I've always started with something that was junk, or really rough. To even get it to the point I can drive it around the block is a major accomplishment. Whatever I do to it is an improvement over what it was when I started. I build drivers to make me happy, and I drive them a lot. Every trip from the driveway that returns under its own power makes all the effort worth while to me. I've found its pretty hard to find faults and defects in body work when you ae driving it down the road. When people want to point out imperfections, I ask them if that was all they found? I tell them they better look again, I left several imperfections there just so assholes had something to find! They usually walk away talking to themselves. I know what my skill level is, and it isn't as high as many here. I'm OK with that. The next person that owns my car can make all the improvements, upgrades, changes, or scrap it if they want. Gene
I think you are doubting yourself. Maybe see if there is something else that peaks your interest more ?
I'm guessing that as often as you look at one of your cars and see some "flaw" there's someone else looking at it and thinking "that's really cool" or "I wish I could do that". We always see our "mistakes" way more clearly than others.
Is it worth it? I don't think about it, it doesn't matter to me. There are already a shit-load of things that I enjoy doing, that I just can't do anymore...cuz I got old. Fortunately, messing with hot rods isn't one of them (yet). So no deep thought or introspection required here...I'll just keep doing things I like doing until, one by one, I can't do them anymore.
i have gotten to this stage a few times in my life. a little bio here. i am 73 and have been doing this since i was about 14. i don't have any kids and no savings. i have spent my life buying tools and cars and parts. i have about 18 projects to build and have spent just about everyday of my life working on something. quite a few people say they wish they had something to do everyday like me. i have been burned out a few times but i have always came back to it. i live in the desert and don't get much done during the summer because i can't stand the heat! so yes i get down during that time, but i still go out and do something in the morning and at the end of the day. in the winter i work all day though. our winters are not very bad here. 60 during the day 30 at night. COME ON WINTER!
As we get older the focus changes no matter how much we try, when I think back to all the sketchy shit I tried simply because I had no problem going back and changing it, well you get the point . You just want to make less mistakes as you get older because you should learned by now
I'm 69. First overnight hospital stay back in May. Congestive heart failure that is responding to medication. Less stamina than I once had, but still able to do plenty. My inspiration is my 83 year old friend Harold Pilgrim who is still doing cabinet work and still building cars. He has built a bunch of '55 and '56 Fords. He just sold his '56 Crown Vic to a museum. His skill level is far higher than mine. He's just finished up a '40 Ford coupe that is magazine quality and he's starting another '40 coupe for somebody else. No need to practice being dead.
I think for those who do as much of the build themselves, as you do, it's well worth it. Yes, we're our own worst critic most the time, so I expect I'll be more critical of my results than anyone else. But I will always know whatever the end result is, if I did all the build, or just the majority of it, it's well worth it. I'm hitting 71 soon, and I usually do almost everything on my builds, except paint, and interior. But I just finished up what might be my last complete ground up build on my '39 Chev coupe, and I did everything including buying a commercial sewing machine and teaching myself to sew the interior. Plus my first paint job, and first lettering job on the car too. None of it is show quality, or professional quality. But I'm pleased with the results, and I've got next to nothing invested in this build for money. Thousands of hours over the last two years, but I never count that part myself.
I have been interested in hot rods since I was 12 years old I have built a lot of cars from the ground up and have modified a lot of running cars, is it worth it?, when it comes time to slid in behind the wheel and drive your car down the road it is definitely worth it! That's why we do it, besides what would I do if I didn't do this, I don't golf and I don't want to, I don't fish and ain't going to sit in the house all day and watch TV. I try to stay active, I think it's worth it if nothing more than my sanity! HRP
Me.....danny, thats me. Is it worth it? YES, I drive mine an hour and a half each way on wednesday evenings to attend a cruise nite, because it's fun. It's not fun in my daily, or my wifes jeep, but my 36 is a blast. Regular folks walk by, they look at our stuff, some see magic, some see something unattainable, some wish they had the space, time, and money to do what we do. We're gods, people with special knowledge, nobody but us knows the shit we learned to get here, appreciate the thoughts of those walking by, yes it is worth it, if all you did was pour beer down your throat watching "your team", now in my opinion, thats time and money wasted. Here's a pic of perfection......just like yours, danny's, all of us on this board.
Its an odd thing this car building. Countless hours of being filthy, sweaty, burned, cut scraped and bruised. Paying in one form or another for the privilege of doing so. My friends and family often wonder why a man far beyond his prime would still immerse himself in what they consider lunacy. I just ignore them because any explanation would be futile. As long as I dont begin to question myself I am going to continue. Fact is I enjoy it. For four plus decades I produced similar efforts as an Iron Worker both structural and in the nuclear field. I was well compensated in both monies and profound life experiences. Now that I am retired my hobby shop keeps me feeling relevant if only to myself!
If you enjoyed fishing, but never really caught anything very big. Would you still fish. Yes. It`s the time spent in the great outdoors. Away from the pressure and worries of the the real world. Doing something you want to do. Bigger boat, more tackle, different lake or a different part of the day. All of this doesn`t matter if you enjoy fishing.
Ask yourself what part of the "hobby" you enjoy most. Some of us enjoy the chase of finding the hidden gem, building it and finishing it, but may sell them soon after, or let finished cars sit to start the next one. Some of us enjoy a finished car, driving around, going to shows etc. Of course theres blends of those 2 descriptions above. What you like now, may not be what you liked before.
everybody questions this shit at some point, admit it or not. you are probably your own worst critic as has been mentioned. The ability to blow off all that angst and concern ain't automatic. some guys can move past it easy, some can't. The one's that can compartmentalize the self-doubt and self-analysis that 's part of a project kinda have a leg up to a point. My background(wayyyy Back) is circle track, the best guys in those days had the ability to separate themselves from the emotional connection to the cars involved, the cars were just tools for the job, like everything else. I saw a lot of extraordinary craftsmanship treated this way ,by a lot of accomplished folks, builders and racers. Point being, you gotta find(for you) a comfortable point of disconnect to move forward and avoid the dreaded analysis paralysis" that can make you crazy. been there, done that.
My wife asked me one time if I really enjoyed doing these builds, since I am occasionally caught cussing at a particular part of the build. I told her the occasional frustration could never make up for all the other positive times when I stand back and smile at some part I just made.
ever time I take my merc out for a Ride I always get some body ask the Question What Color are you going to Paint it so now I start [play games uh mabey yellow with Black Racing stripes or some other bright color I am not sure but in the mean time I will keep Flat Black.! Just my 3.5 cents Live Learn & Die a Fool
Yes it is worth it to me, driving something I build is fun, road trips are fun, improving my skills is fun - having more than one hobby is fun, about the time I get tired of working on cars its winter and I go to my other hobby until spring when I'm raring to work on cars again - only you know what's fun for you, nobody can tell you - I try all kinds of things my friends say are fun but they are usually expensive dead ends...
I used to worry about it but now Im older I just say F@@k it, and get on with it . Cars to build and times a tickin . Remember , 99% of the critics arent qualified to wipe your dipstick and they will usually be driving boring soul less cars or worse still Teslas .. Keep at it and NEVER SURRENDER.
Perfect sucks, driver quality is Swell, paint it and where you see problems do "Primer Spots" like when we were kids and primer was Hep. Remember we were Hip when Hip was Hep! Give it your best shot and drive it. Here's my driver.
What's "worth it" to me is something/anything that will hold my interest, and motivate me to stay active. Cars have always filled that void for me, so yeah, it's worth it.
I'm not married, have no kids, dont hang out at the bars. Is hanging out in my shop making things worth it, hell yes it is. Keeps me kinda sane and happy, and theres nobody to be upset about it.
Is it worth it? Well, you enjoy working on them so. No, you will never get your money and sweat equity back but you are enjoying what you are doing. Think of it as a "Smiles per Miles" thing and not monetarily. As long as you have your health, have some spare cash, and enjoy doing it. Why question yourself. ENJOY your life. You worked to get where you are now.
I drove the 37 ford coupe around the block a few times today, the torque and loud exhaust and the 5- speed shifter, the confined feeling inside the coupe made it all worth it in spades.i am very happy to be able to crawl under the car and still able to get up again. And I have one of my grandson here to help me.Definitly worth it.
In my opinion it's always worth it! I do as much as possible on all my builds, and usually that meant getting them into primer, and then having someone else paint them, and someone do the interior. On my latest build I decided to take on the interior, and the paint job, as I am 71 and wanted to do one car all myself. Honestly the paint is a 10 footer, and interior is fairly decent. I even lettered it myself; another first for me. It all fits what I wanted for my '60's style gasser build, so that's OK. I'm a bit surprised at how much more attention my '39 Chev gets over other cars I've built and had nice professional paint jobs on them. Seems people are either kind, or a whole lot less critical than I am of my work. So I think it's well worth all the work we put into our builds.
These cars weren't flawless even when they were new.... The long departed guys who worked 6 days a week putting these cars together on the assembly line are looking down from that big break room in the sky and smiling at your efforts to save one of their creations. They don't care so much about sanding scratches or a bolt with a rounded off head.
The Jalopy Journal
