Started building my Onyx mongoose bout 18 months ago now and i have not touched it since january, except to remove the engine when i sold it. I now
have a 1600 k series sat beside the car in my garage and i just cant be arsed to do anything with it anymore. Ive moved house twice (rented/now own)
and with having a house to do up i just dont have the time, money or energy to spend on the Mongoose.
Seriously thinking of selling up but i know i would regret it. Anyone else gone through this?
I have a history of having things for a short period, getting bored / needing the money, then flogging and moving on.
One day, I was at the hillclimb track and the late Lawrence Hoy (google him if you need to) asked about my GTM. When I told him it was sold, he
administered a good talking to along the lines that this was no good and that I should stick with things. He also made it clear that he was interested
in how I was getting on and actually cared. I have had similar conversations with another racer who I admire greatly and who I know I will have to
answer to if I give up. He is also a member on here (hello Douglas).
Stick with the project - you really do know that it makes sense. You must see the project through.
Personally, I have really not been in the position to do much to my own car of late. But I remember what these gentlemen told me. I must finish. I can
take a break / run out of money / get scunnered as we say up here. But I must finish.
You must finish yours too.
Find a good car club locally, go along to the meetings, make good friends there, tell them about your project, they will pull you up by the bootstraps
and get you going again. You need a local guru / mentor.
I would not be your mentor, but if you lived up here, I would be coaxing you along to our club and introducing you to a few scoundrels who would soon
get you moving again.
P.S. Heres' Lawrence doing what he did best. If this guy cared about my progress, I cannot
fail to honour his memory by seeing it through.
[Edited on 20/10/08 by zilspeed]
YUP!
I posted yesterday about feeling a bit more inspired again. No one replied, but I wrote the post anyway.
I always find a small victory, or a bit of child antics help - so either pick a tiny job you know you can do quickly, and do it. Maybe an hours work
all in max. OR sit in the car and make all the noises, watch a few on board youtube vids first so you got soemthing to day dream about.
These things are toys, so keep it fun!
My car sat doing nothing for 3 months, straight after paying soemone to do the engine install for me. You are not alone.
Chin up, do soemthing easy you will get a good sense of satisfaction from - just make sure its not a job that reaches a dead end - that would only
make it worse.
If you cant even be bothered to go into the garage, write or re-write your to do list.
If its really bad you can always do what women do, and shop! Buy some shiny bits for the car!
Hope you get your head straight - but whatever you do, do not start a mamouth job, it will only convince you to sell it!
quote:
Originally posted by Dangle_kt
YUP!
I posted yesterday about feeling a bit more inspired again. No one replied, but I wrote the post anyway.
HAHA! It made me feel better all the same
Zil... I'm hardly the best example myself - at the last count I have 9 (yes NINE) ongoing projects
None have been touched for ages - except for the FF1600 which finally made it into the dry workshop on Monday.
PS - anyone want a 2litre Renault engine & transaxle for their middy
Hi all,
For me it is sometimes difficult as well. I have started building in 2002, and just recently had my huge milestone of a rolling chassis!
In between I moved houses twice. Both owned old houses with lots and lots of work. The agent told me I could not live there, I should demolish and
rebuild it.
Also I had two children (now 5 and 3 years old), and I got married. Not to mention that I had a busy job being an area sales manager.
The partly finished chassis was lying around, it got in the way actually. Many time times I have thought of giving up.
And now, the car is rolling and I am working on it with full energy. From this stage it is really nice work. Even though this project will take me a
decade to finish, I will not give up!
I do know from experience that sometimes it is hard to show character and go on, but I hope you will not give up either.
Oh and forgot to say that the 'oldest' project has just celebrated its 20th birthday and still is not back on the road
Thanks for the support guys, since writing the post bout an hour ago ive been in my garage, empted all the crap out of the car ( weighs half as much
now lol). At work at 10pm so not going to tire myself out right now lol. if i can get the time tomorrow i think i might get the suspension off and
clean it up ready for painting.
I think the lack of cash is really putting a damper on things at the minute. Need to find a way to earn more cash.... ebay here i come.
quote:
Originally posted by minitici
Zil... I'm hardly the best example myself - at the last count I have 9 (yes NINE) ongoing projects![]()
None have been touched for ages - except for the FF1600 which finally made it into the dry workshop on Monday.
PS - anyone want a 2litre Renault engine & transaxle for their middy![]()
quote:
Originally posted by minitici
Zil... I'm hardly the best example myself - at the last count I have 9 (yes NINE) ongoing projects![]()
None have been touched for ages - except for the FF1600 which finally made it into the dry workshop on Monday.
PS - anyone want a 2litre Renault engine & transaxle for their middy![]()
Started mine years ago too! Same story of moving house, jobs, doing other stuff etc etc. Now just bought a house with my partner that needs major
work and have to accept the car is on hold for a while. Still - after the house is done I'll be so used to spending every evening and weekend
working, the car will be finished in a couple of weeks! That's what I'm telling myself anyway.
Liam
I've just checked my build log and the last time I did proper work in progressing my buid was the 26th May 2005, just a babe in the scale of my
projects that have been started and not finished, similar to others the worst thng for my build was moving to a new house that takes ages to get into
a reasonable state.
Or if I'm honest, the build halted the day I decided that I had to cut out the U brackets for the suspension, very shortly I will resume with the
compulsion that I started with all those years ago, problem recently is I've been compulsively lazy.
So I would say don't sell, unless you've lost interest, as opposed to drive, as the drive will return at the most unsuspecting moment.
Your not alone.
If you think you may regreat it, your not ready to get rid.
Ive just bought the paint for the chassis today, its been in progress 3 years.
i et it all the time
every now and then i'm full of enthuiasm, then sometimes i look at the car and it just looks like a bag o' sh*te really puts me off. plus
i really want to put it throuh SVA before IVA comes in (gives me a deadline, plus i think a IVA pass will be a lot harder for my car) so it gives me a
deadline, but sometimes feel i'm rushing jobs too much..
all highs and lows... i think i can do it, but i need to avoid the lows
keep at it it'll be worth it in the long run
I think it really helps if you have a mate who is into the same kind of things who can come and give you a prod if you are losing interest. Maybe you
could try the personal ads in your local rag:
"Depressed kit car builder wants to meet same for late nights in the garage. Must have own tools and extensive budget"
Just came back from the garage. Again it was a rewarding evening. Now i'm ready for some garage-oil (aka beer).
cheers!
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
i et it all the time![]()
every now and then i'm full of enthuiasm, then sometimes i look at the car and it just looks like a bag o' sh*tereally puts me off. plus i really want to put it throuh SVA before IVA comes in (gives me a deadline, plus i think a IVA pass will be a lot harder for my car) so it gives me a deadline, but sometimes feel i'm rushing jobs too much..
all highs and lows... i think i can do it, but i need to avoid the lows
keep at itit'll be worth it in the long run
That is all very true. I am a bit bummed out because of impending winter around here and am not too motivated to go out into a colder garage (that's about 10 to 20 degrees warmer than it will be in about a month) But a few days off won't slow it down too much; I'm resigned to not getting it going before next summer, but who cares? A bit here and a bit there, and progress is made!
quote:
Originally posted by Liam
Started mine years ago too! Same story of moving house, jobs, doing other stuff etc etc. Now just bought a house with my partner that needs major work and have to accept the car is on hold for a while. Still - after the house is done I'll be so used to spending every evening and weekend working, the car will be finished in a couple of weeks!That's what I'm telling myself anyway.
Liam
And how's yours coming on James?????
Must say - I've lost a bit of impetus with the cold weather and knowing I'll probably have to sell it once it's done.....
Think: Little and Often.
Even if its only 15 mins rubbing down a bracket and primering it. Next night 10 mins painting it.
It WILL get doen and sooner than you think.
Doing huge lumps several months apart is soul destroying, as you feel you are forcing yourself. Take it easy, and do a bit at a time.
Set a target for fitting a headlamp and bracket or whatever, take small steps, and believe me it will come together.
Same approach worked for me - just go out and do SOMETHING, no matter how small. All the little jobs matter: when you're finally doing a big
piece of work, it's great to reach out for parts that are ready to bolt on - makes the big jobs much quicker to do.
It took me 6 years or so to finish my car, of which 4 were just getting the rolling chassis complete! Mind you, I was trying to finish an Open
University MSc course at the time...
Saying that, I have a few mods that I want to get done, but I can't raise enthusiasm for going into the garage; I'm busy at work and get
home knackered. I'll have to start following my own advice!