Projects WHEN BUILD THREADS "GO COLD" - What not to do

Now that ain't right.

 

That is a great project! I'd like to see more pictures and info. Do you have a build thread?

 

For all those reasons that I've read in the prior seven pages is why my build thread is what you might call "off site". I started off using photo bucket but the criminals that run that site ran me off with their stupid $300 demand to keep the site alive so I recreated everything on a photo hosting site called SmugMug. It's arranged by subject matter that are in separate galleries. So when I see postings where guys are asking questions about certain things that I think I might help solve their problems I generally just post a link to that subject gallery. Some of y'all may have noticed over the years....

Since I'm on numerous forums this plan also avoids having to post things more than once to help guys on multiple forums.

In addition there's nobody policing my work and kicking me off for saying or posting the wrong thing. I remember sometime ago someone posted a "show us your engine" subject so I posted a picture of my engine right after it was completed and it got deleted because I chose to use billet aluminum pulleys.... Weird......

Another reason for doing your build thread on your own independent site is because we all should agree that we're not going to last forever and the next owner, even if it's a family member or your own child, will have a full history and explanation of the how and why some of the crazy things we do with our cars to get them up and running. I even put in my will that the next owner must commit to maintaining the website for as long as he owns the car.

In addition there are a number of galleries that are hidden that can only be accessed if a person enters the website with a specific link. I use that for more private matters that are not for public consumption.

Also build threads are hard to follow here and to even find when it's mixed in with all the other questions and answers and complaints and etc etc.

But that's just me...

Here it is:
https://49fordcoupe.smugmug.com/

 

Mine runs hot and cold for many reasons. I try to run a shop which has become more difficult when you're pretty much a solo act. I mean, it's like opening a whore house and trying to run it by hand The other thing is when things are hopping, busy, progress on jobs, now you want to go do the same shit after hours? "Do what you love..." isn't really made for deeper car folks. Hard to fire up and dig in after a hard day of the same work you just did for 6, 8, 10 hours that same day. Have a health issue then play catch up in the shop, and what, dig in again? I shagged an old Shovelhead, and a Sat or Sun afternoon is satisfying to move it ahead, and its really different. So does this mean I'm done with my old cars? Oh fuck no. Just means every now n again I kick myself in the sack and start checking "that's done" boxes and sometimes more often than others. I'm currently sorting thru prep for interior stuff. Gotta pull glass for window felts, making kick panels, prepping for the sound system, just ordered a new tail panel, so it ain't dead grapes on the vine. Besides, raisins are pretty good too, no?

 

65 years of starting, stopping, collecting, business, family , life and we have come to this... so far. The Medley coupe is still nestled away where it has been for decades but it occasionally sees the light of day for a Dust off run! I am now going to try and talk to a couple people who are still around that know the car intimately from its glory days in the 40s-50s sort of a biography of the life of this little coupe! Keep ya posted...

 

I'm guilty as most. I've got 2 builds going, my 47 Chevy radical custom, and my 56 Olds-Mad. The Chevy is all finished mechanically, just needing wiring, and the majority of the customizing is done, as well. Then I hit a brick wall: things I cannot do and have to pay for. Interior and chrome plating. Guessing they would probably cost around 25,000, after being forced to retire, I couldn't do it.
So I started another project I thought I could knock out in a couple years, with much less money. HA! As a lot of you can identify with, I had more great ideas for it, than I planned, and made it more complicated than I planned. And cost more than I planned. But this one, is progressing slowly (the Olds), and it does get updated as I complete something interesting to see. May even be finished for next year?
Oh, and I also started one for a chopped 53 Lincoln, but that one was just to finish to a point, and sell it.
Customs - New project: 56 Olds! | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)
Customs - 2 Lincolns, into 1 cool custom | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)
Customs - 47 Chevy Custom build thread? | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)

 

I’ve put a couple of build threads on here. Don’t get much response. So then I feel like I’m just tootin my own horn. There’s a tread for this chopped coupe and a partial thread for my 34, but they are buried 6 feet under

 

How does one find old threads? Searching My Content only goes back so many pages and mostly just individual posts. I’ve forgotten what threads I’ve started over the years.

 

google search, with your name, hamb build thread led to this…..
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/build-thread-index.651453/

and that led to this……
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/my-dale-velzy-sam-conrad-roadster-build-thread.1268654/

 

If looking for an old build thread, you might find it here…..
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/build-thread-index.651453/

 

All my build threads are still dead since I haven’t worked on any old stuff in a while. Maybe someday…

 

Is there a "sunset clause" that makes a thread go dormant if no postings are made in it after an X number of time?
If so it may be wise to report some small incremental progress periodically if the OP wishes to keep it alive. Otherwise the OP should "put it to bed"?

 

Why feel bad about a dormant build thread? They are a reflection of any hobby, you add to them as you have time and money to progress or have gained a new skill, or whatever. They are a fantastic way to get feedback when one needs it. But, when life happens, the tools are set aside and the garage closed up until something changes. No biggie. I visit old build threads all the time. My own is more documentation for myself, and if there is something helpful to someone that’s great.

 

Have you ever had a pen pal that you corresponded with, maybe from a different part of the world? And then the letters stopped coming? I just would have wanted a "Dear John" letter for some kind of closure, instead of wondering "Whatever happened to so-and-so"?

Or maybe had a summer romance, parted ways at the end of the summer and never heard from that person again?

That's kinda why I'd like to know the result of a thread gone dormant. Some kind of closure would be interesting for me. But that's me.

 

I don’t believe that there is a ‘sunset’ clause, I have seen threads revived after 11 and 13 years or more, one even at 17 years if I recall correctly.
Someone does a google search for something and suddenly they pop up again.
When the Hamb was updated some years ago, a lot seemed to disappear, maybe just under the Hamb search tool.

 

I've had several build threads that went to a point and stopped. My reason is I start projects that I don't worry about ever finishing, As long as I make it better than when I started and keep it inside and dry, it'll wait until I decide I want to work on that one again. Right now, I have a pretty long list of finished cars but as for projects, I've got a 31 Vicky, 31 roadster, 31 coupe, 29 phaeton that are already fitted and attached to 32 frames plus a few more 30/31 coupes and roadsters and one sedan. I've also go a project 32 3 window that's getting close to being on the road and a few tri five Chevy's that are in process and likely will be on the road before this winter. This is just a hobby for me to work on in the evenings so I can keep up with my day job.

 

You can also check your own Feature threads in your profile page, although I don't know that your build threads will all show up.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/members/bchctybob.163534/
I'd guess that IF you put the tag Projects on them, it might be found by doing an Advanced Search (Search at top, then click on More) for posts by you AND with that tag (it's a tab at the top of the search page). I did that for you and got 200 results!!!

 

Wow Mo rust, that is quite a collection of project cars. I must confess the two project cars I have going on now are years in creation, and many months away from completion. I keep telling my wife I'm done after these two, but in my barn attic there's a chopped up '36 Ford truck cab (long story) that would make a great bobber project . We'll see...

 

I have a build thread that has been dormant from my side for a while. Lots of excuses, none really matter. Some who were helping me have died. The guy I was working most closely with had several issues that kept him away for a few months. He is OK and I am more or less OK. We plan to continue but if we didn't the thread should never be shut down because the thread contains information, links, and photos that exist NOWHERE else. Years for now someone looking build a '25-'26 Chevy roadster could find this info. This entire site is filled with hard to find information on a wide variety of vintage automotive subjects. It is accessible to everyone. The worst thing to do would be to close threads especially ones by posters that are no longer around. It will be our legacy. This ain't FaceBook! Thank You Ryan.

 

Covid got in my way. Resumed 3 years later and finished my avatar.