Life's what happens when you're busy making plans or why my car will never be done

I've been a member of the HAMB for a long time, just over 7 years. In that time, I've seen a lot of projects from beginning to end. Shortly after I joined, I got a '53 chevy wagon. It was a running, driving, stock car, but turned out to be a bondo bucket. I stripped it down, replaced the 235 with a small block and put a camaro rear end in it. I fixed a bunch of the rust, replaced the glass that was bad including all the rubber and rewired it. Unfortunately, I haven't done much on it in almost two years. My build thread is here:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279517&highlight=wayfarer+wagon

I always thought i could build this thing and haul my family to shows along with all of our camping gear. Recently, I've come to realize that I will probably never finish this car. I've always worked with kids, so I went back to school to get my teacher certification last year. Between working, coaching and school I let the car sit. Then, last May, I found out we were having our first kid and I thought I could get it on the road before she came. Still haven't touched it. Between the time constraints and money constraints of tuition and reduced work hours, I'm stuck.
I was counting on my Dad to give me a hand on most of the stuff with the car, but he's got rhumatoid arthritis to the point he can't do hardly anything physical anymore. This may also cause them to sell their house and the shop I have to work in since he can't take care of the yard anymore.
Sorry to vent, but has anyone else ever come to the realization that it just wasn't going to happen?

 

Its a shame your not closer I've got an empty stall in the shop you would certainly be welcome too

 

yeap just not happening time and $$$ to short these days I have a non hamb friendly low rider budget driver. And am cleaning the older stuff out in the spring. Gave my 53 Plymouth to my 16 year old son because thats the time of my life when I had time and extra $$$ so he has a few years to build it with dads help and free room and board.

 

never? how do you know? keep at it

 

Well, I do have at least one award for "longest time unfinished" so you may have a ways to go to top me. Just remember that if it is tucked away waiting to be worked on you don't have to feed it or carry water to it. Life has gotten in the way of my projects so many times I lost count but then then I get a blast of enthusiasm and a bit of extra cash and things start to happen.

 

Hang in there,,I've been here on the Hamb a little bit longer than you and my wagon project ground to a halt for 3 years,,I had a couple of false starts and several set backs,

I too dreamed of the day we could take my wife's mom & dad for a ride in the wagon that they once owned,,they both have passed away during this never ending build so that ain't gonna happen.

Just because you don't have the time,money,energy or enthusiasm for the project now doesn't mean things won't smooth out in the future.

Don't forget that dream of hauling your family around in that wagon and going camping,,sometimes our dreams are the only thing that keeps us sane!. HRP

 

I feel that way about my '52 Chevy pickup project from time to time but I'm too pig headed to give it up.
I've had my folks, my wife, my sister, and my friends tell me to just junk it. Not gonna happen.
Will you regret getting rid of it? If so, let it set until you can get around to it. If you won't miss it, give it up. You can always find something at a later date.

 

Oh, yeah. I've built numerous Harleys in the last 30 years, but never finished a hot rod build, despite many starts. And I really want a hot rod.
Well, guess what? I have gathered enough parts lately for 2 Model A projects. My best friend is 34, a welder, and new to hot rods. He has so much enthusiasm for this stuff!
I have never given up on getting it done. It may never happen. But I can dream. You can too.

 

wayfarer....Keep at it ,,maybe when your daughter is grown up ,gets married and has kids ,you will show up at her doorstep and be Grandpa taking the grand kids for ice cream in that old car you didn't have time for today !!!!!!!!!

 

Hang in there, life has it's ups and downs. Family always comes first and free time can be hard to come by with a little one crawling about. Most of the guys I know including myself have had to sideline activities for years at a time because of work, family, health etc. But thats normal. Take satisfaction in that you have the talent and skills to build a car, many people don't.

Sorry to hear about your pops. My dads nearing 90 and pretty darn healthy. Can't work much on cars anymore either but he sure can be a source of inspiration for me.

 

I have NEVER come to any realisation that a project wasn't going to happen....I don't allow myself to think that way.

You need to chip away at it. Do half hour a night, every night.

 

I feel for you---it's tough when you've put a lot of yourself into a project and are afraid you won't be able to finish/see it finished.

I'd say if you still really dig the car---keep it.

Bear in mind you'll need to have someplace safe (dry) to store it until you can resume your build. (I know this because I saw the results of a college buddy's MGA stored in a dirt floor garage in Northeast Ohio for a number of years before he could "get to it".)

Pretty much red dust when he got to it...sad.

You can sell it....but remember this. Any decent vintage tin just keeps appreciating and if you want to get back in 5-10 years from now the entry fee will be substantially higher.

I had to pass on a really nice chopped and channeled 29 A Coupe (348, trips, 4 speed) when I was in high school because I couldn't come up with $400. It bothers me to this day.

 

Never,never,never,never,never,never,never,never,never,never,never,never,never give up! Winston Churchill said that...

 

Does your school have an auto shop class?

 

There has been some pretty good advice here. I can only add that my experience has taught me that hobbies (which our cars are) come last on the priority list. But they are as important to have as any other aspect of our life. Just keep doing your best. Enthusiasm ebbs and flows, but life is long. Not all decisions have to be made right now. Keep your project and try to get to it when you can, and more importantly, when you want. Good luck and please know that a lot of us share a very similar dilemma. Aloha

 

KEEP THE CAR! So what if you never finish it, its a hobby you need to have a project. I'm almost 60 and won't see any of my projects finished, but I sure love the hobby. Stop saying "Next Year" it will be gone in 12 months and you'll just be repeting yourself, enjoy life, congratulations on the new one on the way and Merry Christmas!

 

Don't give up hope, Wayfarer . There are a lot of projects that have taken a lot longer ...

 

I have been working on my 53 off and on since 1988. It's getting closer. Maybe someday.

 

That thing looks almost done.... Put a cover over it and save yourself the chase of getting another one later!!!! Your gonna have a little one runnin around wanting to help you on that car in a couple years!!!

 

How's that T comin' Wayne?

You are right though. You have to really want it and keep plugging. It doesn't have to cost a lot.


Keep at it

 

I am with you in feeling as though your project will never be finished. I have a 60 rambler wagon that's getting more pathetic as it sits in storage... rotting away. Been there for 5 years now. It's got some severe rust issues in the front frame... and I can't seem to find anyone willing to tackle the job. Just can't seem to let the car go, either. Maybe someday...

 

You've done lot of work to it, and it don't really look like its that far from being drivable, If you still feel the passion for it hang on to it, in-till the time and money are right.

T.

 

My Chevy has been in body and paint for 6 years.....I am still gonna get it done. I have been DYING without it so I will not give up!! You will find a way to make it happen if you want it bad enough.

 

Thanks guys, the car is safely tucked away in my garage, so it'll stay in the shape it's in. The worst part is that it's so close to being on the road, but I just can't get the time to finish it. I have all of the tubing to build my own exhaust system tucked into my attic and I haven't even got to that. The fact that it's more a time thing than a money thing makes it worse. I just want to be able to drive it. I start student teaching on January 3rd, so at least I won't have to go to class anymore on top of everything else, but the baby's due on January 20th.

 

Hmmm, My baby was just born on January 19, 1990. And the 53 project put on the "back shelf" at around the same time. We just pulled it out and got it running (although not very good) a couple of weeks ago. VERY glad I didn't get rid of it!
Paul

 

Two important things to consider. One, never give up on the project. No matter how long it takes, finsih it. Second, and most important, don't let an inatimate object, a THING, ever get in the way of life, marriage, kids, etc. Make it a part of all of them if possible. But in the end, it's just a car, or an airplane, or a boat, or whatever. see to the affiars of life first, and things will go well for you.
I bought my Dart project for my wife t run, back in 1992 from a guy I met at the Mopar Nat's. I was going to set it up for her with a /6 for that race series. I was racing a turbo nitrous funnybike at the time. Well, life got in the way. Kids, jobs, etc. But I just set it back and waited. The funnybike's gone, the kids grown, and last year we made great progress on the Dart, but with a new focus, building a nostalgia doorslammer funny car. Life got in the way again, job changes, etc. Now again, this year we are really pushing to have it finished for an event in August of '11. The /6 that I built? I'm building a roadster for my eldest granddaughter to drive. Mid engined, like my avatar. Point is, don't quit, don't sell, don't give up; finish what you start...

 

How do you eat an Elephant? start with just one bite.

 

Do your best to keep it. Bought my 40 in 1963 and stored it at various places until 1973 at which time I decided to restore it. That took 15 more years - until 1988.

 

To me, the math on any car or bike project looks like this:

Time + place + tools + money = completed project.

Life can get in the way of any one and stall your project.

I try and look at it as a stall, not a roadblock.

 

Hang in there, sometimes you hit roadblocks like this, not everyone is a full time builder. I built 2 cars in a 4 year period, sold one to finance my next one and then hit a similar wall. I haven't done much on mine the past year with everything going on, but I still have it. It's not costing me anything to sit, I will get back to it...and so will you.