Projects Things you walk by every day that SHOULD get worked on.

Every time I walk through my basement I walk past the '38 Deluxe hood that will some day go on my '39 Truck project. I tell myself I should clean it up, block sand it and have a clean piece to hang from the rafters in the garage. No need to spend a dime, got sandpaper and a bucket of water, just need to do it, I've given myself a Sunday deadline. What have you got for a simple no cost, get it done and out of the way project?


Bob

This is an update, hood has been moved into the work area of the basement.

 

A giant list that grows weekly.

 

So, a while back, I dragged this home... Need to set in onto a Model TT truck frame, with a late 30's wide 5 front axle, as a start... OK - at least store it properly... I love to hear it running.

 

I am one month away from my 75th birthday, and I had to bust my butt with a pick and shovel all day, working toward getting my 2000 sq ft garage built.
My excavator crapped the bed and the parts are on the way. No problem, I'll just use the Bobcat. Oops! the governor failed! Closest place to get one is Toronto. I spent the day using a pick and shovel because I am working on a deadline, and the prep work for the engineer needed to be done yesterday.
My truck is waiting for the new engine, which is sitting in my other garage, I am also switching the running gear, plus my son's 47 International is waiting to have the transmission mount fabricated for the 700r4. F^&ing Nightmare.
Not getting any younger here,
Bob

 

Finish Z'ing rear frame and weld up motor and trans mounts on Model A frame. Started this over 2 months ago. Dang, I've gotten lazy!

 

No offence, but where does this get you? A sanded hood in the rafters? ..it will get tossed into a package deal when you are gone.. I've been to TOO many estate cleanouts in the past 5 years. Nobody will care if that hood was sanded or not..it will be just another piece of car stuff burden for the heirs to deal with. Sorry, but that is the truth these days.

I drive my hotrod as a daily driver now... I make reasons to take it out. I wasted too many years in one of my shops over the decades.. working on stuff....mainly "too many at once"...they never get finished enough to drive, enjoy, and share with the public..

Fuck the long term planning...slap "one" together and drive it!

I meet 1000 people per month,,,this morning in front of the hardware store, I had the 32, a guy in an old BMW logo biker jacket says "nice car", I say "nice old jacket"..he points behind me...a 47 Indian MC sitting there!...by then there were 6 guys there talking rods...talking about the show tomorrow night...then later at the scrapyard with the 32, a tired out looking ex-Viet Nam era guy says he's got a 40 pickup, old rod,,,he is now going to try to make the show with it...last drove it two months ago. I never would meet these local rodders if I was locked in the shop working on three or four huge project cars at once! Later I took it to the city to get stuff to make supper, stopped to see "my girls" at a restaurant, flirtin them up...lol...one never saw the car before so I brought it back just to show her.....2nd time I was there today! LOL

I nearly ended up in hospice to die due to Lyme in my brain last year...maybe that's why I NOW choose to LIVE life each day.

first pic taken today... keys are always left in it... I don't worry about a damn thing anymore..no spare, no tools, no Triple A, no cell, no fire extinguisher either! other pics late Monday..

 

Ha, you hit home with this post. I have several things that need finishing up that I have all the parts for but somehow seem to do everything else, or start something else. I have 2 engines on stands that I need to button up. One needs painting and then I can plop it in my Vette. My pickup has needed the brakes bled for months but I just keep passing by on my way to do something else. My Chevy needs the new Hurst shifter adjusted but I put off crawling under it .
I think I'm just lazy.....at least my mother always told me that, she may have been right.

 

I walk past my coupe everyday. It seems that I help everyone else do their stuff first. I chopped the top and tacked it back together in April of 2014. In the middle of the chop my grandma was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. I worked 2 16 hour shifts on the weekends at that time. Would leave monday at 7am, Drive the 6 hours to help my mom take care of her. Then come back Friday. Did that thru july when she passed, then after she passed until sept getting her place ready to sell. When that was done I decided that my mom's 58 Impala needed to run and drive. Was finally able to make it run and drive for Kool April Nights in 2017. Since it didn't get driven much since I went down this last weekend to get it going again. Now hopefully I can take the time to finish

 

Part of today was spent getting my Ferrari smoged. That too nearly 2 hours because the idiots they hire could not figure out how to put the probes into the 4 exhaust tips. I ad not driven this car for 2 years and it was time to blow the dust off and enjoy the car. I have walked past this one for 2 years and finally decided it was time.

Once that was was done I spent the rest of the day sanding and filling the radiator shell for my 1928 sprint car restoration. gotta love sitting in the chair and sanding and sanding and more sanding. Oh well, its progress.

just sayin'

brasscarguy

 

yep, easy to get overwhelmed by projects and all of the details involved - the same old story about it is easy to buy but, takes longer and costs more than ever imagined - but, at some point need to get out on the road and and enjoy the ride - no guarantees of tomorrow

 

Oh, no, no, no, no! I quit that shit a few years ago because it was just too stressful and hotrodding is supposed to be fun, not unending work. I sold off everything that was not associated with building my 34 ford coupe. When [if] I get it done, then MAYBE I'll do another but I seriously doubt it. Only one project at a time for me. It's the way I roll.

 

I'm working on (OK not working on) 2 different '63s right now. They're both in the shop I work in every day and I walked past both of them at least a dozen times today. Too many other people's cars to work on.

 

My wife points out things every single day I could be doing around the house since I retired in 2012. I told her to hire a handy man, I have shit that needs done. Then I go out in the garage and get almost nothing done but it's MY almost nothing.
SPark

 

I work on one til I run out of money or parts then move onto the next, etc, etc. Today I finished valve seats on my daughter's '27 Dodge engine, then drove the '29 AV8 Sedan to town a couple times then to cruise night tonight. It is an on going project too but is driving nicely now.

Dave

 

F&J - You have a point, I hear you and am in the process of selling off the excess. It's a lot. Just getting rid of stuff takes time.
But no time in my shop is wasted. When I'm out there puttering with something I want to do, it's Zen.
The most fun though, is actually driving the hot rods we build.

 

I have a hood for the 30 that needs to be fitted, prepped and painted.
Took the motorcycle on a 1000 mile trip over the long weekend and noticed one of the headlight bulbs needs replaced
Daughters OT car needs front struts...they are on a shelf in the garage for next time she is home
Wife car is due for an oil change and tire rotation
I got a chronograph for Christmas to help me work up loads for the 6.5 that is still in the box.
I need to finish the drop ceiling in the t-shirt shop
I have a 10 x 20 storage unit 6 hours away full of stuff from my dad's estate that I need to deal with
And when I get home tonight I am going to grab the wife, hop in the hot rod and go for a ride...life is to short...

 

You sound like me. Finding yourself "3 levels back",meaning that you have to fix shit so you can fix the other broken shit so you can work on shit.

 

why do something today, that can be off till tomorrow?

 

I hear ya.

 

Thinking aging and realizing our mortality factors in on this subject of HAVING to get projects done, cars or others. 3 years ago a health issue hit our home hard and put a lot of things in a different perspective regarding car hobby, current life choices in general. I have one project left in process and will get it done I believe, eventually. I like some here, have started to sell off things no longer being used or needed, again like many have a lifetime of tools/collections/stuff acquired used, enjoyed, most just sitting now. Have stated this before, I'm a very Lucky man, Life has been very good to me and my family, Age, Health catches up to all.

 

I like walking past all the stuff, just think working on some of it will change the overall look, that way I don't have to buy more stuff to change the look of things.

Bob

 

I'm going for the record here. Bought my 34 Chev Master 5w coupe in 1965 when I was 28 and am now 81. Have done hundreds for others but my coupe is still unfinished. Did have a 2003 Mercury Marauder 4 cam engine but the lazies took over and in went a sbc. First used a turbo'd 215 Olds Jet Fire which is the only one that moved it under it's own power (to the end of the block and back). Am I somewhere in the running for top spot? It's setting behind the 31A.

 

Bob, we piss and moan about our hobby is dwindling and is mostly greybeards these days...but here are a few pics from Monday's Memorial day parade one town away from my home.

I left the 32 home because the Korean War vet in charge of getting cars really wanted "a doodlebug" this year to be there. My younger friends Dave & Regina both 25, and Matt just turned 21, came though and drove both of my bugs.. I wanted to walk the route with a camera! We loaded up at my place at 7am...but these kids left me stranded at the finish line...miles from my truck!...these idiots decided to DRIVE both bugs on State roads back to my place! LMAO!!

I even rode in the bed of my 66 truck with Matt on the way there, feeling just like a kid again.. Dave and Regina drove us to the starting line..

Then look at the other young kids having a blast with "old shit that actually runs"..and ALSO gets used!


Get your early Model T back on the streets..or don't you still have your Dads Model A roadster there? ..maybe I am wrong about that?

Nothing spurs a project car(s) more than getting to actually drive & SHARE something once in a while!

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I have the desire, just not the funds. I hate walking by it everyday and not being able to really do anything with it.

 

There's a Trico vacuum wiper motor sitting in parts on my study table, all cleaned up and ready for reassembly. I bought it to experiment with making it work with positive pressure. All I have to do is get a small air compressor from my dad the next time I see him, and put the motor back together again. I won't even need to look for fiddly parts; they're all together in a little plastic tub, and I took lots of photos of the way they came apart.

 

My whole tudor project falls under tjis category. Only lately have I been making progress. Buying needed parts and going to swap meets helps get the motivation going. As well as having someone to report your progress to helps. Cuz, who wants to report they've done nothing!!

 

Man, I can relate to that. Every time I get the money for new wheel cylinders for my '31 Dodge Brothers coupe, some bullshit comes up to take that money away. I just wanna get my brakes done, put the wheels back on it and drive it every day like I used to....

 

my coupe want's to hit the road but the wiring has me all tied up !

 

Been walking by this in the house garage for a month now. New 80 gallon to replace the 60 gallon, low scfm unit in the shop. Big, top heavy and tall, gotta get motivated, had to cut the crate just to get it in.