Projects Getting ahead of yourself

Right now I'm fighting the urge to buy some parts for a project that I haven't bought yet. I do have plenty of parts for projects already in the works ... I think I may need professional help.

 

My problem seems to be that I never throw anything away...
Example:
The starter in my flathead got stuck... not sure what caused the problem, kick back maybe. Any way the shaft was bent, so I bought one and put it in and was back up and running, then I figured I should have a back up, so I bought another and rebuilt it with the new style gear with the spring on the end to help it disengage. Now I have a starter with a bent shaft taken apart in a box taking up space, and a new one on the self.
This process works great for things around the house like old light mounting hardware, or door hinges, handles and the like. But, for some reason I just cant bring myself to scrap that old starter...multiply that by each system on the car, and multiply that by many different cars... I still have bits of wiring from a triumph spitfire project I did over 10 years ago kicking around in my auto wiring box... but hey, you just never know when you will need a factory correct bullet connector for a mid 70's triumph...
Chappy

 

Wait a minute, what swap meet, where?

 

I am in that very situation right now. I built a new garage three years ago. Winter was coming, so, everything had to get back in. I sorted some things at that time, some to go in the new attic, some for the roadster, some to sell. I go to a lot of auctions, every swap i can, even estate sales. Finally, after "cleaning" out a friends garage (recently died) i just couldn't take it. Everything out, New epoxy floor, new work bench, new permanent shelves. I'm finding all my lost treasures again. Almost makes me want winter to get here, so i can get back at it again. This time with a clean slate.

 

I stopped labelling boxes years ago. that way when I find something I forgot I had it's like being a kid at Christmas.

 

Worst is when the boss wonders out from the house. She either “helps” by putting everything that doesn’t go together in a box (usually marked with a misleading label “garden tools..”) or starts asking questions about why?
Never ends well and when things don’t end well, I mean for me

 

Back in the day, I junked a lot of cars and trucks to fund my car addiction. In the process, there was a lot of stuff I kept because I was sure I would "need it someday". After 30 years, more then a dozen car & truck builds, and two moves with downsizing, there is still a pretty big pile of things "I might need someday".
One of my retirement projects (I retired last Oct) is to clear the pile of stuff. The process is moving really slow. I'm finding stuff I've kept for years that I look at now and wonder what I was thinking saving it this long. Unfortunately, I'm also finding stuff that makes me smile thinking how cool that piece is, but I still have no known future use for it. Do I keep it?
The stuff that bugs me the most is there were some things I kept for a specific project I couldn't find when I needed them. I haven't found any of those things yet, but I'm wondering what I will do with them when I do finally find them...
It would be really nice if scrap prices would jump up for a few months about now. That would probably end the delay in my shop storage cleaning, higher scrap prices would eliminate the questions concerning how I'd get rid of most of this stuff.
I'm building my last project, this is the 3rd last project, but this one really might be the last one. I really am finding it difficult to get motivated building it. I think I've reached the point where spending the money (that I actually have set aside) to move forward has began to come into question in my own mind (don't tell my wife!)
I think I'm past the point of making lists and keeping stuff in clear plastic boxes with labels. Gene

 

I have decided that the metal recycling bin is a lot less stress. Just this week on an old Dodge truck web site someone was looking for an exhaust manifold for an inline 6 Dodge truck.

1. I respond that I have one and that he can have it for free if he comes and gets it or pays FedEx to wrap and ship it. I add that I have a stock intake and carb for the same price.
2. He responds that he wants pictures. I post some pictures.
3. He wants to know if it is a 23" inch motor ('54 Dodge truck, isn't it?) I reply that it is, indeed, from an 23" motor.
4. Nothing from him since. No "thank you", no "I'll take it", no "kiss my ass"or anything.'

Saturday it is going to the recycle bin.

 

People are funny this way aren’t they . I cut some huge trees down and posted a sign Free Fire Wood . I couple of guys stopped and saw it, “ that stuff ? It’s not split ! “ WTH is it with people ? I split and stacked what I had remaining , it is about 200 ft off the road , would you believe it if I told you that someone stole a truck load . My neighbor identified the the truck and said she approached the guy , he said “ he had a sign posted free wood , we are just picking up the wood he offered .” I’m getting ready to put my sign up again , when they arrive this year , Ned Beatty would be proud of the reception , they will receive this time around .

 

5,000 square ft. building with pallet racking makes life easier.

 

Garage is full, with a trail though it to the tool box, three sheds have a lot of parts, a panel van I bought for 35 bucks years ago is full and a camp trailer I picked up after a coworker gutted it is pretty well full.
Probably a 16ft trailer load of that stuff needs to go to a swap meet though.

 

A good friend and I use to go to the Metrolina Swap meet in the Charlotte, North Carolina area and we had a box of odds and ends parts we would sit front and center in our spaces with a sign that said , FREE PARTS TAKE WHAT YOU NEED,

We did that for about 5 years in a row, we would watch people dig through the parts, pick something out, examine it and put it back in the box and for 5 years it never failed and almost everyone that stopped at our space would take a peek in the box but no one ever took anything to my knowledge.

The next year Mike ask me was I going to take those free parts and I said yes but we are going to price each piece at 5 buck, before the weekend was over I only had 3 pieces left in the box, 2 out of 6 of the old pitted Model A inside door handles and a bent but not rust 1940 DeLuxe radio delete plate.

It was funny that I couldn't give the junk away but I could sell it for a few bucks. HRP

 

That sounds like people around where I live.

 

I made the mistake of buy parts for a truck I thought I was going to get and it didn't happen,I ended up behind the 8 ball.

 

Knowing eventually I am going to pull my 65 Ford pickup out of the barn I have been buying NOS trim pieces when I find them, wither I build it or my grandson does I have found most of what I pulled off when I wrecked it, de chromed it and flamed it.

I suppose I have gotten ahead of my self but when I run across 44 year old nos parts I can't help myself. HRP

 

You are on your way to 100 k posts, keep it up.

 

My 2 car garage has two cars, plus a bunch of stuff, too much. Shelves all down one wall and across the front, and under the bench on the other side Stuff is still piled on the floor, inside cars, on top of cars, etc. Plus a 10x13 shed in the yard that's full too.

My son and I went through the shed a couple of weeks ago, got a full load to scrap. Some of the stuff I've had kicking around for 25 years, but don't need and can't seem to even give away. Scrapped a standard bore steel crank 327 like that.

I've been trying to sell anything that has value, but Craigslist is useless in my area, and I'm not on Fakebook for their classifieds. I use Ebay, but after a while I get tired of their constant fees.

I'll be better able to clear stuff out once my son gets his own place. He's 20 and looking to buy his first house. As such, he's still at home to save money. When he moves out and takes everything he considers his, I can do more deep cleaning of stuff that I don't actually have a plan for. I keep finding the stuff I've saved for years is not worth even fixing, it's cheaper and better quality to buy new in a lot of cases.

Devin

 

I am in the same boat as you fellows. Clean up, organize, see floor , smile and repeat 3 or 4 times a year.

 

Ancaster Ontario, Sunday October 27

Hopefully I come home with more cash and less parts than I leave with!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I have the opposite problem. All these grand ideas that either take me forever to follow through on, or I don't do at all. I've got plans and a direction for my 55 currently, which I've never really had before. So we'll see where I am a year from now.

 

Hello,

Anticipation is almost unbearable. It is like Christmas as a little kid. You know it is there and can’t wait to get there and start the celebration. When my brother announced that he is on the lookout for a Chevy motor for our next build, all hairs stood up at attention. Our backyard Rumpus Room had not been used for quite some time and that could be a new teenager hangout. But, my brother wanted to take out the entrance doors, several windows and create a second garage. He knew what he wanted…I was the skilled, slave laborer.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/building-cars-in-a-two-car-garage.1140614/page-3#post-12974504

That took up a lot of time, but we definitely needed a place to store all of the tools, parts, welding stuff, and have a storage place for our stuff. As smart as my brother was, he had plans in his head as to what the place would look like in our ¾ part of the new garage workplace. The other ¼ was a storage area for our dad’s fishing equipment and outboard motor. As well as his small workplace to make custom poles and flies.
From this 40’s Rumpus Room Rec Center
To this new, garage door, hot rod work place
Jnaki

Slowly we gathered various parts including a long block 283 SBC motor and 6 Stromberg carbs on a Weiand manifold. They proudly sat on a long picnic table work counter, alongside of the other hot rod stuff. We were accumulating all of the stuff before we started the complete build. Our combined bank account was ok, but we knew we had to get the stuff first, before we ran out of money. So, finned valve covers, Chevy heads, distributor, headers, etc.

They all fell into their respective places in our corner of the new garage. Those parts were just waiting for the start of the assembly. Then, we went several blocks from our house and found our new 1940 Willys Coupe sitting in a lady’s backyard. A deal was made and now, we had something to put all of our stored parts in and start the build.

Before we started to break down the Willys Coupe for its modifications, the engine, trans and rear end were already stock piled in our corner of the backyard room. There was no place to put the Willys Coupe inside until those big parts got put in place. The anticipation was growing with everyday passing. We could not wait to get home from school to do some extra hot rod work. This time, it was for real, not just go karts, modified lawnmowers, and model cars.

The sad thing was, despite still being plenty of room in that now, converted rumpus room to a small garage, our dad did not use the place for working on his fishing stuff. When he did, he brought his custom working projects inside of the house. But, his outboard, supplies cabinet and tons of poles still sat in their corner of the new, Hot Rod/Drag Racing Garage.

 

About 10 years ago, my New Year's Resolution was to sell all the spare parts in the garage that were for the cars I no longer owned. It took about 6 months, but that was a resolution that actually got accomplished!

Looks like it may be time to do it again ... sigh .... Fortunately, it is only a fraction of that first wave.
Some of the parts are for a 1998 truck that has been through two more owners and now rests in the salvage yard.