302GT Larry Shimp (240 posts) Registered: 11/17/2007 01:13PM Main British Car: 1968 MGB GT Ford 302 crate engine |
Re: Has anyone else noticed time is slipping away?
I find the key to accomplishing projects is not to plan. Planning just makes it obvious how long it will take and that is so discouraging it is hard to start. A few weeks ago I finally began another car restoration/renovation project. The first step is removing all the undercoating from the underside. I do not have a rotisserie so it is an extraordinarily miserable and time consuming job. Thinking about the work involved caused a 2 year start delay, but now that it is going I can deal with it. Of course, rebuilding and painting the suspension and braking system is part of this stage. My goal is to get the car back on its wheels before winter. I am not even thinking about the rest of the work that needs to be done…
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Jim Stabe Jim Stabe San Diego, Ca (829 posts) Registered: 02/28/2009 10:01AM Main British Car: 1966 MGB Roadster 350 LT1 Chevy |
Re: Has anyone else noticed time is slipping away?
Larry, you could have built a rotisserie in the 2 years you were thinking about it. One of the best tools I ever built. I really miss it now that I have fluids in the car and can't spin it upside down.
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MGBV8 Carl Floyd Kingsport, TN (4511 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 11:32PM Main British Car: 1979 MGB Buick 215 |
Re: Has anyone else noticed time is slipping away?
I agree sometimes it may be better to just start working on it, no promises, just go piddle a while. Next thing ya know you are full into it.
I have to use this psychology when I really don't want to go on that 3 mile run. I think, not 3 just get out the door & go a 1/2 a mile. By then, I am ready for a bit more. Next thing you know, I had a great 3 mile run. I really need to change my head gaskets, but I am afraid it will turn into too long of a project. I will start by just going out to the garage, turning on the radio, & thinking I will just pull the carb. Got that, hmm, yank that intake will yer at it. Next thing ya know, I'll be holding one of the heads. Maybe after Indy. ;) |
Jim Stabe Jim Stabe San Diego, Ca (829 posts) Registered: 02/28/2009 10:01AM Main British Car: 1966 MGB Roadster 350 LT1 Chevy |
Re: Has anyone else noticed time is slipping away?
I have been that way making the hood for my car. I tried making the skin from a single piece but that was a dismal failure. I then accumulated some damaged aluminum hoods and cut the good rear pieces from one and the good front pieces from another and started fitting them to the frame then fabricated the piece in the middle. Then the welding roadblock reared its head because I wasn't able to the learn the gas welding process so I went back into the "stare at it" mode. I finally just picked up the TIG and started tacking. The tacking went well so I tried fully welding it up. Now I have a pretty decent hood skin. Could have had it done a year ago if I just dove in.
Moral is: you can amaze your self by what you can do if you just start doing it. |
roverman Art Gertz Winchester, CA. (3188 posts) Registered: 04/24/2009 11:02AM Main British Car: 74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L |
Re: Has anyone else noticed time is slipping away?
Or as my dutch grandmother used to say, "Yes you maybe, No you never". Nothing conquers like persistance. Onward, roverman.
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BlownMGB-V8 Jim Blackwood 9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042 (6468 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 12:59PM Main British Car: 1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS |
Re: Has anyone else noticed time is slipping away?
I agree with Larry for sure. I was making pretty good progress up until I sat down and started to list some of what was left to do. It was just simply overwhelming to use one of the words my wife is fond of. My next immediate task is to tear up the list. It seemed like it would be a good idea to just pick an item and work on that? Not really. Instead it turned into a regimen of going down the list and, "nope, can't do that.." etc, etc. It works much better for me to be able to say that, hey, I found a bolt I needed. Or, I ordered those fittings. I need those kinds of positive reinforcements. Not, well this isn't done and that isn't done. Plus it's a whole lot more fun to say, I installed the end of one of the bonnet lift cylinders (even if it was a pita to do it) than to say, Only two gazillion more steps to go!
Jim |
Jim Stabe Jim Stabe San Diego, Ca (829 posts) Registered: 02/28/2009 10:01AM Main British Car: 1966 MGB Roadster 350 LT1 Chevy |
Re: Has anyone else noticed time is slipping away?
I like your motto Carl - have to get a sign made up for the shop. Not copyrighted I hope.
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MGBV8 Carl Floyd Kingsport, TN (4511 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 11:32PM Main British Car: 1979 MGB Buick 215 |
Re: Has anyone else noticed time is slipping away?
Don't think so. I have it on an index card.
This one might work better for some of y'all. Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2015 08:58PM by MGBV8. |
Spitfire 350 Phil McConnell Perrysburg, OH (Toledo area) (257 posts) Registered: 01/11/2010 09:19PM Main British Car: 74 Spitfire 350Chevy |
Re: Has anyone else noticed time is slipping away?
OK, I gotta jump in here. Carl's new motto is really good. I see things a little bit differently, but along the same lines. When it comes to project cars, get it working (safely) and drive the hell out of it. It may never be done and it will certainly never be perfect. This is my Spitfire's 19th year on the road. I try to improve it a little each year. It has come a long way since it hit the road, and there is a lot of room for more improvements, but I'm not willing to take it off the road to attempt "perfection". Just my 2 cents worth.
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MGBV8 Carl Floyd Kingsport, TN (4511 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 11:32PM Main British Car: 1979 MGB Buick 215 |
Re: Has anyone else noticed time is slipping away?
Quote: Excellent course of action, Phil. I try not to do anything that can't be finished in a few days. Even if it sits there for a while, it it good to know that it is not far from being road worthy. I fear if I take it apart too far, it will be off the road for a very long time. |
Charles Charles Long McDonald, TN (177 posts) Registered: 09/15/2013 08:54AM Main British Car: 1966 MGB V6 1994 Camaro 3.4L 60V6 |
Re: Has anyone else noticed time is slipping away?
When I was racing, we always said, "To finish first you have to first finish". If we judge ourselves to much we will never finish.
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MGBV8 Carl Floyd Kingsport, TN (4511 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 11:32PM Main British Car: 1979 MGB Buick 215 |
Re: Has anyone else noticed time is slipping away?
"To finish first, you must first finish."
- Rick Mears "Nobody remembers who finished second but the guy who finished second." - Bobby Unser "Second place is just the first place loser." - Dale Earnhardt Sr. "The winner ain't the one with the fastest car, it's the one who refuses to lose." - Dale Earnhardt Sr. "You win some, lose some, and wreck some." - Dale Earnhardt Sr. “Two of my favorite things are my steering wheel and my Remington rifle.” - Dale Earnhardt Sr. "I jumped out of the car to address this thing, knowing I had to address it right then or run from Cale [Yarborough] the rest of my life. And with that, Cale went to beating on my fist with his nose." - Bobby Allison Speaking about the famous fight ending the 1979 Daytona 500 "When I started racing my father told me, 'Cristiano, nobody has three balls but some people have two very good ones."' - Cristiano Da Matta |
BlownMGB-V8 Jim Blackwood 9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042 (6468 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 12:59PM Main British Car: 1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS |
Re: Has anyone else noticed time is slipping away?
"Done Beats Perfect"? Very good Carl, I like it a lot. And the bit about making Art as well, though it seems to ramble.
As for all the arrogant alpha male stuff I suspect it probably does at least as much harm as good and I guess I'm about as guilty as anybody else. It does feel good to finish first. But I'm not above letting someone else enjoy the feeling sometimes. We tend to take ourselves (and others) WAY too seriously and if we're not careful that can have some pretty bad consequences. I didn't used to see that, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now. ;-) Jim |
BlownMGB-V8 Jim Blackwood 9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042 (6468 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 12:59PM Main British Car: 1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS |
Re: Has anyone else noticed time is slipping away?
Here's something I doubt many of you have seen. Nothing to do with cars but still...:
[www.youtube.com] |