Something wrong with my Dakota

[75slant6]

There will definitely be a build thread when I get to the Barracuda project. These days, my problem is finding time. Too much work (as in work-work, not project-work), not enough cash and not enough time. It only took me 3 years to find the time to put a few parts on and fire up the Dakota, the engine swap was done 3 years ago!

I blew the clutch out of my '92 Supercharged D50 (uprooting a Red Oak), back in December. I've been driving the '84 D50 Dumptruck because I can't seem to find 3 hours to yank the transmission and put a new clutch in (and I have the a new Stage 2 Clutch for it sitting on the shelf)

EDIT : It's not actually that extreme (Okay, it did take me 3 years to fire up the Dakota, and my Supercharged D50 does still need a clutch). I need to learn to stop overloading myself.

When I say Overload, I mean Overload!. I work 2 Jobs and paint cars at night and work side jobs at night. For a while I was juggling a Restoration on a Bronco for a friend, while building a 383 Stroker for a Camaro for another friend, while working two jobs, and scheduling more after hours jobs. I would get up at 5am, brew some coffee and go to work, get off work and take a shower, go to work, get off work and come home and work on the Bronco and Camaro until 2am, make a sandwich and take a power nap...get up at 5am and start the day all over again...for 6 months without a break.

My coworkers would say how tired they were after a shift (and I would look at them like they were crazy), and couldn't figure out why I looked like I was worn out. They thought I was joking when I said I was putting in 20 hour days...till a few of them showed up to help me put my '84 D50 back together the night before Christmas Eve. They're all sleeping on chairs in the garage by 2am and I was still going strong, pounding coffee and swinging a paint gun (after we swapped beds, swapped doors and did some fast body work)

Holy crap dude!! Don't you know life's too short to live like that?? Lol

 

[74Dusted]

Holy crap dude!! Don't you know life's too short to live like that?? Lol

It is too short to live like that, and its hard on a person. I turn 28 this December... I'm deaf in one ear, I can't feel the fingers on my left hand, sometimes my left hand cramps up and I drop whatever I'm holding without warning (like I've lost all strength in it...flex my fingers and it's okay again), my shoulder hurts when it rains and my left arm is 90% scar tissue (the hand thing and scar tissue may be related. I suffered 3rd degree burns as a kid when I fell into a firepit and they told my I'd lose the use my left arm by the time I was 20, maybe it just took a few more years?)

If I could make a living just doing what I love, which is painting and working on wild custom projects, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But it'd be at a slower pace than what I currently subject myself to.

 

[75slant6]

It is too short to live like that, and its hard on a person. I turn 28 this December... I'm deaf in one ear, I can't feel the fingers on my left hand, sometimes my left hand cramps up and I drop whatever I'm holding without warning (like I've lost all strength in it...flex my fingers and it's okay again), my shoulder hurts when it rains and my left arm is 90% scar tissue (the hand thing and scar tissue may be related. I suffered 3rd degree burns as a kid when I fell into a firepit and they told my I'd lose the use my left arm by the time I was 20, maybe it just took a few more years?)

If I could make a living just doing what I love, which is painting and working on wild custom projects, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But it'd be at a slower pace than what I currently subject myself to.

I can relate to a certain extent but don't near deal with what you do. I fell 20' off a roof back in 2012, shattered my right (dominant) wrist, fractured my neck, busted teeth out, etc. I had some lower back aches before that but I think the fall made it worse, my wrist doesn't, and probably won't ever, have the strength it had and weather can make it give me more trouble. I turned 23 in January and I'm afraid I'm gonna get old physically before most people due to my accident but I'm gonna do everything I can while I can! I've got a far better wife than I deserve, I enjoy my job (owner/operator of a poultry farm) and since I basically work at home I have time to do stuff with my wife or work on my Duster, etc. "Life's a garden, dig it!" Lol

 

[74Dusted]

I can relate to a certain extent but don't near deal with what you do. I fell 20' off a roof back in 2012, shattered my right (dominant) wrist, fractured my neck, busted teeth out, etc. I had some lower back aches before that but I think the fall made it worse, my wrist doesn't, and probably won't ever, have the strength it had and weather can make it give me more trouble. I turned 23 in January and I'm afraid I'm gonna get old physically before most people due to my accident but I'm gonna do everything I can while I can! I've got a far better wife than I deserve, I enjoy my job (owner/operator of a poultry farm) and since I basically work at home I have time to do stuff with my wife or work on my Duster, etc. "Life's a garden, dig it!" Lol

That's where I'm trying to get in life, myself. Somewhere that I have time, and yet do what I love for a living. I'd also like to make sure my dad is set for life and can retire comfortably without worry... Jeez, I rarely realize that my dad is getting older and will be at retirement age in just a few years. I try not to think about it, because I don't know what I'd do if I lost my dad (and once he retires that means he has maybe 20 years left on earth, if he's lucky)

I think that's why I work so hard. I'm trying to pave a way that will set me up for life and also make sure my parents have everything they need. I've been trying to turn my dad's modest repair shop into a full blown custom shop. When I take it over 100%, it'll be 3 generations in the family, having been started by my grandfather. I want to take it to the next level and provide paint jobs and all manner of wild custom work (like some of my own vehicles mentioned in this thread)

 

[75slant6]

That's where I'm trying to get in life, myself. Somewhere that I have time, and yet do what I love for a living. I'd also like to make sure my dad is set for life and can retire comfortably without worry... Jeez, I rarely realize that my dad is getting older and will be at retirement age in just a few years. I try not to think about it, because I don't know what I'd do if I lost my dad (and once he retires that means he has maybe 20 years left on earth, if he's lucky)

I think that's why I work so hard. I'm trying to pave a way that will set me up for life and also make sure my parents have everything they need. I've been trying to turn my dad's modest repair shop into a full blown custom shop. When I take it over 100%, it'll be 3 generations in the family, having been started by my grandfather. I want to take it to the next level and provide paint jobs and all manner of wild custom work (like some of my own vehicles mentioned in this thread)

I know where you're coming from there too! I'm the youngest of 5. Dad turns 60 next year and while that's by no means "old" dad has definitely slowed down in the past 10 years and seeing how much my moms dad has gone backwards in the last 5 years, it really scares me of someday seeing dad go backwards like that. I mean, he's my dad, he should always be stronger than me and be able to work circles around me like when I was a kid, but time marches on and we take life as it comes.

 

[74Dusted]

I know where you're coming from there too! I'm the youngest of 5. Dad turns 60 next year and while that's by no means "old" dad has definitely slowed down in the past 10 years and seeing how much my moms dad has gone backwards in the last 5 years, it really scares me of someday seeing dad go backwards like that. I mean, he's my dad, he should always be stronger than me and be able to work circles around me like when I was a kid, but time marches on and we take life as it comes.

I'm the middle child, out of two of my dad's marriages. I have an older brother that I don't talk to because he only takes advantage of the family and wants handouts, and a younger sister who's a lot like me (fortunately she stayed far away from the garage, I wouldn't want her to kill herself like I do). I actually taught my little sister to drive in my '84 D50 (with the 273 V8). I taught her all the important stuff, how to Power Brake, how to steer with the throttle, how to operate a ratchet shifter.... Then I turned around and taught her clutch in my Supercharged '92 D50... Her question at the end of the day was "Can I do Donuts?!" (in the Supercharged D50) "Yeah.... turn the steering wheel hard to the left, slam the throttle to the floor, dump the clutch and hang on!" "Okay!" (I'm proud of my little sister for that question!)

I too have seen my dad slow down, and it scares me too. He always outworked me, and now he's slowing down and gets tired. When I was growing up, my dad was that unstoppable guy that no one could outwork. These days, I shadow him, listening to every word of advice he has to offer and I try to spend time with him when I can.

EDIT :

It gets hard to spend time with my dad though, outside of the shop. He has dogs and I'm allergic to dogs (so I have cats at my house, because life without pets is boring). Even then, I'll still visit my dad, though I try to limit the visits to an hour. Any more than an hour and I break out in hives. A few times he's asked me spend the night, drink some beer with him and crash on the couch. I don't say no, instead, I'll deal with the hives and itching, because it's my dad.

Once I finish remodeling my living room, I'll invite him over for a beer... Even though he doesn't like one of my cats (we've nicknamed that particular cat "Satan", and we both agree she's the devil), the other cat he likes, she's just like us. She keeps to herself, doesn't like to be bothered, doesn't cause problems.

 

[75slant6]

Sooo.... how close are you to this AWD build? I'm actually not gonna be making the Duster AWD now after all but I am thinking about turning one of my 4 door valiants (67 and a 72) into a stock ride height, 2 door, 4x4 pickup (el Camino style) to use around the farm