Art & Inspiration What percentage of builds on the HAMB get finished?

I just went through all my watched threads and "unwatched" a bunch of them. A lot of them are build threads that just never got finished. It got me to wondering about what percentage of build threads on here actually get completed. I'm guessing less than 50 percent. What do you think?

 

I finish 90% of my projects. I sold the Riviera a couple years ago when we bought the DeSoto, knowing I wasn't really interested in it and wanted to focus on the wagon. Besides that one, the only project I've ever bailed on was a '47 GMC pickup 40 years ago. I do have one "on hiatus" but the T'bird will get done. Unless I buy my friends '62 Impala Sport Coupe with a 454...

 

I’m not sure, I know that a lot of builds get sold before they’re finished.
I think that it’s way less than 50% that get finished by the guy who started them.

I finished my RPU, and I’m enjoying it.

 

Lol. I just "unwatched" the Riviera build.

Like you, I finish most of mine. I did bail on a 64 Catalina a few years back but that is the only one I didn't finish.

 

100%. The next question is: When ?

 

I have had projects that took 20 or 30 years to finish, but they did get finished. So a time limit may be required to put things in perspective.

 

I guess it depends on how you define finished. Most all of mine get to the driving stage but some never get the paint job or full upholstery that I envisioned. Sometimes they get sold and sometimes I'm too busy driving them. Often, it's because paint and upholstery are not things I do myself and I hate farming stuff out only to be disappointed by delays or crappy work.

 

Yes finish and time is subjective .

 

That's why I never start a build thread, you just never know about me....

 

I've sold a few basketcases....I think I'm around 75% for my stuff getting done.

 

I'm in the process of increasing that number as we speak.

 

Are ya looking for a commitment, before starting a build thread.
It's a hobby, enjoy the ride.

 

7

 

I think life’s moments dictate what gets finished or moved on and when.
I generally finish what I start ,always have trouble moving things on thinking I’m gonna live til 200, then along comes a health problem that rattled your chains beyond anything in the past and bingo!, time to move some things/projects as on reflection they just don’t matter to me so much.
Bummer is , it was never going to happen to me!

 

I'm just talking about closure....as in, this is it. I'm done.

 

I never hold any expectations to those who give their best at doing a build Thread and if things should go south so to speak I'm certainly not going to make a Thread to call them out. Thanks for trying is my best thoughts to those that have not succeeded in what is a hell of a mountain to climb. As @Barrelnose pickup pointed out life has many unknown curve balls...

 

I'm not dead yet.

 

With me, even when I think they are done they are never actually ever done. It seems that there is always something that I think of later or change.

 

The only project I ever bailed on was a '54 Airstream trailer. Do you have any idea how many rivets are in one of those?

 

I have a 64, luckily my sheet metal is great, but still plenty to do.

 

There's only three (3) projects in 45yrs that I've not completed. A 1930 Desoto was sold to a restorer, an OT car (Thunderbird) was fully rebuilt (RHD conversion, trim etc) and sold to an old friend's son. 20yrs later it's STILL sitting 'As sold'. Another OT car (XJ Jaguar) was a ground up rebuild and sold only required trimming. My current 46 Olds will be my swansong build.

 

I just sold my first uncompleted project this year , an off topic land speed race car , due to forced early retirement due to an incurable form of cancer and a 7 month battle with long haul covid complications. The body shell ment nothing to me because of it being a late model , the heads for the engine and the rearend are going to a good friend, along with seat belts and some other odds and ends .

 

Out of three builds in my fairly long lifetime I have only sold one and it was pretty much done....as least it was as far as I wanted to take it. I bought it from a guy in Wichita KS and did a lot to it that didn't show. I'd bought it for the wife but she lost interest (as did I), the guy that bought it, in turn sold it to his brother and in turn to a nephew, I guess it was rated in the top 25 at the KKOA, the young man that ended up with it finished it very nicely.

 

Got mine on the road before posting the build, got enough conflicting stuff in my own head, no need for outside interference. Have built some things over the years, all to a drivable stage, all but the 62 unibody are unwelcome here. Nothing is ever really “finished “ .

 

In my house I only have space, time, and money to do them one at a time. So one has to go away before I can consider starting on another one. I been down the road with multiple cars being worked on at the same time and you get spread too thin money and time wise so I stick to doing mine one at a time now. Only took me 8 years on the current one!

 

Depends on what you call finished. My only interest is in the build. To me, running and driving is finished. When said vehicle does those things (in the way I envisioned), I'm finished with it. Anything after that is boring to me. I have zero interest in the maintenance side. I view my hotrod as nothing more than a rolling parts storage bin. When I want to build something different, it gets dismantled to make room for the next one.

 

I won't post a build thread because everytime I get one 90% finished, I quit or sell it.

 

Finished means, "I have done all I'm going to do to this car and now I'm going to drive it."

I had lots of build threads marked where someone started on an interesting build, worked on it a little while and never replied to the thread again. If you're not going to finish the build, at least say, "circumstances have dictated that I abandon this project." No hard feelings from me or anyone else.

 

Are they ever really finished? There's always things to fix or change. If you say it's finished that just means you've given up working on it...

 

Some people ~cheat and post a build thread after their car is done.

My guess is that 17% of HAMB build threads don't sputter out.