Art & Inspiration Your stash of unfinished, or future projects, Lets see em !

I wish I could take a picture of my projects together, but they're not all in one place! The '59 Thunderbird runs and drives but needs new tires, a paint job, and a poor man's rebuild on the engine and trans. The Panel Truck isn't too far from being viable, not is the '64 Chevy van. The '49 Merc is in the parts collecting stage, which I've been very fortunate to find some neat parts for, and will be starting on soon. I hope to get the '57 F100 driving soon too... I just don't have a big enough shop!

 

There’s a bunch of mixed reasoning here in this thread on how to entertain yourself with this hobby as it relates to projects and “doing work” on the projects. Different strokes mentality prevails. When a lifetime lies ahead and you have the desire still to build and enjoy the hobby you’ve set upon-collect as you see fit. When I look at the sheer dollar amount of the cars purchase prices in my barn-I’m far less than what a slightly used newer car costs. So-over a period of 19 years-I’ve collected what I feel are desirable in my eyes-and will work on them as time or interest allows. When my boys get older-if they have the same interest-then we can work on them together. I have more “reasoning”-but those are the high points for me right now. Here’s my “stash”.. the space has been evolving as the past year has gone by as its turned into a functional hobby and storage space. It will never turn into a “closet”. These pictures are from about a year ago-the tools have changed-stuff has been sold, space management has occurred-it’s an evolution and its fun...










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My wife tells me all the time that i won't live to finish the projects. I tell her she can have a hell of a auction!!!

 

This was found under the dirt in back of shop.

 

The problem is kind of multi-fold,.... You go to a swap meet with a couple grand in your pocket, wanting to get the last parts you need for the project your currently working on,... You promise yourself you won't buy anything except the parts you absolutely need for this ONE car.

So your walking down the first isle and see a smoking deal on a much better deck lid you need for another project... It's a no brain-er ! You buy the deck lid promising yourself that you'll sell the lesser lid as soon as you get home (which never happens because it's a "low priority project")... This scenario continues to repeat itself all day, until your pockets are empty,... And you have a fraction (if any) of the parts you went to find..... Shoot !... You might just be hauling a new project home with you, that was "Just too good of a deal to pass up !"

Sooo, Reality hits you square in the mush !... And you know you have to thin out the herd,..... You look over the pile and ...... you can't decide on which one will be the first sacrificial lamb.... After all you have plans, vision and a big pile of parts for each one... So you sit there with the "paralysis of analysis".... You decide to think about it tomorrow,...And tomorrow keeps being pushed off.....

After all.... "SOMEBODY HAS TO SAVE ALL THESE CARS FROM THE HOARDERS !"

 

Holy absolute fuck you guys

 

Currently we have no projects- all now drivers-
I have found a couple great deals but knew friends in a better position than I to complete them and tell them about the smoking deal- Hopefully I can see their progress on them-

 

I am glad I never had the multiple projects disease ! I have had at least 1 running finished car from 1960 to 2015. I was always building something and when it was finished ,I sold one of the 2 drivers I had. I built over 25 street rod and hot rods ,every thing but uphlostry I sold all my 46-48 Chevy parts and 2 finished cars in 2014. My goal was to buy a running, driving 40 Ford coupe -- like my 1st car in 1960. In 2017 , I succeeded and haven't looked back - tough to do when I always built my own cars. My late BIL left a lot of cars and parts for my sister to deal with , it ain't as easy as you may think to just get rid of things that meant a lot to my sister and BIL. I moved to Mississippi in 2015 and got rid of even more junk . I am now close to both of our children and 3 grands , believe me my Family is way more important than cars. Enough rambling !! Later Bill

 

I think most of us have unfinished projects. We start on one and something better comes along. Many of us have use the excuse of, "I will fix it up and then sell it", or I got this car for my wife or son or daughter. But at the end of the day it is just another unfinished project sitting. Best bet would be to sell a unfinished project when acquiring another vehicle, but most of us hate to lose money, unless you know someone who could appreciate the time, labor, and cost of your unfinished project. Finding such a person is harder than it looks. I can think of one solution and that would be to have a B&J type of auction, where a large group of buyers and sellers to get together to buy and sell unfinished projects (only unfinished projects). Bring your car in on a trailer with all of the parts and park it. The process would be for the buyers and the person running the auction would go from project to project. Just my two cents. I, too, have about 8 unfinished projects just sitting.

 

Some of you older cats should sell some of those cars to some fellow hambers who are looking, otherwise when you die your widow/children are gonna end up selling them to some jerk offs for douchebagery prices....

 

I have moved a couple times in the last few years, so got rid of a few cars which has helped me get out of the overwhelmed state. However, seems that I still have plenty to work on. The chopped shoebox and the AD pickup are projects for my two teenage boys that I have a deadline of getting done in the next couple years before they turn 16. And, the Chevelle and Dodge pu are ones I am working on for other people. The other junk is mine.

 

This is the cool Brass dash for Hup,who wants to build it? On far wall is a {66}sign,an under that is parts for 1917 Hupmobile roadster with 1924 Hupmobile rad shell,windsheild,headlights,arm shocks etc. pretty much all of the needed parts for "HUBA-HUBA-HUP " Hot rod with motor an frame rails. There no room to put this together,so why did I even collet it all? Just can't help myself,may never get too it,but would be cool out of the norm box hotrod. Like I don't have enough to do with my son's "T"an my "A"hotrods,plus helping out other buddy's with there rod's !

 

Very well said. Where would our hobby be without guys like you. Sometimes the guys that build cars one at a time until finished and the guy's waiting to be able to afford to build one forget that the ones they call hoarders are saving their very future projects from others that see no value in them that would have long ago taken them to the crusher. Even the ones that make us sick sitting outside will be a chance for parts rather than gone. In all my years I have never seen a shortage of projects including desirable ones that if you want one bad enough you couldn't eventually end up with what you want. The truth is that in all of my lifetime I have never before seen as many nice projects available as are now. Usually the ones complaining about hoarders are either too lazy and impatient to spend the tme it takes to find what they want or to earn the money it takes to get what they want. They think getting the car of their dreams without going through what ever time and expense it takes is some kind of right owed to them and that just because someone else has what they want that person should give up his possession because he is not doing with it what the impatient dreamer thinks he should. They seem to forget that the guy that has what they are wanting paid the dues to get it. Most of the time it didn't just get dumped in their lap. Everyone enjoys this hobby in different ways. We should stay fixed on what we can do ourselves and not be concerned about what or how others do with what is theirs.

 

I look at it this way; if the project becomes a storage shelf it needs to go. Once I had 3 projects and not enough time, money or motivation for any of them. Currently I have 2 drivers ('29 Tudor and '51 Hudson) and enjoy them greatly. Yeah they need some work but I'd rather just drive them. The thing I am really wanting to get accomplished this summer is getting the Hudson stripped down to bare metal.

 

Man, some of you guys should start collecting cars and parts before the hoarders get them all... SMH

I see a lot of barns full of cars and I hear a lot of "maybe I will get to them one day"

what is the average build time for an at home hobbyist? 2-3years? more?
If the cars were built back to back to back non stop some of these collections would take 30 years to build out...

I wish I had a dollar for every time I tried to buy a car from someone who said they "were going to get to it" when i was ready to "get to it" right then and put it back on the road. Only to watch the barn fall in on it, or a tree grow up through the center of it, or watch it rust itself into a pile of flakes, or watch the family fight over it or sell it for scrap.

Some of you have some impressive collections/hoards of unfinished or future projects. I really hope you get to all of them and get them back on the road.
Chappy

 

Has anyone that has posted their collection ever been asked to sell any of them? I've had cars since 1966, and only ONCE did a total stranger show up and ask to buy something. That was the '30 Ford Roadster body, finally took the last $1,000. offer, and got it back 25 years later with NOTHING done to it except for loosing a lower windshield station. It did start a life long friendship with the buyer, meet a girl that has been my wife for 40 years, so there is no reason to part with the Roadster body again, too many good memories of friends I got other parts from. Finishing the car will never change that. Bob

 

I also lost a child. My middle son Chris died in a car crash 25 years ago. He was a real gear head. We still have his cars. Im hoping the grandsons will do something with them. I realize im a hoarder. But im still enjoying playing with my junk. There are somewhere between 2 and 3 hundred vehicles in the hoard. About a 1/3 are viable projects. I do sell some on occasion but actual ready willing and able buyers are few and far between. There are plenty of B Back's and lowballers who want them for less than scrap price. It doesn't matter if I ever do anything to them before I die. I quit giving others opinions about what I ought to do any free rent in my head. In fact I just bought another project a non running John Deere tractor last week. Our eldest son brought his truck and trailer and helped me load it up and fetch it home. I told him you ought to be ashamed of yourself helping a 66 year old add to his hoard.

 

Sent those buyers my way. The only ready willing and buyer's in my part of the country are Me and the scrap man. I am very likely to live to 100. The lions share of my family makes the century mark. So I think I still have another 25 years. By then maybe some grandchild will own it all.

 

My junk waiting in the wings. '55 Willys Bermuda, and a '29 Studebaker Coupe.

 

Yes she can have a auction. But only if she outlives you. My mother used to tell my Father to his face what she was gonna do after he dies. She lived until she was 84 and He made 92. Threw a monkey wrench in all her plans.

 

And that will not bother us one bit. because we will be dead.

 

I have to leave something for my wifes 2nd husband.

 

This thread prompted me to "try" to sell my Model A Martin Parry open side truck.. I may try to get it outside today for pics...

...but, you guys who think we won't part with anything are now seeing elders "try" to sell some off. That trend started maybe 5 years ago I think.

BUT!...my sale will turn into a shit show, as my Model A likely never was registered on the road since WW2. Low miles, orig motor, mechanically the best a I have had, or driven/ridden in..but no title! Why is it a shock that "if" there ever was a title back then, why would someone have saved it where it could be found 70 years later? Connecticut does NOT issues titles on vintage cars! So I cannot get one, no matter how much you "know it all's say"! LOL

So, I likely will only put it on my local Connecticut C/L, as we F'n don't NEED titles here, and I don't want to listen to the crybabies from the States that DO need a title. Not sure what will become of it, if I can't get a fair price. Yep, needs some wood "repair", so that will also bring out the "whiners"..and the "butt scratchers"...and the "I gotta ask the wife" crowds...

...so maybe I'd then just leave it out as yard art, and watch it "return to the earth".

^^ geez, "rotting Yard Art"....that gave me an idea!! I should park it out on the front lawn with no sign...and then people will surely stop to ask "if" it might be for sale.... I will act all sentimental, saying "I gotta think about losing my best car", .... then let them stew for a week, and see if that will work...LMFAO!!
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Hopefully starting on it soon

IMG_4535 by KFC posted Mar 5, 2017 at 11:52 AM

IMG_4494 by KFC posted Mar 5, 2017 at 11:52 AM

 

Same desease, different state. I’m way to embarrassed to show mine as they’re scattered between 3 cities/towns. Isn’t there a cure for this????? .
BTW, let see a better shot of that full fendered 34.....

 

Alright guys,...... This is pretty cool !, I have pretty much been gone from the HAMB for a couple years after a couple "bonzi" builds and the loss of some very close Hot Rod Buddy's I was kind of burnt out... So this thread is the fist real attempt I've made in that time to jump back in.... Not only does it look like it stirred the pot a little,.... I see it was made a "featured thread" ...... (geeez it's good to be back !..... )

As far as the pile of projects in the barn goes,.... It wasn't a money thing, I have a huge load of "sweat equity" in every one of those rolling parts piles in that barn. I still get a grin looking at them. I'm trying to single one out now to bring back to the shop to get rolling on.

I don't know, maybe its a mental thing. Seems over the last 30 or so years, Just as I start having fun with a finished car, or have one very close to being done.... Something in life comes up, And suddenly they become a quick source of revenue... Sooooo maybe it's safer to have them stalled at 80-90% finished..... Instead of dragging them across the finish line,.... and straight into somebody else's garage.

And as far as younger guys go..... Nobody gave me any of these projects,... And just because something might be a "smoking deal" doesn't mean we didn't pay fair market value.... All in all,... Yes it's a problem,.... But !.... Not necessarily a bad problem to have

 

Well said Harms Way. I earned every dime so was able to buy these cars.

 

Quite a story Kid! I've got a good story also but there is not enough room here to post suffice to say I had a perfectly good 57 hot rod and after the 1st GG show in Rhinebeck decided to do it up. You know how long ago that was. Here it is as it stands now. Motor is at Jack Merkels, Pont/Olds rear all rebuilt. I need a good dose of ambition I'm severely deficient in that vitamin. 1st picture of my father& mother holding there new grandson on Schnebly hill rd on the way down to Oak Creek AZ . He is now 37 and MY grandson just turned 1 yr in June.

 

My 40 is a running driving project. Paint is up next




The 66 Dodge A100 is in paint and will be back home for assembly soon




My coupe is 90% done


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Send me a list of what you have for sale along with a pic and your no haggle price and I will see what I can do.
Or post them up here in the cars for sale section. I sold my dads car here after he passed to a HAMBer two states away. I knew I would never get to it so I moved it down the road to someone who would enjoy it and hopefully treat it right.
Chappy