap up that's on the garage floor that's keeping you from wanting to crawl around under there because it's too dirty and/or dangerous to work. Change the oil in your wife's and your drivers. Paint the trim on the house. Fix the toilet that keeps running if you don't jiggle the handle, and don't Just bend the float arm again, put a new flush valve in it! Take your wife/girlfriend for a walk, without the dog... If you've got kids put a locking (bathroom) knob on your bedroom door. Leave the car alone for a week or month. Then, Make a long list of short (2 hour) operations that still need doing to complete the car. Do one operation each time you have "garage time" It'll get done that way. It's impossible for one guy to build a car. Too big, too overwhelming. It's easy for one guy to do one small operation of building a car. Get it?
"just curious what you guys go when you start to loose interest in a project?" Beats the shit oughta me. I lose interest for months at a time. It comes back occasionally and I will work like crazy for a week or two, then be on to something else for a while. I have way too many Hobbies and can't keep up with more than one or two at a time.
o, and sometimes when I lose interest in my cars, I drive out to Eureka California and block sand this cool '57 P/U that's in some guys driveway.... HC
[ QUOTE ] o, and sometimes when I lose interest in my cars, I drive out to Eureka California and block sand this cool '57 P/U that's in some guys driveway.... HC [/ QUOTE ] FUNNY STUFF!
[ QUOTE ] I get like that too, I think if i had people that lived locally that were into the shit too it would happen less frequently, cos I'd always have other people to help out and to put in ideas, kind of like this place in a way. [/ QUOTE ] I have car acquaintences, no car friends. All my friends are whipped and can't come out and play with me, or have to chuaffeur their rug rats to daycare, soccer, karate, ballet, cub/boy/girl scouts, play dates, Feng Shui-ing your toybox seminars, etc. The one car friend I do have is getting old, grumpy and opinionated. Like "Why do you want to use that old beam axle, when you could just Nova sub-frame it and be done... be a lot easier on ya...blah blah blah.." <sigh> I usually just go on a three-state killing spree to clear the 'ol noggin. But that's just me.
talking to people that are almost more enthusiastic about your stuff than you are is always another motivator. some friends will distract you and bring you beer and stuff, but some are able to light fires. Also, when a project seems futile, look at DR J"s list and you will see working on a car is way more fun!! The last thing I realized last week is, that when me and my wife are at the pissed end, I get some amazing stuff done, I don't know if that is good, but it is a good way to release anger as long as you don't get too fucked up instead... tp aka zibo
It really depends on the project. Let's say, for instance, that you're working on a '36 three window or a deuce roadster. If that's the case , I'd crate it all up and send it off to my address. But if you're working on a '58 Ford four door you might as well put your nose to the grindstone and finish it, nobody but you would want it anyway. Seriously though, what I'd do is walk away from it for a while. It's a hobby and it's supposed to be fun. Try taking a ride in a hot rod, go to a swap meet and find that part that will get you excited. Building a car is not easy and it takes alot of time. Don't beat yourself up because you're not making the progress you expected. The staring hours can be choked up to R&D. Most important is that you enjoy it for what it is, a hobby. A lot of people get stuck because they can't bring themselves to a point where they take apart the mock-up to make real progress. It just looks so cool sitting there looking just like a car when in fact all it is is a full sized model. I say, rip that bitch apart and get on with it. Show us some pics Best of luck, dirty dug
Boy do's this hit home right now. I'm in one of these slumps. I'v been off and on working on the roadser for about 7 weeks. I just had a 4 day weekend and did very liyyle work on the car. What I find i do is either sit in front on this machine I'm typing on or going out the and just thnik about whats next. Thats my 2 cents
[ QUOTE ] But if you're working on a '58 Ford four door you might as well put your nose to the grindstone and finish it, nobody but you would want it anyway. [/ QUOTE ] Was this aimed at me, nice to have fans
i find that one car can be several projects at once. when i get tired of body work i work on the engine get tired of that work on the dash get tired of that work on somthing else... you get the picture.most of the time when you get tired of somthing that means it's not going very well for what ever reason. so get away from that area and work on somthing else totaly different.
[ QUOTE ] Take your wife/girlfriend for a walk, without the dog... [/ QUOTE ] What if you have a wife and a girlfriend and they are both dogs? The mini bike suggestion works. Right after I fixed up the Fairlane I got a Mini bike and it was awsome having two toys that ran.... I have problems REMEMBERING that old cars are special. I see them all the time. People I know DRIVE them alot.... It helps me to look through other people's eyes. Just think about all the kids who will be drooling over your car when its on the road! that should help ya! Later, JT.
[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] But if you're working on a '58 Ford four door you might as well put your nose to the grindstone and finish it, nobody but you would want it anyway. [/ QUOTE ] Can't understand why everyone hates my car
Zibo nailed it My friends are more pumped up then me most of the time and tend to motivate me into doing little tasks that don't cost anything. "Money is usually the UN-MOTIVATOR" -John
ok, this is the one thing i dont understand one bit. every other car i have ever done, i have had way too much time, not enough money. with my dodge, i dont have enough friggin time. its at the inlaws shop, so i only work on it sat and sundays, and the most expensive thing im gonna have to do is rebuild the 283. crazy! trey
When I lose interest in a project, it's usually due to the fact that those around me have finally convinced me that I can't do it. It's happened more than once, and I never really thought about WHY? That is, until my first girlfriend sent me a story about some frogs... Five frogs decided to race up a mountain. They lined up and prepared for their run despite the rumblings of critics who said that there was no way any frog get get to the top of such a steep mountain. Not bothered by the doubters, the five frogs leaped forth at the sound of the starter's pistol. People lined both sides of the pathway up the mountain and shouted that the terrain was too steep, and that the ground was too rocky. About halfway up, two of the frogs dropped out of the race and quit. The other three kept going, and struggled forth in spite of the words coming from the crowd. The people cried out that the air was too thin and that the frogs were setting themselves up for failure. Still, they forced themselves to hop and climb the treacherous mountain. Three quarters of the way up, one of the remaining three frogs gave up and quit the race as the people showered him with "I told you so" and other comments. The last two frogs pushed themselves harder, as the people called out more doubts and bantering. Within sight of the summit, one of the last two frogs cried out in agony and fell limp to the ground, unable to push himself any further...he gave in to exhaustion. The people yelled even louder, encouraging the last frog to just give up and go home. No way to climb to the top of that ice covered peak, they assured him. But, through the physical pain and exhaustion, the last frog clawed and pulled his way slowly towards the peak. The people echoed with their doubts and tried to discourage him, but at long last, he struggled to pull himself up to the tip and claim his victory. What kept that last frog going when the others quit? He was deaf. That story struck a chord with me, and I began to see why Kim had sent it to me. She had seen me give up on projects before as friends and family piled on all of their "You can't do it" comments and I eventually gave up on them. I did finish many of them, but always while struggling against negativity and doubt from those around me. Then I found you guys and gals on the HAMB! (Sounds sappy, doesn't it??? ) This past Summer, I decided to try out a simple idea and see if I could move a little bicycle with an old lawnmower engine using my concept of a clutch-to-tire drive system. "It won't work...those clutches can't DO that", balked my brother-in-law. "You're setting yourself up for failure again!", said my Dad. "Those mounts will never hold...they're too weak", another friend chimed in. It was tough at times...there were some minor obstacles to overcome, but in the end...my idea worked, and even as I rode the stupid thing all over town, even total strangers would say things like "That can't work!" or "I don't believe it...it's not possible...too simple!". Yeah...it's just a stupid mini-bike, but it represented a major victory to ME, and talking about it here and seeing others with similar projects kept me motivated even as those around me barked out that it couldn't be done or wouldn't work! The long rides are just the icing on the cake...the REAL pay-off was sticking to it no matter WHO tried to convince me that I was wasting my time! When I sent a picture of the bike and a little note about it to Kim, she just answered with one of her typical brief replies. She wrote: "Ribbit! " You gotta learn to tune out the little voices that tell you that you can't do it, or that you're wasting your time. Even if those voices come from within you...just block them out. It's hard...BELIEVE me, I know! It makes ANY task a hundred times harder when you hear people putting you down and trying to discourage you. It's even WORSE when those comments come from people you call friends, and from your own family members. But...with enough determination and willpower, you can be the deaf little froggy!! The trick is to find people who relate to your ideas, and who WANT to see you do it! Sometimes, the only thing that keeps you going is when ONE person asks, "Hey...how ya comin' on that ________ ?". Or, from a single word or two of ENCOURAGEMENT along the way...it can make ALL the difference! Is this kind of silly? Maybe...but part of what we can offer each other hear is a few words of encouragement, or some suggestions to help solve a problem that's got you stuck or bogged down. There are those here that will tell you you're wasting your time or that what you're doing is stupid...but you will gain far MORE from listening to the maybe only one or two who say, "Yeah...GO for it...that sounds cool!". Words carry far more power than most folks realize, and they can push you towards victory.....or failure, depending on who you listen to! To add a Star Wars quote to all of this: Luke: "I don't believe it." Yoda: "That is why you fail." But hey, what do I know?
3 things......... 1. Buy more crap that is unfinished 2. Start a Hamb barrage of posts. 3. Start emailing Racefab with hypothetical engine buildups.
Here's what I do: Clean up the garage and put all the tools away. Get it all ready for when you get inspired again because it's too easy to look at a garage mess and say to yourself, "Nah, I'd hafta clean up before I even started!" Go for a ride with a buddy in his hot rod Watch a good hot rod video.. Call a fellow HAMBster to bs about car stuff. Go to a car-show. They have 'em in the middle of winter for a good reason. work on a little part of your project that may not be next in line or may not be important to getting the thing on the road..like rebuilding your tailights or cleaning/polishing your wheels and hubcaps. Buff all your stainless.It'll help get you back in the mood. Draw out your car and/or make a model of it. You'll get back to it when you feel like it. One more thing. I do a little something on mine everyday, even if it's just honing a wheel cylinder or improving a sketch of it. Even it I don't feel like it but I try to never let it get in the way of family time. Do the stuff you need to do before you do the stuff you WANT to do. I have spoken.
Ive had this malady before- its common. I as a result of working on this type cars for work,I have a mean time sometimes gettin motivated.I think that its what you make of it- you have to enjoy what you are building...if not change it that may help- also take a break and do non car stuff to refresh the spark of the car stuff.......
The Jalopy Journal
