pekwah1
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| posted on 27/6/11 at 10:22 PM |
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P*ssed off
Well don't know why i'm inflicting this on all of you, but i've seriously had enough now.
I keep going to work on the Striker, get balls all done, realised i've cocked up what i have done and then go back inside.
Feels like it's never gonna happen.
On top of that i'm uber poor, so even if i got the car finished somehow there's no way i can find the £1000 odd to IVA, register and
insure.
Just really wanna drive this thing and i'm beginning to see why some people never do....
Why didn't i just buy something road going.....
D'OH!
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big_wasa
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| posted on 27/6/11 at 10:35 PM |
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Your not alone.
When I started mine sva was somthing like £175 or less 7 years ago. Mine has been drivable the last year and it still just wants trimming up.
But its now a lot of cash.
A couple of weeks ago I droped a bit of steel plate down my paint work and tonight it fills the plugs with oil when the rocker gasket splits.
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steve m
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| posted on 27/6/11 at 10:39 PM |
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Andy
What needs to be done, as i can help ?
Are you home tomorrow ? as im off till friday
Steve
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jollygreengiant
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| posted on 27/6/11 at 10:40 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by pekwah1
Why didn't i just buy something road going.....
D'OH!
Well its because you wanted to feel like you have done something REALLY meaningful in life.
Take a deep breath, exhale slowly. Now go and make a cup of tea. Learn from the mistake(s) you have already made, learn more from what you have
accomplished so far. There is light at the end of the tunnel. It does get better the closer you get. Start putting a small ammount of money to one
side for IVA etc. Make out a realistic table of things that need to be done to finnish and pin it up on a wall. Take one thing at an time and cross it
off as you do it. By the time you get to the end of the list, it will ALL have fallen into place and you can take pride in a job well done that you
CAN drive on the road and impress your mates with the phrase 'I BUILT THAT'.
Most of us have been to 'that dark place'.
Beware of the Goldfish in the tulip mines. The ONLY defence against them is smoking peanut butter sandwiches.
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pekwah1
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| posted on 27/6/11 at 10:42 PM |
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cheers steve,
no some of us have jobs....
actually not really about much this week but it's all stupid stuff that needs doing really, more wiring, need a new master cylinder, fit the
bodywork properly, need to buy lights etc and fit, stupid IVA stuff.
Was really hoping to be driving it this summer, i might just try and get it properly running so i can go on track instead and try and have it ready
for if i ever get out of my own little private recession!
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pekwah1
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| posted on 27/6/11 at 10:43 PM |
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jollygreen, yeh need to make that list, i keep starting it on the lappy and then forgetting where i saved it!
ok i'll put that as first on my list, to make a list!
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steve m
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| posted on 27/6/11 at 10:44 PM |
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As JGG says, you have to make a list of still to do, and concentrate on completing each task and ticking it off on the list
I still do that, and my car has been finished the road 12 years
But are these cars ever finished NO
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steve m
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| posted on 27/6/11 at 10:48 PM |
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Lists on laptops dont work
A good old piece of A3 with it written down, and ready for a nice tick or scribed out does the trick
I still have a A4 clipboard in the garage that i have a to do list on, and one day it will be empty
hahaha
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craig1410
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| posted on 27/6/11 at 11:06 PM |
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Yeah, get yourself a big whiteboard for the garage and a set of dry wipe pens. I had my build set up on my laptop in MS Project and it was a waste of
time. I have since learned that MS Project is basically a waste of time regardless of what you use it for but that's an aside.
Assuming your laptop isn't a mess already, you won't want to use it with dirty hands and you certainly won't want it anywhere near
when grinding, sanding, painting etc.
What you need is something you can scribble on immediately you spot a job or complete a job without having to wash your hands or find the laptop
charger. Whiteboards are good because you can organise and re-organise easily and you can use colour coding to reflect either different areas of the
car or jobs that need parts purchased first etc. Jobs for outside (eg. flatting), jobs for inside (eg. painting). Loud jobs, quiet jobs etc etc. They
are also dirt cheap if you buy them in the right shop. I think I saw some in Tesco a little while back for a couple of quid. You might need to buy 4
of them as they were quite small but only £10 or so.
On the motivation side, all of us who have completed a car have gone through that stage and we know how depressing it can be. It often seems that the
last few jobs take a huge amount of time but often this is because many of these jobs are detail jobs where you are not quite sure what the best
solution is. That's where a second pair of eyes from someone who has been through the process can help. I'm a bit too far away to offer
hands-on help myself but you won't be short of offers I'm sure so get some chocolate biscuits and maybe a few bottles of beer ready to
go.
Final piece of advice is to look for "good enough" and most importantly "safe" solutions rather than "perfect"
solutions to all tasks. You can fine tune the car once it's operational. I've still not painted half of mine and it's been on the
road for 2 years...
Don't give up or it will always annoy you. If money is tight along with time then consider selling a part share in the project to a friend,
ideally one who can help you finish it off. They share the burden of IVA, Insurance and Tax but get the benefit of sharing the driving. Just an idea -
obviously you'd need to find the right person and be able to trust them, and they you.
Keep at it!
Craig.
[Edited on 27/6/2011 by craig1410]
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Daddylonglegs
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| posted on 28/6/11 at 07:09 AM |
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As already said, we've all been to that place. I have been having issues trying to get my propshaft to fit the car which caused me to take a
major morale dive! It always seems like one step forward, two steps back. THere was always something else that didn't fit or was the wrong way
round 
But, I picked up the bit I need for the diff yesterday so hopefully I can get my prop to fit now. I have got all the necessary bits now as far as I
can tell so I can get on and finish the car.
The PITA IVA is an nause but necessary and yes, it stings when you think about how much it cost before the hike, but as the guys have already said,
try putting some cash aside if you can whilst finishing the jobs. I came close to chucking the lot in some time ago but the forum crowd saved my
Locost from becoming another 'unfinished project' for sale and I'm so glad.
It will happen, it is a slog, it does get you down, but keep your chin up and before you know it the road will be opening up in front of you with the
wind in your hair 
Keep at it 
It looks like the Midget is winning at the moment......
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 28/6/11 at 07:22 AM |
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Yep - you're not the first to think this way, and you won't be the last.
In my case, I kept putting stuff on, leaving it for a while, then tearing it off because I wasn't happy with it. After doing this for a while I
got fed up because I wasn't getting anywhere. In the end I just got on with it, doing the best job I could manage at the time, and resisting
all temptation to go back and do it again.
As said above, a list on the wall is a big motivator, as is a ride out in other people's cars (to remind you why you're going though all
this grief!). Anyone local to you who can take you out for a ride?
Keep the faith!
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rallyingden
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| posted on 28/6/11 at 07:34 AM |
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Been there got the T shirt, didnt touch the car for over 6 months.
I had a big clear up in my garage, got rid of any crap that might get in my way then made my list on the whiteboard and started from there. Money wise
I just asked the kids, friends & family to put money in the pot for things like birthday, Christmas, Fathers day .......... and any other event I
thought I could squeese money out of them
I then decided EVERY £2 coin I got in change went into the pot, pretty soon I was getting on top of things and the further I got the more enthusiastic
I got. Pretty soon I was there ............... but I still have my list of post IVA works and winter jobs on my whiteboard.
The feeling you get on your first drive of a car YOU have built far outways all the doom and gloom feelings you get for years leading up to the
finish.
BTW It took me just over 3 years to build and get mine passed
Go get that garage ready................
Good Luck
RD
[Edited on 28/6/11 by rallyingden]
[Edited on 28/6/11 by rallyingden]
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steve m
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| posted on 28/6/11 at 08:28 AM |
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You can come out in my car !!
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pekwah1
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| posted on 28/6/11 at 08:58 AM |
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Thanks for all the comments guys.
Very frustrating really but i'm in no mind to sell up or anything (yet)....
Yeh i think a whiteboard will be the best plan right now, it is fairly close and i really want it finished so i guess i'll just keep slogging on
with it....
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loggyboy
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| posted on 28/6/11 at 09:02 AM |
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Take a few weeks off (off the car, not work). Forget about it, pretend its not there. I guarantee within 2 or 3 weeks you will see something, be it
on here, or on the TV or the road, that will make you think 'It IS worth it' and 'I cant wait to get back out there'
Also if you have cocked up and or got to a seemingly dead end, when you come back from the break you will see the answer more clearly or a new
route/option will present itself, or whatever you cocked up will seem less prominant and once youve fixed it youl think 'that wasnt so hard
after all - lesson learnt'.
I still have only sat in stationary kit/7 car, which keeps my desire strong to finish and know that the first time I drive it I will be loosing my 7
viginity!
[Edited on 28/6/11 by loggyboy]
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nick205
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| posted on 28/6/11 at 10:39 AM |
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As above, I think it's something most if not all builders go through - I know I did twice. First when it was actually 90% built, but seemed to
require 90% more effort and cash to complete it. Second when I crashed it and it sat in the garage for 6 months before I could face it again.
A ride out in someone elses car helped me as did going to a couple of local meets to chat with other builders and look over their cars. Always got me
re-enthused and back to the garage.
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RK
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| posted on 28/6/11 at 12:00 PM |
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Been there. In fact I am there. I started going on 4 years ago now and it still isn't running. I screwed up all the wiring, and had to get
someone to redo some of that, but not all. I haven't had it in my garage for almost a year now, so I don't even get to look at it once in
a while. Don't ask me how much I've spent (it's about double what you spend on these in the UK).
Lesson: it has been, and always will be, cheaper to buy a nifty little car that goes like crazy, than it is to build your own. But that's not
the point, is it? You will get seriously nothing for it if you start parting out now. Get someone over to give you a hand, and concentrate on one job
at a time. ONE!!!!
[Edited on 28/6/11 by RK]
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craig1410
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| posted on 28/6/11 at 12:14 PM |
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The other thing I'd recommend is to make a list of all the things you need to buy or otherwise source to complete the car. Just a rough list
will do, don't spend too long thinking about it.
Then, get on here and set up some Wanted listings for the bits which don't need to be brand new. There will be folks out there who have stuff
lying around in the garage which they don't need and you will pick up stuff very cheaply or even for free. Don't wait until you *need* a
particular part because then you are almost forced to buy it at full retail price or otherwise you hit a dead end on your progress.
When you create your Wanted listing, make it clear that you are working towards completion and would appreciate any suggestions for alternate (cheap)
sources of parts requested etc. If you don't get any joy then bump the listing in a few weeks or so to get fresh eyes on it again.
Similarly, if you have bits that you are sure you won't need then get them on the For Sale section to either encourage a part exchange for
something you do need or just to free up some cash for the other bits you need.
You'll get there!
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StevenB
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| posted on 28/6/11 at 12:42 PM |
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I feel your pain.
I have run into a time/ money/ engineering talent barrier.
Nearly 5 years.
Here's the A3 sized to do list on my wall.
It keeps track of all the latest things to do while leaving
room to add to all the things to do.
 
To do List
Good luck
S
*
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Pezza
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| posted on 28/6/11 at 04:32 PM |
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If you need a hand mate i'm only down the road.
Still got th MC for you lol.
You couldn't pwn your way out of a wet paper bag, with "PWN ME!!" written on it, from the "pwned take-away" which originally contained one
portion of chicken tikka pwnsala and the obligatory free pwnpadom.
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pekwah1
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| posted on 28/6/11 at 04:39 PM |
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hey pez,
yeh wouldnt mind grabbing the mc off you at some point....
if it's alright to u2u me ur number i'll give u a call and sort something out, just tell me what beers to bring!
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craig1410
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| posted on 28/6/11 at 05:44 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by pekwah1
hey pez,
yeh wouldnt mind grabbing the mc off you at some point....
if it's alright to u2u me ur number i'll give u a call and sort something out, just tell me what beers to bring!
See...you're getting the hang of it already!
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RK
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| posted on 28/6/11 at 11:11 PM |
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I am constantly amazed at how a simple little project like building a car from nearly scratch can drive grown men to tears.
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40inches
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| posted on 29/6/11 at 08:32 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by RK
I am constantly amazed at how a simple little project like building a car from nearly scratch can drive grown men to tears.
Didn't
drive me to tears, but improved my expletives vocabulary no end
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RK
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| posted on 29/6/11 at 11:36 PM |
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The tears come later, after the anger has worn off.
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