Ever feel defeated by a project? T/A out of shop(s) after many years....

[rUNCHARGER]

Don't take this the wrong way but I think a lot of guys don't push hard enough. If you want the car restored either push yourself or who you hired to get it done. I could never take a few years to restore a car, I lose interest if more than 6 months.
However cars are a hobby and kind of come at the back end of the budget spectrum. If you are at risk of income loss there is really nothing else to do than put it in storage and forget about it. Feeding the family comes first. I would however work on any components that you can restore without spending money. It takes a lot of time to strip parts and refinish them but when they're done it sure quickens up reassembly. Getting one component done gets the excitement up and you'll want to get another one done.

Sheldon

[Topcat]

Don't take this the wrong way but I think a lot of guys don't push hard enough. If you want the car restored either push yourself or who you hired to get it done. I could never take a few years to restore a car, I lose interest if more than 6 months.
However cars are a hobby and kind of come at the back end of the budget spectrum. If you are at risk of income loss there is really nothing else to do than put it in storage and forget about it. Feeding the family comes first. I would however work on any components that you can restore without spending money. It takes a lot of time to strip parts and refinish them but when they're done it sure quickens up reassembly. Getting one component done gets the excitement up and you'll want to get another one done.

Sheldon

30 hour work week...you've got good mopar work time
40 hour work week...you're the norm.
50+ hour week...no time. Maybe 1 day here and there.

[RCCDrew]

Whew! I work 60 hrs a week. No wonder my cars aren't getting done!

Beautiful T/A.  You are almost there! Stick with it!

[soundcontrol]

True, thats why my car is still in pieces, been working 70-80 hrs/week for most of the summer.... 


16 Hrs for istalling stripes!! For a pro?, I did my previous Challenger stripes in 4 hrs (71 R/T stripes) and that was my first time, so I did it slow and carefully. T/A stripes can't be that different...

[djw383]

I did one thing a day, even if only for 15 minutes after the family went to bed. Sometimes the 15 minutes was just cleaning up from the night before, or getting ready for the next night. Relaxing actually, took my mind off my job and felt good to know I am one step closer to finishing.

[twalker]

I did one thing a day, even if only for 15 minutes after the family went to bed. Sometimes the 15 minutes was just cleaning up from the night before, or getting ready for the next night. Relaxing actually, took my mind off my job and felt good to know I am one step closer to finishing.

That's been my approach ... Kids are down by 8:30, and I usually get 1 or 2 hours a night on the car and more on the weekends.  It's not every night, or I'd be divorced :-). ... But as much as I can.  And sometimes I take a vacation day to get a solid effort in.  Been working on my cuda for a year and a half, complete nut and bolt resto, it will be on the road next spring!  Great hobby for 'me' time.

There are times where I have taken a couple weeks off, I find it's good to come back fresh...  My friends always say where do you find the time :-)

I don't have another mopar to drive at the moment, so that is a huge motivator.

Cheers


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[djw383]

1 hour per day is another full day per week...

[TelisSE440]

Numbers are always right, half an hour a day or one hour, makes 132,5/365 hours a year, it is a lot of time (not counting weekends) for us that have these cars as hobbies, I never forget that Mopars are a hobby after all and family and their needs come first. And fully agree with djw383, about the job is more like relaxing, I have finished my car and I miss the work 

[JH27N0B]

There is little enough left to do as far as the reassembly, I don't think I will have problems over the next year or so finishing putting it together.  Front and rear wiring harnesses, exhaust, grille, tail lights, bumpers, seats and interior panels and trim, engine compartment.  That is about it.  One of my main concerns is figuring out the correct hardware.  May spend hours tracking down a correct bolt so I can spend 10 minutes installing a component?
But I do get pretty busy, full time job with a 45 minute commute each way, a side job I do some evenings and some weekend work, taking care of the house and my other cars.  It takes much of my time!  In winter I have more spare time, but my garage just has an electric heater in there I can use to warm it up a bit.  If it's bitter cold out, I probably won't want to spend much time out in the garage working on the car.
But if I get laid off this week, then I will have plenty of time on my hands for wrenching on cars!
My concerns are more about having so much money tied up in a car, and needing to get a rig to haul it places if it gets complete.
With little job security, I feel hesitant to dump more money into a trailer queen.  I wish the project hadn't gotten sidetracked back in the early 2000's at that shop in MI where the guy wouldn't do any work on my car.  I figured my choices were either move the project, which after a few years when it was over there,  I didn't think I could afford, or go over there 4 hour drive away and hold a gun to his head, which probably would have ended up with me in jail! I focused on fighting all my other fires in life, but I finally realized I couldn't leave the car over there forever, had to do something, but when I did do something, I ended up getting bills far beyond what I expected, bullied around by the new shop, and now left thinking, what can I do with it when it is done?

[rUNCHARGER]

At this time don't worry about what to do with it when it's done. Just get it completed and then worry about it.
When it is done then you can sell it, leave it in storage, take it to shows, or drive it anytime you feel like it. In it's stage now all you can do is finish it or sell it for pennies on the dollar. There's nothing to decide at this point.

Sheldon

[Chryco Psycho]

It will be worth more completed at least even if you do not sell it .
 I have been there all my life , it took me 29 years to start restoring my Challenger when I thought I would start almost immediatly , life just kicked the crap out of me continuously , life just got worse every year , finally I had the right people & a brief window with a shop to get the work done & got it done .
 Storage is tough & worse where I was being so cold every available space is rented & expensive .
 Not sure how to help you . Not many people really understand the true costs of building these car properly .

[rhamson]

Don't take this the wrong way but I think a lot of guys don't push hard enough. If you want the car restored either push yourself or who you hired to get it done. I could never take a few years to restore a car, I lose interest if more than 6 months.
However cars are a hobby and kind of come at the back end of the budget spectrum. If you are at risk of income loss there is really nothing else to do than put it in storage and forget about it. Feeding the family comes first. I would however work on any components that you can restore without spending money. It takes a lot of time to strip parts and refinish them but when they're done it sure quickens up reassembly. Getting one component done gets the excitement up and you'll want to get another one done.

Sheldon

"I would however work on any components that you can restore without spending money. It takes a lot of time to strip parts and refinish them but when they're done it sure quickens up reassembly. Getting one component done gets the excitement up and you'll want to get another one done."

This is where I am at. No money and very limited time and summer heat (I can't take the heat when sand blasting, covered up and a hood on in the sun), I do what I can and watch the car shows to keep motivated. I also find this forum helpful seeing all the wonderful things that can be accomplished with some perseverance.

[djw383]

Clean small parts and threads, organize screws and bolts, figure out dash wiring, or anything small at your kitchen table. In the ac, or heat during the winter...

[hato]

Sorry to hear that but don't get down the major hard stuff is done and while it can look overwhelming your right near the finish line. The car looks great  if you don't mind me asking what town is that gator top t/a at as I just purchased one and trying to track down all the green ones thanks.i

[JH27N0B]

True, thats why my car is still in pieces, been working 70-80 hrs/week for most of the summer.... 


16 Hrs for istalling stripes!! For a pro?, I did my previous Challenger stripes in 4 hrs (71 R/T stripes) and that was my first time, so I did it slow and carefully. T/A stripes can't be that different...

They were nearly 30 year old NOS stripes, questionable if they were going to be usable.
Good news is they were, he told be "took a little work, but made them work", can't imagine how it took 16 hours, even handling with silk gloves!
And now I'm going to lose the drivers side 340 six pak decal because of the repair of the paint damage.