drive a car or finish it first ????????

[Slag Kustom]

as we all want to drive what we are building and on tight budgets to get them done. but for the life of me i cant figure out why when you plan to paint a car that you put it all back together trim and all just to drive it????? i can see trying to work all the bugs out of it before paint but why put it all back together just to take it all off again.


does having you car at a show make you a better person???

are you nobody with out your car ??????

do you enjoy doing the same job 3 times ?????

do you enjoy all of your body work and metal work rusting under the primer just to drive it ????

[Zodoff]

"Finish" ?
We are talking bout cars that are 40-80 years old.
If they havent been finished yet,whats the hurry,we might as well use them untill they are? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Fat Hack]

Finish work and paint are big steps, and involve lots of expense for guys who can't do it themselves. In such cases, I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that I'd rather DRIVE the car while I wait to get it painted and finished instead of letting it sit for months on end unfinished!

People, neighbors mostly, come over and check on the progress of my 49, and they all ask the same thing..."What are you gonna do about the body?". It's rusted beyond repair, truthfully (for any practical purposes, anyway), but I don't care...I just want to DRIVE it. They seem genuinely shocked when I answer "I'm just gonna leave it like it is and drive it!"!!

I love the car dearly, and would like to see it fixed right and done up nice...but that'll never happen in my hands. I had to wrestle with the decision to raise this child to the best of my means and just love it, or pass it on to someone else in hopes that it'll get a better life than I could give it.

I chose to keep it. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

It'll never grow up pretty, and it'll probably break in half shortly after it hits the road (BIG holes in the flimsy frame and floor!), but just one ride will make all the pain and frustration worthwhile.

I have an idea of what I WANT it to look like...but I'll have to settle for just being able to bring it back from the dead and hopefully being able to drive it for a little while...

For some, pretty paint and bodywork just isn't an option...or a concern.

[Slag Kustom]

i can under stand it if you have no intensions on painting it. but why when there are plans on painting it??????

Slag...driving the car keeps you interested and gives you drive to get it done. I get bored with a car once it's done. If I can't change something or do something to it I loose interest in it. Aren't you the guy that was tired of working on his car a couple of weeks ago? Put an epoxy primer (keeps the water out and prevents rust) and drive it. People telling you it's cool will give you the drive to finish it.

As for the being nothing without your car. I'm not a spectator kind of person. Looking at cars is cool but building them and driving them is what it's about for me. I'm like a bear with a soar ass when I don't have a drivable hot rod.
Clark

[Slide]

Man, If I waited till my car was painted, it would NEVER be on the road. As previously mentioned, I am a good ways from being able to have my car painted, and although I HAVE painted cars before, I am not capable of producing the kind of paint job I want for my car...

The main thing is, though, that I can enjoy driving/owning a hot rod/custom/kustom/whatever while I also enjoy working on it. Personally, I really enjoy being behind the wheel of my car. I know some guys almost prefer to be UNDER the car than in it (my ol' man seems to be that way), so different strokes, I guess. Besides, it seems like I only get to put in 1.5 hours a year on the car, where a lot of yall can put in twice that or more every day.

Plus I DO get a better parking space at the big car events! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[40StudeDude]

Driving a car when "unfinished" is just another way to sort out the bugs...none of us (least of all me!!!) is a professional body man...and driving a car while in primer allows the car to "flex"...you can find out if your bodywork and welding is up to street use, then fix it without worrying about paint.

As for putting it all back together, sometimes it just looks better with all the bumpers, trim and glass on it...of course, it depends on how soon you are going to tear it all back apart...if it's next week and you want to drive it...go do it and don't woryy about all the trim, etc., but if it's going to be next year, I'd reassemble it for sure. Besides, everyone can then ask you WHEN are you going to finish it?

R-

[=mike=]

[ QUOTE ]
i can under stand it if you have no intensions on painting it. but why when there are plans on painting it??????

[/ QUOTE ]


Because I don't want to wait 4 years without driving my car , till I can get the paint done . What are you suposed to do , put it up on blocks and forget about it untill you can paint it ? Taking the trim & chrome & bumpers & miscelaneous shit back off takes the better part of the first half of the afternoon . I don't think it is a big deal . I would rather drive my car unfinished , than have an unassembled hulk in my garage someday waiting for paint .

The other aspect of driving it assembled / unfinished is to test the fit & finish of the bodywork . I want to drive it for a few hundred mioles and make sure none of my hot shit quality welding & bodywork are going to stay together before I drop any more money on paint .

I think it is just about having fun with the thing while it is being built / finished .

[FrameDragger]

Man, In my case, I definitely see the point (I don't enjoy doing the same install multiple times), but since I have been unable to find a reasonable body guy to get my rare-ass fenders to the point where they can be painted, I drive it in a worse state than primered... Multi-Colored http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif . I did paint the firewall so the engine can stay though... I have no problem driving it that way...

[CHOPMERC]

hey Slag, is this directed towards me??? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[Fourdy]

In my own personal life I have found a rule that always seems to come true, "there is nothing more permanent than a temporary installation". lol Technically I guess we are driving my wife's 56 chev that is like a bar of Ivory soap, 99.99% pure (oh, oh, showed my age) in that I still have to put a couple screws in the door panels. It has been driven for 7 years now after 1600 hrs frame off.

I have vowed to finish my 40 tudor before driving it mostly as my personal goal to finish something, I am over 1600 hrs into it with some painting and upholstering to go. We bought a Pfaff sewing machine to do our own upholstery. Like I said before, fortunatly my wife lets me drive her to our car club functions and pizza runs. Drive-em, finish-em, just ENJOY-em.

.02 worth
Fourdy http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Slag Kustom]

this is directed towards the cars you see with no changes in the past 2 years still in prime. all of you are right about driving it some before paint to make sure it is all good and not going to crack or a weld you ground too much split.

[Groucho]

DRIVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!! Think of all the people that WISH they could drive theirs.

[Rusty]

I would drive it now cause your gonna change your mind anyways. Plus your missing all the cool stuff to go to and hang out. I have a car now that ain't 100% but I am ready it runs and drives and thats all that matters. You can finish it when it gets cold in the winter. The downfall of going ahead and driving is that you may not ever finish it. You will get caught up in all the fun and everything will get wet, start rusting, and you will say screw it I like it like that now. PATINA. I can't wait to get home today and fire mine up. YEEEEEAH HAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

[Kev Nemo]

I drove my '62 to Pep Boys masked up and papered cuz I ran out of paint. That's pretty damned unfinished..

[manyolcars]

Once I get a project drivable, its too much fun driving it to worry about 'finishing' it. I dont want to take it off the road to finish it, plus it runs, so now lets get another one running! many old cars--make'em all run

[tokyo]

[ QUOTE ]
as we all want to drive what we are building and on tight budgets to get them done. but for the life of me i cant figure out why when you plan to paint a car that you put it all back together trim and all just to drive it????? i can see trying to work all the bugs out of it before paint but why put it all back together just to take it all off again.


does having you car at a show make you a better person??? Some Think So..

are you nobody with out your car ?????? Feel Like it...

do you enjoy doing the same job 3 times ????? Kinda yeah..then i KNOW i did it wrong once..right once and my way finally..

do you enjoy all of your body work and metal work rusting under the primer just to drive it ????

[/ QUOTE ]

[tomslik]

sooo,ya limp fuck, what are ya gonna say about mine?
i've had it OVER 20 years,about 18 in primer!

paint it!?!?!
then ya'd want me to wash it!

go sit in yer lawn chair!
some of us build cars for ourselves not to impress car show spectators..

i thinks you don't "get it"

[tomslik]

oh yeah, another reason.
it keeps parts from getting lost.

[fab32]

tomslick,, Were we brothers separated at birth? You've just about summed up my feelings. I'm not into impressing anyone, just ask anyone who knows me. I've been driving my '32 2dr almost 5 years and I'll be damned if it's going to be painted until I get something else on the road. I may not paint it then. I've had more fun with this car than any I've ever owned. I jump in it anytime the mood hits me and put 20-30 miles on it just to get some gas. It's been to Indy a couple of times, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Detroit, Flint more times than I can count. every trip is with a smile on my face and a don't give a damn attitude what anyone else thinks.
It's all about what you are comfortable with and who you are trying to impress. My wife always tells me if I drive it before it's FINISHED thats the way it will stay. When I married her I thought she was a bright gal. She just keeps proving it by knowing me better than I know myself.

Frank

[Paul]

it's obvious.

driving it is simply more important then "finishing it"

all things in due time,

but I want to drive NOW.

Paul

[Brickster]

I have a blast driving my "unfinished" car. It also allows me to change my mind about the body modifications without cringing as I take the grinder to it.

[Preacher]

no ???

drive it... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Roothawg]

Well, I may be a minority here but......I don't drive mine until they are 95% complete. Paint, interior and all. The first drive unfinished is the kiss of death and I will never finish it. I have to make myself finish it or it will be 75% complete and that eats my insides......can't stand it.
Sometimes I wish I was like the majority and just get in and drive..... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[Terry]

I thought if you can drive it, it is finished! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[chickenridgerods]

Some of the reasons for driving a car in primer/bare metal/without finished paint are as follows.

1) Paint is expensive. Some folks can't afford to plop down $5k all at once for a kick-ass paint job after already spending thousands just to get the car to that point.

2) Building a car takes time. Some folks aren't able to work on their cars 24/7/365. We have other commitments that have to be attended to (work, school, kids, etc). Other folks just work really damn slow and it may take them 10+ years to get a car done start to finish. Why not have some fun with the car while you work on it part by part? Especially if you're one of the slow pokes.

3) The "look" is in right now. To some folks, it's all about fitting in with the crowd - a crowd that happens to be into the whole "primer is cool" theme. They may have plans to paint the car after the fad fades, but have fun with it while its here.

4) Troubleshooting. As said by others, the pre-paint stage is the best time to troubleshoot the car. It's far easier to try to find each little bug and get it fixed without having to rip apart your upholstry or worry about scratching/chipping paint taking things apart.