Project stalled...need inspiration

[mailman]

I knew I was a procrastinator to begin with. But I've got to get this project back on track...

My '64 sunroof is in a million pieces in my garage, as it has been for 2 years. The body is off, and the chassis is in a home-made rotisserie. I need to do the welding on the chassis to get over this hump, but I just keep putting it off. It's mostly a lack of experience and confidence, I think. I took some adult-ed welding classes and bought the welder after being repeatedly disappointed by the welding jobs I had paid to have done. I decided to do this one myself.

Now I'm running out of excuses. I've accumulated all the parts I need. I have heated garage space and all the tools I'll need. The overtime has dried up at work, so I can't claim I have no free time. If I could just get past this part I think the enthusiasm would fire up again.

I spend a couple of hours a day on the Samba, reading the forums and shopping for parts, when I could be out in the garage making this happen.... Today's a perfect example. I have the day off, the wife's at work, and I'm sitting at the computer.....

Anybody else ever run into this problem? What did you do about it?
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'64 Bahama Blue Beetle / steel sunroof
'64 Bahama Blue Beetle Sedan (future ragtop)

[johnnyrotten]

I would be doing all kinds of stuff if I were in your shoes. I on the other hand have a 4 year old and 11 month old (boys) that occupy my entire day, my wife works day and returns home at 5pm. Just enough time to get ready for my job which begins at 6:45 pm untill 7 a.m.

I work every other weekend, so I get approx 2 days per month to myself (if nothing else is planned) to devote to my cars.

This is why I spend so much time on the computer, I cannot go to the garage, I have to keep a watchful eye on the kids, and maybe, on my off nights, get to work for 2 hours before my wife starts complaining about the air compressor or grinder, etc.

Get off of your rear and get that car done!!!!!

John
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Enemies are friends in reverse..... G. Busey

In the garage....

64 Ghia
66 beetle
56 Oval rag
58 ex-art project Beetle
A fleet of parts buses and ghias

[Mike Fisher]

I'm guilty too, but I try to keep it 5 minutes on the computer then 20-30 minutes getting something accomplished!

[SiggyManx#33]

I've been in your shoes.

I have found that once you actually get in the garage, the motivation takes care of itself.

Just get out there, get organized and get it done.


or


Pay someone to do it.

No reason to have a dis-assembled car in your garage with nothing being done about it.

[mailman]

All good advice....

I don't have kids to watch, and I have the time (at the moment). It's the welding that seems to be stopping me.

I'm a nuts and bolts kind of guy. Doing the mechanical stuff doesn't bother me at all. Lately, I've even become real interested in the electrical aspect of the car. It's this welding thing....

Thinking on it....I think another big hang-up is that I have another VW to drive when the weather breaks. This car not being done won't keep me from driving a VW when the time comes.

I did just spend an hour or so out there cleaning up and making little pedestals that I needed to go under the ends of the rotisserie. I have tomorrow and Sunday off, too.

Damn it, I'm going to try to get something done!
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'64 Bahama Blue Beetle / steel sunroof
'64 Bahama Blue Beetle Sedan (future ragtop)

[BigHerc]

Just got over one of those slumps myself, but I have a 2.5yr old and a small business which is quite a bit of work, plus it was cold outside and I am working in a pop up type tent thing no garage. weather finally got nice and business slowed down a little so I had no more excuses, once I got out there and finished welding on the rear apron it was fun again. Just you get the ball rollin again it will pick up speed quick, plus welding is fun

[Air-Cooled Head]

Well, after reading the above, I have a couple of suggestions.

1) When you get that guilty, "non-accomplishment" feeling, just say to yourself "What would Johnnyrotten do?" He's got a legitimate excuse, you do not. That's either gonna motivate you, or make you feel more guilty.

2) Get out there and practice your welding skills. I've done this many times when I wanted to work in the garage, but didn't want to work on the car. Soon enough, your improved welding skills will overcome your lack of confidence. Next thing ya know, you'll be building yard sculptures from junk parts.

3) If you don't finish this project, how can you ever justify another? One day, there'll be a super deal that's just right for you. But you can't take it because you're sitting on an unfinished project already. (Wives notice this, and bring it up, repeatedly.)

As James Brown sang: "Git up off-a that thang,,,,,"

Just my $0.03.
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Everything known to man has been written.
Readers are Leaders!

[gfw1985]

If you haven't already did so , read Grelland's Ghia Project in the Ghia forum. That usually keeps me motivated. Spring is coming!

[marklaken]

i was in your shoes for a long while (over a year) - avoiding the long rocker panel on my bus - very intimidating weld for a newbie - I finally just said f-it and busted hump for a long weekend and was done.

Just as I expected, it truly sucked - but I learned alot and was okay with how it turned out. I wish it was done better, but I was also glad to be done with it. Don't expect your first welding project to be text book perfect.

Just remember that all projects have those sucky parts that you need to do. Once you do them, you look back and say that wasn't so bad.
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Wish List:
1967 Wesfalia SO-42 Parts Needed: Kitchenette, Cot Poles

'65 rear left beetle fender

15" Bus Wheels in fair condition

Mark Laken
Fort Collins, CO

[vwracerdave]

Take a few pictures of your project and hang them up in your home and work were you see them several times a day.

Set a goal of working on it for 45 minuits a day. That does not seem like much, but you can get a lot done in 45 minutes if you do it 6-7 days a week.

Don't be intimidated by welding. If you goof up, you can grind it off and weld it again.
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2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK
Featured in Dec. 2001 HOT VW's Magazine page 63

Watch my racing video's http://www.youtube.com/user/okvwracer/videos

[dantrefethen]

It is easier to eat an elephant one bite at a time.

Set manageable goals. Make a list each day of things to accomplish.

Do the things you fear the most first.

My 2 cents.

Dan

[mailman]

I think you guys will be glad to hear that I spent all afternoon out in the garage working on the car.

I'm in the midst of muddling my way through the rust repairs on the framehead. The area where the "napoleon's hat" meets the bottom plate of the framehead is all rusted away. I'm replacing the back 3" of the bottom plate, the bottom 1 1/2 inches of the napoleon's hat and the floor pans.

Today I actually finished cutting out the cancer in the central tunnel behind the napoleon's hat, forward of the pedals. Then I made the repair piece to fill that area. The biggest problem is that it is very difficult to get at things there....all the tools are too big.

I didn't actually do any welding today, but the piece I made looks even better than I had hoped. Tomorrow I'll finish trimming it to shape (it's real close, now) and weld that bad boy in. The repair piece for the bottom plate is already made (I did it some time ago), so I may get it welded in, too. I foresee much more trouble fashioning the repair piece for the napoleon's hat....but one step at a time.

Thanks, folks for the encouragement. If I can get this welding done, the rest will be a piece of cake!
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'64 Bahama Blue Beetle / steel sunroof
'64 Bahama Blue Beetle Sedan (future ragtop)

[BigHerc]

good to hear, I sanded on my ride for about fifteen minutes before the kid shut me down where are you located, I have a after market napoleans hat that I didn't use, its yours if you want it, or I can cut a section off for you, and you can trim it as desired, I think may have some other sheet metal you could use if you let me know what you need, I know I have new heater channel sections and some other stuff, let me know, and lets see some pics

MATT

[kingd33]

[mailman]

Matt,

Yeah, thanks for the offer of the napoleon's hat repair part. I already bought one myself, and I'm cutting sections from it to use for what I need. I didn't want to jeopardize the alignment by removing the entire piece, and actually the majority of the panel is solid...so I'm piecing it in. The same goes for the framehead bottom plate...I'm cutting the repair panel to patch in just what I need. I do know one that I will be needing, though.....the front firewall, just above the napoleon's hat. I only need the bottom third of it or so. Anybody got one?

This way I retain as much of the OG metal and factory welding as possible.

I like the idea of trying to set aside a few minutes a day (minimum) to work on the car. I'll try to make that happen. In the meantime, today is another day off for me, and I plan to spend several hours out there working.

I may try to take some pictures later today to show you guys what I'm working on. Thanks for the encouragement, folks!!
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'64 Bahama Blue Beetle / steel sunroof
'64 Bahama Blue Beetle Sedan (future ragtop)

[BigHerc]

do you need the whole bottom of the firewall or just part of it? I have one but I used the very bottom of it on the driver side the rest is there, let me know

[mailman]

Big Herc,

I need both sides of the bottom section of the firewall....I guess I'll just buy one. Sounds like you've done this repair before....any tips? Thanks for the offer, though.

I tried posting some pictures of the work I'm doing...thought I'd get some feedback from you guys. As usual, I can't get the pictures to work. I just spent an hour resizing some photos so I could put them in the gallery and then post them here....but the gallery won't take them. Says they're too big. I made them 640X480.....
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'64 Bahama Blue Beetle / steel sunroof
'64 Bahama Blue Beetle Sedan (future ragtop)

[mailman]

Here's what I started with....

then I started cutting out the rust....

then I made a patch....

then I fit it into place....

I hope I'm doing this right....I've never done anything like this before
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'64 Bahama Blue Beetle / steel sunroof
'64 Bahama Blue Beetle Sedan (future ragtop)

[mailman]

Forgot to add....many thanks to Glenn, who pointed me to Photobucket and made it possible for me to access my photos....
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'64 Bahama Blue Beetle / steel sunroof
'64 Bahama Blue Beetle Sedan (future ragtop)

[Saggs]

Mailman, I feel yor pain I have a resto on my 56 I dragged home from Missouri 4yrs ago and I'm not even close Your pics and eye for detail look great! Keep it going. Momentum is the key, If you're getting bogged down and procrastinating about one thing, move onto somthing else for a time and get yourself some positive feedback. Then move back and get over the previuos hurdle. Baby steps are still movi' you forward man I tend to work in surges, many a day I'm just not in the mood and it all seems overwhelming. I have no excuses, kids are moved out and my garage is heated, time is the hardest to find. My friend bet me a 100 bucks I won't have it done B4 snow flies next winter so now I'm motivated again.

Brownish bug is a donor.
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"One man can make a difference...Jesus did."