You ever tear into a running, driving vehicle and regret it?

I took my 57 F100 apart last Memorial day weekend to fix a cab corner and get some real paint on it. Family life stepped in the way and the truck sat apart until November when I finally put it back together, though threw it back "together" would probably better describe what actually happened, so I could get my other two cars in the garage for the winter. I recently have gotten back out in the garage and started working on it. In reality, it seems to me that it's more than likely never going to get that paint job that I'd like. I find myself wishing I had never taken it apart more and more lately. Yes it has a brand new harness in it, but that's not finished. Yes, it starts way easier than before thanks to a new starter, but there's no exhaust on it. Yes the cab corner finally got put on after five years, but I probably could have done that with the bed pulled back a bit, not taken completely off. A year ago this weekend, I was driving it and loving it. A year ago next weekend, I might have made a big mistake. Any of you ever done that?

 

From the looks of that sign in the back window , you really regret it , just take the sign out , take a breath , and just put it back together , work on it as you have time , and ride and enjoy it , no need for a fulll-on resto, just enjoy the truck , thats what it's all about in the first place....

 

you may regret it now, but will be thankful when it's done. JUST DO IT!

 

No, the sign was in there before I tore it apart. I feel what I was asking for it was extremely fair but I got zero interest in it. That's part of the reason I tore into it. You live and you learn, I guess.

 

Look at it this way.You have a complete truck,just needs your time.You have a garage to work on it in.The way the economy has hit people alot of guys have had to sell their projects and running cars and trucks just to stay afloat.Put the truck back together and enjoy it.What were you asking for the truck and had no interest?

 

I am in the same boat, about 6 weeks ago I bought new front shoes for my 55 Rocket 88, after putting them on I have had one problem after another with the brakes. so far I have had to rebuild the MC, replace wheel cylinders, new brakes hoses, 1 new brake line, new bearing and race on one side, turn the drums and buy a 2nd set of shoes because I did not do any of the previous things mentioned when I first started. Still have problems, car is on stands right now waiting on a new spring kit.

Live and learn

 

EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!
I took my perfect running 65 mustang apart because I got bored with it. It had nasty 351w in it and looked awesome. I wanted more awesome and a nastier motor. Now I have over $10k in it and over two years of head aches. Still having problems. I keep telling myself that I will get it right.

 

That's exactly why I haven't blown my 55 apart to do the floors. They're solid enough, just patched. I enjoy driving the car and the patched floors don't detract from that, so screw it.
That and the whole money thing.

 

Yep. One took 10 years to be back on the road and one ended up getting parted out. For now I stick to driving restorations.

 

It is a hard lesson to learn that is for sure. Heck it only took me 20 years to figure out. My Falcon is going on 3 years and my 56 is going on 3 months now so I am getting a bit worried. I limit myself to small projects only now and don't start anything till the last job is done. That is the key I think, getting too many jobs on the go and never getting anything finished.

 

Of course........NO FURTHER COMMENT.
"AND THE BOWTIE ROLLS ON"

 

Everything I own - the reason being it is never just the way I want it or just not good enough. Much of the time it is other people's crappy work where they have taken three times as long to fuck it up than it would have taken to do it right in the first place. Then it takes years to put back together - if at all. Have I learned anything from this? Well not exactly....

 

What you should do now is write a list of the items that you need to do to make it drive again and only what you need to make it drive. Do whatever you got to do. Once it drives you will feel better and more motivated.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

 

A problem I always have is if a coolant hose needs to be replaced I think&#8230;.. might as well replace the other hoses&#8230;. and that water pump is 30 years old&#8230;hate to get done and have a radiator leaking&#8230;you know that p/s pump has to come of anyhow&#8230;heck I am half way to the timing chain anyhow&#8230;.saw a cam that sounds like just the ticket&#8230;good time to repaint the engine&#8230;maybe just pull it and fix the trans front seal etc etc etc.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o> </o>

 

I just retired 6mos. ago and I'm finding all that time to get those projects at least started on. Its amazing how some of them get finished in no time at all. I guess the secret is to just get started on it and do what you can.

 

That's why I've set some rules on the Mercury I'm working on. No removing the front clip, and no pulling the engine. Those two things have always been the drop-off point for a long term garage residency, at least for me.

 

Ive got a 50 Dodge in the garage that I rendered half worthless because I wanted to swap out the Flatty. Then it just spiraled out of control from one thing to the next until I realized I didnt want to put that kind of $$ and effort in a old 4 door Dodge. Should of just enjoyed it as it was and sold it for a little cash when I was done. Oh well now I have a Drag project Dodge thats sitting in the yard getting "lighter" by the day...

 

Back in 72 right before H.S. graduation I bought a 57 Chevy 2-door sedan from my uncle. It was a running, driving car with very little rust - for $50!! It was a Powerglide car and I wanted to swap it to a stick-shift. I got the PG out, then could/did not find the correct bellhousing (locally). I scrounged most of the other parts including pedals, a 3-speed, a floor shifter and an alum bellhousing. I couldn't figure out any way to use that bell without the crossmember mounts... Soon the summer went by and I was off to college in late Aug. Before the next summer my dad made me get it out of the yard - so I gave it away, unfinished. I drove the car maybe 30 minutes the whole time I owned it. I learned then "if it aint broke, dont fix it".

 

If you have done this car deal for as long as I have it's bound to happen,,

I had an extremely nice original 1940 Ford DeLuxe sedan that I pulled the engine because a tri-5 guy had to have the engine and paid me good money,,the only problem is I never did get it back on the road and ended up selling it,,after it sat for several years,,,

It happens to a lot of people,,I hate to tear down a running driving car because I have first hand experience of what can happen when life gets in the way! HRP

 

That's sometimes how we learn this stuff; from doing it the wrong way first. After nearly 50 yrs. of fooling with cars I've pretty much made every mistake I could, and some of them twice. But now I look things over good and try to figure the best (easiest) way to accomplish it before tearing into it.
You'll be a lot happer once it's back to where it was, but with improvements!

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=471500

Here's the original ad, last bumped on 5/25/2010

 

you could put the bed on, put the front end on & the exhaust in one good long saturday - what's up with that?

 

Every damn time.............I've turned lots of runners into cadavers, and sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't.

 

I did the same thing, bought my car a started tearing it apart that afternoon, I have owned it, insured it and taged it for almost a year now, yet I have never driven it. Sad I know.
But Im really close to driving it now, I work on it as time allows and dont beat myself up anymore if I miss a few days. My neighbor bought a running driving 65 mustang, he wants to do a full restore on it, but he has no time and no tools. He ask me for my opinion on his idea, so I told him to leave it alone and enjoy it, do the things he could without making it non-drivable, you know body,trim,ect. But alway keep it a driver. He has taken my advice and is enjoying his car as often as he can, he even thanked me for the advice as he watches me day after day working on mine.
In short you have a running truck, spend a few hours getting it road worthy and enjoy it.
Do what needs to be done until you can do what you want to.

Be thankful for what you have, alot of people out there will never have what you do.
MrC.

My father-in law would kick you in the butt, and tell you to finish what you started son!
And you would be happy you listened.

 

yep, been there done that. decided to install a new cam for a bit more bottom in the tow rig and about a year later the new engine, tranny and clutch were installed. Why I took the interior out is beyond me.. (still don't have the dash and door panels back in yet) Funny how a $500 upgrade snowballed in to close to $8000 and my wife just stares at me and shakes her head.

 

Alot of people like to tear into a good project and if you're gonna do one yourself that's the way to go but, me personally, I like to enjoy mine as I build them. Just remember, if you're low on cash for projects it's not smart to tear into one like that because chances are, it won't go back together.

 

Meh, I've had dailys that i worked on her and there, they always left me longing to tear them apart for some reason or another. Now I've got one in the garage and I try to do at least 1 thing a day on it, any progress is better than watching TV. Start with a small section and FINISH it, then do another. The finished part gives you a great feeling and motivates you to do another IMO. Keep your dream alive.

 

I only tear into one car at a time. I don't start another until the first one is done.

 

I think you might have missed the part about the family life. I don't remember the last time I had a "good long Saturday", I have a 4 year old, a 2 year old and a pregnant wife that, after chasing the boys around while I'm at work all week, doesn't want to be left alone with them all day on her day off either. It's not the work, it's the lack of time that makes me wish I hadn't started. The bed and the front end are both back on. However, the wiring needs to be finished and made to look clean, a new tranny cooler and lines, gauges, and redesign of the tailights. Way more than a long Saturday would take care of.

 

That is actually why I bought my T bucket. It was brand new and fully built. All I had to do was small personal changes like valve covers etc. Nothing major. I like to fabricate stuff but when you cut the bottom our of a car and rebuild everything it takes hundreds of hours not to mention you lose the drive to work on it after a couple years.

I think the biggest culprit is people don't estimate the down time properly. You think, ah it will only take a day or two. Four months later and a bazillion hours of fabricating you finally get it down.