Your progress this year?
 

With the year better than half gone now the question is, are you on track to meet the goals you set for the year?

Mine was to have the paint on, sounded simple enough when I wrote it but things change. All the parts are straight and now in epoxy primer waiting the final sanding. I'm now telling myself it will be a little cooler in Oct. or Nov. so that is the new target date for the paint.

I have made some progress above and beyond “the Plan”, the 5.0 EFI coupled to the AOD, is now running in the truck (with all the codes fixed) with dual exhaust and 40 flow masters and Chrome tips stuck out the back, sounds great. Power brakes, steering, and even the old hand operated parking brake are in and working. I pulled a ‘J-N” and changed the thunderbird column over to a 89 F-150 tilt, looks more natural.

Mechanically it is finished with over an hour tooling around the backfields checking things out. Best part… it drives GREAT and actually runs straight as an arrow front to rear after the frame change. The front fenders are perfectly centered over the wheels. All of this is a BIG relief. Blood pressure now back down to a more manageable 145/96.:-X20

How have the rest of you done?

Although I still have a couple of months to work on my old F-3 before old man winter sets in again, I still have not made the progress I wanted to this year. Those 8 hour days I used to be able to spend on it have now turned into 3-4 hour days. My goal was to be able to fire up the engine by the end of this summer but it doesn't look like I will make that. I've gotten a handle on the wiring, the steering column installed, brake pedal and master cylinder installed, gas pedal, and engine mounts done, but that's about it. The engine and all of this stuff will have to come back out anyway to refinish the firewall and floor, run brake lines, etc,...and I still have to finish the suspension. I have one side disassembled, de-rusted, painted with POR-15 and reassembled, but still have to do the other side. In the 8 weeks remaining I hope to get this done anyway. I bought a set of car dollies at a swap meet a few weeks ago to make it easier to move the truck around, but I may not get a chance to use them until next Spring. I've decided that this will be my last project vehicle (getting too old to cut the mustard), so I'm not in a big hurry to finish it. In fact, if it takes me 3-5 more years to finish it that's okay. That way, me and my project may be finished at the same time! :p

Vern

I’ve decided to not set goals or time frames, for then I’m sure I would only be disappointed. The way I’m trying to look at this is, many, many little projects, instead of one really huge one.
If I were to have goals, at this point I would consider myself to way behind from where I would have planed, (but of course I don’t!!) At this point if I had goals, I would like to have my frame complete (it is) and my cab well on its way, in primer now (its not), my box in primer, (its not). My engine in the works of rebuild, (just waiting for me) Instead I’m now heading out on a road trip to pick up a different cab, (rust free) that will save a lot of time, if you’ve seen my gallery, you’ll know what I mean…
But I’m just having Fun; Love to be in the garage…. My sanity requires NO GOALS

Mike

So far so good. Bought it a week ago and have it stripped down to a cab on a frame. Should have the new motor and tranny crossmembers mounted by end of next week.

Chuck P
www.oldjeep.com

Vern that's exactly how I feel at this point, sometimes I tend to bite off more than I can chew but it has been fun. I just want to make sure that it is finished BEFORE I am.

As for setting goals, even small ones help me stay on track. Sure we may slip and slide sometimes,thats just part of living, but the right kind of goals can keep you motivated and focused. With truck parts scattered everywhere, all screaming for attention, it is easy, at least for me, to become overwhelmed. The last thing I would want is for this to begin to feel like work.:)

I was well on track to having paint done later this year until the idiot tried to total our house with his pickup. That put me back 5 months while the house was fixed. BUT, I'm over that now. I plan on finishing my cab in the next month--it has taken tons of work and I've gotten sidetracked on smaller things this year (rear axle, fan/radiator assemblies, vent window work, etc) to keep from getting burned out working on the cab. After the cab is done I'm pulling the drivetrain and axles and having the frame and rear fenders sandblasted and finished. That should finish out the year, and ready for reassembly in the spring

I'm a little behind schedule (OK, a lot!) but that's because we moved recently. Now I have a big shed to work in. It's heated and cooled so I can make things bearable during the hot summer days and freezing winter nights. I won't be setting the thermostat at 70 but I will be able to take the edge off the extreme temps. I'm still moving parts over from Dad's place but I have some of the essentials in place. I'm able to blast and paint parts again.

I hope to have the rolling chassis done by this fall with the brakes plumbed and steering done. Not sure where I'll be with the engine. I hope to get it back together and in the frame so I can move that all over at the same time. Dad should have his pole barn back by winter. :rolleyes:

I took an auto body class again this summer. Didn't get as much done on my cab as I had hoped but I learned enough to finish it on my own. The roof skin is on and a majority of the dents are nearly finished. Still need to do the cab corners but that should be a breeze compared to what I've had to do so far.

:-X10

Kevin Kessler
1953 Ford F-100

I got my headlight relays installed and my LINE OF FIRE rear lights. I know it's not much but the fine tuning and minor changes just keep on coming. :) John

For Myself I'm a bit behind but the major goal was just to find the 56. If not for the 77 I think I would be on track.

I think my main goal is to get a rolling chassis, which for me means to pick up my new frame, get it home, stretch it, cleaned up and painted, and get the springs and axles mounted, brakes and hopefully some steering.

Additionally I want to get started on building a new bed floor (rectangular tube steel), get the bedsides patched, and get a floor/seat riser in the cab. Pretty much I want something that will at least resemble a truck before I head off to grad school in the middle of september, luckily I'll have about 3 weeks off and cash flow before that point.

I hope to have mine painted and completely finished.

This whole thread has been good for my sanity. I was beginning to think I was the only one who thought like this.
When I started out a year and a half ago, I had planned to be done by this time.
My 56 Effie is a rolling resto job that, when done, will be a mild custom street rod and working truck. It has been and always shall be a daily driver. The most time it's been down was 2 weeks to change out rear springs. That was a half day job that went nuts only because nothing would come apart.
My biggest dilema is that both my skills and ideas keep improving so that the end product is a moving target. What I originally thought would be good enough just isn't now, so the dream changes.
I guess the major thing is that I really enjoy both driving it and working on it. The changes gradually show up as time rolls on. All of the early stuff involved driveline and chassis, so it didn't show. That is mostly done and now the cutom stuff is happening.
My project is on a strict budget to finish out (next summer?) at under 20k total investment.
Right now it is in a combination of old cracking paint and primer. It is fairly straight, sits nice, sounds awsome and runs great.
I am enjoying the process more than realizing any particular goal. But if John N. and others keep those cool tech articles coming, I may never finish.

goals and schedules ???
 

how clever..... seting goals and schedules for completion...!!! why didn't I think of that ???

I do still have clear cut goals and schedule deadlines.... I"ve just changed my unit of measure to aleviate stress... I've now substituted "Year" for "Month" and I'm stress free !!!

Recognizing my ability to take one step forward and two steps back.... I'm almost up to where I was a year ago... (back in volare dream world) :) .

besides if I finished the truck ??? what would I use for a project ???


john :-X06

well ill bite i got my truck on june 17th 04 and its all stripped. almost all the cab pieces i have that need repair. after i get the cab perfect and all back together imma start on the frame.as for before winter hits i dont plan on much till it cools off alot. my goal is to have a drivable truck without no bed for spring which isnt that far off depending on how slow work gets this winter

a strict budget - 20K :eek:

That would be nice, with that kind of cash I could finish mine in 3 weeks. I'm figuring on having about $3,000 into mine when I'm done and a good chunk of that will be paint and upholstry - the only 2 things that I won't be doing myself.

Chuck P
www.oldjeep.com