Ever feel like calling it quits from the hobby?

8 pages of everything wrong with the modern-day HAMB

Post a frikkin build thread......

 

Spend to much money yes, will i quit no, im a rich no, patiance yes. I rather have sevral cars that will take me 10 years to get ready, but still have them(and loans) you got to first base. Hang in there, its a lifestyle...

 

Whenever I get discouraged like that, I back off for a little bit and ponder my next plan of attack. Most people dont understand just how hard building a hotrod is, the amount of dedication it takes, the hours and hours of metal and body work that visually yields little sign of progress until the paint goes on. It is damn hard and not for the faint of heart, however extremely rewarding in the end. I've felt that way many times, and I think it is a normal part of what we do. Remember, if it was easy, everyone would do it.

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Back in the 70's my then wife wanted me to give up my cars and bikes. She was always into my face about it so I packed up my tools and cars and left her. After she realized what was going on, it was too late. Let the tears flow.

In 1978 I met my current wife and together cars have been a big part of our lives together. Cars have been in my blood since I was a little boy and especially since 1959 at the age of 10 when I took my first ride in the Raven. My current project, a 36 5-window, was instigated by my wife. She's making me build another hotrod. How cool is that?

Hooked for life ....

 

.. another thought.. If you've never completed a project and you have one that's been going on for years.. then I can maybe see your frustration. But if you've ever created something that was brought to fruition with your own two hands.. got it out on the road, enjoyed the thumbs up from people who appreciated your ride.. I mean there's no greater sense of satisfaction ... Once you go through that process.. completed and project and took it out and enjoyed it.. you're toasted.. hooked for life! Maybe you're stagnating on your current project.. I like having at least 2 going at the same time.. that way I can bounce back and forth and never get tired of working on them. Some days I'll just go into my shop, crack open a cold one.. have the classic rock going and just sit back and enjoy.. other days I'll just clean my shop.. then sit back with a cold one and enjoy my shop... then next day I'll dive into wrenching again.. then crack open the fridge and have a cold one.......hmmmm... maybe your out of cold ones?

 

Never feel like quitting but do get frustrated with it at times. The usual time but no money, or money and no time. I've got family responsibilities like everyone from young kids to sick parents which have to come first, and rightly so. I do get frustrated and threaten to sell everything. Then I buy something else and keep marching on at a snails pace!


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Yep, but when I get sick with workin on a car, I build a vintage minibike, when I'm sick of that I go back to cars, but I'm always working on something...

 

I think the most frustrating thing for me when I rebuilt my '72 Kawasaki, was people saying they would help teach about tuning the engine etc, and they had no idea what to do. So, when I spent six months working on the bike and blew the engine up, I was ready to call it quits, but I had it fixed, learned in the process and kept going. I don't know if I believe in the TIME and MONEY aspect, if you have the money, you can make the time even if it's ten minutes a day, over time, it'll get done. Thanks to HAMB I definitely think that there is a support group of people that will help you with car troubles and with buying your car off of you if that's what you want.

 

If traditional hotrods are only a hobby, then YES.
QUIT. Leave it to those of us where it is a lifestyle.
My newest car is a 1966 and I refuse to drive it. Too new

 

If it is in your blood then you'll never be happy if you sell all your stuff. Building cars is not my hobby, but building and making mechanical type stuff is.

I build furniture, bikes, garden stuff, I designed our house from top to bottom and had it built. I LIKE creating things, and even if I moved to a desert island I would still have this thing in my head burning up my days and nights with the lust to create thing with my hands.

When I was 30 years old I sold up and went off to backpack round the world. Within a few months I was doodling stuff in my travellers journal, (they all have one) a twin engined Harley, a V8 side-car, a deuce coupé, all sorts of stuff, a chopped Royal Enfield, when I was in India, literally aching to create something.

 

All I do is dream about being home working on my model A. its quit pathetic my area is nothing but hot rods on the wall. I spend most of my time off duty on here reading tech threads or reading some rags from back home that my brother in law sent me. If money is the issue of your frustration try to find little things you can do or make some cool garage art out of old parts laying around. A little degreaser and some paint can go along way.

 

If you did quit then what are you going to do ? If this was easy every one would do it .

Plan what you can afford then stick to it not every one can own a steel 32 Ford . I came to realize that years ago so I build low buck Model A's and have a blast doing it

 

I actually did call it quits once and got rid of stuff. Then I realized I missed it. But by then everything that I once got rid of was so damned expensive to get again that it severely put a damper on what I could do. So, if you ever think about calling it quits, just stash your toys away because odds are the passion will eventually return again and you might not have the funds to play anymore.

 

YESSIR!! There's no choice in the matter for me. It's always been part of life and always will be. With a close circle of buddies and a supportive family, you don't even need a ton of money to enjoy what is an obsession for me.

 

this is not a hobby. not here at my place. it is like alot of the boys here have said its a lifestyle.i got out once in the mid 80s. stayed out until my son got to be 14.then it was on again. i was out about 8 yrs.it wasnt nothing noble like family first. it was because we moved twice and i didnt hasve a shop or any money to do it.i couldnt stand it any longer and jumped back in. its not just cars with us but harleys are our biggest draw.custom bikes around here arewhat gets me out of bed and out into the shop. but my cars are right up there also. so my lifestyle gets REALLY exspencive...lol. after my wreck in 05 i can say with all honesty i would have taken my own life if it wasnt for these cars and bikes.they are what helps keep my mind off being crippled up and in constant pain.and a few chats with the beaner...lol

 

I just can't imagine calling it quits. We went without a car for about a year and i've never had such withdrawals before. Yes it can raise your blood pressure and cause you to spend alot of money but the good times that you have and the wonderful people that you meet and get to call friends are all worth it.
Gasser Girl

 

Hell.....if you quit fabbing, engineering, scraping, drilling, designing, blasting, sanding, wrenching, fitting, flaring, beating, jacking, and painting as well as everything else that goes with this "hobby", what are you going to think about when you're laying in bed at night trying to fiqure out how you are going to conquer the present fabbing, engineering, scraping, drilling, designing, blasting, sanding, wrenching, fitting, flaring, beating, jacking and painting project out in your shop? In my opinion, people that build things can't just shut that tendancy off like a switch. Like ME.GASSER says, you'll get sick!

BOutlaw

 

Another couple of hours in the garage stripping the rh quarter panel
Good stuff i guess i was just stuck in a rut.
I am suprised at all the responses and i appreciate every one of them thanks.

There is one check my sig.

 

At one point I got depressed and I sold off many of the parts I needed for my current pile of parts. I have to take a break for a few days every couple of weeks or else I get burnt bad and do something stupid like sell things.

 

Hobby? Heck I've felt the same way but to me it was a living! Matter of fact I did call it quits once, had to big of a burn out from 12 hr days. Got a job running a tow service (close to cars as I wanted, just haul em, not work on them!), sold all my hot rods and bought a brand new 4x4. After a 10 year break I stopped by a car show and it sparked my intrest again, been back at it 20 years now. Don't sell your tools man, sure glad that was the only thing I saved in my 10 year hiates.

 

Never felt like "Quiting" but have swore "Last Project" more than a dozen times. I have been overwhelmed with too many projects or changed plans, but quit....never!!

 

yarp,every nite about 9pm then I get up at 6am the next morning and do it all over again,I started when I was 16 and now I am 59,it's a great lifestyle.

 

Can't quit. I've even tried. Must be in the blood. Junk just finds me.

 

I had giving up. I have a half done 40 Chevy that has fought me all the way. When I got it , I was making good money as a luxury import tech and doing well. Then , I moved in to service manager then store manager and had no time. At 42 , heart problems and a pacemaker. The PM means NO electric welder. I took a teaching job and spent a lot of time going back to school and learning my new trade. Car was the last thing I had time for. I bought a Henrob 2000 and tried to get back into it for a while but now I'm old and just don't feel like working on it.

Two weeks ago the phone rang and my wife's cousin called , he found me a 57 Chevy truck, cheap. We went and the spark was back. The truck needs body work as in sanding and paint, the engine ran ( I was told) when parked.

I've been working on it everyday in my auto shop class( SHUT UP KIDS, CAN'T YOU SEE I'M WORKING HERE) not really. My second year students work on projects and it gives me time. Some of them want to work on it too. That makes me happy. We, it's we now, are trying to get it on the road before schools out. I'm taking pictures of everything and will post a build later.

Mick

 

I'm not calling it quits. I'm doing my last car and just going cruising and shows. I have cleaned out my garage of parts left over from passed projects.
Going into a maintain mode with my '52 Fleetline when it's done this year and enjoy it.

CRUISER

 

hell no , im most happy when challenged and fabbing something...the creative spirit..its what life is all about...

 

I really have no clue what I'd do if I wasn't building something. Dad got me started in it before I could walk... Now I have to do something, cars, trucks, bikes, motorcycles... Hell even remodeling my house or anything else.

 

Can't quit it is a sickness, pulls you back in every time. Step away for a while and you'll be ready to go in no time.

Dan

 

My ol lady is up my ass all the time about spending too much time and money. But I manage to find a good balance between those two and the rest of my life to keep her from getting really pissed. You have to remember why you got into in the first place. For me it's the feeling I get when I drive her. It's the look you get from ol timers when they remember the cars they used to have. It's the looks of awe from little kids and realizing you just created another car nut because he'll never forget seeing your hot rod the rest of his life. It's the looks of disbelief when you tell people she's your daily driver and you wouldn't have it any other way. It's the feeling of satisfaction that no matter how long it took, how hard it was or how much it cost... You did it. And she's yours and no one can take that from you. Stick with it. Everything has its ups and downs. Lord knows I've had mine in my 53!!


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Cars and mechanics and racing have been in my family since 1922,,,,I've never viewed it as a "hobby" ....just a way of life.