The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Ever Feel Like Throwing in the Towel?

This has been one of those days where nothing has gone right. I am on vacation this week and was going to get a lot done on my truck. It has been at a mechanic shop for 7-8 weeks "working it in" between jobs to put new brake system, steering parts, gas lines & get the motor fired up. I told the guy last week I would stop in last Friday & he said he thought it would be done. Went in last Friday & found it outside where it has been setting in the rain with no windows in it & bare metal exposed for weeks, and the work not done. It was supposed to have been kept out of the weather because of the exposed metal and now all the welding I had done has rust formed all over it. The shop owner said he fired the mechanic who was working on it, but that doesn't help me any at this point. He also can't find some of the parts I gave the mechanic I got from American Classic & Jim Carter.
I am having the truck towed back to my house after 2 months of waisted time and I will have more work to do on it than before I took it there. I feel like parting it out and saying to heck with it, but I have way too much invested in it to quit now. Its discouraging, but I do believe "all things work together for good to those who love God" and I do, so I will be OK in the end. My dad used to say "Live & learn."

Take a deep breath and try and move on. This experience, you will be able to relate someday as a bump in the road. You could apply some phosphoric acid rust remover to the bare metal and it will protect the surface. When you are ready to work on that metal you can just wash it off.

We have all been through the same thing. Ours was three months to have the vent windows and door glass done. They didn't do anything until we threaten legal action. When they did they left a broken window regulator in the door cuz "they don't make them anymore". Hang in there kid its all part of the program. You will have a story to tell at the next swap meet. T/C Steve

I think the correct verse is "Tribulation worketh patience". I hate being at the mercy of others to do anything. So far I have done all of the work and plan to make it a one man job. Every once and awhile I make the mistake of looking at the totality of the job and think I must be crazy. Then I tell myself just do what is next. Eventually things get finished. Congratulations on your new patience.

I prayed for paience once. Just once. I figured I would work that one out on my own after that.

I know what you mean about being at the mercy of others. I will not be again. In the amount of time it was at the shop & the time now needed to take care of the new rust forming I could have figured out how to do the work it went in for and never got done.

Thanks guys for the pep talk, I needed it. I can't let someone else take my joy from me so it's move forward & get er done.

My favorite line from the Bible is "...and it came to pass...". The Lord in his mercy didn't say "it came to stay". That's good to remember in a lot of situations. This mess too shall pass, trouble is some things pass like a kidney stone! Keep your eyes on the prize and just do the next thing. They all seem like painfully small steps, but this is not a timed event. Shoot, if it was easy, anybody could do it. Truth is these old trucks are a labor of love and love ain't always sunshine and roses...Hang in there...there's a lot of us rooting for you.

pat

yep, we have all been there.. i was ready to burn mine with all the problems i was having when doing my power disc brake install.

hang in there, its well worth it.

leonard

Been There!!! Sooo many times I just wanted to quit. I wished it would just all go away and I'd buy me a nice truck! WRONG!! Its taking something and, with your own hands, giving it new life and in turn it will give you years of satisfaction and enjoyment. The 37 was over 5 years in the shop and so far the panel is approaching 3 years.
At a car show this past Saturday a guy from La. ask me if the truck was for sale and how much. I laughed

I have all but thrown in the towel.... but hey I am back in it. This is a long story but I will try to keep it short. I got my truck when I was a Sophmore in High School. I had nothing but a basic socket set, a 8x10 shed and a dream. I worked on it every chance I could. I finally got the truck running and drove it for a little while. I than decided to fully restore it. I was now a Senior. I still only had a small air compressor and and the shed as well a How to Restore Your Cheverolet Truck book. I got a lean to built my first year out of High school. I got real busy with work a girlfriend and life. So the truck got on the back burner. I than moved away from for College and than got married moved again and moved again. Mean while my truck got put out of the lean to and I had other projects. I now have a good job and my Mom moved to the area. I built a 22x24 garage insulated air conditioned. It is stocked with just about every major tool for a restoration, mig welder, stick welder, plasma cutter, big dual stage air compressor, welding/cutting torch, and sand blasting cabinet as well as two huge tool chest. I am not bragging but now I have the truck 10 minutes away with every thing to work it back to life. I have got the truck all the way down to the frame and I am on the up hill side. Not bad for almost 15 years since that fine summer afternoon that me and my Dad drug the truck home. Do I have a while to go yet well yea but now I have a nice garage to do it in and not a dirt floor. I also have the knowledge, I went to Nashville Auto Diesel College, as well as the tools and not just the latest Craftsman catalog. So hang in there it will be great when you finish I promise.

Kenny Broomfield

I am 60 and still gaining experience every day. I think of it like eating an elephant. May take a little while, but I can do it!

When you pray for patience, the way God gives it to you is to keep testing it!!

Good luck with your project! Hang in there, you'll make it!

Perhaps a well-worded letter to your local Better Business Bureau is in order. Might save some other poor soul from taking his pride and joy to those jerks....and it might make you feel better too!

Alan.....Take a deep breath............!

If 'I had thrown in the towel' as many times as I've felt like,

I wouldn't get into the garage for the pile of laundry!!!

I've had to re-do some work a "fabricator" did which set me back a while,but it's coming together now and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

dude,you're not alone.i've been 15 yrs. on a project and been disgusted and ready to quit so many times.and yes it does suck waiting on other people who dont care as much about your project as you.and as others said by that time you can figure it out.dont look at the big picture.take it in small steps and focus on the small step in front of you.good luck.........dave

David's got me beat -- I've only been working on my big bolt for 10 years And I had it for sale twice.

Ya have to be careful when you ask God to teach you patience -- He has a not-so-easy way of learnin' it to ya.

"The lessons folks most need to learn in life ain't fun to learn." -- Barney Fife

Call it a hobby...
Expect to find another project when this one is finished. It is always frustrating when your bolt is away from home and you have no control on it's progress. Get it home and do it yourself, you'll feel better about it.

Well, my truck is back home in the safety of my garage. I looked it over good & will have to re-do some of the plastic work(body filler) and sand the metal back down to get the surface rust off it, but it won't set me back too far.
If I kept it home and did it myself I would have had to do some "trial & error" mechanics but would have been better off. Oh well, I am getting over it and will just do what needs to be done & get back to work on it.

After 4 1/2 years of my life and way too much money we finally took the father/son 66 out for its first drive tonight. Still a few things to do (box floor, etc) but Kyle's going to be able to drive it to school for a couple of weeks before he graduates Grade 12. Spent some time in a parking lot teaching him to drive a standard trans ( needs a little more practice yet) and then we took a run down the main cruising street here. Beautiful weather,lots of cruisers, lots of looks and thumbs up ( and a ricer not getting attention from anybody trying to race us).

Lots of times over the years I felt like walking away from the whole mess but after seeing the look on my son's face the first time he was behind the wheel and the way I felt while actually driving it for the first time made it all worthwhile.

Sure glad I stuck it out and didn't give up. You'll feel the same way somewhere down the road.

Priceless!!!

It seems like whenever you have someone else work on your project they screw something up or don't live up to your expectations. I've tried to do as much as I can myself, until I screw something up so bad it needs a pro! Like that welding thing...ugh. Anyway, we all have horror stories of taking two steps forward and 10 steps back. Don't dwell on it, take the next step forward.

Michael

I`m pushing 55 and am contemplating starting a COE restoration project. My biggest worry is that I`ll run out of energy, discipline, patience and dedication halfway thru.
I guess my self doubt is killing me already. So I just as well die with the truck half finished rather than not start at all.
Suddenly I feel enlightened.

ya got it just right John, might as well have some irons in the fire when ya die, welcome to project central

same for you Alan, keep in mind that a project is never "done" anyway, and it's never done as well the first time as you can do it the next time

Bill

Let me tell you, do as much as you can yourself and when you do farm something out have low expectations!

I have lost a lot of the fire in my belly for doing these projects. I am 50 and when I was 25 I remember having a car in primer a week before a show and painting and assembling the car to make it. Working until 2 in the morning for weeks on end was common. No more my friends, no more.


The one thing that I have found that really helps is to not set your expectations too high on getting something done. If you are really fired, well then sure, set them as high as you want. When I was 25 I could move a mountain with a shovel and wheel barrow over night!

But now, I have to do a shovel full every night and thenn go relax. It isn't going to get done real fast but at least I know it WILL get done eventually.

I have been looking at my Gran Sport painted, without a single part bolted on in the garage for four months now! Always "Tomorrow", I will get to it "tomorrow". I made a pack with myself to get out there EVERY DAY, for a minimum of 5 minutes. Just five minutes, that is all I require of myself. Every time that 5 minutes turns into a few hours but like last night it was 20 minutes tops, but at least SOMETHING got done!

Give that a try, just five minutes a day, I am very happy with the results of my "five minutes" and it is very easy to do EVERYDAY.

Brian

I have been working on my 65 Jimmy for 3 yrs as a retirement project, got 2 more yrs to finish it. My sons have gotten into the classic trucks and we work together, makes my wife proud that we can get along like that. One son 31 has a 66 Fleetside long bed and my youngest 19 has a 68 & 72 swb that we will combine to make one. Makes for a full shop and their has been plenty of bumps in the road, What I am looking forward to is going on our first cruise with all 3 trucks, Gotta thank my lovely wife for letting us persue our hobby and actually helping most of the time. Looking for a cruise night in the near future.

I like that 5 minutes a day advice. that'll work for sure

I've always been guilty of having WAY too many irons in the fire. But I got some sound advice from an old man one time who told me "If you don't have any irons in your fire, then your fire ain't good for nothing and somebody will pour the old coffee grounds on it". Don't know exactly what that means but it sounds negative....and makes me feel better about having too many projects

"five minutes a day" sounds like my goals. I tell everyone to do something EVERYDAY. To me that sometimes means I looked up something in the catalog that I will need. That counts!! Its amazing what you can do and how it will mount up. No matter how much time it is just do something everyday. Works for me.

Been there and still am. my truck sits on the back burn for days. they work on the daily driver knowing that i am a patient person. but i paid them more in one year that all of there other projects. hang in there. mine was worth the wait have had it on the road off and on for the last 6 months and i got great pleasure out of driving it. ron

The only problem is, it works TOO GOOD! Last night, I was so darn tired. Came in after a long hard day at work and sat down to watch a ball game. I fell asleep, my wife woke me to feed me dinner right there on the couch.

After I finished the game I was about 9:15. I HAD to go out to the garage for my 5 minutes. Well, I went out there and worked until 10:15!

Darn it, tonight it will be FIVE MINUTES, and not a second more!

Brian

Actually, the hour you put in last night has now put you 11 days ahead!! So take next week off!

Constant forward motion. I guess I should get back to the truck.

Alan,

I am here for you, however if you need a good beer, stop in for a frosty one.

I myself would contact the shop owner and inform him about contract law. However I believe we had the discussion about service in this state.

Scott

Rich, I needed a little chuckle tonight..... that says it all.
Way to go Brian. It happens to all of us. My wife tells everyone when I say 10 minutes its really an hour.... ESPECIALLY when I get to talking old trucks with someone!

I understand. I hated the firetruck many times and wanted to quit often. After many years??? I've learned to love that thing while continuing to have to adjust, replace or fix something on it. Just part of the process...

Hang in there.

Nooooooo, I must go out there for a minumum of 5 minutes. Tonight I finished the repaint on this emblem (I have been working on it for the past week) and put it on the deck lid. About 15 minutes and back in the house.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa167/BasicsofBasics/IMG_8668.jpg

I need a good rest tonight.

Brian

Ten years ago this December I took my first 235 (the one I received in the 55 2nd) to a machine shop in Plano Texas. Cains Machine Shop. He said it would take about 6 months. I have since bought another engine and had it completely rebuilt for less money than Mr. Cain charged for this first engine to be rebuilt. This was done by Plano Machine Shop. They keep asking for permission to go pick up the engine from Cain. Amusing. They think it would be fun.

I am driving my 55 2nd and am currently working on a 53 3100. I bought a 52 216 for the 53 from a fellow in Lewisville.

This first engine is still with Mr. Cain. He continues to tell me that he should have it together soon. I believe that I am the fool but it is nice to have free storage. The thought is not much but keeps me going.

Move on Brother Alan. Life is too short to be agrevated by minor inconveniences or dumb-arses.

Oh. I have never wanted to give up. I love to ride in my truck.

I have been right where you are my friend. Not with a shop but just discouraged in general. I agree with many of the things said above.

I swapped a 235 in place of my dead 216. Things didnt always go right but its done. I have a few bugs to work out but I have driven the truck and couldn't be happier.

I also think the '5 minute' advice is great. I have found sometimes its just getting out there and getting started thats the toughest part.

Also, find a friend or friends close by with similar interests. I have a coupla 'hot rod - vintage car' buddies who without their help and encouragement, I could not have done it. I also found a great online friend on here who allowed me to call him or PM when I needed advice/help.

Do the things you can and get help with the things you can't. Try to do everything (within reason and according to your capabilities) yourself. This not only teaches you how/why/what but helps you to keep things right once their done. And you'll know your truck better than anyone.

Bottom line, don't throw in the towel my friend. Take a break/get away from it for a few days. I've also found 'treating' myself to a new part/manual/goodie whatever, also helps gets the juices flowing.

Hang in there!

Well i threw in the towel today....the wifes beach towel in the bed at the lake when we got done fishing.
But to be serious,I had days and months especially when I was sick that I thought it would be better to just stop and save $...but then after I got done feelin sorry for myself and decided to get of my arse an do somethin instead of waitin to hear back on test results, the 52 project was a Godsend!
Kept me goin through the rough times.
Trust me you will have more good days then bad ones.
Tim

I can't believe how this has been working for me! I am getting this thing done! Just once I stayed out there about five minutes masking an emblem. But I got out there, opened the garage door and turned on the lights and radio, in other words STARTED to do something. Other than that, EVERY DAY I am getting a lot more done. But if you FORCE that five minutes, it maintains a routine.

Brian

Never thought about quitting on my 55. However when I am working on a fun project,it is always best to just put the tools away for a day or so,when things start going rough. Then go back to it later,at which time things go much better. I never put myself on a have to schedule. If I dont get er done today theres always tomorrow or the next day.This is not like working on my daily driver which needs to be up and running tomorrow morning.