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What do you do when enthusiasm is lacking?
Northy - 3/12/03 at 09:57 PM

Well as it says really.

I've been out to the garage tonight, tidied up (isn't it just so easy to do that?), re-routed a coulpe of wires (yet more tidying), and measured a few bits and bobs to buy parts at the weekend.

Hardly a productive night

Metal Hippy - 3/12/03 at 10:03 PM

When enthusiasm is lacking?

I go home and put the kettle on for a brew ready to listen to some music....

bob - 3/12/03 at 10:32 PM

Blag a ride in someone elses car,no screen helps refresh your head as well.

Ben_Copeland - 3/12/03 at 10:41 PM

Sit in the car and make Broom Broom noises ???

Or if your lucky enough, run the engine

Northy - 3/12/03 at 10:51 PM

Hippy, six disk cd player in the garage

Bob, everyone round here is still building

Ben, its loud without an exhaust

[Edited on 3/12/03 by Northy]

CairB - 3/12/03 at 10:57 PM

Northy,

Look at it this way, your another day closer to that first legit blast, whatever you do

Oh, and by the way..it IS worth all the effort.

Metal Hippy - 3/12/03 at 10:58 PM

I have a cd player and take a kettle in there, but it's much more comfortable sat here...

Mind you on nice sunny days during the summer I shifted one of the front Beemer seats to the door and sat in the sun, music on, brew in hand.

Nice.

Ben_Copeland - 3/12/03 at 11:02 PM

You can borrow my silencer lol

JoelP - 3/12/03 at 11:30 PM

i havent done anything in a while now due to shite weather, but when motivation runs out i try to hit the hardest problem i have full on, cos theres nothing more satisfying then getting thru a sticky spot. But broom broom noises are a definate close second! as is sticking the seat out in the sun, but its a bit too easy to do nothing then...!

blueshift - 4/12/03 at 03:37 AM

I'm building with mackie, and if I'm feeling a bit unmotivated, talking to him about the project and throwing ideas around usually gets me fired up again.

Both working in the garage at the same time is good for motivation, but not for access to the toolbench.. and we usually end up talking rubbish and just playing with stuff.. but it's supposed to be fun, not a race.

David Jenkins - 4/12/03 at 08:37 AM

I just go out there and do something, just anything, as even the little jobs add up.

Mind you, I can't stand up as a quick, get-it-done builder - I started 5 years ago, and only now am I near to completion!

David

scutter - 4/12/03 at 07:19 PM

GET OUT THERE AND THINK YOURSELF LUCKY

Northy how close is the garage? My car has to stay in norfolk and I live in salisbury about a 400mile round trip to see the thing and then the wife wants to spend time with my folks whilst I'm up there.

Thought I'd try the direct approach

Failing that I'm a brum-brum twiddle the steering wheels man myself.

All the best Dan.

Alan B - 5/12/03 at 01:40 PM

quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
I just go out there and do something, just anything, as even the little jobs add up.......


Words of wisdom David...

I often feel unmotivated...it happens...but I just say..."hey, if I just go out and spend half an hour, do a couple of little things...then that's half an hour nearer to the end"...

Usually I get out then end up spending a couple of hours...so it works...

Another good tip...especially when the weather is bad..(can happen here..too hot in summer at times)....take loads of digital pics....go back inside then brew up/crack open a beer and look through the pics...surprising how many design/build issues you can work through that way....next time you go out you'll have a plan of what to do next and not waste garage time thinking....

Also I agree...visit other builders..get rides...it all helps..

chrisg - 5/12/03 at 07:49 PM

Or post it in the For Sale section as an unfinished project.

To quote Homer Simpson:-

You tried you failed.........The moral is..............Never try.......

Cheers

Chris

BTW I used pick a fight with her indoors

HTH

theconrodkid - 5/12/03 at 08:08 PM

try this for sizewww.people.cornell.edu/pages/slp29/insane.html

skippad - 5/12/03 at 10:53 PM

Northy
There's a track day over at Elvington tomorrow (Saturday) theres bound to be some locosts, blag a ride in one of them and it'll put a smile back on your face!
It should rejuvinate your enthuisiasm to finish your project.

madforfishing - 6/12/03 at 08:42 AM

I agree with DJ.
Do SOMETHING every day if you can, no matter how small.
Think of this not as a car being built but as a hobby.
Just do the bits well that you like doing.
Buy the bits that you're crap at or get somebody else to do it.

I am sat at home and have been for the last month, in and out of HorsePittle with pneumonia (33 yrs old!) and it has been driving me insane.
This forum has helped no end, thanks everyone.
I got my Mrs to grab some bits that needed refurb'd from my lockup at work and sat in the study at home and buggered about - Carb stripped and cleaned, alternator and starter had the same treatment. God, I even sat with a file and took of all the nasty burred edges of the xflow inlet manifold with a file and then polished it up so it would look nice (er) when painted up. Ford made 'em fast and cheap.
Having said all that, I am sat inside, in the warm with coffee, music, T'Internet and Dogs for company. Not in the damp garage where you can see your breath at this time of year.
I can't wait to get back at it though, cough cough.

JoelP - 6/12/03 at 04:56 PM

quote:
Originally posted by madforfishing
I can't wait to get back at it though, cough cough.
#

all the best for a quick recovery then...

zenarcher - 6/12/03 at 07:19 PM

That link is superb, I laughed, then I cried,then went out to the garage.....

theconrodkid - 6/12/03 at 08:19 PM

zenarcher made my day worthwhile then

JoelP - 8/12/03 at 01:53 PM

quote:
Originally posted by madforfishing
Not in the damp garage where you can see your breath at this time of year.


I can see my breath sat here, quite honestly! got my coat and a glove on, this house is a bloody hovel...

Metal Hippy - 8/12/03 at 03:06 PM

brothel?

David Jenkins - 8/12/03 at 03:45 PM

Probably too cold for that - by the time you're out and ready, you'll have forgotten why you were there in the first place...



DJ

Metal Hippy - 8/12/03 at 03:57 PM

Ahhh, but we're not all 'getting on in age' Dave...

David Jenkins - 8/12/03 at 04:33 PM

Well, to be honest, I've never had a full erection...
...each time I get halfway there I faint due to low blood pressure.



David (a.k.a. Ivor Biggun)


[Edited on 8/12/03 by David Jenkins]

Dick Axtell - 8/12/03 at 05:59 PM

quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
Mind you, I can't stand up as a quick, get-it-done builder - I started 5 years ago, and only now am I near to completion!

David - Relieved to hear someone who's taking longer than me!!. Might just complete the build within 4yrs.
As for keeping up the enthusiasm, that's no problem. Just finished laminate floor at my daughter's, after helping out over minor ding to her car. Now working on the roof of our side passage. You now how these supposedly quick jobs develop :-

"Oh look!! This rotten wood has to be replaced, and while I'm at it I'll re-glaze this part, oh, and might as well totally replace the woodwork support frame......"

The enthusiasm to finish off these bl**dy jobs and get back on to the really important project is now really charged up.

[Edited on 8/12/03 by Dick Axtell]

David Jenkins - 9/12/03 at 01:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
Well, to be honest, I've never had a full erection...


Well, that was a conversation killer, wasn't it!



DJ

A hint... I was joking...

David Jenkins - 9/12/03 at 01:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Dick Axtell

David - Relieved to hear someone who's taking longer than me!!. Might just complete the build within 4yrs.


Dick,

The biggest problem I have is time, rather than enthusiasm. I commute into London from Monday to Friday, and by the time I've had my dinner and tidied up there's little evening left. When the weekend comes there are always domestic duties to be done, although my wife is very good in not quibbling about the odd half-day garage time on Sat and/or Sunday.

Hence my previous comment about doing something, no matter how small - at present I'm trying to get my dashboard finished and fitted, which can be done in small chunks of time.

cheers,

David

timf - 9/12/03 at 01:37 PM

quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
The biggest problem I have is time, rather than enthusiasm.


nothing to do with being a self confessed perfectionist
then david

[Edited on 9/12/03 by timf]

David Jenkins - 9/12/03 at 03:38 PM

There is that, I suppose - trouble is, if I know something isn't as good as it could be, then it annoys me intensely until I've fixed it!

I've been sitting on that tendency for the past few months, to keep things moving onwards.

David

CairB - 9/12/03 at 08:55 PM

David,

quote:

Hence my previous comment about doing something, no matter how small - at present I'm trying to get my dashboard finished and fitted, which can be done in small chunks of time.


I used ally and vinyl for mine, how do you get the chunks to stick together

David Jenkins - 10/12/03 at 10:28 AM

Epoxy resin! (smartarse... )

My dash is made of loads of bits of marine ply, glued, screwed and generally fastened together. Plus a fair dollop of filler to smooth the joins, etc.

...and there's the plastic sheet, vinyl and rubber foam bottom-edge padding... you get the picture!



David

Northy - 14/12/03 at 08:59 PM

Hi fellas,

Thanks for all the support

I've been getting on well recently, doing a few little jobs.

Things were going really well today, I even had some help (see picture below), but was ended early by a trip to Casualty see my latest post in the "Anything else" section

[Edited on 14/12/03 by Northy] Rescued attachment All Triplets Helping.jpg
Rescued attachment All Triplets Helping.jpg