Projects So... Whos actively building a project as they're actively unemployed?

This country is F***ed up I think. We don't spend enough time caring for our own. we worry to much about others and not about Americans.

 

I am trying to build my 51 but money is tight..its easier to pay attention to details when u dont have a bunch of shiney chrome to install.

 

yep, the state is paying for a free clinic on a bus here for undocumented aliens (illegals) yet i can't even go to the doctor, and they want to screw with my wife on disability. (real disability, not i sprained my pinky stuff) i'm going to try to go out and work on some wiring in the car tonight at least, just pissed off and depressed and mad all at once.

 

there is nothing here at all, I've looked believe me. I wasn't making much more then that as a machinist making and assembling airplane parts. I'm really not spending much money on the car,just doing stuff i can finish up for free. I spent ten bucks on a minivan harness from the junkyard,stripped it, and built a bunch or wiring harnesses with it. thats a good idea if you are wiring your ride, i started a thread on it, late model high quality wire for cheap.

 

i have about $200 out of pocket cash in my car.everything else was either traded parts for parts or labor for parts or sold stuff on e-bay to buy parts.it took alot more time than i wanted but im pretty happy with it so far. family always ask what i want for x-mas and b-days .i always say gift card.....

 

I have been unemployed since july, but Im lucky to have a little side work and a cool girlfriend to help me stay above water. i just started on my f100 this week Im going to rebuild engine, trans, suspension, and re do the interior.
When Iam finished I will put up a build thread keep a look out and let me no what ya think.

Good luck to all the out of work Americans out there.

 

I'm luckely employed right now ...... but remember when I was out for 5/6 months ..... no fun. I feel for all that are in search of.

I'm with Kerry67 ...... "This country is F***ed up I think. We don't spend enough time caring for our own. we worry to much about others and not about Americans."

Good luck on ya'lls quest for work. I feel your pain.

Paco

 

Right, I don't want to come across as too political or anything but that is just plain wrong, yet there is not a damn thing we can do about it and it certainly will not change for a LONG time.

 

Yep, got laid off the last day of June and been on unemployment ever since. It really sucks but it's better than nothing. The oil/gas field just went to shit about the time Obama got elected and never recovered, yet. I'm not trying to be political and I don't hate Obama but with all the billions that the wall street boys got, they could have spent that money a lot smarter. Along with loosing my job, I lost my insurance and now have to decide which meds to buy and which ones to do without. It really sucks when this crap happens and it's not your fault and there's nothing you can do about it.

The only thing you can do is not let it get you down. I guess the good thing about being on the bottom is that there is only one way out...up!!

Good luck to everyone....things will get better!!.....Rick

 

Man, There's alot of guys out of work here. I have been working construction for 35 years without a significant lay off,until July 31st when they cut our work force. Rumor has it we will man up again in October.
I'm working on a Model A project that has a ton of suspension and metal work to do,and I already have most of the parts. So I'll be working on that.



I sold two of my cars and a bunch of my parts stash last month to buy a '32 coupe.I'm going to do a teardown on the motor,but will probably have to hold off on spending too much till I return to work. I'm not going to complain though,I've got unemployment and 6 months medical insurance from my union. (And some cool stuff to wrench on while I'm off.)


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=399544&highlight=another+32+5w

 

I work in a construction related business as well. The problem here in Phoenix is that it was overbuilt. Why build another strip mall when there are 150 of them sitting vacant across the valley ? Why build another house when there are so many vacant housing developments? Why build another office complex when there is over 3 MILLION square feet of vacant right now ? I think it will be a LONG time before construction comes back. At least around here. I hope I am wrong though....

 

You are absolutely right Kerry. We finished a high rise shell, but no interior work or tenant improvement till this thing turns around.We have schools and military base work up here that's starting to pick up.

 

Ive been unemployed longer than I would like to admit. Last winter I tore my roadster apart and rebuilt it bolt by bolt. I had a strict budget and only spent cash when i had cash coming in. I also asked for a lot of favors to be returned and bartered quite a bit. The free time gave me alot of "me" time, time for me to polish parts, paint parts, fix parts....stuff that normally would get passed over due to lack of time. The only thing i didnt do was take step by step pics!
this is the best i can show
last year

this year...

 

I have heard that if you are unemployed, looking for a job should BECOME your job until you find one, meaning 8 hours/day are spent making calls, scouring ads, etc.

 

oh to the guy who couldn't understand why we are working on "toys" when unemployed, it keeps you from going nuts is why. have to keep busy and keep your mind off the worry and the bills somehow. you have to spend time looking for a job but have to get rid of the frustration somehow

 

Maybe so, but the word is that for every job opening, there's 6 people looking. So it's kinda like musical chairs.

 

rgaller. GFY and have a nice day.

 

I was unemployed for most of last year and I am under-employed now.

I will share two things I learned:

1) Having a project, a creative outlet is very healthy. Maybe you have to slow down, but like others have said try to keep plugging, enjoy the time and work on the parts that maybe aren't cash-intensive.

2) Don't get buried in bills. I found it easy to spend money when I had idle time. Now I wish I'd been a bit more frugal, the crappy economy is crappier and longer than I expected and I wish I didn't have the debt right now.

--steve

 

wow... just wow... maybe learn how to troll better??

whoever told you that is an ignorant dumbass. the state knows full well a person cannot look for work 8hrs /day, 5 days a week, nor are they expected to.... dont be so obtuse, educate yourself on labor laws/benefits before regurgitating someone elses failed information.

here is your first lesson... in order to get unemployment, you have to contribute to it. now, GFY noob.

 

just to clarify..that $700 Billion to Wall St. was W's administration, in their opinion it was money well spent, I guess...I can't agree
As Rick stated..good luck to everyone...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Economic_Stabilization_Act_of_2008

 

rgaller, go fuck yourself!!!!! I've been out of work since July 2008. I have went on more interviews than I can count and for every job I apply for, their are about 400 other people applying for the same job (per a human resources person I spoke with). I'd like to see you get out here and try it buster! If I didn't have my family and my cars to keep me busy, I would be 6ft under by now because that's how low you can get when you get rejected so many times. I had a good 5 hour interview yesterday which I hope comes through but you need to get your head out of your ass! I hope you get laid off and then we'll see what tune you're singing after a year living on unemployment. Nuff said!

Rick Berrong

 

I'm a young business owner, too...and lucky enough to be in a line of work where business is booming. However, while I do share your idealistic sentiment, thinking it and doing it are two different things. I'm sure a lot of people start out like that, but the longer you go, the worse you feel. There's such a thing as hitting the pavement *too* hard. Everyone needs a release, so doing what a lot of guys here are doing is a healthy thing. If they're sitting on their ass and not looking *period*, then that's their own problem.

*VERY* true, but try, try again! It's also region specific, as I know of at least 2 or 3 places around here that are looking for people, Panera and McDonalds.....neither of which are below me to work at, as I make my ass fatter at each of those several times a week. I'd get FREE food. Back home in TN, the story is much different.

Dude, you may not like what he said, but stop dragging your knuckles long enough to put the kid in his place with more than an acronym. He's just too idealistic and hasn't walked a mile in these guys' shoes.

I see his side, and yours. I wouldn't do *just* what the state said I should do, as the state is not my nanny. You do what you can, when you can, to the best of your ability....the law be damned. If you can only do less, you should do that; if you can do more, you should do that. Some can hit it that long, some can't, neither is wrong. Only accepting an unfortunate state as permanent is failing, in my book. I'd probably hit it that hard at the beginning, but based upon how things were, I'd pull back if things were proving to be just hitting my head against a wall. He's wrong for saying everyone should follow his idealistic sentiment, you're wrong for telling him to slide by according to the law, telling him to GFY.


All that crap aside, I'm glad to see that all of you guys out of work are doing such cool stuff. It *really* is a testament to your work ethic.

 

HEY I said have a nice day didnt I.
Why would you try and save his "idealistic veiw" in a depression?..
Your post is LAME. Have a nice day,from the knuckle dragger.

 

Wholly moley, I step away for a few interviews and this thing goes nuts. Valid points regarding employment and the countries fiscal crisis from both sides of the fence, but this thread was essentially about affording a project when a regular source of income slows up a bit. Anyone else have any suggestions on CHEAP projects that don'trequire major cash outlay?

If we can't get back on topic, mods please shut er' down....

 

Great Car......

 

laid of for now 6 months moving along nicely on the 56....

 

Well, it was Dr. Phil who proclaimed what rgaller put in his post. I give a shit less about Dr. Phil.

The nationwide average is 6 people unemployed for every job available. It was stated on CNN, MSN news, Fox, HLnews, CBS, NBC, etc....

In my hometown (pop. <3500) it is about 30% unemployed. By next Spring, two more businesses will have left....maybe three. That has been submitted to the city council already. The Moose lodge, the VFW, and just today the American Legion have shut their doors. I'm on 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off, and am employee number 13 out of what was about 150 just last year. After November it will get worse. Before you know it, there'll be 150 machinists, welders, and assemblers all fighting for a job at the local McDonalds.

OK, back on topic, I'm still plugging away....finished stripping down to bare frame the F1, and am now stripping down the Fairlane. As I mentioned before, Disassembly doesn't cost much.....spotweld drillbits, and a few grinding discs are about it, lol.

 

I've been unemplyed for 3 years. Injured my shoulder AT WORK (don't rely on workmans comp). After 2 major surjuries and 2 1/2 years, I was able to go back to work. Guess what, my shop I worked at for for the last 15 years closed the doors after 47 years. I have been fortunate enough to be able to build a few nice rides and sell them for good $$$$ to keep going.
This is in Michigan where half the state is unemployed. Thank god for Ebay because every car I sold went out of state.

 

The kid was just trying to say, in not-so-sensitive terms, that if you're not looking, in whatever maximum capacity you're able, then you're goofing off. My point was that you can do both, look hard and work hard on your hobby.

Depression my ass. I'll leave you to your kool-aid and cookies. My post was only as lame as your avatar.

 

I think we all agree, you look for a job, you re-skill if you have to, can or want to and you keep your sanity by working on your project(s).

I've dropped my own project in favor of a low buck project hot rod for my son, we're using parts we have laying around or get for free (free motor and trans) and sell extra parts when we have to to buy the pieces we can't make, takes a lot of time this way of which I have enough but we come up with some very nice solutions to problems that we would otherwise have bought our way out of.

There seems to be quite a bit of work out there, not as much as there once was, but still quite a bit, problem is it often requires skills many of us don't have and can't easily acquire. Anyone with Web2.0, marketing, sales, radar, military or aviation experience can find a job in these parts (Dallas, TX) pretty easily.