Folks Of Interest Are you your own worse critic?

I think at times some of us could be classified as neurotic perfectionist with standards way beyond what we are capable of.

If you are your own worst critic, make peace with it and when you finish a project, just be happy with it and move on to the next step of the build.

Now only if I could practice what I preach. HRP

 

I think you’d have to pour over my build thread to find out, however I suspect I know the answer to that one

 

I have followed your build thread Larry and I am convinced you like many of us holding yourself to high standards. HRP

 

I always do my best at the time with my abilities and tools available. I always look at it like practice for the next one. That way I can be proud in saying I did all the work myself and to the best of my abilities. Now I do see my mistakes and know where every one is. I don't bring them to anybody's attention. Little issues in body work and things like that get lost once you take a step back and you look at the car all at once instead of focusing on four square inches. Also I am not as fussy as I should be and I know that. Mostly that is about keeping the car clean and not with the actual build. I heard a saying from a friend's dad years ago that said "You always have enough time to do it right the second time." So at least I do take my time and try not to have to do something more than once.

 

I spent about a hour reading about your build a few months ago, now I need to get caught up.

 

My Coupe is MOSTLY Finished. haha Upholstery was finished about a year ago and the warmed up engine was last August. I do need to get a heavy duty radiator and install it. I also have a different carb and manifold and a head to try out. I may eventually redo the top as I am not completely happy with it. Live and Learn. Next time I will spend more time shaping the Landau foam padding before I put a new top on. That padding and top material wasn't as forgiving as I had hoped.

 

I get asked that a lot. Some of the cleaning comes from working on things with my dad who always cleaned tools and the work area after each job. Some of it comes from when I was an apprentice. The journeyman I was assigned to work with was very organized and neat about the way he worked. He used to say all the time “If you tripping over stuff and looking for your tools your wasting time.”

 

Danny's shop was pretty clean last time I was there but I have seen it when when he was working on 2 cars at the same time and it was a big mess.

 

Yes.

You're ugly.
You're dumb.
You're lazy.

It's okay though. I offset all that by making bad decisions.

Oh, you were talking about building hot rods.

No.

Whenever I finished something and it's not totally effed up, I'm amazed... LOL.

There are so many disciplines involved in building and modifying these cars. I think that anybody who even makes a real attempt at building a NICE hot rod or custom is an arteest-extraordinaire. That includes pretty much everybody here.
And every artist is his own worst critic.

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That's cold John, even though it's true. HRP

 

When Danny & Dave were working on mu wagon I'm sure they though that about me.I know what I wanted and I told them how I wanted it.

 

Danny "says" he wears the pants in his family, but Brenda tells him which ones.

 

You got that right, I go by the motto " Happy Wife - Happy Life" HRP_

 

I find when attempting a new task I tend to over think in an attempt to do Chip Foose type of work. It takes a few days to get back to reality and do the best I can do with what I have.

 

Hello,

When I was first starting out helping my older brother with his hot rods and cruisers, it was a challenging time. I wanted to make an impression on him, to show him that I could be a good auto mechanic with my own skills. In return, he gave me simple jobs in the beginning, probably to see what I could do in the maintenance end. Jobs like, replace the oil, filter, spark plugs, wash and wax the cars, clean the interior, etc. Those were all simple to do and were specific enough for me to get experience.

But, in this beginning time period, I did not want to make any mistakes. I was specific about changing spark plugs. There were 8 plugs, so I laid them out, got the gap tool, knew how to put on new gasket rings, and got to work. I had to re-gap all of them with that skinny wire gap measurement device. Once done, then I could install them.

I was so caught up in doing a good job that if I dropped one, broke one tip or ceramic section. I bicycled down to the auto parts store a few blocks away just to get one or two spark plugs. I could not let my brother know that I was so clumsy or gorilla strength to break a spark plug. He never knew anything was wrong or different. Afterwards, he checked everything that I did and acknowledged that I did a good job.

Changing the oil and filter was simple enough, but one time I screwed up the rubber gasket on the install and when the oil was put in, the motor started, the leaks showed up. What a simple mistake, but a costly one if I had not checked. Of course, I bicycled to the auto parts store for a couple of additional cans of Valvoline oil and a new gasket. My brother was none the wiser, after I cleaned up the oil on the concrete. He even complimented me on a job well done.

It seems like I was an underpaid slave, mechanic for my brother. I actually was, but it was necessary to do these jobs and get some experience. The “slave labor” was so I could be taken to places he did not want to be associated with, including my age group of kids. He was the older brother and I was just a little kid. It took me until the 9th grade when I was taller/bigger than he was, despite him being older. I was just as knowledgeable about hot rods/drag racing and cruisers, too. Being a fast learner and years of slave labor helped in the long run.

Jnaki

By 1959, I was skilled enough to actually build from scratch, a 283 SBC, polish heads, install and adjust the cam, lifters, rods, pistons, etc. without his constant stare. He could leave me alone to finish the job. By 1960, when the 671 and new parts showed up, I was the installation guy and quality control check person. Eventually, I was just as skilled as he was in our 1940 Willys Coupe C/Gas build. He was the main guy in the total building of the Willys. That is how it should be, since it was his idea for the Willys Gas Coupe build in the first place.

One thing I learned was to be my own critic to make sure I did not screw up. I did not want to be the person that caused my brother to get stalled at Big Bear Mountain because I installed something incorrectly. I had to be right on the money every time. (It was definitely…an under pressure situation)

In looking back and talking with my brother in the aftermath, it was not our fault in the Willys 292 671 build, explosion and fire. A simple clutch explosion caused the fire and ended our drag racing experience after many weekend runs at Lions. Life shows us which way it wants us to move forward...

Since that experience, I have to have a check list and make sure whatever the job is in our household, (cars or house repairs/installs) I have to make sure to do it correctly and in the right order. So, thank you, brother…for the constant "stares" and learning tips. I guess I did not mind the years of slave labor, as it gave me confidence approaching the teenage years and beyond.

 

Imagine laying on the operating table and the doctor says to the nurse, "That's good enough".
Folks who work on cars are akin to "car doctors".

 

It seems that I am , good on bad work , but bad on good work , I think ?????

 

As I've gotten older the compromises I used to make piss me off. Maybe because I have more time or skill now, but if it's not right it's redone until it is.

 

I have a clear idea how everything should look when it is "finished", and I like to do things right the first and only time. This is the reason very few projects get finished around here. I have a clear picture in my head, too bad others will never see it. Bob

 

Same here, Rick!!

 

I may be slow, but I sure do poor work.

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