O/T Spitfire blew a tyre.... I'll pull over and change it then.... Lorry tyre part that ripped mine to shreds had also pointed out a flaw in the 'restoration' work the previuos owner had done for him(my bro-in-law). Arch was totalled.... Trim that back - new rear wing... what's that smoking? Entire p-side cill was rolled up newspaper (soaked in oil no less!) and plod Floorpans, cills and a shedload of other body fices later I still have to get that rear arch done 64 Fairlane Wagon - 'bubbles here n there' apparently. No a-post and major bulkhead holes later it still sits in a corner and awaits my vengeance Gotta love that 'there - it's done right' feeling though.
Same thing here in OZ... In 1989 I pulled my 72 Satellite off the road to replace the stone chipped windscreen, I found a rust spot in the firewall & using a wire brush on an angle grinder I found a 1/2" of Bondo sculptured firewall. Car is still off the road but has been totally rebuilt front to back !!
"Can you adjust the play out my stering box?". A 40 Packard. After a new center link, tie rod ends, pins and bushings, alignment, brake inspection and adjustment, it steered like power steering. Oh shit I just remembered, I never did adjust the steering box! Love it or hate it, these things are like old plumbing in an old house. Sometimes ya might as well start at the water meter! Knowing that you just go for it, but I get more upset with DD repairs and dumb shit like every time you drop something it falls to the center of the car and you have to lay on the ground like an old whore to reach it.
You should be doing this for a living. Then you get to try and explain to your customer why a simple change can turn into a major project and $$$. I had a 36 Plymouth come in, had a Mustang II another shop had installed. Guy wanted to swap the power rack for a manual, didn't like the lack of road feel. Simple, right? Swap the rack, change the u-joint and drop off the pump, 2 hours max. Other shop had moved the rack 2" over so they could fit the shaft around the exhaust manifold they had used. Cut and butt welded the tie rod shafts to make it work! Customer thought I was trying to rip him off when I told him we have to relocate the rack and change the exhaust. He ended up taking it back to the shop the did the install to start with, they convinced him there was nothing wrong with how they did it!
Unless you're one of those people that writes a check for your car, ( yea, I know ) there's a term that applies to this act. It's called experience. And when you have gained enough of it, these little problems either cease to exist or become a whole lot smaller.
It's all in the decisions. I have an OT Mustang that needed tires. But it had 4 lug wheels! Before you know it I've got a different junkyard steering box, all the front end steering components, yard upgrade spindles and brakes, yard 8" rear, rebuilt brakes all around, a dual pot master cylinder, a new (really new on this one, not just yard parts) driveshaft, a T5, a 289 instead of the old 6 cylinder, new radiator, carb and all the associated stuff, plus a scattershield and clutch parts because I wanted a larger flywheel too! Oh, and I did get those 5 lug wheels and a new set of rubber too. Mike
Yep, just going to redo the rockers... now I'm into a 2.5 year build and no end in sight. Too dumb to quit.
Thats how it always happens. My car is apart right now too. Vacuuming the carpets and cleaning my interior a couple months ago has somehow turned into a new interior, bodywork, dropped gas tank and a new paint job in the works. I just wanted to clean my car out! My 'ol lady even left me, and I think it had something to do with the car.
Standing joke with my main car buddy is if you need to replace a burned out tail light bulb you go to the front of the car and begin disassembly.
Sold the driver and all projects in the barn off, was burned out and getting out, lasted a year or less, decided couldn't live with out a ride but being older than dirt decided to buy a driver as wasn't sure I had another build left in me. Found a relatively freshly built 34 5 wndw on the net, pics looked great and owner sounded honest ..Yea I know .. bad habit of trusting folks.. Soooo.. small part of the job was actually writing the cheque and driving many 100's of miles to trailer it home.. Had to take a break for a year as had to get my heart replumbed LOL. the monster part was the new chassis, new floors, firewall, new interior ( not yet done), hell..new everything including replacing glass fenders etc etc . BUT, wouldn't change it for anything, actually enjoying the build more than any other I have done, will be on the road next summer as there sure isn't much else I can change LOL Thinking I might just have one more build in me..guess its just a way of life
If I can get through a project with no problems is the exception. My rule of thumb is to multiply by three the time I thought it would take.
More from thread starter, love your stories. A $5000 bath room. now that's project creep! As I ran the 47 ford's old 305 chevy I think the plastic timing gear is shot I looks more and more like new timing ghain and gears. Stop me. Stop me..
Bought a 56 dodge kingsway ute/pickup to mildy lower, hop up the 6 and drive to work from a reputable desoto restorer. The aim was to be cruising it within 6months. It was a lemon, the whole lower 6"s down was swiss cheesed, held together by multible coats of housepaint. 8yrs later it still sits in my shed, lengthened cab, channeled over a GM h chassis/floorpan wild custom mods and countless man hours to many to remember. I'm over it now. Hoping now someone might swap a basic rolling highboy chassis for it. One can only dream i suppose.
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