It’s no secret around here – or anywhere – that I have a lot of cars. For those who are just joining us and might not know me, I HAVE A LOT OF CARS. I will not count. I will not list them for you, because I’ll inevitably miss one or three. Several of them (who am I kidding? MOST of them) are projects. For years I attempted to juggle multiple project cars at one time. Lots of those projects are gone, replaced with new projects. It never worked, and it was and is too much for one person to attempt and retain their sanity.
For the last two years I was attempting to finish my ground-up 1958 Wartburg 311 gasser build, LS1 swap my 49k mile garage find 1957 Chevy 210, and put a new suspension under Carli’s 1972 Chevelle. Guess what? The gasser isn’t done, the 57 has the engine bolted in place with no wiring or plumbing, and the Chevelle has one side with new suspension and the other side has the original worn out parts. It’s just not possible to spread myself that thin between labor, dollars, and mental ability to remember where I put that bolt 5 years ago when I took everything apart.
Toward the end of 2022, I decided to clean my act up and try to focus. The key here for me was to pick the one that is closest to finishing and just put all my resources into it. Time, focus, money all going to finish one project. I cleaned off shelves and moved the sprawl from around the 57 and Chevelle to dedicated shelves for each car so I could stop trying to remember what went where. Then I started getting everything for the Wartburg out and ready to go, staging a pile of parts on the lift around the car and on tables next to it.
During the beginning of winter, I decided to attempt to get something done on the car every day, regardless of it taking 5 minutes or two hours. This was important so I could build a routine and some focus, retraining my brain to stop looking over at the other incomplete projects in the shop and pushing forward. I had a habit of getting to something daunting – my albatrosses – and walking away. Things like mangled window frames were barriers. I attempted to put the windshield in its frame in the spring and then it sat, unfinished and frustrated, in front of my toolbox until January.
Little by little I bolted, welded, screwed, zip-tied things to the car where they belonged. Painting small bits, wrapping wiring harnesses, securing cables and lines, soon things began taking shape. The pile shrunk. I kept going. Building the alternator bracket (another albatross) led to being able to put a belt on the engine. Finishing the fuel lines allowed me to put the carburetor on for good, in turn leading to being able to make the throttle pedal functional. That allowed me to leak test the fuel system and start the car for the first time! It’s a massive momentum builder to get your project running. Only a few days after starting it for the first time, I took advantage of that momentum and finally tackled the mangled window frames and had the front and rear glass installed with a couple days of work. Another albatross off my neck.
Lifting the glass albatross led to deciphering the bin full of weatherstripping and figuring all that out. Both of those tasks made mounting seats easier to think about tackling. All these victories add up quickly regardless of their size. Hell, just figuring out how to wire my gas gauge and watching it move up and down while I moved the float in the fuel cell by hand was huge. I keep biting off chunks based on how I’m feeling or how much time I have that day, but I keep pushing forward. Just yesterday, I bolted the hood on and tested the tilting front clip as a complete unit for the first time. Now, with a few small details, I’m basically ready for the first test drive come spring when the road salt is washed away. I think I’ll do the seals on the back doors this weekend and get the stainless steel screws I need to mount the front turn signals, and the whole lighting system will be completely functional.
Keep at those projects but when it seems daunting, try to keep focused on one at a time and get the easiest one done first. Get them done so you can share them, but don’t forget to share the journey. Hobbies and projects are important, and for me the most enjoyment is taking everyone on the journey with me whether it’s the build or the finished product. Want to share your journey? Hit me up on the contact page or social media and let me know what you’re working on!
-Patrick
