Its not the end but the journey to get there

[moparmat2000]

Hi Y'all,

I was thinking about all the cars i had redone over the years, and its been quite a bit. I was wondering how many of you are more into the journey to get to the end product than the end product. I mean dont get me wrong i enjoy driving them when they are completed, however i tend to find the restoration journey to get there the most fun. I like taking something thats old and beat that sometimes doesnt even work , and making it as good as new or better than new in some cases.

Case in point i wanted a prestolite V speed wiper setup in my 67 barracuda, but there was no way i was going to pay $350 for a restored one when i know i could rebuild / restore one myself. So i went and got 2 really crusty ones from my local junkyard. They were so bad looking the junkyard guy said i cant take your money that would be a crime lol. Well out of two i made one good one. A lot of work went into mine, and about $150 including a new motor to body gasket fresh cad plating on the motor casing, and new internal gear. I even fabbed up a new grounding strap from brass sheet stock i got from hobby lobby, and made a new wire stub harness for it. I was more pleased with how mine turned out because i did it myself and it looked just as good as the $350 ones and also runs great on the test bench.

I love the thrill of the hunt, weather it be evilbay, wrenching parts off at the salvage yard, walking up and down rows of parts at the swap meets, or even the fabo used parts for sale columns. The guys on the American Pickers show called it popping when you see the item your looking for in a sea of junk and unrelated parts. I understand exactly what they mean by that. I can remember my brain going pop, and my heart racing at the Decatur swap meet when i got 2 sets of A body hurst 4 speed linkages for $10. Or a nice set of 4 plymouth bottle cap hubcaps for $35 at the buffalo gap flea market. Getting boxes of parts in the mail is absolute nirvana for me too.

I also get a lot of satisfaction fabricating the parts i need where possible. Essentially making something useable from just raw materials, and my minds eye drawing on my hands to create it. Just some examples, The fan shroud i made with scrap wood and masonite to make a mould, then using an old tee shirt as a base to start fiberglassing to make it, or the alternator brackets made from .125" thick aluminum sheet stock for a universal light weight mini denso alternator that was not made to fit a mopar. Theres more but its too much to list here

So i'd like to ask, how many of you enjoy the journey from crusty car to showpiece, or even nice driver about the same or more than the actual end product, or is the journey for you just a means to an end?

Matt

 

[twayne24365]

a buddy of mine has been 15 years restoring a factory 440 cuda California car. he hunts down every single factory original, or nos part needed, the California only models had a good bit of unique things, but anyway, he told me even if he never gets it finished"which it is pretty close" it's all about the fun of building it.

and by factory correct he even talked to people that used to work for Chrysler and put the factory style paint/crayon marks on the t bars and under chassis etc

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Yes, it's a sickness I'll gladly take with me to my grave.

 

[Sedanman]

You could have just bought a V speed motor from me for a whole lot less ;). I love the hunt and taking them apart and putting them back together is like doing puzzles just on a much larger and heavier scale for me.

 

[moparmat2000]

You could have just bought a V speed motor from me for a whole lot less ;). I love the hunt and taking them apart and putting them back together is like doing puzzles just on a much larger and heavier scale for me.

Chuck, while that may be true, however i am obsessive about taking it all apart and going through it anyways, as it must appear like brand new. Most of them the nylon main drive gears seem to have cracks in them from age and use. So i started with 2 1967 vintage motors i got free. Although i appreciate the offer, had i bought yours even if it worked, i still would have had to restore it. The motor casing would have had to be replated, i would still have bought a new preformed motor to body rubber gasket, and i would have still prob changed the nylon main drive gear. I would have still rewrapped the windings, and rewired it. It still would have cost me $150 in parts, and processes like the plating, plus the purchase of the core to build it. I got 2 of em for nothing , and now have spare parts if needed later. Plus i took on this project 2 years ago, and piddled with it off and on over time, and finished it last year. Heres a pic of mine fully restored.

 

[Sedanman]

Damn,nice work

 

[DFX 340 Duster]

moparmat2000 and any others who have such a drive (no pun intended) to restore and/or build items by using their talents as much as possible remind me of the people we used to call Craftsmen.
This forum is populated with many Craftsmen (and that includes the women too)

 

[moparmat2000]

Thanks DFX 340 duster and sedanman. I think part of my drive is an obsessive compulsiveness for things to look a certain way, and not just operate well. I can be a bit over the top at times.

 

[Valiant63]

I remember when I used to have that energy and drive to dive in the stuff and fix it and take it apart in a matter how complicated it was because it wasn't going to get fixed unless I did something with it. Now anymore, I just hope that feeling comes back to me as I'm really not into working on them that much. I want to, but I just can't get into it.

 

[moparmat2000]

I remember when I used to have that energy and drive to dive in the stuff and fix it and take it apart in a matter how complicated it was because it wasn't going to get fixed unless I did something with it. Now anymore, I just hope that feeling comes back to me as I'm really not into working on them that much. I want to, but I just can't get into it.

Sometimes it can get a bit overwhelming. I subscribe to the how do you eat a whole elephant analogy. The answer is one bite at a time. These projects can be daunting. This is why i try to work only one or 2 things through to completion. I am rebuilding/ restoring components for my project and boxing them up with the associated mounting hardware and gaskets to reassemble to the car. Sometimes you have to stop mid project. My wiper motor was one such project. I placed everything in a box and set it on the corner of my workbench. Then got back to it 6 months later when i was able to source correct colored and gage wire for the harness, as well as a new plug. I dont get in a rush to get it done. I find that when you rush, corners are cut, mistakes are made, and sometimes you end up doing a complete do over. Sometimes seeing a small project through to completion like maybe taking apart cleaning and restoring a headlight switch for example can be rewarding, and done in an evening.