If you have any pictures I'd like to see them as I like the direction you've taken with body mods. I'll eventually get to that point, sooner or later.

 

I'll be posting some pics soon, thanks for the compliment, I think that encouragement is the purpose of this thread..........

 

I Feel your pain and I keep telling myself - Its the Journey not what it costs - What ever the hell that means - but it makes me feel better - or is it the beer! I am 6 years into mine, probably another 2 from completion. Of course I built my 69 in those 6 years which helped brake up the project and have started planning the 40 Tudor Delux I have sitting in the garage. But then again I have given in to my sickness. My God do I ramble or what - Take a brake, have a beer then Get Back To Work! We need more of these old Dogs on the road!

 

56panelford, I feel your pain. I didn't even plan a full blown resto, it just snow-balled out of control. I'm 6 years into it and at times have felt very discouraged. I'm feeling a little better as work has resumed, slowly but we are gaining on it. Paint on body:



We're good from the dash forward.

Painted interior strips:



And the last of the doors are painted, some more inerior pieces in background:



On the other side of town, where the engine and frame await, we've already run into clutch doesn't match up with the flywheel ......

Would I do this again; no. I could have restored 3 or 4 motorcycles in the time and expense I've already got tied up in this truck and we're not back together yet. I may feel better once she's back together and running smoothly but the outlook from here is .......... discouraging.

DB

 

Believe me...We all know how you feel..Mybuddy and I were sitting in the shop the other day putting away a few brews and telling lies. then he says how did you get that dent in the front cowl? I moved over where he was sitting and sure enough there it was. It looked as if the door had been opened too far and hit the area in front of the door. Opened the door and it wasn't hitting the cowl. Must have happened when I had been making adjustments to the door. Frusting as all he--! Thought I was done with the painting process. Well back to the Bodywork / Paint. Neverending battle I guess. Just hang in there.

Hump

 

Sleep in late,..make a pot of coffee,..go out and fire the heater up,..go back in the house and make breakfast,..watch the news, ..call an old friend and say "Hi!"..,..make lunch,..go out and make sure the shop is nice and toastie..then take your time cleaning the joint for two or three hours while listening to some of your favorite old tunes,..pop a few cold ones,..enjoy not having to do a damn thing if you don't want...now that's fun!

You shoudn't have to think of this as a job..it's a hobby..keep it that way...

One of my favorite Uncle's used to say..".When I feel i'm getting in too much of a hurry..
I sit down and wait for that to pass"....

Everyone goes thru what your going thru,..the more demanding you are of yourself,your skills,your own deadlines will beat you up...but only if you let it! I't your truck..do it at your pace and be happy with it..there will be plenty of time later to do upgrades and mods down the road..and when it's on the road.I think you have come a long way..everyone on here has done the same....Look at it this way, Your on the home stretch,...the big part (body) is just about over....have a cold one and do some reflection Good Luck!



Besides....it's too damn cold out in the shop this time of year ..LoL!

 

I'm sitting here reading all of your frustrating tales and enjoying every minute of them because I have a '48 F1 that I've been working on for about 5 years and it's farther back now than when I started. I keep changing to something that comes to mind that I think will be better than the original idea and they probably are but if this truck is ever going to get finished I can't keep changing the plans. So far there's a dropped axle, with disc brakes, air ride all around, triangliated four bar on the rear end, 22 gal. S.S. custom fuel tank to fit in the rear between the rails,complete new bed made from parts,( a real bad idea,and time consuming),made the doors one piece glass with electric controls, bucket seats with a console,made a new instrument panel, rounded on both ends with three large guages, started to install the A/C and the real killer is the floor of the bed. It is split from rear to the front and is hinged at the sides.I made special hinges so the floor will drop and move toward the center when the two sections open. When the are fully open they will be parallel to the bed sides and expose the complete underside. The loaded 59 AB is done and ready for the test ride. The engine has 4, 97 look alike throttle bodies with Axcel Computerized fuel injection. 196 HP on Panella Racings dyno about 3 months ago. So it just shows there are a lot of us idiots out there. My problem is yesterday was my 75th birthday. Not much time left.

Jim
.

 

enjoy the build and you will enjoy the ride is what my bodyman told me .When i get frustrated i do somehing small it has to be done anyways....When I get really upset Ilook back at where I started and I dont feel so bad ohYa Pray

 

Just walk away from it for a little bit. When things get frustrating it defeats the purpose of the build in the first place (which is to have fun building something you love!). I know, easier said than done, especially when you want to see some color! But don't rush it, now is when everything you do will effect the outcome, doesn't matter how well that paint goes on if the body work isn't where you want it. I've rushed builds before and I've ALWAYS regretted it. And I've ALWAYS regretted working when frustrated, if it doesn't cause me to burn out with the project, I always screw something up and undo several weeks of work.

Take a break, work on something else, or another part that is different. Build a custom console, anything. Or just take a week or two off till the passion makes you wonder why you ever stopped.

If it makes you feel any better I spent about a hour today trying to find something I could do on my truck and found that I couldn't do ANYTHING because it all needed something else to be done that I can't yet, or needed something I don't have, like a roof over it. Very frustrating when you love metal work but can't do it because you have no way to protect the exposed steel on the project yet... Can't even build a bed cause I don't have what I need to truly do it right, which is the space. And the axle where it's going to be...



Anyways... this is why they make centerfolds, to hang in the shop so when you're frustrated you'll subconsciencly feel better, lol!

 

This is the best equation that I have seen in years...It just might save me $900 a month in psychotherapy and my marriage...As she says,"As soon as you get your head straight, you can spend that $900 on your truck!" I think that I have found my relaxation. Thanks for all of the insight for the discouraged. Steve