Hiya guys,

I've been away from the site for about 6 months after me and my missus broke up in January and I've not had the time/money/inclination to even look in the garage, let alone drop by the forums.

The recession didn't seem to be affecting me at work while everyone else was going on about it over the last 2 years, but it seemed to hit hard in april and may, especially with the election (alot of the work I do is government based conferences/events etc). So it's been a tricky few months but I'm more or less getting things back to normal now..

I've got scheduled quiet patch coming up, which would normally be filled with time in the office tidying up/sorting stuff out and enjoying a bit of time off. This year I'm gonna be building my website and developing new business to keep the wheels turning.

With regards to my project, I've got my 1.8 cvh engine, type 9 box, diff, shafts, brakes, megajolt, lots of engine service bits i.e. belts, spark plugs, gaskets - all in various states from brand new/reconditioned/in need of reconditioning...

I started my chassis, got about 20% in and realised I'm never gonna be 100% happy with it and considered purchasing one from the likes of 3GE back at the start of the year (again funds restricted this). Also, I don't have any wishbones, ali panels or bodywork.

In an average week I've probably got around 1-2 hours spare where I'll sit down and put the xbox on so I can switch off and vegitate. With this in mind, I've not got the time or energy to put into the car.

Also, my garage is in serious need of emptying out, all the clutter either binning/selling/donating to charity and then starting putting everything back in again but with some kind of organisation. As it stands, my bike (the one shining light in my life) is up against the roller shutter door and wedged against some shelves on the nearside, the build table at the rear and a freezer on the offside.

All this stuff has been floating around in my head making me consider whether I should cut my losses now, sell up and put the space/cash to better use - OR - well, there is no 'or' because I don't have the time or money which I did when I set out on this adventure. Also, there's the fear of admitting defeat which sounds daft but I'm having a really difficult time actually facing upto it.

To those who have tried and then given up on past projects, did you have a bit of a tricky time dealing with it or am I just thinking too much?

I know all the the on-going builders who have the enthusiasm, time and money will throw words of encouragement but with my current situation it just doesn't seem like a realistic option.

Anyone care to help me try and make a bit of sense of all this mess?

Thanks in advance & sorry for being away so long

been there myself with the divorce... its pretty shitty, on the car front it may be easier to sell all your bits recoup some money and get yourself sorted out, then maybe buy a cheap completed car over the winter and do a bit of work to improve it. Thats just my take, when i got divorced 5 years ago i had a total clear out of just about everything, on the plus side with hindsight getting rid of the unfaithfull cow was the best thing that ever happen to me. !!
Good luck

I built mine in 1997 but met a bird and didn't get it registered (although it was inspected and all it needed was an mot), then left it in the garage while sva came and went, now onto iva................

Rather than let it beat me, I just waited until I could be arsed, although it's a kit I'm not happy with, over the last 12 months I've stripped it all down and started again, and now it's close to done. I'm currently off work with torn knee ligaments so I can't work on the car either, but I'll get back to it soon as.

Mine was gathering dust/walked all over/used as a stand for everything to be rested on etc for over 10 years but I will not let it win!

So in short I know how you feel, plus the lifelong ribbing from all your friends that said "you'll never do it" would be unbearable IMO, so if you haven't got the time or inclination now, maybe you will in a decade or so!!!

All the best,
Stott

cheers for the replies guys - buying a completed car which needs work is something I've considered for the future & I wouldn't give up on projects altogether forever, just for the forseeable future I would probably really benefit from clearing out & putting the money towards more important things (got a nice big mortgage to deal with on my own now..... not that she ever put her hand in her pocket anyway, anywho I'm coming across as bitter but I'm actually the happiest I've been for a good few years).

As for the lifelong ribbing from everyone who said I'd never do it, I think I could live with the fact I dared to try rather than aiming low to avoid disapointment.

Think the best thing is for me to have a proper clear out and consider my options whilst doing so...

cheers guys

I'm with jase380, been there seen it done it. Better off now (I'm married again and well happy with my lot ).

My build was what kept me from thinking too much while I watched my Ex gallavanting around "trying to decide what she wanted"!! Well she got what she deserved, I did too and now am really close to the finish line.

Whatever you decide mate, good luck and you know there will always be someone on here who can give an encouraging word or two

JB

I've been building about 8 years now! Done various other stuff in that time including travelling, marriage, house renovation which has meant whilst sometimes I've got lots of time for the car, it has also seen years untouched. It is always there in the background though and I'll never give up - never even considered it. With house reno finished now and garage soon to be turned into a suitable workshop, I'll be back on the car for the finish soon. If the project is something you still want, dont let current circumstances make you make decisions you might regret - just leave it in the background until your ready. Having said that your situation is kinda different as you've not got very far and already say you aren't happy with your chassis. Maybe then you can walk away from this one if it's not what you really want without feeling too much defeat. Just as long as you set your sights on a decent project for when you're back on your feet! So, to summarise - either finish the project or dont - I've written all this and been no help at all

Sit down and make a list of the pros and cons. Too many people just make a list of the negative things which makes any situation look sh**ty. Even when life is going well making a list of the negatives can make you seem like a looser. You need that list of the positives to work out where the balance point is.

What makes you think walking away means admitting defeat? It can sometimes be the sensible thing to do. And who says that if after some serious thought you decide on balance a project is not working out that it's some sort of failure? We should all monitor and reassess the situation at intervals and act appropriately. Regret is just part of life's rich pageant. We all have them and learn from them. Failure or defeat is when you press on regardless or redouble you efforts in a bad situation to no purpose.

Life is about doing what is possible to the max. Recognising it's just not going to happen at the moment and stopping is OK. Deciding it's not a good time to make the decision and shutting the door on it to revisit later is also OK. Forcing on regardless is not. Chucking your hand in without a careful dispassionate assessment is not.

clear out is the way forward.. you ll feel better for it !!

Sorry to hear you're having a tough time of it Paul... not much of a consolation, but it WILL pass dude!

Sounds like you need something to get enthused about, so maybe clearing the decks and getting something fresh is the way forward!

Good luck!

Hi mate, you know what I'm going to say!

If you're still looking for new premises for the business just put a corner aside and put everything there to get it out of the garage, just keep it until you're ready to take it up again, theres builders on here that have taken over 10 years to finish, it aint a race, its a hobby to be enjoyed, if you weren't enjoying the build when you were doing it then yep get shut of the lot (except my engine stand!) but if you were, then just shelve it for a while.

If it's the chassis your not happy with, then you've got plenty of friends on here that will help put that right, you know I'll come over and help correct any jobs done by the f%ck up fairy if thats a cause for concern, just let me know.

Glad you seem to be over Vicky and have at least found the time to come on and give us an update. You do have mates here so don't be frightened to ask for help.

Take care buddy

Rich

BTW James bought a racing green car

[Edited on 10/7/10 by RichardK]

Thanks for all the encouraging and personal replies guys

As per alot of suggestions I reckon the best bet would be to have a clear out and re-organise my workspace. Once I've got room to actually get in there I might just see the project from a different angle (in the metal and in my head). I'll report back once I've had time to tidy up and re-analyse where I'm at.

And cheers rich mate, I still need to get your engine stand back to you. Perhaps a small project to get me back in the swing of things would be to build myself a little cradle on castors in which the CVH can sit...

I'll give you a call sometime in the next week or two for a chat rich - hope you're still getting on well with the bruise! New dash looks the shizzle

Get somebody in to help with the clearout. You don't want to throw anything useful out, and you don't want to keep to much. Another set of eyes on things will clarify.