I've been dipping in and out of the forum quite a bit over the last 9 months or so and I've spent a lot more time using the 'search' than anything else. I think it's a great place to be able to either dig out the info from the acres of stuff that is in the archive OR stick a question (new or frequently asked) out there to get some feedback.

I bought a part-built Haynes Roadster in July last year and have been slowly plodding away with the project ever since.

I still haven't settled down yet to a happy understanding of how hard or easy it'll be to complete my build.

Half the time I come across an issue I seem to find a straightfoward solution, the other half I start doing some research on here and discover a mine-field of opinions and standards!

Does everyone have this experience when they get into car-building? Does the 'well damn - that's more complicated than I thought' EVER go away? :-D

it all works out in the end. one mans right is another mans wrong, unless one is proven to work and the other doesn't then all you can do is go with what suits you best.

It depends to some extent on your working background, I have spent the last 50ish years in engineering, in one form or another,
so while I don't find building a car difficult, it can be very frustrating. I have never been happy with my first attempts at any aspect of the build, three incarnations seems to be the average, and I still look at parts of the build and think I could have done it better/differently.
You have definitely come to the right place for help and info. The only advise I can give is to not look at the big picture, but break the build into sections:
Wiring
Fuel
Suspension
Engine
Cooling
Bodywork
Interior
Etc.
Make a tick list, stick it on the garage wall, and try to do at least one thing a day, if possible.
If it is becoming a chore, step away and come back to it at a later date, I had a down time of around 18 months once
Good luck, and with patience you will have a complete car at the end, and not a part build for sale.

As John said, it doesn't have to be perfect, but work and be safe, pick the method you personally find the easiest.

[Edited on 8-3-13 by 40inches]

I agree with what has already been said. Unfortunately not only is the Internet your friend, it can also be the cause of much confusion! What one guy says can go completely against another's advice and in the end you may end up with several different answers/solutions to a particular problem. In that situation I tend to go with the 'majority' but listen to your instincts too

In the end, if it wasn't for this forum I would probably never have got anywhere near putting my car on the road and it would have become another 'statistic' for sale on the Bay.

Stick at it, things will get there and you'll look back and smile (at the cars you've just passed!! )

JB

No it's pretty much like that for all of us. I make my living fixing cars and my Fury still throws up complications.

For instance, Monday last week I removed my engine to replace it with a fresher/tuned version. So 1 1/2 hour after starting and the old one was out; 1 1/2 weeks later and the new one isn't in! Externally they're identical... but the new one won't fit where the old one came out from.

Now, some of that delay is due to the well known effect that, starting any work on the Fury causes business to pick up and interupt it, and partly because I decided to alter (very slightly) an engine mounting that I'd always meant to get around to doing; That slight alteration has had a load of knock-on effects... and the damn thing won't go back in!

...and I'm not convinced the new engine is good and I've discovered/suspect a major fault on the old one...

Mines the same 6 months ago I removed the exhaust manifold to replace a broken stud I'm still rebuilding the car and seem to be taking more off than I'm fitting!

Agree with the above.

However.... Make sure you have a copy of the IVA manual, and when doing a section eg Mirrors or Lights, read up on that bit. Last thing you want is additional holes in the bodywork as you have to re-position things due to failure on the IVA.
I know.... My mirrors were 25mm too low. WHilst I had a good view to the rear I could not see the nearest marks on the floor at the IVA test.
Daft thing, I know! The IVA manual is a heavy read, but look at it a section at a time, read it over several weeks, and check thoroughly when working on a particular item. It will save you a lot of grief later on.
There is a hell of a lot to comply with, just take it bit at a time.

You will get there, there will be good and bad days. We have all been there at some point during our builds.
There is plenty of help on here, to ask advice, to look at what others have done As long as you can take some comments as tongue in cheek, you will be OK.

Take it steady, and enjoy the build, even the bad bits!

If it looks wrong to you .. then it probably is ..
If you're happy with it and have applied common sense .. it will be OK..

The way i finished mine was simple..

Build it and drive it !
You got the rest of your life to paint, fiddle & add !

Making new top wishbones with camber ajusters & poly bushes & correct castor next week

The paRt I found really frustrating was the realisation that you know your car best of all , better than all the so called experts. Do one job at a time and soon enough you have a car to work with. These people on here do know what they are talking about because they've all been thru it. Remember its supposed to be fun!

quote:

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Originally posted by adithorp
No it's pretty much like that for all of us. I make my living fixing cars and my Fury still throws up complications.

For instance, Monday last week I removed my engine to replace it with a fresher/tuned version. So 1 1/2 hour after starting and the old one was out; 1 1/2 weeks later and the new one isn't in! Externally they're identical... but the new one won't fit where the old one came out from.

Now, some of that delay is due to the well known effect that, starting any work on the Fury causes business to pick up and interupt it, and partly because I decided to alter (very slightly) an engine mounting that I'd always meant to get around to doing; That slight alteration has had a load of knock-on effects... and the damn thing won't go back in!

...and I'm not convinced the new engine is good and I've discovered/suspect a major fault on the old one...

---

If you work on the basis of two steps forward and one back you'll probably find most builders on here experience that.
I found it helped to write a check-list of all the jobs I could think of doing and ticking them off when completed.
That way you can see how much progress you are making.
However as another thread on here recently hinted keeping track of your expenditure could be a frightening experience.
Suffice to say it will cost you more than you imagined!
HTH.
Cheers, Pewe10

For my pennies worth, keep the build as simple as you possibly can in the first instance.

The IVA needs a lot of attention to detail and reading / working to the manual carefully from the outset can save a lot of the woaaahhh moments by getting it right first time.

Dare I say - some folk seem to make life more complicated for themselves by - a) cutting what I consider silly corners and b) expecting a fire breathing monster to pass the IVA if you stick a cat on it and fudge the mapping.

I must admit to spending a lot of time leaning on the bench, coffee mug in hand pondering the best way to fit XXXXXX so that I it will be easier to fit YYYYY later and if it breaks later, it will be accessible to repair. I thing the time spent thinking and planning saved a lot of grief later!

I took the sort of approach 40inches suggests - stuck A4 sheets with each of those headings on the wall with a list of all the tasks needed to complete each one. Helps with the planning and motivation when you can tick things off.