Giving up on a project.

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I bought a 400 block and crank in '97... finally got the car together and on the road early in '19. Yes, it took me 22 years of start & stop, accumulating parts, two moves, marriage, divorce... life in general.
It's still not done, probably never will be 100% complete, but I can drive it to the local cruise-ins.
Don't give up and get rid of it. As soon as you do, you'll wish you had it again ;)

I realize the title is misleading. I’m taking it to a friend to have him finish the work. I’m not selling the car. To me taking an unfinished project to a mechanic is a deadly sin and it’s giving up.
 
I see what you mean... I wanted to do every single thing on my car except the block bore & hone, and darn near did. But after two disastrous attempts to do my own sanding, primer and paint, I realized some things are better left to the professionals.
Same with setting up the 8-3/4 chunk. Sent it to Cass (Dr. Diff) for new gears and Sure-Grip. I've never done one and didn't have the tools or the patience to learn; besides, the setup was the least expensive part of the whole rear! :)
 
I am old. That said nearly every time in my life I have farmed out a job I could have done myself I have either been disappointed or felt like I over paid for what I got. Put the car away if you really feel attached to it, things will eventually fall into place one way or another.
 
I am old. That said nearly every time in my life I have farmed out a job I could have done myself I have either been disappointed or felt like I over paid for what I got. Put the car away if you really feel attached to it, things will eventually fall into place one way or another.

Ive known this guy for a long time. When I was 15 and didn’t have tools or a garage he was the one that worked on it.
 
Plain and simple. Its not giving up. Everyone needs help at some point or another. Let him do his thing if u trust him. Thank him when its done and then kiss your soon to be wife and think how some day you and your future kids can work on it together
 
First time in 4 or 5 years this car has moved under its own power and been out of the garage.

339D3C72-3430-4802-8941-DD988C7A6373.jpeg
 
First time in 4 or 5 years this car has moved under its own power and been out of the garage.

View attachment 1715792097
I know you can't see much from that picture but i wouldn't kick that out of my garage for cracker crumbs. That's a nice ride. Bide your time, buy your bud some beer and get it road worthy. Find it a nice spot and have fun with life. Along the way keep your dreams alive.
I'm 65 and my junk is half that good but i still dream.
 
I understand your pain. My wife was real supportive(kinda) when I was doing mine. 6 years was a long time. She said just take it to someone and have them finish it or help out. I would have in a heart beat but no money to do it. 2 kids one was starting middle school the other kindergarten. Get it finished you will be so much more happier. Now we all enjoy it. My wife and I go on trips in it and my son takes to show. He even drove it to school and work every day his senior year and now he and do week long road trips around the country.
 
Dont give it up !!
Find somewhere to put it [Friend/Family's] place and get back on it when u can just dont make a quick decision think hard on it before u make a call .
 
I know the feeling…. Retired in January and finally have time to put the painted but all part GTS 383 back together. Drop the Numbers motor off for a rebuild and the next month my wife gets a promotion and reassignment to another state. All work stops to buy a home, and prepare my current house for sale. Swallowed my pride and arranged for the car to be put together locally and shipped to the new warm red state we will soon call home.
 
In 2017 I ruined a main bearing. While the motor was out I decided to rebuild the transmission and switch the drum brakes to disc brakes. At the time I was single and had friends around to help so everything went great until last year. My friends got busy, I got engaged, and I bought a house. Between working on the house and preparing for a wedding I haven’t had a single afternoon free in months. Engine is back in the car, transmission is back in, brakes are mounted but it has no plumbing. I made the call this morning to a friend to see if he has room in his shop to knock it out. This may not seem like a big deal but I wrestled with this for months, I haven’t had anyone else touch this car in 10 years without me there. I hate taking half finished stuff to anyone but it’s killing me to have the car sitting and not getting attention. I don’t really know why I’m making this post but this is the hardest decision I’ve made in the 15 years I’ve owned the car.
Do something nice and costly for your wife around the house, like remodeling, or buying her new furniture. While she is busy with her new stuff, get in the garage and finish that car.
 
Like you I hate to have someone else work on my Dart, it's not "giving up" but rather pride of seeing the job done right. Or maybe just OCD in my case. Life is short, I've found if you have a friend you can trust and can get the work done now rather than wait, it's ok to do that. I get more enjoyment out of driving mine than working on it!! And sometimes that friend will find things that you miss because you are too close to it......
 
In 2017 I ruined a main bearing. While the motor was out I decided to rebuild the transmission and switch the drum brakes to disc brakes. At the time I was single and had friends around to help so everything went great until last year. My friends got busy, I got engaged, and I bought a house. Between working on the house and preparing for a wedding I haven’t had a single afternoon free in months. Engine is back in the car, transmission is back in, brakes are mounted but it has no plumbing. I made the call this morning to a friend to see if he has room in his shop to knock it out. This may not seem like a big deal but I wrestled with this for months, I haven’t had anyone else touch this car in 10 years without me there. I hate taking half finished stuff to anyone but it’s killing me to have the car sitting and not getting attention. I don’t really know why I’m making this post but this is the hardest decision I’ve made in the 15 years I’ve owned the car.
 
A lot changes when you get married and have a house. 10 years is a long time to put into a project car. Unless you think you'll enjoy is more as a continuous project, let someone else finish it and enjoy it on the road. This hobby is about running the cars, not feelings of guilt.
 
A little trick that has served me well over the past few years is what I call "The $30 Rule".

I'm not a professional mechanic, but I figure my labor is worth $30/hr. I then break the project into smaller tasks and I allocate hours to each task. I'm not that fast. Things take me longer. So for example, if I think a task is going to take me 20 hours to complete (20hrs x $30 = $600). I go to a shop. If they quote me cheaper labour cost...I outsource. In my mind, I save time and money.

If more expensive, I do it myself. System works pretty well.
 
A lot changes when you get married and have a house. 10 years is a long time to put into a project car. Unless you think you'll enjoy is more as a continuous project, let someone else finish it and enjoy it on the road. This hobby is about running the cars, not feelings of guilt.

The car is now running and driving and stopping. Getting an aliengment done tonight and exhaust next week. I’ve owned the car since before I had my license to drive. It isn’t going anywhere unless my family needs food.
 
That's great you got good friends and got it going. I've had one friend help me out from time to time but it's hard to keep asking for help.
 
That's great you got good friends and got it going. I've had one friend help me out from time to time but it's hard to keep asking for help.

He runs a shop, he’s a friend but he’s running a business so I pay full price if it’s in there getting wrenched on during work hours.
 
It could be worse? I'm 50 and just now starting! I've already done the marriage, kids, house thing, and guess what? I still don't have time. Get used to it. Do the things yourself that you feel are important, send it off for the small stuff that really doesn't matter. I mean I think you can still say you built the car even if someone else put a brake line on it and bleed the master cylinder... Keep things in perspective and don't sweat the small stuff.

Dart.jpeg
 
doogievlg,
I hope this little bit (actually rather long) of "my car story" helps.
First off I'm now 62 years "young". In early 1980 (I'm 20) a very close friend of mine (22) was killed. He married his wife the previous year and at the time of his death she was pregnant. I told her "no one but me get's Rio's car, what do you want for it?". $700, I got a loan for $1,000 and gave it to her. 1973 340 Duster, bench seat, 4 spd, white, black gut and stripes, 44,400 miles - only thing original was the 8 1/4 open end rear, the engine was a 360 with headers & intake, had a Lakewood blow shield. The trans was from a early to mid 60s car (had an output flange and the front of the driveshaft had a slip joint), the hurst shifter had a straight, maybe 7" stalk with a "T" handle, had to have the bench seat a bit further back then comfortable to go thru all the gears. I drove the car as my daily and had an unfortunate incident leaving work one night that sent a piece of angle iron thru the oil pan, hit the flywheel and broke the rear main of the crank. Got another 360 from a friend who worked at a salvage yard for $300 out of a 76 Cordoba that was slammed in the rear hard, the car was immaculate otherwise with only 30k miles. Swapped my intake, carb, headers, blow shield over, got a Mr. Gasket Vertical Gate shifter, aluminum Shieffer flywheel, new clutch etc and got it back on the road in a month or so.
Attached is a picture of it circa mid-1980 at Washington's Crossing State Park on the PA side.
Duster circ 1980?.jpeg
.
In late 80 I joined the Navy. Had a blast during my 5 year stint with it and my shipmates whenever we were not deployed. I got out in late 85, sold it to a Navy buddy for $1,500, with the understanding if he ever sold it no one but me would get it. While he had it, for some reason he decided to rebuild the engine (remember it only had like 30k+ miles on it and ran tip top)? Anyway he went .030, 10.5:1 pistons, purple stick and cut the crank .010/.010 rods and mains, once again??? I drove it after he had it running, it ran pretty strong. He sold it to his twin brother when he moved to California (from around mid 87 the car was sitting in a garage I was renting along with my 64 Falcon Sprint) the car had not been run in years and during swapped ownership between he and his brother it basically sat and occasionally he or his brother would come and take something off the car to do god knows what, but never put anything back together. In 95, after bugging him a bit (still in Cali.) I got it back for $300.

Here's the point of my drawn out reply... I still have the car! I got married in 89, our daughter was born in 91, we moved many times until purchasing our home, I changed careers several times, our daughter has 2 degrees and she married about 5 years or so ago (no children yet). in Sept. 2017 I had had enough of Managing a District of 12 accounts (main reason was my Regional Manger boss), I was on the way to visit a client, got 2 phone calls along the way that I didn't like one little bit, I called the site manager I was going to visit and told him I had received a call that dictated I turn around and go back to my office at home, and asked him to offer my apologies to our client. I arrived at my home, went to the office, put the date on my resignation letter, printed, signed, scanned and emailed to my boss - done. 4 years back I moved our daughter (her car loaded to the roof, on a U-Haul car carrier connected to my truck, bed loaded to the hard tonneau, back seat packed just below the back window) from Levittown, PA to Marysville, WA (husband's newly built ship got home ported in Evert, WA). My wife (of just 11 days shy of our 32nd anniversary) passed on Father's Day 2020, in January 2021, I purchased a home in Lord's Valley, PA, our home of almost 30 years sold in May of 2021 and I have moved everything to the new place. So, now that I'm 62 and most of "the priority things in life that just happen" have happened, once I finish renovating the new place (hopefully next summer?), I "will" be able to get back to my Duster... BTW over the years that I've had it, I've acquired many things it needs (which I will do, or at this point "plan" to do), such as; full AMD floor (rail to rail, toe board to rear seat riser), panels for the lower quarters and trunk risers (actually installed left quarter and riser a few years back). Presently the car is totally disassembled I.E. only thing left in the shell is the rear glass = engine & trans, rear suspension, K-Member, fenders, doors, dash, pedals, wiring, interior, out and pretty much all stowed (except block, heads & trans) in the rafters of the garage.

If you like your car and wish to do as much as you can yourself - do it. There is no shame in getting "especially" someone you've known, and wrenched with for years, to help get you over the "want to get it drivable" hump. Make sure it is in your wedding and there are pictures of; it, you and your "soon to be" lovely bride in your wedding album.

Moral of my story: You might not be able to keep them "all" forever, but you can pick "the one" that you want to keep and keep it forever. No matter how long it takes to get it finished - "are they ever 'really' finished"? Answer "No and I hope not".
I've attached another picture of my newly wed wife and I leaving our reception - although not a MoPar, the Falcon Sprint was a neat little hot rod which I sold shortly after purchasing our home ($6,500 in 4/1993) so I could pay my father-in-law back the 3k loan to purchase our home. Pictured it is obvious who steered the home ship of life during our "journey", not so obvious "by my choice and desires".
Lastly - "these are the things memories are made of" (at least for me). Best wishes to you, your lovely bride, your car, your "as life goes forward" family, and the "when you have time, times" that you will work on, or just take your wife and family for a ride to get ice cream.
Remember: The "Trip of Life" is not about the destination, it is about the "Journey".
on our way.jpeg

SUBSCRIBED:thumbsup:
 
doogievlg,
I hope this little bit (actually rather long) of "my car story" helps.
First off I'm now 62 years "young". In early 1980 (I'm 20) a very close friend of mine (22) was killed. He married his wife the previous year and at the time of his death she was pregnant. I told her "no one but me get's Rio's car, what do you want for it?". $700, I got a loan for $1,000 and gave it to her. 1973 340 Duster, bench seat, 4 spd, white, black gut and stripes, 44,400 miles - only thing original was the 8 1/4 open end rear, the engine was a 360 with headers & intake, had a Lakewood blow shield. The trans was from a early to mid 60s car (had an output flange and the front of the driveshaft had a slip joint), the hurst shifter had a straight, maybe 7" stalk with a "T" handle, had to have the bench seat a bit further back then comfortable to go thru all the gears. I drove the car as my daily and had an unfortunate incident leaving work one night that sent a piece of angle iron thru the oil pan, hit the flywheel and broke the rear main of the crank. Got another 360 from a friend who worked at a salvage yard for $300 out of a 76 Cordoba that was slammed in the rear hard, the car was immaculate otherwise with only 30k miles. Swapped my intake, carb, headers, blow shield over, got a Mr. Gasket Vertical Gate shifter, aluminum Shieffer flywheel, new clutch etc and got it back on the road in a month or so.
Attached is a picture of it circa mid-1980 at Washington's Crossing State Park on the PA side.View attachment 1715794786.
In late 80 I joined the Navy. Had a blast during my 5 year stint with it and my shipmates whenever we were not deployed. I got out in late 85, sold it to a Navy buddy for $1,500, with the understanding if he ever sold it no one but me would get it. While he had it, for some reason he decided to rebuild the engine (remember it only had like 30k+ miles on it and ran tip top)? Anyway he went .030, 10.5:1 pistons, purple stick and cut the crank .010/.010 rods and mains, once again??? I drove it after he had it running, it ran pretty strong. He sold it to his twin brother when he moved to California (from around mid 87 the car was sitting in a garage I was renting along with my 64 Falcon Sprint) the car had not been run in years and during swapped ownership between he and his brother it basically sat and occasionally he or his brother would come and take something off the car to do god knows what, but never put anything back together. In 95, after bugging him a bit (still in Cali.) I got it back for $300.

Here's the point of my drawn out reply... I still have the car! I got married in 89, our daughter was born in 91, we moved many times until purchasing our home, I changed careers several times, our daughter has 2 degrees and she married about 5 years or so ago (no children yet). in Sept. 2017 I had had enough of Managing a District of 12 accounts (main reason was my Regional Manger boss), I was on the way to visit a client, got 2 phone calls along the way that I didn't like one little bit, I called the site manager I was going to visit and told him I had received a call that dictated I turn around and go back to my office at home, and asked him to offer my apologies to our client. I arrived at my home, went to the office, put the date on my resignation letter, printed, signed, scanned and emailed to my boss - done. 4 years back I moved our daughter (her car loaded to the roof, on a U-Haul car carrier connected to my truck, bed loaded to the hard tonneau, back seat packed just below the back window) from Levittown, PA to Marysville, WA (husband's newly built ship got home ported in Evert, WA). My wife (of just 11 days shy of our 32nd anniversary) passed on Father's Day 2020, in January 2021, I purchased a home in Lord's Valley, PA, our home of almost 30 years sold in May of 2021 and I have moved everything to the new place. So, now that I'm 62 and most of "the priority things in life that just happen" have happened, once I finish renovating the new place (hopefully next summer?), I "will" be able to get back to my Duster... BTW over the years that I've had it, I've acquired many things it needs (which I will do, or at this point "plan" to do), such as; full AMD floor (rail to rail, toe board to rear seat riser), panels for the lower quarters and trunk risers (actually installed left quarter and riser a few years back). Presently the car is totally disassembled I.E. only thing left in the shell is the rear glass = engine & trans, rear suspension, K-Member, fenders, doors, dash, pedals, wiring, interior, out and pretty much all stowed (except block, heads & trans) in the rafters of the garage.

If you like your car and wish to do as much as you can yourself - do it. There is no shame in getting "especially" someone you've known, and wrenched with for years, to help get you over the "want to get it drivable" hump. Make sure it is in your wedding and there are pictures of; it, you and your "soon to be" lovely bride in your wedding album.

Moral of my story: You might not be able to keep them "all" forever, but you can pick "the one" that you want to keep and keep it forever. No matter how long it takes to get it finished - "are they ever 'really' finished"? Answer "No and I hope not".
I've attached another picture of my newly wed wife and I leaving our reception - although not a MoPar, the Falcon Sprint was a neat little hot rod which I sold shortly after purchasing our home ($6,500 in 4/1993) so I could pay my father-in-law back the 3k loan to purchase our home. Pictured it is obvious who steered the home ship of life during our "journey", not so obvious "by my choice and desires".
Lastly - "these are the things memories are made of" (at least for me). Best wishes to you, your lovely bride, your car, your "as life goes forward" family, and the "when you have time, times" that you will work on, or just take your wife and family for a ride to get ice cream.
Remember: The "Trip of Life" is not about the destination, it is about the "Journey".View attachment 1715794818
SUBSCRIBED:thumbsup:

Great story. Thank you. I’m not sure if it will make the wedding but I don’t think the car is going anywhere. That car broke down on a date when I was 16, it’s gotten me stuck in snow storms, it’s hauled deer in the trunk, it’s got more stories than I can even remember. The car even got some votes for prom king in high school. I plan on making a lot more memories with it.
 
I dropped it off for an alinement yesterday and got a call this afternoon saying they were struggling to get it close. Every part on the suspension came off another abody so I’m really curious what is throwing them off. Apparently they can’t get it to less than 2% camber.
 
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