Projects Be Honest with yourself : Do You care if it ever runs?

I've also done the drive it as you work on it thing. It was great for my first build but no matter what the next step was, I always felt myself making excuses for it. "Someday I'm going to finish this part" or "yeah, thats broken but I have plans for it". I always found the flaws. And to tear it down completely in order to finish it was going to be a pain in the ass. I decided the next one and all after were going to be completely finished before they see the road. So if it takes 5 years for me to come up with everything I want to do to it, so be it. Far less hassle than doing things twice.

 

There is something to be said about the first time you pull your project out of the garage under its own power... Sure, it's not done and the brakes don't really work and you have four mismatched rims with bald tires that will not hold air for more then a few minutes. Think about it...finally it moves with out your buddies pushing it in and out of the garage. For me that lights a fire under my ass to make it a driver really quick. For some reason I always sell once my project becomes a driver. I honestly never finished a project. From the sounds of it nobody has ever finished a "project."

 

You live in Texas, you can drive your car year around. Up here in the frozen north, we have 3 months every winter we can't drive our cars. If you are prepared a guy can do a lot of things in 3 months, and not miss any decent driving time. I drive mine when its nice, fix, repair or improve it every winter. Gene

 

I'm in no hurry on my projects... I enjoy the design aspect and the build process more than the driving... I've had my 33 for 39 years and it's been done since 91 and some years I don't even get it out but I spend a lot of time on my 57 Ranchero and 27 Roadster projects
and I often wonder how much they will get driven... Every time I take the 33 out I enjoy driving it and it helps me focus on the finer aspects of my 27 so I don't have things I would have done differantly

 

Oh yeah I care, I alway's end up selling before I finish because it doesn't run. I think I'm going full roller this next one, so it will see the road alot sooner. All the cars I've owned that are drivers have always been way more fun than the dead projects!

 

if Dr. F was a true hot rodder, he would add a little "filler" from her backside, and maybe mount a pair on her back. [for slow dancing]

 

My 56 has not been on the road in a very long time and I dream of the day I can drive it. That day will come!!!!!! I just need a place to work on it for thing!!!

 

Nothing like the first time out of the driveway! Or in Bob's case out of the basement

 

I don't have enough room to start a museum. If it can't move on it's own, it's just something else for me to trip on.

 

For those of us who are older and realize that the clock is ticking it appears that it is important to git her done. I used to be the manic perfectionist and everything had to be taken to the nth degree in the pursuit of art. Nowadays I would rather be driving than chasing perfection. Show car builds leave me cold, so simple, clean, well built and running work for me. My projects and parts that will never get finished are going to be up for sale. The dreams are over and I want to be able to jump in and go. I heart hot rod road trips....

 

If I didn't care if my projects ever ran I wouldn't spend so much time in the garage,,heck,stamp collecting would be a better hobby for anyone that don't care if they ever get to drive that project. HRP

 

Short term or long term goal is to finish and drive em........but i enjoy the collecting......building, and I guess you could say the journey as much as the destination.........when you head out for a swap meet or event isn't it better to take the scenic route and enjoy the drive......sort of like the build mode......enjoy the process.........I really could give a crap about showing up at a show to sit around and think about winning a plaque or trophy...not my thing.......build and drive is the hot rodder in me. JMO

 

If you mean do you care if it ever gets to be fired up, i'd say no if my circumstances were different.

I'd dearly love the space so i could do a complete build mostly myself and have a long term project slowly over the years getting done. No rush to finish or be driven. Maybe the sort of thing i'd like to do when i retire from work.

All my projects have been built to time constraints as i've only ever had one car and most of them are built over the winter period ready for the shows. I'd like to be in the position where i could slowly tinker through a build and always have something in the garage to mess with. Only problem with that is i'd need another finished turn key car to cruise. So before having the long term project i'd have to build said car beforehand.

One day, you never know, a guys allowed to dream

 

i always make mine run and drive before tear down,ten i know it is possible to do after it gets put back together.right now i have a 56 premiere blown apart.in the body shop[10 months]got lots of chrome done,interior in the works,glass replacement ready.then my wife says what if it blows up!No they gotta run!

 

I really enjoy working on my and if I need a nudge, Mine is able to fire with open headers at any minute. Just hearing it run keeps me going

 

It took me 4 years to get my ot Maverick to be a driver, and that was with used tires and mismatched paint with rusty bumpers. I was just as proud of it as a guy with a $100,000 show car. Why? Because I did it my way. It is the first car that I have ever finished, everything before either got sold or traded for the next project. Some went for lack of interest, some went for lack of funds. This is the only one I have ever gotten to drive, and I do regularly. It's the hot rod I couldn't afford in high school. The 36 truck I'm working on will be a lot more work than the Maverick was. It will take just as long or maybe even longer. But I'm looking forward to the day I can peer thru the chopped windsheild and hit the highway. I drive for a living, but that's not the same as driving something that you put together with your own hands.

 

not an option.

 

I think a lot of it has to do with how many cars you have and if you have one driver out of all of them. I only have one car, so I can't enjoy driving a hot rod until it's done. I've been pushing all winter to get mine back on the road!

 

Sounds like my Falcon. Was walking by the back of it a while ago, and happened to look at the tag on the plate, thought "WTF? TEN years?? That CANT be right!"

 

Im going on the 4th year for my 55 . Just got the motor mounts in so i could mock up the underhood stuff last week . the last two summers life has really gotten in the way and i wasnt able to work on it at all.... hopefully ,HOPEFULLY , this is the year.

 

Just so I can sell it and start the next one. You know, the one you're not going to sell.

 

Hell yes i care if it run's, otherwise what's the use..

 

Do not let your garage become the place where dreams go to die!
Do something on it everyd day, even if its only planning the next piece.
At least get it running - if it won't smoke the tires, at least make some smoke come out the tail pipe(s)....and brakes, make sure ya got brakes!

 

I have three out of my collection of junk that I see just that way; they are just big toys that seldom see the light of day and I just piddle on them not caring if I ever drive them or if anyone ever sees them but me.

 

FINALLY! I knew there had to be someone else out there with the same outlook I have. If I block the electrical related parts of the build out of my mind I'm happy and can continue on. I asked one F---ing electrical realate question a few days ago and it really got me depressed. Did some metal work tonight,and I feel better now. Bob

 

Starting on a project car and not caring if it runs, is like having sex with a super model with your cloths on, What the freakin point of doing?

 

I usually rush it to run, flog it until it breaks,repeat steps 1 and 2 Enjoy!

 

I can't imagine putting as much effort as it takes to build a decent ride knowing that it will never run.

 

I can't afford to fuss over the small details so I like to tackle little pieces at a time while keeping it up and running when its nice enough out to drive! But when there is no end in sight I can get overwhelmed!

 

What I understand even less than not finishing them is the guy that has finished cars and never ever drives them - just sits and stares at them in the garage. I have a friend like that with a bitchin' collection of cars that people would kill for, and a stock '40 Ford de Luxe Coupe which is the best anyone has ever seen - so bitchin' that the only time he ever took it out in the past 20 years it won best of Show at Forty Ford Day. He has a cherry all steel 1934 Ford three window hot rod which was built by an aircraft engineer in the early 1950s and that has been a project since 1997 - not finished and I suspect he doesn't really care. He won't drive it if it ever gets finished. These are just a couple of his collection and while he is the nicest guy on the world and would go out of his way to help you, I just do not understand why he never drives any of them.