Board logo

Disheartened
carlknight1982 - 17/6/08 at 08:26 AM

Its amazing, we all feel the compulsion to create these cars, yet when we hit problem after problem we feel disheartened, well i do, its not the big issues that cause me to question my own sanity in purusing this hobby, its the small ones, adapting the back of my book locost to suit sierra IRS is a challange that ive been enjoying so far, ok i cheated a bit on the wishbones and rear uprights, choosing to opt for some second hand luegeo ones rather than risk my fabrication skills on such a critical component, but now i come to fit the wishbones and find somehow all my front brackets are out by about 5mm, atleast i only tacked them so its no great issue, the more irritating issue is that the poly bushes i brought from RD are perfect, the stainless inserts are perfect 44mm bang on, now i need to adapt them to 42mm, so im thinking of using a lathe yet yesterday out of pure frustration at the lack of progress i got the angry grinder out and took 2mm off one just to see if it would fit, so now i feel like a prat because of my impatience .

anyone else ever question their own skills, im a pretty highly qualified engineer, i run a workshop for the 3rd largest generator company in the country (big generators not little petrol ones, a 1250 has an engine capacity of 64L!)

yet a small car is feeling beyond my skill at the present , i think i need to take a break from it for a week or three

sensless Rant over

[Edited on 17/6/08 by carlknight1982]


eznfrank - 17/6/08 at 08:29 AM

Down tools, beer, rant a bit, ask the missus for a dirty favour, sober up, blag a ride, back on the job - works for me.


MikeR - 17/6/08 at 08:29 AM

join the club - i often feel out of my depth, hence i'm on year 8. But at the moment i'm really enjoying the build give it a break, do something else and come back when your in the right mood.


nib1980 - 17/6/08 at 08:31 AM

Remember two things!

1) what JFK Said " we don't do these things because there easy, we do then because there hard"

2) A Sprinter will never win a marathon race.


carlknight1982 - 17/6/08 at 08:36 AM

quote:
Originally posted by nib1980
Remember two things!

1) what JFK Said " we don't do these things because there easy, we do then because there hard"

2) A Sprinter will never win a marathon race.



reason one is pretty much the reason im building it, being able to chat to guys on here is a real help it makes you realise we all feel the same at times


Mr Whippy - 17/6/08 at 08:46 AM

If it was that easy why would you bother? Working to such tolerances without a full jig is pretty hard going. Why not make a simple wooden frame up to hold everything in place on the car, use the suspension bolts through the frame (frame then clamped to the chassis) to hold the wishbones in the right place, once happy that it’s a aligned then weld up the brackets. I’d even put the wheels on with them sitting on the ground, chassis level and at normal ride height etc so I could check everything is aligned too, that way you know its all spot on before the brackets are fixed in place.

[Edited on 17/6/08 by Mr Whippy]


Richard Quinn - 17/6/08 at 08:49 AM

quote:
Originally posted by eznfrank
Down tools, beer, rant a bit, ask the missus for a dirty favour, sober up, blag a ride, back on the job - works for me.

Are your missus' dirty favours available to all Locostbuilders?


graememk - 17/6/08 at 08:49 AM

but will your mrs agree to us all asking her "favours"?

quote:
Originally posted by eznfrank
Down tools, beer, rant a bit, ask the missus for a dirty favour, sober up, blag a ride, back on the job - works for me.


Mr Whippy - 17/6/08 at 08:54 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Richard Quinn
quote:
Originally posted by eznfrank
Down tools, beer, rant a bit, ask the missus for a dirty favour, sober up, blag a ride, back on the job - works for me.

Are your missus' dirty favours available to all Locostbuilders?



if only the Samaritans had such a service I’m sure many would be saved

or was that in bad taste I can never tell…


carlknight1982 - 17/6/08 at 08:57 AM

Lol i find being married and having 3 sons 2 of which are under 4 causes dirty favours to be much lacking these days


worX - 17/6/08 at 09:23 AM

The best thing to do when you hit any particular wall with these cars, in my opinion, is:

Pick a job on the car that you can do - make sure you can do it, and then quite simply do it!
Then pick a second that is similarly easy and do it.
Once you've regained your confidence and enthusiasm you'll find that the harder jobs can be broken down into mini projects also and tackling them is a lot simpler.

I think the above works for people on all levels, shelf stacker, engineer and someone who makes toilets for a living...

Oh and the dirty favours are just a bonus!!!

Steve


eznfrank - 17/6/08 at 09:39 AM

You said you took 2mm off with the grinder as opposed to using a lathe, but you didn't say if the results were "none good"? Were you just hacked off at your own frustration/impatience rather than the results. Cos if it came out ok who gives a crap how it got there??

P.S. Sorry guys she aint for hire or reward, besides the upkeep and maintenace dwarfs the Indy no sweat!!!


mad4x4 - 17/6/08 at 11:34 AM

Downheartened. Look I should know I had a piece of Metal fall of the bench and damage (hole) one of the fibre glass side panels as I was nearing completion. Yeah it was my fault shouldn;t have left the "hilift Jack" (bit of offroad Kit) proper dangerously against the bench.

But anyway all came good in the end after much fustration and crocodile tears I cam up with a good cheap clever solution to hide the damage. (Won;t say so know one know if they see my car).

I also went through a spate of 5 engines in a landrover each one sized not long after starting or similar style problems (overheat or crank bearings etc). I very nearly firebombed that) would have if it would have run long enough to get it somewhere remote.

Look Take a break - go on holiday, Get drunk, what ever. Just don't beat youself up. Because once you get it finished (you will) you will be able to say

"I BUILT THAT "

And that is why we do it to say to everyone we can even in the face of adversity or sceptics.


omega 24 v6 - 17/6/08 at 11:35 AM

quote:

Lol i find being married and having 3 sons 2 of which are under 4 causes dirty favours to be much lacking these days



Ha HA wait till they're all teeneagers and back at home from uni for 3 months. Dirty favours are non existent(unless you jam a pillow in the wife's mouth)
Anyway to answer the question it's time to take a break and have some time out.
We build because "Impossible is nothing"
I had a mate of my fathers round to look at the build last night. He was astounded by what can be acheived in such a small area with the guts and determination/thirst for knowledge/skills we have mastered and taken time/patience/blood/sweat/tears over. That's why we build them "BECAUSE WE CAN"


Alan B - 17/6/08 at 12:17 PM

quote:
Originally posted by worX
.......Pick a job on the car that you can do - make sure you can do it, and then quite simply do it!
Then pick a second that is similarly easy and do it.
Once you've regained your confidence and enthusiasm you'll find that the harder jobs can be broken down into mini projects also and tackling them is a lot simpler.....

Steve


This is really good advice...I'll often do that...I'll say to myself I must go out and do something....and there is always a list of 5 minute jobs (which we all know take about an hour), just do a couple of those and you'll be surprised how soon the enthusiasm returns.


RK - 17/6/08 at 12:36 PM

Again, I totally agree with Mr. WorX.

I have resigned myself to the fact that every single job will have to be done at least twice. Once accepted, I can move on in my own way. Maybe the car won't ever be done, but I don't think like that anymore; it's just one job at a time.

I had a forced break from the build all winter, because it was at another garage in another city due to lack of room here.

And for god's sake, don't think about the money you're spending on it! You will surely be discouraged. Are you still eating? Do you still have a bed to sleep on? If yes, you are all right and can carry on with the important things like car building.

[Edited on 17/6/08 by RK]


mangogrooveworkshop - 17/6/08 at 02:00 PM

post these bushes up to me and we will run them off in the lathe


02GF74 - 17/6/08 at 02:17 PM

quote:
Originally posted by nib1980
Remember two things!

1) what JFK Said " we don't do these things because there easy, we do then because there hard"

2) A Sprinter will never win a marathon race.


1. not sure that is the case. it is more of the challenge and ofcourse a fair bit will be doing something new whcih will result in a few cock ups - all part of the learning process.

2. depends on who else is running?

Most people have been through times when we feel like taking a big big hammer to the car to put it out of its misery, I know I have.

Best leave it in the garage for a week ro two and do something different,.

Then sit down and make a list of waht needs to be done and go about how you will do these things in your head.

Maybe a week later attack the list.

you are not the 1st and won;t be the last to go through this.