I really need to learn to finish a project before starting (or buying) another one!

My cars:
'69 Chevelle Malibu - LT1 swap 95% done - runs & drives, but need to re-do the trans crossmember, finish the exhaust, align the front end, mount the computer, plumb the A/C, etc...

'66 Chevelle Wagon - (recently purchased) Need to fix the taillights, replace the transmission, replace the flex-plate & starter, and mount/balance a matching set of wheels for it.

'23 Model T - Runs like crap... entire drivetrain needs rebuild.

'95 Wagon - Need to fix A/C and window that fell off track and won't close properly.

'91 Wagon - bought to use as winter-beater, need to fix front end (deer hit)

other '91 Wagon - parts-car, need to pull rear end for '95 wagon (3.23 posi) and transmission for '66 wagon (700R4)

'91 Bonneville - cheap beater that gets good gas-mileage, parked over 2 months ago because the tie-rod end is worn out, it needs an oil-change, and I stole the battery after toasting the one in the Chevelle... spending an extra ~$75/mo on gas by driving the wagon daily.

'98 Bonneville - overdue for oil-change... won't have time for a while, all highway miles anyway, so it can wait another week or 2.

'69 Chevelle SS396 - Bought it almost 12 years ago with no engine... still has no engine

My House:
Built a deck on the back (took 2 years BTW - should have been done in a weekend, if I knew what I was doing) ...still doesn't have a railing (quit so I could focus my time on the Chevelle)

Landscaping - built retaining wall around house one year, filled it with dirt the next year, planted the plants & shrubs this year, don't know when I'll get that cloth stuff to keep the weeds from growing, and the rocks in it... maybe next year??? note - this is just along the front. The plan is for it to follow around the side to the unfinished back deck.

Heck, even my lawn was only about 80% mowed this week, busy all this weekend, on vacation next week, Car Craft Summer Nats next weekend.

We've been here 3 years, and I haven't hung the curtains yet.

The garage is a mess, the basement is a mess, my office is a mess, etc.

Other than a few hours on July 4th, I haven't seen my friends since my wedding, and I haven't produced a newsletter for the chevelle club in who knows how long :( I've been asked to do some freelance writing for a car mag, and would love to, but don't know if/when I'll ever get my ducks in a row and have some time.

Will it ever end??????? :mad: I'm pulling my hair out, and have nobody to blame but myself. :(

AHHH! Feels good to vent. :)

At least you still have the drive to do all that. You forgot the whole wedding thing, which in itself is a project.

I have just the prescription: Take next Friday off, and go for a nice drive. I hear the twin cities has a nice little gathering of cars you could probably make a stop at. Even possibly find a few like-minded guys to chat with. Some little-known car magazine is sponsoring it...:beers:

I'm just the opposite...
It would drive me crazy not to complete a project in a timely manner. Sitting at work right now compiling a "to do" list for this weekend. Been out of town the past three weekends...

My Convertible is always unfinished, I have two young kids and a wife that wants stuff done around the house (so I have a complete lack of spare time).

I have a 1966 SS project that I have had sitting since 1985... I keep buying pieces and making lists of what needs to be done...

Yet I still keep looking for projects (I can't really afford, or at leats justify a completed car)...

ALL the time... And we just got an equity loan for an addition and not the wife scaled back the plans (so I figure we got extra $$$)... DOH! Its burning a hole in my pocket...

Lately, I have been thinking about this local 70-72 Nova. Figure it would be a fun car to built for the drag races, etc... Thankfully, the owner hasn't called me back...

I used to also have a 65 Impala convertible, and the wife told me to focus on finishing one of the 3 BEFORE getting started on the next...

Honestly, the big problem is lack of time, followed by lack of space...


Actually, I am bad at finishing projects around the home too...

I have a "car tent" I bought at Costco 1.5 years ago, still not assembled...
Attic ladder sitting in the box on my garage floor...

I have never adjusted the side windows on my convertible after reinstalling the tracks/glass...

I now have 45 boxes of laminate flooring sitting in my living room and a French Door leaning up against the wall...

My wife finally got smart and "encouraged" me to hire someone to install the door... She'd rather have it done in one day (and correctly)... She said that way I can concentrate to getting the floor done... Door should be in on Wednesday...

Many "unlandscaped" areas in my yard... Missing trim on my shed (I have the wood just sitting), fence boards missing...

Thanks Derek:rolleyes: , Not I remembered a bunch of stuff I should get done...

yes Derek you're the only one.

lol. I know, I'm a laugh riot.

1. 69 convertible - looks and runs ok but nowhere near where I want it to be. This fall I'm going to replace the body mount bushings and grind and paint the frame. After that it's new floor and trunk pans, then an interior. Then a brand new paint job, probably back to the original color of Butternut Yellow, but maybe not.
2. Had the forms for my driveway set up for 6 weeks now but can't get the time to call the concrete company and schedule a delivery
3. Started cutting down all my overgrowth in the back yard to clean up for the new wooden fence we're putting in but stopped because I ran into poison ivy.
4. Haven't gotten back to the poison ivy because our cat brought back fleas and my life is now dedicated to getting rid of them.
5. Started restoring my childhood wooden wagon for my daughter.
6. Drawing up plans for a deck and patio in the back, but I have to wait to start until I get the driveway poured.
7. Grand Caravan and Saturn both need new front brakes
8. FINALLY finished painting the house - but only because I hired someone :)
9. thiking about electricity for the garage.
10. Lots of other nagging little items around the house like a few missing drawer pulls

sheeew. I'm sure I missed a few.

andy

Chevelle has been sitting for 4 years now, waiting for my body off resto. In 4 years I have gotten the front clip pulled off and the interior completely removed and stripped. Im rolling right along on that one. BUT - I have bought plenty of parts to stack in my garage and stare at while I am having a beer.

My house is done. That was a lot of work and I am glad my wife had the drive and determination to finish it in a timely manner or I would still have dirt for a backyard. :D

I've been putting up crown molding in my living and dining rooms for about 3 months. One day it will be done.

My garage is thrashed. I have no plans to change that until the car is done. Why clean it up when its just going to get thrashed again? I'll dispatch the wife to clean it all up when I finish the car. :D

No, you're not the only one.

Derek-you can come down and work on the 71 with all your spare time. I don't see you getting much done soon as I know where you will be for the next 3 weeks in a row. I just seem to look through catalogs and buy(and dream about) a lot of parts that don't seem to be jumping onto the car by themselves. Maybe the car fairies will show up and help you out then head down my way to finish something here! ;)

Hey Dan when did you get the 71 convertible?

I don't get much done either.
Being on the computer 18 hours a day don't leave much time for anything else.

Derek you have gotten a lot more done in the last few weeks than I have on my 70 in the last few years.

I just moved into my new house two weeks ago. Been project after project. Spend, spend, spend. Unpack, sort, throw away, organize, cut up boxes. I took two weeks off work. That helped greatly. Paid out of pocket for window coverings and the company had all eleven windows done in less than 1 1/2 hrs. Garage was a mess, but I bought some big wood cabinets with doors and that swallowed at least 10-12 boxes of stuff (still room for more stuff). Still more organizing in the garage to complete. Good thing is the Chevelle, boat, and S-10 fit in the garage. What's left? More organizing to do. Temporary automatic soaker hose setup in the backyard for sixteen bushes I have yet to plant (so they don't die when I'm out of town on business). Need to install a threshold for the side door from the 3rd garage bay to the backyard. Weatherproof the remaining 600-700 sq. ft. of wood fencing. The horseshoe pit needs to be installed :D . The list never ends. I'm getting close though.

Chevelle - works fine. It's on the back-burner. No immediate attention needed. It wants a paint job. I keep saying...just another year or two.

Boat - Waiting for a complete restoration. I need $25k for that though.

S-10 - I have a TON of new parts laying around including new radiator, front spindles, wheel bearings, front suspension bushings, front upper and lower ball joints, steering components, clutch set, front/rear brakes, rear main seal.

Sierra - tires need rotation.

S-10, and Sierra need a wax job. I'm just not into wrenching anymore. The drive to wrench is gone. Maybe I'll get it back someday.

I'm tired, beat, and ready to drink beer and watch TV :D .

So, Derek, you're not alone.

Thank goodness you're all changing the oil faithfully every 3,000 mi on all the family cars. You are. Right?

Yea, my dad has that sickness, and so do I but my wife keeps me inline. Good luck with that.

Derek-you can come down and work on the 71 with all your spare time. I don't see you getting much done soon as I know where you will be for the next 3 weeks in a row. I just seem to look through catalogs and buy(and dream about) a lot of parts that don't seem to be jumping onto the car by themselves. Maybe the car fairies will show up and help you out then head down my way to finish something here! ;)Bring it up next winter and I'll do the brakes & suspension. :thumbsup: Just give me a budget to work within, and you can be my first "customer" ;)

Thank goodness you're all changing the oil faithfully every 3,000 mi on all the family cars. You are. Right?My '91 Bonneville is at about 7,000.... it was easier to stop driving it and start driving the wagon than to find my tools and pick up a filter. :o

I wonder what Derek's been doing with his time (over 8,500 posts) lol.

I wonder what Derek's been doing with his time (over 8,500 posts) lol....and 9 of those were actually helpful to someone :D

I just moved into my new house two weeks ago.

Congrats on finally getting the house Alan...

PS, IF you ever decided to throw on a cowl hood (or anything) on the S10, I'd happily take the stocker...

I am in the same boat.

I have my chevelle sitting all ready to lift the body off but my garage is too big a mess right now to even consider doing that.

I have a 93 chevy truck that needs minor work and then put the for sale sign in it. All but one of my 6 vehicles needs to be waxed.

My house has countless projects that need to be finished, and of course my 5 year old daughter seems to think the most important is repainting her freshly painted bedroom princess pink. "No honey, today is not your lucky day".

Plus I am swamped at work. Not to mention I have recently gotten addicted to bicycling, which soaks up most of the free time I did have.

Someday I hope to start crossing things off my list of things to do. But this weekend doesn't look to good for that happening either:beers:

Jeff

I keep buying parts and saying stuff about my next project and what I plan to do to it. Problem is, I dont have a garage of my own to do it all in. Been renting a family members garage. The only way I was able to even land the use of this garage was to pony up and offer some cash every month. Now its filled with Chevelle parts, G body Malibu parts, and a few good 454 cores.

They look at it as junk but to us car people nothing could be further from the truth. Especially when someone looks at the 71 vette LS5 short block and wonders why someone would keep something like that. Some people just dont understand.

Wait till I bring home the 66 wagon I got for free. I can only imagine how that will go over.

Got the same problem. I got a camaro that runs and looks decent. found a el camino roller for cheap, got it together and running, found a set of buckets for it then the guy shows me the 70 chevelle they came out of, so the 70 shell follows me home, get the chevelle running sell the el camino. Wife decides I need another project. Find another el camino, get it running in a couple of hours, now Im thinking of swapping the el camino for a project. If I just spent the money on finishing one car, it would be really nice but, I would be real bored. Oh not to mention I started replacing doors in the house, got 1 up still need to install the knob, 2nd door is in the garage holding up the wall. the rest of the doors are still at Lowes. Jim

...and 9 of those were actually helpful to someone :D
8 actually derek, the spinning screen code was definately NOT helpful!!!!:D

You're lucky your wife doesn't have a job that requires travel! Then, just wait until you've got some house-aches around!


Our "family" calendar for last month:
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i217/JD12585/stuff/th_June06.jpg (http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i217/JD12585/stuff/June06.jpg)


For this month:
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i217/JD12585/stuff/th_July06.jpg (http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i217/JD12585/stuff/July06.jpg)

Notice that no-where on there is a square marked "Dad is a hermit in the garage working on his car..." I'll also state that this is as of 6:45 this morning - this is a living/breathing document - subject to change by the hour!


You could use a calendar like this, but in reverse. Block off days to complete a project. Work on ONLY that project - don't get distracted.

Tell us when you're going to do something on your cars - that way if (when?) you get caught procrastinating you'll be sure to hear about it. If everything was done, you'd be bored!

Let me take that 69SS off your hands so you have one less worry at night!!

I had the same sickness (maybe a little worse than yours) up until ten years ago. At age 45 I was tested for ADD, my doctor perscribed two Concerta 36 tablets in the morning and now I get all my stuff done!