Projects So... Whos actively building a project as they're actively unemployed?

Ive been off since mid aug this yr... i got alot done on my car the last month.. check my album out here, basically the frame and bracing, tilt hood and fender section replacement,rear end bracing/shortening,etc.. is what ive done

 

I lost my job Nov 3rd stayed busy for about six months but now the money has ran out so I am trying to give away my 51 chevy to finish my T- bucket I know its stupid but my heart is in the T and not so much the 51 .

 

Greg,
get your ass down here to H-town way tomorrow,i have a extra ticket to David Alan Cole.That should cheer ya up.Hell i might even dig up a little coin for a few rounds of Jager

 

good to see that things juiced!!!

 

I was laid off for 3 full months. Had severance for 5 months, but when you're unemployed you don't know how long it will be so you don't want to spend any money. PLUS, it was the coldest months of the year (Dec - Feb) and I don't have a heated garage. Long story short, I didn't get anything done when I had all that time... Now I can't find time to get out there.

 

I am sorry to hear that so many of you lost work. In a way this is much like when hot rodding was born. Parts were expensive, labor was cheap and people were very resourceful. Sounds like you guys are living up to that spirit. Some pretty cool cars will come out of this.

 

I don't consider myself unemployed, I still have business cards left!...lol
But haven't booked a dime since January, so my delusions are just that. Been selling off the hoard I accumulated over the 30 plus years and one of the flock will be sold off to finish my 53 Stude coupe. So, either my 1980 Corvette, 53 Ford sedan delivery, 50 Ford Business coupe, 1949 Studebaker truck or my 60 El Camino gotta go. Guess which ones first? (Clue-I do not own any gold chain or aviator glasses....)

 

I'm not askin you for anything. I was sayin what I was doin

 

That rules!

 

Must be a Washington thing...

 

I GUESS IN A ROUNDABOUT WAY I'M THERE AS WELL, LEFT MY JOB AND MOVED TO FOLLOW MY WIFE'S JOB CHANGE WHILE SHE WAS ON MATERNITY LEAVE FOR OUR 2ND BUNDLE, BACK TO OUR HOME TOWN LAST SPRING....I HELPED A BUDDY OUT IN HIS RETSORATION SHOP FOR A FEW EXTRA BUCKS THIS SUMMER, THAT WENT TO HOUSE STUFF AND NOW THAT SHE'S BACK I'M EAGER TO GET WHAT I CAN DONE ON MY TRUCK....BUT WITH A ONE AND THREE YEAR OLD, NOT MUCH TIME FOR THE TRUCK DURING THE DAY AND FEEL LIKE MY AGE IS CATHING UP WITH ME BY THE TIME THEY ARE IN BED.

i'D BE HAPPY TO BE BACK AT THE DAILY GRIND AGAIN.....BUT DAYCARE COSTS MORE THAN I'M WORTH, HA !

ACTUALLY PUT THE FIRST BASE COAT COLOR ON MY STEERING WHEEL TONIGHT, HAVE TWO HALOGEN HEAT LAMPS WARMING IT UP, FROST LAST NIGHT, SHEESH.....

 

been working for the state on unemployment since January. Was going ok on projects for awhile but really trying to spend next to nothing at this time. Heres about where I'm at on this one. I like the buddy parts program Dude. I just need to meet some more people around me I guess.

 

i was out of work for 6 months last year, and got alot of work done,but a shortage on the fundage. i also realized how many parts i actually had to build my car. i kind of wish i was out of work again, so i can get some more work done, damn girlfriend keeps me ocupied on my days off, but in a good way

 

I'll be joining the lot of you in a couple weeks...I was off for 4 or 5 months last year, basically I just decided to put the kibosh on buying new parts and had to use up whatever I had laying around...and of course get rid of extra stuff, which is what I plan to do as soon as this gig winds up...my next big stuff will be bodywork and upholstery..sandpaper ain't cheap but a few hundred bucks worth of it and primer will keep me out of trouble for a good long time, and since I already have a sewing machine, and bought fabric on sale(around $150), I probably only need a few more hundred on that too

so naturally I'll either wreck it or it'll catch on fire

EDIT: I forgot, I also want to try making my own cool plastic knobs for the dash, like that tech post shows you how to do!

 

I've spent my past 3 months of unemployment working on the house in case I need to move for a job. I'd hate to know how much work I could have gotten done on my 33 if I had spent all this time on it instead.

 

No job... put some cherry bombs on the coupe, and promptly ran out of car money....

 

man. i just graduated (from the Hot Rod Institute, great school by the way) but i'm glad i finshed my motorcycle cause it's still warm and i can't afford gas in my truck, but i do the same thing i've always done when i'm broke and bored, see if a buddy needs help on his project. right now I'm helping turn a 74 cb550 into hard tail. good experience and it's his bike so i don't have to pay for anything

 

I've gotten quite a bit done on a few of my projects. The best thing I've done so far was enrolling in a continuing education machine shop class in the evenings at my local City College. I'm there from 4pm-10pm two days a week and have full use of manual mills, lathes, and surface grinding tables. Plus getting added knowledge as to set-up and proceedures. One day a week I attend CAD/CAM class and attend a CNC class another from 8am- 2:30pm. Being unemployed my daytime classes only cost me $18 since I was able to qualify for financial aide. The evening class is free!

With the added knowledge I'm always eager to get further into my projects so I can get to the next stage, where I can utilize my machine shop access.

 

Resigned from my job 3/1 thinking I could take some $$ I had saved and get myself a car. Two weeks later everyone who had moved out of my house lost their jobs and moved back in. Hesitate now to spend the $$ so I can help them meet their bills. So, I spend a lot more time helping my friends with their projects and hanging out on the HAMB. (hiding)
Think I'm going to take a welding class....

 

I'm with the unemployed crowd, may stay that way for a while as well, aside from running my own mobile truck, tractor, ag equipment and car repair business when I get a call or a contract. Last contract ended 9 months ago, last actual job was well over a year ago. I enjoy doing my contract work and being my own boss though, when I decide its quitting time then its quitting time and I go home to my family.

I've been working on one of my projects when I can, my 63 F100 gets attention once in a while. My last contract was to a body shop so while there I had use of the shop and equipment and I took advantage of that to do some body work on the doors and get a good start. Right now its in the garage, still doing the bodywork and getting the chassis set up and rolling since scrounging used parts is fairly cheap and cutting and welding is even cheaper alot of that has been going on.

 

Right on, thanks for the inspiration. It's nice to know I'm not alone...

BIG TONY - We're planning on it and thanks for the offer. If worse comes to worse, perhaps we'll tow and crash in the enclosed (if I dont sell it by then), butthanks....

BBOBB - You are a good friend, thanks for Rod's info - we have been in touch and he has been a big help. I'm in ATX jhust for a couple of days interviewing (4 of em' scheduled in two days) so it's going to be tuff to make it down but thank you, I'd love to see the Coe-man...

DUDE - I was just quoting your tag line; "Flowers on the Wall", sorry if it got lost in translation, I wasn't talking smack, I was trying to be funny... Thank god I'm not a comedian I guess....

Keep up the suggestions, I'm diggin the support....

 

Been unemployed for a month and dont know how people with jobs get anything done.
Today I worked on my Dads 36 and then we started to rebuild the brakes on his Customline. A good day.

 

I am a young business owner scraping by, but I can't imagine being out of work and working on toys? I do realize that you can't job hunt 24/7, but isn't there a restaurant hiring busboys or dishers for $8/hr somewhere? I worked a lot of crap jobs in my short life, and I know they are always out there.

 

Yes, there are crappy jobs out there but the trick is to get them to hire you. There is always someone who will work cheaper. Plus, I think age has a lot to do with it.

I delivered pizza for 2 1/2 years and want to get back into it part time. Back when I was delivering, every pizza place was hiring. Pizza Hut and Dominoes had signs out permanently looking for drivers. Now, I have applied at several and can't even get to speak to anyone. And , like I said, I have driven for 2 1/2 years for one of them. I thought for sure I could get back in there but nope.........

I think it is harder to get jobs than some think.

 

Wow crazy, I too thought that pizza places were always hiring drivers. Good on you for looking, I think a lot of people tend to think they are "above" doing jobs like that, and end up pissing away their unemployment due to pride.

 

Thanks Eric, I will most likely take you up on the offer to help at some point. Unfortunately, I am heading back to SoCal friday until the end of October, so will have to miss Charlie's deal by a day...damn, just my luck.

My personal situation is a bit complicated but to elaborate a bit, I don't expect to sit on my hands until something comes along; it just isn't my style. If I have to push a broom, drive a truck, or flip a burger, I will if it means putting food on the table. My inital post was reallly to gain some ideas on what I could do to my project in my down time without outlaying a bunch of cash on parts, tools, and services yet still progress a bit on the project opposed to ignoring it due to lack of funds.

My plan is to take it down to the frame, finish up the boxing plates, install a c notch, get the pedals and motor mounts figured out, and grind & prep the frame for paint. Hopefully with no cash outlay.

 

I still have that Goodwrench 350, you're welcome to it till something else comes along..

 

The 50 Buis coupe?

 

Call me, I'm in town til Friday. 619-672-9172 or 512-829-4030

I think I'll take you up on it, at least for the mock up

seriously though, call me and clean out your in box....

 

I would like to work on my project but don't know what direction to go, should I stick it out, and see if the plant picks up,i really enjoyed my job, find some crap job and quit if it picks up, or look for another job. The state wants to kick me while i'm down too, My wife is disabled, but because i'm drawing unemployment, they want to cut off her little bit of disability,which is very little, and her medicaid, i can handle the disability check although every penny counts, but her medications are over 2000 dollars a month and the doctors and hospitals too, I can understand getting rid of the freeloaders, but some of us have to depend on a hand sometimes She can't work,she's tried. She's going to try to go back to school and do something. Makes it hard to concentrate on your car when you are worried about all this stuff.