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need some motivation to work on the car.

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Jim Mac

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
summer is here, trying to figure what's the summer time project for one of the cars. I'm thinking 396 for the 66. Just got the new z bar delivered today, got 2 sets of headers hooker 2455 and Hedman???? short waterpump alt brackets and pulleys.
what am I missing??... motivation!
car runs perfectly fine, has enough power to be a fun driver (350 with a 142 blower) Plenty of daylight after work so I can have it swapped out pretty quick. As I get a little older, it's getting harder to take apart a perfectly good running car just to try something different. jim
 
#3 ·
I;ve got so much on the "to do" list I almost want to give up. one of those is a 64 Elky in pieces. Interested!? :)
 
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Discussion starter · #4 ·
I'd love another el camino, but my wife would probably kill me. jim
 
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#5 ·
My motivation comes in waves. Drive it as is until motivation increases.

Thats better than losing motivation while it’s ripped apart. Ask me how I know…..
 
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#8 ·
I've suffered the lack of motivation for far too many years. Partially dismantled my car back in 2012. Then it sat mostly untouched until summer 2017. I lost my job that year and while I was unemployed, I finally found some motivation to get out in the garage. Late that year I got a new job, and the car got set aside again. I've tinkered only a little bit here and there until this spring. Now I'm on a mission to get it back on the road this year - regardless of how ugly it's going to look. One of those things that was holding me back was fixing the rust on the driver side floor. I finally took the plunge last fall and bought a welder. This spring I finally got it all set up and started some practicing. And this weekend is the culmination of that work - I'm getting that patch panel welded in for good! I got a good portion of it already done so far today - but the day's not over. I was fortunate that I didn't find any more holes in the floor.

I also get a bit of encouragement from a friend who's working on his '69 Camaro. He's 79 I think... maybe 78. Regardless - that's well over 20 years on me so I can't use the "I'm getting too old for this crap" excuse!
NorCal-SS said:
I’ve been “unmotivated” for a while now. One thing that’s helping me recently is hanging around other like-minded friends. Getting out to car gatherings and hearing and seeing the fun everyone else is having. And even then it still comes in waves
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Would be nice to get to know some other classic owners in the area. I don't really hang out at shows at all. And even if my friends are interested in cool cars - most aren't into wrenching

I think it would be cool to do a rotation among friends where particular weekends (perhaps once per month) the group shows up at one member's house and everyone splits up whatever tasks need to be done that day/weekend. You'd get in a bunch of socializing time... and a lot of work done at the same time.
 
#11 ·
#12 ·
Leadhead said:
I'm trying to stay motivated myself. Just got the body up in the air a few days ago. Feeling a bit overwhelmed looking at it.
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At least you are at the point where everything you do now will be an improvement. One baby step at a time. Good Luck with your project. But i can definitely identify with you and Jim's (and others) struggle for motivation. Seems to go down as age goes up. And not only car related stuff.
 
#13 ·
I find all large projects are overwhelming. You just need to break it down into smaller subprojects and tackle one thing at a time. Getting those small wins is rewarding and motivating for the next task.
 
#14 ·
72soft-top said:
I find all large projects are overwhelming. You just need to break it down into smaller subprojects and tackle one thing at a time. Getting those small wins is rewarding and motivating for the next task.
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This.

Pick a small partial project of the project and consider that that job is all that matters, look at nothing else. I have no idea what I just typed BTW... o_O

Don't make a list until you're at the point that you can almost smell the rubber burning.
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
it would be so much easier if the car wasn't running. problem for me is taking a good running car apart. jim
 
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#16 ·
I'm losing it. After losing my crew chief to cancer last year it's all on me to maintain my 5 cars.
I'm tired of faulty parts,
Tired of correcting prior owner screw ups
Tired of correcting my own screw ups
Tired of failing eyesight and reduced physical stamina
Tired of busted knuckles
Tired of rust that never sleeps
Tired of paint fumes
Tired of dust and debris

It was more fun when I was just the janitor around here.
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
my buddy just stopped by with his new project on the trailer. 69 camaro, a empty body shell on a dolly, diff, frame, rest ofbthe metal in the back of his truck. he's older than me and has a 66 nova blown apart like this. jim
 
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#18 ·
My motivation comes and goes in waves also... I try to spread my interests around... this weekend I prepped and ran the Chevelle at a test and tune, spent all week getting ready, but lost motivation mid week and my times showed.....

To distract myself from the car, I switched gears and worked on my old boat, a '70s Correct Craft inboard ski boat I picked up this spring, worked on some stringer repair and carb work....

You are not motivated 100% all the time. I found if you do jobs in small bites, with small goals it becomes easier, even if it is only an hour or two at a shot...:)
 
#19 ·
Don't take apart a good running car, WITH A BLOWER, in the middle of the season. Good grief, you're a glutton for punishment! :)

Buy another car optimized for easy engine swapping to try different stuff.

-Dave
 
#20 ·
ChevelleFan70 said:
Don't take apart a good running car, WITH A BLOWER, in the middle of the season. Good grief, you're a glutton for punishment! :)

Buy another car optimized for easy engine swapping to try different stuff.

-Dave
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He's in Arizona, so the best crusing season starts back up in late September. Summertime in AZ is like a nuclear holocaust, so a shaded garage with a swamp cooler is a good place to be.
 
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Jim Mac
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