Ever feel like calling it quits from the hobby?

more than ever the last couple weeks. Took a hiatus after my model a shit the bed. Then i broke an exhaust hanger on the Nash, and that was it for me. I went out and bought a Harley and made a bobber outta it. Cruising on two wheels for the past couple weeks has found me slowly getting back to the cars. VERY SLOWLY. Managed to yard the rearend outta my model a.

I got off 4 for a while and hopped on two.

 

Every build has it's up & downs. Some builders (young or new to the hobby) when choosing a vehicle to restore get something because it was "cheap" They then pull it apart and realize the amount of work, time & money it will cost to get it to be their dream ride. These are the projects you see advertised that it comes with all the parts..in boxes.
Sometimes, it would have been better, to wait, save more coin, and get a vehicle that they could enjoy right away. Then slowly pick away at it, but don't blow it apart for a major rebuild that realistically they can't afford to do.
So take a break, think it out, do you want to keep this project?
If your a true Hot Rodder, you won't loose the passion!
You'll soon be back into the hobby.

 

lately I've been selling most everything but one of my project cars and concentrate on fixing it up. I just have too many irons in the fire. sold a bunch and finally am at one half the number. gotta focus on one.

 

Nope, never will call it quits...because most hot rodders are rebels...and rebels are born rebels. Its just in their blood. They represent freedom of expression and doing the unconventional that most folks only dream about doing. True gearheads never feel like quitting. yours truly included. I am 65 now and about to retire, and I'm in the midst of finishing the dirty work of doing bodywork and blocksanding, and finishing this car in my garage by June and then driving it to Speed Week in August with my 32 year old son who I have passed the torch to and it seems to have stuck. I think in reality I will be glad to not have to BUILD another one, but can now ENJOY what I have created with my wife and my family and spend my time on that part of this hobby instead of in the trenches getting dust and stuff all over the washer and dryer and whatever else is in the garage at the time, and robbing peter to pay paul/juggle a budget around to advance a project to completion, not to mention the time another build would take me away from enjoying the fruits of my labor. I must say that earlier in my life I absolutely loved the exchange of ideas, the hunt for that elusive part, or the discovery of the missing link that would bring it all together. That part of it is still enjoyable to me and if I have the chance to sleuth it out with someone, I'm all over it, but at this stage of my life I am choosing to shift the focus from building a car to enjoying what I have built. I have 2 cars in my stable and those are plenty enough to keep up with.

As far as quitting this hobby: Hell no. I'm still a rebel.

 

I get worn out in the late summer...retired with little extra cash coming in makes it hard...I did buy most of my more costly items several years ago when I was working full time. At the present time I buy materials...like steel, sheet metal, grinding wheels, welding rods and MIG gas. What I do is close the garage down in the winter...reason....fuel cost...When it comes spring time I'm ready to get back into it...I think everyone needs a break once in awhile...I'm not as young at heart like I use to be. However I do what to finish my 28 Chevy...

 

For me, it mostly boils down to not enough money to be able to enjoy it like I used to!

I've been a Stay-at-home Dad for almost 7 years now. While I love being with my kids, it has completely ruined my car fun. My wife isn't much on cars, so with no income "of my own" so to speak, I have ended up selling all the cool Hot Rod parts and pieces I had collected over the years before I started staying home, in an effort to be able to stay in the game. The problem is, It still isn't enough $$$ to get much done on a car! I also have a car project that I really don't love, so I don't have much interest in working on it. It also isn't worth a much as I have into it, because it isn't driveable. I have considered selling it as is, and putting what I get out of it into a few things on my coupe, but I'm sure if I sold the project, that money would end up finding it's way into the household account and I would just loose out even more!!! I also don't enjoy my coupe as much as I used to because I am afraid of having it have a major breakdown, and not being able to afford to fix it. Luckly, the kids shouldn't need me to stay at home for more than a couple more years, and I can back into the working world, but then there's been that nasty change in the economy since I quit working......

 

Yep, sold a bunch of my tools, 3 cars and swore never to start another project again. To old to tired etc etc.
Then I found this -37 Nash and are now looking at CL to replace some of the tools I sold two years ago.

 

I have restored so many cars that I have no place to keep them, so I swore off restoring. I am now bored to death so I realized that I can not live without a 57 Corvette.

I have been looking for one that is complete, but needs complete restoration, that will keep me buzy for the rest of my life, I hope!

I think the search will take the rest of my life, but I do have a plan, and I kept my tools and a case of Bondo just in case.

 

I cant imagine life without projects. I have 2 finished hot rods and about 3 or 4 projects........I just dont know how i would go through life without haveing something to wrench on. I have had moments when i thought about quitting certain projects but NEVER EVER have i had one moment where i thought about quitting all together. I told my wife before we got married that i would do alot of things for her but giving up hot roddin' and/or racing wasnt one of them and shes fine with it......she has no choice but to be cause it aint changin'

 

I have always been in to hot rods but only been able to buy parts in the last 6 years, so collecting slowly but getting their. I could never give up what i love as its a passion, every day my mind is buzzing with ideas, it never stops. Even when i couldn't afforded a car or truck i would look at my magazines and keep dreaming.
When i meet new people and we start talking my first question that goes through my mind is " except for work what do you do with your life and what do you love in life ?" And except for a couple of car guys i know everybody says they have nothing in their life.
I know I'm only younge and in retrospect "new to this" but the only thing that will stop this for me is when i die.

 

Yes, all the time...but it keeps pulling me back in.

 

I always say 3 things. Time, money and motivation. Unfortunately, i usually only have 2 out of 3.

I tell my buddy that I am selling everytthing and taking up golf.

I hate golf.

 

Yup, i did...
After i broke 2 ribs from a car falling on me that was it.
I still check in once in a while and still support the local cruise night(when i can)...
Maybe some day i will get back into it but my heart isnt into building and spending $$$.
Not that anyone really gives a shit anyway..

 

I'm always asking, why don't take up a nice clean hobby like golf.

I also hate golf.

 

We too stoopid to quit.
When we were tourin we'd load the car on a thursday night, leave friday noonish and race friday night; go to the next track and sleep in the entrance road. wake up and pull into the pits and fix the shit that broke the night before, race sat night and go to the next track and sleep; get up the next morning and go into the pits and tear the car apart and fix all the riggs, race sunday afternoon and head home sunday night with our tounges hangin out. Monday we wouldn't even mention that goddamn race car, tuesday we'd have forgiven it a little and unload the damn thing and tear it all apart. Wed rebuild everything, get it back together on thursday and lite it off for check out and load it in the trailor ready to kick some serious ass.
I'd do it all again in a heart beat.
Yup, you want to say fukkit but we're a different breed of cat.
We don't quit.

 

yep, did for awhile but I realized it was part of my life... I realized what i was working on was just no longer of interest and had to change to a different style of car that did interest me.

maybe you need to step away for a while and do something else. if after a few months you have no interest, then sell off the car (never the tools) and put the money away incase you get the bug a few months after that

 

when the '51 left the backyard, so did any motivation for building any more "rods" or "customs". the one i have now is definitely O/T but still 33 years old, and something i'm equally familiar with as those old Falcons, etc. i still have a great interest in seeing cool old cars and trucks, but that's where it ends. once i manage to clear out the accumulated Falcon stuff i still have, i'm concentrating on the O/T car.

sometimes it's a simple question of your interests changing; sometimes it's the conflict between available time or money versus family obligations. everybody has a different "tipping point" where is simply doesn't make sense to force yourself to maintain interest in something.

now; get rid of my tools? never work on any kind of vehicle again?
bullshit. when they slide my corpse into the crematory they can have my tools.

 

Sometimes I do but I've always had an old car so I keep on getting one at a time. They're just so much fun to drive even if they're rust buckets

Even when I'm broke still a looking and a dreaming.

 

Lots of interesting comments here. Whenever I finish a project I swear it's the last one. My wife just laughs. Took a few months away from it but now full speed on another 40 Coupe (10th 40 in 11 years). At 70 it keeps me occupied and the thought process going. Maybe this is the last one--who knows??

 

I checked out for a while but still needed to play with stuff that went vroom. Decided to play with bikes cause they're smaller and couldn't possibly cost as much as a car, hahahahahaha!!

 

The cars aren't all there is to this hobby, and you don't need a finished one to enjoy it. My Roadster won't see the road in my lifetime, but it is fun to look at the pile of parts and maybe work on something until time or money runs out. Following others projects on the HAMB is as good as working on your own IMO. Bob

 

I was wet, cold, hadnt gotten 20 minutes of sleep in 3 days. The arse was getting kicked and the yelling wouldnt stop.
My teeth stopped chattering because I was too cold.
Then we ran for ever.
Quitting was not an option. Blowing my back was the end.
Its the people, not the car.
The people is what makes the hobby/addiction/passion/love.
Take a nap, rethink, work through it.
Its in you or you wouldnt have started in the first place.
GIT IT ON.

 

Nothing like rolling that project out on to the driveway the first nice day of spring and being able to step back and get a good look at it. I'm looking for a 32 5 window project right now so I can start all over again!

 

<hr size="1" style="margin: 6px 0px; ">When my back gave out I was going to sell mine because it was killing me to let Her just set but I started talking to another Member who had the same prob as me and He talked me out of it.I can't tell you how happy I didn't sell Her still can't work on Her but I will.THANKS BURNOUTMECHANIC

 

im at this point now in my life. ive been back to work for about a year till this last month i blew 4 disc in my mid to lower back and now cant finish my 50 ford. i have 3 cars a 56 gasser, my 29 coupester and now my 50 ford plus 3 other projects i was working on them switching between them to try to get them all together. since i hurt my back and now bills are stacking up im debating what is most important to me, which one do i keep and wich ones do i sell, i love then all but at this point i may have to sell all of them to keep a float. im so confused and with the meds and stress i dont know what to do. if i put any for sale i know ill be low balled to death.. any input would be great thanks .

 

I don't think I could get over the love of old cars and messing with them, but I do think about calling it quits in the whole game of life thing of life from time to time - which by nature would then mean calling it quits from the hobby too.

 

There's always model cars, and car shows
That way you can own every car you ever wanted and never worry about fuel or parking lol just think of all that money you could save!

just kidding

 

Quit? Sell? Think you are depressed now.................... Go get a six pack, toss another Vicodan if your back is hurtin', and go sit in your car.................but never, EVER GIVE UP!
C'mon, guys!
I'm prayin' for your SWIFT recovery!

 

I have at times pondered the idea of just having one finished ride to keep it simple..........it makes good wise sense from a business standpoint to liquidate some things and move forward as I get older. But.........this stuff is in my blood.........from a kid up building models and finally getting my dream car as a teen........which i still own ........at 58 I am in it till the end. Heck....it would take too much energy to go backwards .......sort of like swimming long distance and getting half way there..........turning back is not an option. I really love this stuff, the people , the nostalgic drags, Hamb events, the friendships, the memories. It is all good. If it gets too bad turn on Green Onions and take a ride or punch up some vintage drags . I am trying to retire and then............then.........then look out this hobby will really kick in........full time in the garage not having to stop or worry about time will be awesome. I try to enjoy all aspects of the hobby/passion, I will say this ....The Hamb has really allowed us to plug into it daily....i am greatful to be a member here and thanks everyone for contributing with cool threads and posts. Hang in there....

 

yes