Projects Stalled or slow builds: What made you work on it the last time?

I walk past my projects every day, love having them, but can't remember when I last worked on them. I know what the next step is on them and there are many other small projects, I just can't get motivated. At this point in my life a roller in finished blocked and ready for paint primer would be my goal. Bob

 

I have not been to a hot rod show or swap in 3 years...today my son took me to Sturbridge Mass for the Milltown show. I saw a guy I grew up with(we are same age as you).. anyways I said "hey Oldtimer" and he looked around ....then he finally recognized my voice.. He is almost totally blind. I asked if he can drive, he said they took his license and gave him a cane. His friend drove his car to the show. This happened in just the last couple years.

I told my kid, I need to be more grateful. I did work on mine a little bit when we got home. I am close to finished after years of on and off the project

 

Just have to watch American Graffiti again.

 

I'm in a stall now. Car is driveable except glass and plates....oh and finishing the body and paint. I have, in the past, been able to separate a big job into a series of small doable and sequential tasks. Usually, the completion of a couple of items starts the ball rolling.


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2013, I was cleaning up some stuff in the house...got rid of about half my computer collection (down to about 50 now)....was selling some stuff on ebay to help pay for a new motor to put in one of my cars...decided I probably was never going to finish my two partly done projects, so I started getting them ready to sell. Sold the 61, then was getting all the parts together for my Suburban to sell it. I even told a few friends I'd sell it for a reasonable price (fortunately they don't have the gumption to finish stuff that needs that much work!) I was looking at it, and said to myself, damn, this is going to be a nice ride, I need to finish it. So, I spent the next month, every day, day and night, working on it, and got it done. I'm sure glad I did, it's a fun ride.

I don't really know how I kicked myself in the butt, but it worked.

 

My mantra ~ If I don't do it who will?

Be realistic,is the project something you really wanted when you got it or have you bitten off more than you can chew and you lost interest?

Has it turned into a money pit and you can't afford to finish it orpaarts are you just burnt out?

I think we all hit a road block every now and then,with a job and a family finances can dictate progress,health issues or just plain laziness,all these have plagued me in he past.

Motivation can come in many forms,I have had inspiration from many here on the hamb and from something as simple as a show or a cruise-in.

Make a list,dissect it into smaller list and make it manageable,things that can be done in a few days or a weekend.

The main thing is to set a goals,not necessarily a target day to drive but a few afternoons to work in the shop,I've done the marathon every day of the week builds and the fun wanes and it gets easier to put it off.

You want to drive that hot rod or custom someday? procrastinate long enough and someone else will be building it after your no longer able to.

Now,go out in the shop tomorrow and do something! HRP

 

I find there are cycles in life. Sometimes your in a cycle where you just can't put the energy into building the car because it is being directed to other parts of your life. I find that to be true for me. When this happens getting started back on the project is the hardest part. So to get me off my ass and back in the garage I cut some time out of my schedule, get into the shop, pick some small part of the build that will be fun and start pecking away at it, but here is the kicker, I KEEP going day after day and doing small things. Even if they don't take that much time. Once I am in the habit of going again then I put together a list of the bigger things and start working away on them. Again when I get tired I do some part of the build that is fun, then repeat the cycle until done! By the way cranking up some tunes or asking a buddy for some help on something just for the company also helps.

 

I have stopped working on my 50 Ford until the weather cools off! I am doing finish body work and I have to do it outside,I just cant deal with the heat anymore.

 

The roadster in my avatar is shown in mock up stage. It was taken apart some years back.
The plan was to get the rolling chassis painted and assembled and get the headers and exhaust system thermal barrier coated. Well, it never happened, due to a major change in income (read that no income), shoulder surgeries, neck surgery, cataract surgerys, etc.
Close to collecting my first SS and pension checks soon so hoping to get back in the swing of things in the near future. And that's just one of my three long term projects, the others being a 66 Suburban and a 67 Nova SS. Now that I think about it, the only dust that has moved in my shop is when a fellow HAMBER needs some reference photo taken.

 

Workplace injury has undermined my confidence, I know I have the ability and skills however physical limitations and niggling issues make it hard to get motivated. If I don't do it no one else will and I'm definately not paying anyone else to do my work. I'd never be happy or comfortable knowing that I didn't or couldn't finish what I started. I'll only farm out things I know I can't actually do to the level I expect.

 

My work schedule can get brutal, then factor in a wife and two young kids and my project really stalls out. I do, however have pockets of free time where I really try to push hard and get stuff done. Lately I've been fortunate to make some progress. I've found that my build thread is motivation and I always yearn to add updates even if they are minuscule. I feel this held keep me going.

 

I find it's all down to how much you want the finished product.
I've part-built lots of cars and invested literally thousands of hours in stuff I thought I wanted at the time. Some of the projects had to be sold due to financial limitations beyond my control, and some just fizzled out. It was very difficult to get motivated building my last project as I knew deep down that I wasn't really happy with it.
The current project has me very enthused. I want it soooo bad. It's the car I've wanted to build for along time. It's being built without it being a 'menu' car, and I'm building it on a tight budget but without compromise.
I also find that the encouraging responses I get on forums such as this really spur me on to not only complete the project, but to 'up my game' when it comes to attention to detail.

 

I have automotive ADD

 

Maybe that´s just apart of real life.No matter if it´s a job, a business, your family ,the hobby, there´s always atime when it´s all fun and there´s a time when you just got to hang on and keep at it, although you feel like you just want to call it quits. My solution for undermotivation is: make progress....Nothing makes you want to finish a car more than having a freshly painted frame in front of you, or maybe a nicely detailed engine. I try to avoid working on several projects at a time,even not on several parts at the same time. I always start at the foundation, first comes the frame, then axles and suspension, then engine and trans, and after that I get the body ready for paint. This way I help myself by having something nice to look at , something I have already achieved....
I think no one could run a whole marathon if he kept thinking of all the pains and hassles that are in front of him, the trick is, in my book, be proud of what you have achieved already and love what you´re doing right now...ignore what obstacles may be there in the future. Deal with them as they come along... that´s what has worked for me until now, I hope I can cheat myself for the next 50 or 60 years.Hahahaa

 

Built my 55' stude, drove and drag raced the snot out of for 3 months. Then totaled it in an accident. Had the parts to rebuild gathered in 6 weeks, then life happened. Got married, built a house, had a son, the list goes on and on.... One day I go out in my garage and can't see what's left of the car because of everything in the world that is piled on top of and around it. Then it dawned on me it had been 9 years and 6 months since the wreck. I missed having it running before year 10 by a few days. Been having a blast with it ever since. I guess seeing that crumpled mess buried under a bunch of 2x6's and boxes and Lord knows what else set something off in me. I sure am glad it did. Went to the semi's at Day of The Drags this past weekend, drove the wheels off it. Probably made 15 passes Friday and Saturday. And thank you to whomever took this pic at the drags, the clocks the other car down track, my old turd, it's a really cool representation of racing at Little River.

 

I total agree with you Danny on this.

I try and do something every day, even if its sweeping up or tidying up and looking, it gives me ideas and helps to problem solve. Not saying I don't hit the brick wall every now and then, but I wouldn't change what I've got and what I've done regarding Hot Rods etc.
.
And you're quite correct coming on here gives inspiration , when I was building the COE at some point I thought I was losing it, but the guys on here and on the COE forum really helped, I'm now thinking of another project, and yet after the truck I thought I was done.!!,

 

It took us three year to build the Shaker, work and family only allowed one day a week sometimes to work on it, One thing that kills your time is sitting on the computer instead of working on the car. My son and I used this project to spend some quality time together so we would use the time in the garage often to talk about racing, life, politics , women and drink a little beer. I kept a white board with a to do list right in front of the car to keep us organized, now that its done we still plan days not racing to spend the time together doing maintenance

 

Where to begin ? The only thing i seem to be able to finish these days are my meals. I have three projects and i realised the one in my avatar, the utility has not been worked on in abot 4 or 5 years. Before that i had not worked on it in about 5 years. Up until recently i had the time but no money, now i don't have the time and the money i am getting is being used to pay back the debt i racked up when i was out of work. In order to finish it I need both in spades. The fact that it is almost impossible to source the desired parts needed for its completion does not help either. To say that Holden bodied 34 Chevrolet coupes and utilities are rare is an understatement. Also my lack of knowledge and skills does not help. The only thing i have ever built is the garages that house my projects. Now if i can just overcome all the above mentioned i may even get it finished in my life time.

 

I remember the late Deuce Roadster telling me about having multiple unfinished projects because there was no room to work on them and the lack of capital.

He had a elderly gentleman stop by his home shop one day and Randy open the door of his shop and showed off all his projects and explained what he wanted to do with each car.

The guy looked Randy square in the eye and said which one is your favorite?your dream car?

Randy said,"The 1932 roadster, but I don't have the money to build it.

The old gent said," If you sold all these projects and parts you would have the money to build the roadster."

Randy dismissed the suggestion but that night when he went to bed he started thinking about the conversation earlier in the day and decided to follow the old mans advice.

Long story shortened, Randy sold his big block Chevy,a early big window Ford pickup,and 3 other cars and a bunch of parts and within a year Randy had a finished roadster. HRP

 

Getting motivated to work on my ongoing 14 year project? My good friends busting my balls! I really have to thank them for that!

 

This thread reminds me of ol' Robert Burns late 1700s writing of..... " the best laid plans of mice & men often go awry"....... I'm at one of those slightly post midlife times where owning a small business that currently takes up 70-80 plus hours of weekly time coupled with teenagers at home that you want to spend some time with before they're gone, trying to remember my wife's name & checking in on our parents are just some of the curve balls that life can throw at you from time to time. Plus it's a record year for rain here & having to mow a big yard is a pain. Even with working teenagers. You guys are not alone....... Deep breath...... I mentioned that's why it takes me 8 years once to finish a project. It'll eventually slow down for me in the fall but I gotta tell you even if you only have a few minutes to spare go bend a brake line or something & don't just stare at the project. Whew........ Flux

 

I have worked on my project for 3 years now. I get up early and work just 1 hour M-F, excluding holidays I get over 200 hours per year. I have found that time runs slower in the mornings, it seems like I get more done than I planned, so I just start the next little chore. Here's a couple of pics of what I got done in six months.

 

I had a great friend who I spent time with discussing all kinds of things, including our various car projects - and we surely felt we could see the end product as something we really wanted - at age 65 he was diagnosed with liver cancer and three weeks later he passed away. I don't want this to bum anybody out, but we're not guaranteed another day here, and it seems to me that the best use we have for our time is doing something we enjoy, which is pretty much anything on my projects. Anything constructive is progress - sanding, painting, rounding up parts, whatever.

 

Follow these steps:

1. If you have more than one project, pick one and focus on it. Let the others sit on the back burner. Thinking about more than one at a time will de-motivate you.
2. Clean and organize your shop/garage and tools so that everything is in order, including your head.
3. Start thinking about what the next steps in your project might be. Put together an informal game plan in your head but don't drill down too far into the details. That gets you thinking in the right direction but keeps the pressure off. Too much pressure and you'll be back in the armchair instead of the garage.
4. For motivation, read Squirrel's thread on the '28 Chevy he drug home.
5. Does this project run? If not, focus on getting it running. Fuel, mechanical, electrical...whatever it takes.
6. Does it stop? If not, get the brake system going. Now you have a driver!
7. Drive it around a bit. Get some inspiration going. Read Squirrel's thread again. Curse him and say "Damn that Squirrel! If he can do this in Arizona in the summer time, I can do it too!"
8. Try to do one little thing every day. Start with little things. Eat that freaking elephant one bite at a time.
9. Use your own progress to continue to motivate you. When you see what you are accomplishing, it's going to feel good. You'll know you're "back in the game" and that icky, nagging, overwhelming stuff will be a thing of the past.
   

There you go! Simple, eh?

 

At this point in my life : if it is not done and I am not working on it, it needs to go.
: if it runs and I am not using it, it needs to go.
Time is short my friend. Think about it get off the HAMB and get to work in the garage. From what I see you are on line all the time. The HAMB should only be for inspiration. So Get To Work Now.
THAT IS AN ORDER!

 

Looking at threads of guys driving their cars makes me jealous. When I get jealous, I get motivated. When I get motivated I make time. When I lack motivation, my excuse is always lack of time. It's kind of circular. That being said, I made my goal to finish by 40. I'll be 37 in December. Time will tell.



Do you really care what I used to post this message?

 

Haven't worked on my 30' Chrysler coupe in a 1-1/2 years now. I built an electric bead roller to do the floor pans, then I started doing some work on the house and last October I bought out my business partner, moved into another shop and am trying to get the shop up and running. Painted the walls, built an office, new lighting, ran air lines, trying to get new equipment up and running. Iv'e always worked 15 hour days but with having to get the new shop up and running I don't even have time to look at the coupe! Really getting the itch lately!

 

First, how the hell does anyone complete a project when you've got three? Second, stick with your first plan, build what you thought you'd build before you actually started. Changes make for a never finished, I give up, this is too hard kind of project.
I've built cars half of my adult life, motorcycles before that, never had the money to do it but kept at it till it came to life. It will happen, perseverance is what separates the men from the boys, it's the reason you're able to buy someone elses unfinished job. For me, never having the money I saw others spend made me find other ways to get it done, trading labour, trading stuff I picked up off the road, learning to make the stuff I couldn't buy, all this has given me skills I wouldn't have had.
I always wished I could buy a chassis and bolt together all the good store bought parts on it, but learned how to make my own radius rods, wishbone mounts, four bars, how to construct a frame, how to set up a driveline, all stuff that makes me who I am. No, I never had much in the way of tools, couple angle grinders, small workbench, someones cast off welder for cheap, I read books and magazines up the ass, eventually figuring out that if the big boys did it, I could too.
What motivated me in my slow times was when someone looked at my work and said they wished they could do that, made me feel like I was making progress. Mostly, remember, it's just a car, just a hobby, it's not your life, your kids and wife are your life.

 

What makes me work on ours? Guilt and shame. I've been working on my father in laws 30 Chevy for 4-1/2 years now. It's all I have worked on in that period of time. It occupies my entire garage plus I'm paying for a mini storage for the crap I can't fit in my garage anymore. That alone should be motivation enough, you would think. I look at the 62 Comet sitting in the driveway covered in black widow webs wondering if I'll ever finish this one so I can get to it.

The guilt and shame? My FiL turned 79 on Wed. He's beginning to think he'll never live to see it on the road. Nothing like that comment hanging over your head to get you motivated, if you can call that motivation.

Oh, and watching A Sweet Sickness helps on occasion.

Yesterday it was seatbelt mounts. Another bite of the elephant.


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My Grandmother lived to be 90 years old. She lived alone for the last 22 years of her life and had to use a walker to get around. Toward the end, I paid her a visit and saw that there was a brick border around a planting bed in her back yard. It's a step down from the house to the patio/yard level, so I knew that even that was a chore for her to navigate. I asked her who made that border, and she said proudly, "I did!" When I asked her how she was able to do that, she said that she did a little every day. Some days she was able to place 4 or 5 bricks, some days only one before she was tuckered out. But she made some progress every day. That's how things get done.