Projects Do you ever give it a rest?

I tend to go from project to project ,with no down time in between. I think it is starting to wear on me, but I have too much crap to do.

I built the 35, then dad's El Camino, then the Okie Apache and now the Resurrection roadster.

To do: The 55 is blown apart and waiting along with the Fly and the 36. I wish I could build cars as fast as they do on TV.

The wife wishes the hemorrhaging would stop. I have been on a perpetual build for the 32 years we have been together. We were painting a 65 El Camino a week before we got married.

It's better than going to the beer joints I guess.

I'll never be done at this rate.

 

I'm pretty good at taking a break.

I think it's a valuable skill.

 

With my work schedule anymore, it seems like I'm always on a break from the cars. Only time I get to do anything is when the freight dies down, or like now, the semi truck is in the shop.

I did manage a little shop time today! Got the accessory drives and intake off my 302 in preparation to change the head gaskets. Also broke loose all the rockers and the head bolts. Next time I'll pull the heads and clean them and start putting it back together. Now the weather is cooler, I can actually stand to work out there without dripping sweat!

 

It is a slippery slide. I have been on it. If you don't learn to take time for the wife and do some fun non car related stuff, some other guy will. We all here on the Hamb love and live cars, but ..... there is more to life than building and driving cars. As you get older you start to realize all the things in life you missed because you had to finish whatever it was you were working on, on your car. You need to step away once in a while and spend some time with the people who love you, and do with them what they like to do. Best of luck Brian

 

I've been nonstop since I supposedly retired 2 years ago. My original concept was I would work a few hours in the mornings, then goof off all afternoon. That lasted the first month or so.

I built the 39 pickup that I ended up selling, then I redid my coupe, and now I'm deep into a 49 Dodge pickup. I used to enjoy building, the challenges were what got me going. On this 49, the challenges are wearing me out. I'd take a break from it, but I really don't know what I would do with my time. Lots of people have "offered me a chance to work on their projects," but if I don't want to work on my junk, I sure don't want to work on their junk.

With winter fast approaching, I might be spending a lot of time reading, and napping this winter. Maybe things will be better next spring. I've been doing this car thing for nearly 50 years, I think I may be getting tired of it. Gene

 

Not by choice, the clock seems to run faster nowadays!

 

I honestly believe the accident a few years back where I destroyed my shoulder and subsequently had to have a replacement forced me to slow down and spend more time with the family, and helping Brenda with her business and just spending more time doing things she enjoys.

I really don't have a project at this time and just doing maintenance on the 2 hot rods at this time, HRP

 

If by break you mean like a week in between projects than I sometimes do that. Its pretty much how its always been as long as I can remember growing up in my grandpa's shop. There was always a project car or maintenance on one the done cars in between car shows and swap meets and its still like that. We did a full frame off on my grandma 55 Chevy 3 years ago, that bled right into doing a O/T 71 Cheyenne pickup that then rolled into my O/T 68 C10. That project is about done and I am starting change gears to get a few small items done on some of the cars and then I will finally tear into my 33 pickup. My grandpa is saying he is going to take a break, but he has been going and looking at a few different projects already.

 

I have been in build mode since my first car at 15 years old. I have still managed to play on a traveling softball team. Coach both of my kids teams when they were growing up. Play tournament golf.
you need to to learn to prioritize the things that are important. These are just cars. You walk away from them and they will wait on you to come back . Your wife and family may not wait on you if you don't get your head out of your ass.
This comes from experience and 3 divorces so listen to the hints she is dropping.

 

I haven't touched my project car in 6 months or more......this is not normal for me. Kinda nice though, enjoying doing other things!

 

Self-care, brother. Stop once in while or your body will stop you hard and long. What's one or two cars less in a year. Take the wife somewhere (that doesn't involve an empty trailer going and an old car on it coming back).

 

No , but I'm sure nature will decide for me....

 

I don't think it's in my blood to stop working. I only have one hot rod project, but I usually have three or four house projects going at any time, and a bunch of different projects going that I start and never finish.

Sent from my moto z4 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I built a new house 35 years ago and then the shop. And went into car build mode, started a full time hot rod shop and then built a bigger shop , then 2007 hit and big shop went away , went back to being a journeyman finish carpenter and had to go back on the road. Now in my spare time I have been remodeling the house. Now I turned 65 and took a volunteer lay off because of this virus crap. So now the house project is winding down and I just may pull the plug the first of the year. And hopefully getting back out in the original shop and start building again. Of course spending time with wife , taking the horse's Camping and trail riding, fencing off new pasture and bailing hay might get in the way sometimes. But even after 50 plus years building cars and motorcycles the passion is still there. But as always time and money is always in short supply. lol Larry

 

Same here.
I have the block and heads back from the machine shop still sitting wrapped in plastic in the shop. I picked them up about two months ago. I have been working balls to the wall on two of my rental properties to get them rentable. 1 should be done next week, the other, next Summer! I don’t know when I’ll get to the Mercury engine. My wife said to take a month off and focus on the car, but I have to get outside projects done before the snow flies. I can do the engine over the winter if anything.
I work 8 hours, come home and eat and relax an hour, then off to a rental to work for another 4 hours or so.
Retirement? I plan on working until I can’t physically anymore. My rental properties are part of my wealth so it’s all tied in. I could sit in front of the TV or hang out at bars and be broke? No thanks!

 

I seem to be able to find a lot of fun stuff to do besides those options...it's a great big world out there.

 

I take breaks...kids and life typically come before these old cars anymore.

 

If I'm not at my 8 to 5 job or doing something at the rental properties - I'm trying to fix/finish something around the place. If I take off - there's always a salvage yard in mind to stop and pull parts I don't really need.

 

Never really had the problem. Maybe I've got a 'wandering attention span' disorder. Always treated this car thing as a hobby, and felt hobbies should be fun. When I was racing, if I figured I had to thrash to make race night, then next weeks race night would be soon enough, and just as much fun. Even on race night, if something broke that required more than a simple fix, I loaded up the car and headed home. When I did the 'hotrod thing', I built one car start to finish. No projects laying around, never had anything waiting it's turn. Luckily, this was also at a time before 2 hour check-in, so travel was a bit easier. One minute I could be replacing injectors, and the next minute I could be standing in the airport looking up at the departure board, with passport and go bag in hand. Be gone a couple days, a week, sometimes longer. Used to drive employers nuts. Solved that problem by becoming self-sustaining. Even now, with a body that's reaching it's 'sell by' date, things haven't changed. It's still about the fun. Work on the Easy Eagle when the mood hits me, and help the kid with his projects in the shop when I want to. I've found fun never gets old. I did.

 

I rest every afternoon between 3 and 5... just ask my wife.

 

When you get to be my age you will be a porfessional "break taker".

 

Yeah, I've been pretty prolific, I always enjoyed shop time, built a lot of stuff for others, and a few for myself. But, I made sure I took time to go camping with the old lady and the kids, attended birthday parties, the boss and me have gone out to dinner every saturday night, 40 long miserable years of saturday nights.
Now, I have two wonderful adult kids who like me, they share my interests, but I'm taking the big break now. No more builds, like most of us, I got better and better with each build, I turn out some pretty fine stuff now, so....I did what I wanted, bought a motorcycle and resumed my before hot rod, riding days. I have always loved riding, there's nothing like a fast motorcycle.
I think taking a break can be a good thing....provided you have a car on the road, it helps with not losing your interest, we are a different crowd, I never been a sports guy, always liked something with a motor, never could catch, couldn't run worth a damn, but cars and bikes made me the fastest guy in the room.
Take a break, and enjoy it.

 

Don’t get me wrong,

I have always been the dad that was the Marching Band Booster President, Jazz Band trailer guy, robotics support team, basketball coach etc. . Our house was always home base for all the social activities.

My kids and wife are always first, but the weekends are always hot rod filled. The kids are grown and moved away, pursuing their own hobbies now.

 

It's not about not neglecting or providing for others, it's about taking care of your self so you can then take care of the others. Think about the story of the old man who stopped to sharpen his axe during the work day.

 

I'm not too good at taking a break. I've got a lot of cars and a lot of goals. I usually take vacation time at work just to spend in the garage when I've got a bigger project going on, or to go to the large swap meets. I don't have any kids yet, although at 36 I should probably get on that. In between large projects I still drive my cars to work and tinker with small stuff. I still take the gf out on weekends. I guess that's my idea of a break.

 

Aspirin, ibuprofen, Tylenol...
LOL

Do it, @Roothawg
You're thinking about it, talking about it, you must need it. Do something different. And let your body and spirit heal. It's important. Then hit it again fresh.

There's a time and place for everything.
Go with the flow, bro.
You're good to your family.
Be good to yourself.
Just don't forget about us.

 

Personally, my boys were my biggest project, couldn’t take a break from them.
I now have 2 fine young men, not angels but honest. Been with their Mum (the best girl in the world)42 yrs now, an easy project this was.
And still managed to play with a few toys. Plenty of time to rest when you have to.
Always feel guilty when time is not spent in the shed on a car or bike , unless it’s time with family or friends.

 

I'm at that point now, just about to finish a V8 A and think it might be my last build. My 30 pickup daily driver got moved outside about 15 years ago and needs work and I decided to sell it rather than redo it. Mechanically it's good but needs a fair amount of rust repair and repainted and just don't have the desire to do that. Wouldn't mind having a 50's - 60's mild custom but would start with a driver.

 

Get back on the bike. Pedaling is good for the soul. I have not wrenched much in the last 3 years, been doing a house addition. Spending time on the bike with my son. Getting married to the greatest girl in the world next weekend. We spend time on the couch watching TV and I love it. She also hangs out in the shop with me.

 

No rules to this hobby.
Don't feel the need to over complicate this, if/when it becomes a "drag", it will be time to move on (hasn't happened after all these years, don't see it ever happening).
I always have projects going on, cars, house/s, something..I like to keep busy.