Beginners,doing multiple modifications at once......

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I reserve the right to refuse to comment because I might tend to incriminate myself.......
 
I too am a beginner with Automotive Attention Deficit Disorder! I think for the most part it's caused by lack of funds or parts, sometimes frustration. When I don't have the money for a tool or part I just start working on something that I can do at the time, then I get the part or tool and go back to it leaving the other started project behind. I go back and forth a lot, what makes it worse is most stuff I just keep track of in my head. My girlfriend's dad finds it amusing that I manage somehow.
 
True story -
I started out with the one car I was driving everyday. So I really could only do one thing at a time due to costs, time, and reliability. Once I had the space and a 2nd vehicle, I started doing more than one thing. That led to shelving a project due to funds to work on soemthing I had parts for, or needed less $$ for. Which led me to not have a running driving car but owning 5 of them...
I fell into depression as a result of the cars & lack of progress and soem other forces in life.
I sold, junked, or gave away everything I could and took a 6mth break from everything car related. About a year after that I started to find things I wanted and I now have 3. one is running driving, one is the only one I owned as a teenager that still survives and is local, and one that is something I really want to do "someday" and it was too good to pass up.
So my advive is - find what makes you happy in this hobby and figure out how to do what you can afford to get there. For some it's not modifying at all, but driving. Some it's racing. Some it's parts collecting or car collecting. Whatever makes you happy. Because anything beyond that just isn't worth the time.
If you're looking to improve your results, THEN go one change at a time to avoid frustration and speed advancement because Cracked said it best in post #20.
 
I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet but I have seen it get a lot of racers into trouble. Change one thing and go to the track and see what it did. If you make multiple adjustments at one time then your not going to know if one of them helped or hurt you. I made the mistake of putting in a new rear end and changing the carb and running it. My times barley dropped but I couldn't tell if one thing was hurting or helping!
 
64ragtop said:
Hi, my name is Bob, and I have AADD.
I'm also a procrastinating perfectionist...is there a group for us??

BC
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x1000! And not just in car projects either. I'm currently working on finishing the basement and it's going to be a year if I'm not done by 2014. Which I won't be...lol.
 
Gotta be careful about going in too many directions at once. You can easily find yourself overwhelmed and before you know it your pride and joy has been sitting untouched for a year
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It's very easy to get overwhelmed. For years and years it was my dream to restore my dad's Challenger he bought brand new. Some of my first memories are riding in that car with my family. I was finally able to get the car into a body shop for the long ride back from years of salty roads. In the back of my mind I thought something would happen while it was at the shop and I wouldn't get it back. That's why I didn't work on any of the components. I didn't want to have a bunch of money tied up in parts and not have a body to bolt them on to.

When the body was finally done and delivered, I staired at the empty shell. Then I looked at all the rusty/nasty parts and the plastic tub filled with all the unlabeled fasteners. I about had a panic attack. I took a step back and had to remind myself that the hard work was already done. This is supposed to be the fun part. It was at that moment when I said there would be no deadline. I wouldn't put a part back on the car before it looked the best I could get it to look. I worked on one sub assembly at a time. When that was done and installed, I worked on the next assembly. For a long time it didn't seem like anything was getting done....but slowly the car came together. The more complete it looked, the more motivation I had to get it done.

The Dart will be the same way. There is no deadline. I won't put a part back on it that doesn't look the very best my skills will allow me to make it. The car was taken apart in sub assemblies. Those subassembly will stay intact until I'm ready to work on them. This way things stay in one place and don't walk off. It's easier to remember how everything goes back together when you took it apart a month ago instead of 10 years ago.
 
I was the same way and spent enough money doing it. I worked with a stone mason( one of my first jobs)and was always talking about what color I wanted paint my car couldn't decide and was always asking him.and he would look at me and say,artie dammit you can't put a roof on a building until the found dashen is poured and as dumb as I was it took me a yr. to figure out what he was saying,DA! .....and wen I went to work In a body shop I was for ever trying to go around the hole car and get it dun fast and it allways took me 5 times longer then anyone els.. and my boss called me in the office (thinking I was going to get fired from the first job I loved)he sat me down and said.I want you to try it my way,start on one panle do it to the point its ready for primer set it to the side and do the next.and bfore you no it you will be dun!.DAM he was right!! and 25yrs. later I had tut 13 painters and lost count of the body men.and like to fell like I still help people now with my big mouth!!!haha!!!thanks for a good thread....Artie
 
I disagree with this post to the core,it leads most to poor results. Yes,I'm aware that magazines have insisted it true. I love those guys as they are there to sell a magazines to the gullible. I have many experiences(not based on the net or a magazine,lol) that prove this is BS if you test it. come back with a witty BS post. It's NOT the way winning builders go,but you'd never get it. Oh crap I just saw the OPs's post and it includes "beginners" so yes you should change ONE thing at a time.LOL That will keep you in the dark for decades.
 
You think I'd waste time with something else??? I guess I could just guess and try to be net friendly,but whats the point in more garbage?
 
Keep it cool......I deserved the throttling. You could be a little less ,mellow in your posts,lol...Maybe,you should relax,and quit calling names.... You want to help,or make fun of????
 
goldmember said:
I disagree with this post to the core,it leads most to poor results. Yes,I'm aware that magazines have insisted it true. I love those guys as they are there to sell a magazines to the gullible. I have many experiences(not based on the net or a magazine,lol) that prove this is BS if you test it. come back with a witty BS post. It's NOT the way winning builders go,but you'd never get it. Oh crap I just saw the OPs's post and it includes "beginners" so yes you should change ONE thing at a time.LOL That will keep you in the dark for decades.
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winning in what category??? If you ever looked at the guys like Ed Roth who built some of the most recognizable hot rods in history, they did it one phase at a time
 
A pesky ,southern thing,Pan gasket.^↑^^ Somebody ,fighting tbeir soul..
 
When I say one thing at a time, I am considering you already have a running, racing automobile and you are trying to speed it up. In that case, "I" would make one change at a time. I did not say one change each trip to the track. Run the car, bump timing, run the car, adjust suspension, run the car, jet carb. I figured anyone with any real racing experience would get what I was saying.
 
It's just a carb swap, Tim. I swear to god...

Truth in one day/ step at a time in all of it. Even if you're like me and tear it down to the shell and put it back together.

Jumping from building the short block one day and coming back into the garage the next day to restore the upper control arms is not only how you lose hardware, but it's also how **** falls apart. Even worse, if it's paint/ body related. Ever had someone help you prep and forget to degrease a panel? It's fun, when it shows up, 2 months later.

The only thing keeping me down right now is cash, which I'm slowly getting back to normal, after the holidays. I'll be glad when the year is up and I can start fresh, on a new song, without thinking about all the christmas music.

I told myself to lay off the 4spd until the engine is back in. So far, rehab is paying off.
 
crackedback said:
Think of it like this.

For every change you make there are 3 possible results. Positive, negative, no change.

If you change 4 things at once you end up with 12 different possible outcomes, 4 x 3. Good luck figuring out which is the good, bad, or no change.
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this
 
One day at a time, one modification at a time, and most importantly, don't set deadlines.
And yes, i've done them all and learned from it.
 
PanGasket said:
winning in what category??? If you ever looked at the guys like Ed Roth who built some of the most recognizable hot rods in history, they did it one phase at a time
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LOL sure they did when they were in diapers. They quickly figured out what most are missing,but I'd never ask them for performance tips. fiberglass work yes,but nothing else.
 
goldmember said:
LOL sure they did when they were in diapers. They quickly figured out what most are missing,but I'd never ask them for performance tips. fiberglass work yes,but nothing else.
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So, can you post some pics of your NHRA, SEMA, Goodguys, Rod Run, and Mopar Nationals trophies? I'd love to see your collection mr. winner :prayer:

It's okay that your personality isn't a real winner though:goodman:


:toothy10::toothy10::toothy10:
 
LOL Roth has NO performance records,so I guess that was a waste of time. You must build some real serious stuff. LOL You got some tips for me?? LOL I just hang around the winners in many classes.Yes,we made the field at Lights out V at SGMSP. You?? My personality is fine with folks face to face and no internet garbage to cloud the truth.
 
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