The thrill is gone?

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ProjectBazza

ProjectBazza

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Maybe it's just me, but....

As a young child I played with Hot Wheels, Matchbox cars, and Tonka trucks. Couldn't get enough of 'em! A few years later I got into building scale models (cars, tanks, planes...), and I think I built about 40 of them before I was 10. When I got a little older I plastered pictures of cars all over my bedroom. When I was a teenager I absolutely devoured anything and everything automotive related, it didn't matter the Brand or Manufacturer. And when I was 16 and got my DL...Man! I couldn't wait for the latest issue of Hot Rod and Car Craft to arrive so I could dream about all the things I was going to do with my Minimum Wage savings! Hours and hours I spent pouring over catalogs, parts books, and all of the Ads in the back of the magazines. Then I got a job selling auto parts, and I worked my way up to being a Store Manager for NAPA. Still had the Passion....

Fast forward about 30 years...

When I was at MITP a couple weeks back I met a number of people my age or older who seem to still have this Passion, and while I thoroughly enjoyed meeting every single one of them (you, perhaps?), I think something has changed inside, as my Passion for all of this seems to have diminished considerably. For instance, now when I go out to shed/shop to work on one of my trucks I think of it as "work", and not "fun", anymore. I don't look at parts catalogs, couldn't care less about the "latest and greatest" HP gizmo, I've almost given-up on watching YouTube videos (Life's too short, IMO), and overall, the Passion seems to have died.

And for the first time in I don't know how long, I didn't even think of going to Back to The 50's at the MN Fairgrounds this year.

I think I'm burned-out.

Does this sound familiar to anyone, and is this temporary? I sure hope so, 'cuz I have a helluva lot of money tied-up in tools, parts, and Projects.
 
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I was working on our home yesterday and started to feel the same way a little. I have what should be a killer engine being built right now for my car. And I am looking forward to installing and driving it.
I just found out recently that a neighbor two doors down lost their daughter who was about the same age as my kids. Just out of college a few years. I can’t imagine what they are going through and I pray to God that I will Never have to bury one of my kids.
This song by Alan Jackson puts it in perspective for me. Really makes me think about what’s important in life.

 
We could be twins.
My passion got superseded by a new one, namely, the Word of God. It started in about year 2000. By 2015, I had got a bunch of understanding that rapidly led to my current status.
I just turned 71, and I can't see this passion ever waning.........
 
If you find your passion slipping go out and find a kid that is passionate about engineering and mechanics. There are tons of kids out there that watch YouTube’s of builders and inventors. They may not have fathers who are like minded to put it all into application. Maybe they just have a mom (not knocking any women in the hobby) that doesn’t know how to support a technological minded son.
If you get bored in the shop a kid will ask a million questions and you’ll never run out of something to show or explain. Keep in mind the short attention span so you’ll have to keep bouncing them from project to project.
 
Well, Jim, I have the solution...........................get your *** in one of those vehicles and get over here to Chryslers at Carlisle in 22 days 11 hours, and 20 minutes!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

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I still have it but it is somewhat scaled back because- life.

I did figure out that in order to have several "revenue negative" pursuits, you need to have a one or more decent, low hour consuming sources of revenue income.

...and that before you buy multiple project cars (or even drivers), you need to solve "the storage problem".
 
coloradohill said:
I was working on our home yesterday and started to feel the same way a little. I have what should be a killer engine being built right now for my car. And I am looking forward to installing and driving it.
I just found out recently that a neighbor two doors down lost their daughter who was about the same age as my kids. Just out of college a few years. I can’t imagine what they are going through and I pray to God that I will Never have to bury one of my kids.
This song by Alan Jackson puts it in perspective for me. Really makes me think about what’s important in life.

Click to expand...

Thank you. No speakers here at the office, but I think I get the gist of it from reading the lyrics online.

And, yeah. It's pretty apropos...

My condolences to you and your neighbor. No one should have to go through the death of a child.
 
AJ/FormS said:
We could be twins.
My passion got superseded by a new one, namely, the Word of God. It started in about year 2000. By 2015, I had got a bunch of understanding that rapidly led to my current status.
I just turned 71, and I can't see this passion ever waning.........
Click to expand...
59 here, and your response reminded me that my wife and I used to do a LOT of volunteer work for various non-profits before we moved a couple years ago. Perhaps that's part of what's missing....

Thank you.
 
go-fish said:
If you find your passion slipping go out and find a kid that is passionate about engineering and mechanics. There are tons of kids out there that watch YouTube’s of builders and inventors. They may not have fathers who are like minded to put it all into application. Maybe they just have a mom (not knocking any women in the hobby) that doesn’t know how to support a technological minded son.
If you get bored in the shop a kid will ask a million questions and you’ll never run out of something to show or explain. Keep in mind the short attention span so you’ll have to keep bouncing them from project to project.
Click to expand...
Wish that I could! We moved out to "the sticks" (kinda) a couple years ago in preparation to retiring, and the neighborhood kids (at least the ones I've met) have no interested in getting their hands dirty. And we don't have kids of our own....

But I haven't asked around in-town, so that may be one heckuvan idea you have there!

Thank you!
 
YY1 said:
I still have it but it is somewhat scaled back because- life.

I did figure out that in order to have several "revenue negative" pursuits, you need to have a one or more decent, low hour consuming sources of revenue income.

...and that before you buy multiple project cars (or even drivers), you need to solve "the storage problem".
Click to expand...
Storage: Check! (It's running a little scarce at the moment, but soon to be rectified.)

Income: Check! (Both current employment as well as retirement.)

Interest? Well.....

(Thanks!)
 
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AJ/FormS said:
We could be twins.
My passion got superseded by a new one, namely, the Word of God. It started in about year 2000. By 2015, I had got a bunch of understanding that rapidly led to my current status.
I just turned 71, and I can't see this passion ever waning.........
Click to expand...
Make that triplets.
Like the OP, I had the Matchboxes and Hot Wheels [ still have them all ] and played with them all the time. Drew cars. Read every magazine I could get my hands on. Bought my own first Hot Rod magazine with my own allowance at the age of 5 . [still have it too] The fourth intelligible word I uttered was 'car'. Only continued to breathe so I could get that drivers license. Once I did, went to every race and show in a hundred mile radius for years. Once a little older, went to them all over the country. At one time subscribed to 17 motoring magazines. Worked in a parts store. Made the mistake of taking a job in a 'profession' [cough cough] tangentially related to the auto industry out of college and got stuck there for ~35 years. Cars [and motorcycles] have basically been the majority of my whole existence.
Now, I hate to hafta work on them. Don't go to very many events; there is a fairly sizeable one coming this weekend about 25 miles from my house and I doubt I will find it worth fighting the people, traffic etc to go. Hold it - just hit me; there are TWO decent sized events close by. Probably won't hit either. Definitely burned out and no , you're not alone. And no, I dont think its temporary. [for a multitude of reasons/factors] But back away for awhile and maybe the pilot will re-light.
Personally, Ive always been pretty passionate about the Word of God, but i find it growing as I grow older. Maybe that comes with age, maybe maturity [maturity?!?!?!?!? OH NO! Say it aint so!] But Im right there with ya.
I have found that my interests in things automotive [and motorcycle] related is stronger now than the cars themselves; show me a bunch of old gas station signs, books and brochures, art or old toys and Im still pretty much there...
But hang in there OP, you aint done yet. And youre not alone. The intensity may wane, but I imagine you'll still get some stuff done occasionally and enjoy it some too. maybe just not as much or as intensely as before.
 
ProjectBazza said:
Maybe it's just me, but....

As a young child I played with Hot Wheels, Matchbox cars, and Tonka trucks. Couldn't get enough of 'em! A few years later I got into building scale models (cars, tanks, planes...), and I think I built about 40 of them before I was 10. When I got a little older I plastered pictures of cars all over my bedroom. When I was a teenager I absolutely devoured anything and everything automotive related, it didn't matter the Brand or Manufacturer. And when I was 16 and got my DL...Man! I couldn't wait for the latest issue of Hot Rod and Car Craft to arrive so I could dream about all the things I was going to do with my Minimum Wage savings! Hours and hours I spent pouring over catalogs, parts books, and all of the Ads in the back of the magazines. Then I got a job selling auto parts, and I worked my way up to being a Store Manager for NAPA. Still had the Passion....

Fast forward about 30 years...

When I was at MITP a couple weeks back I met a number of people my age or older who seem to still have this Passion, and while I thoroughly enjoyed meeting every single one of them (you, perhaps?), I think something has changed inside, as my Passion for all of this seems to have diminished considerably. For instance, now when I go out to shed/shop to work on one of my trucks I think of it as "work", and not "fun", anymore. I don't look at parts catalogs, couldn't care less about the "latest and greatest" HP gizmo, I've almost given-up on watching YouTube videos (Life's too short, IMO), and overall, the Passion seems to have died.

And for the first time in I don't know how long, I didn't even think of going to Back to The 50's at the MN Fairgrounds this year.

I think I'm burned-out.

Does this sound familiar to anyone, and is this temporary? I sure hope so, 'cuz I have a helluva lot of money tied-up in tools, parts, and Projects.
Click to expand...
It ain't just you, I don't have the desire to spend a lot of time in the garage these days, or the finances to do a lot of things that I would like to. I sold my 75 Dart Sport last fall because it just didn't make me feel like I expected it to.
I still have the 76 Ventura, and I am doing a fair amount of work on it before it hits the road this year, but the motivation is missing. I also have a 68 Dart GT in my garage that my brother bought a few weeks ago, it's a really nice running and driving car, I've had it out a few times and I enjoy driving it. I have all the tools now, and a hoist, but the energy and the desire are in short supply.
I still have some of the 1/25 scale plastic models that I built as much as 50 years ago, been a gearhead for as long as I can remember. I think it just means that I need a little bit of a break from feeling like I have no time for 'me'. I'm seriously thinking about buying another motorcycle, it's been about 18 years since I sold the last one and I am kinda missing the feeling of being in the wind and feeling the freedom of riding.
Then I watch some youtube videos of all the morons on the road today and it makes me wonder if I can survive another crash with an idiot driver. Back to work time now.
 
IF you did not listen to that Allen Jackson song, please do.

If you live long enough, you will wake up one day and say, wish I had done such and such when I could. One day, you will not wake up.

If you live long enough, one day you will wake up and realize you have outlived most of your friends and relatives.

I'm 76, woreout. But I still receive large amounts of pleasure from the build, the fixing that project to make it run, figuring out the things I should know but don't, I love just the site (art) of it. When it's too hot or I am too sore, I wait for a better day, knowing one day I have hit the end of that road. Thats when I just go out and fire it up and listen to it run. Maybe a short run down the blacktop.

I have had a passion for old cars and livestock all my life. Quarter horses, cattle, (even had hogs awhile) boer goats, good dogs and good cats. But when I got where I did not depend on them for a living, I found that love for that animal AGAIN that somehow the work I had to put in had deminished that feeling that I had at the start of it all. Life is cracked and broken bones, torn muscles and tendons, and lines on your face and.... Today, I can't really climb on that horse, but I still feel the love for that animal. I only ride wild horses in my dreams as the song says. :thumbsup:
 
FISHYPETE said:
Jim, read every page in the book I gave you, that will keep you busy for a bit.
Click to expand...
(LOL!) I wasn't going to respond to this thread until I got home and could listen to the Allen Jackson song later this evening, but as long as you're around, I've been meaning to contact you and tell you...

I found my Grandfather's brother in that book! I found what appeared to be a familiar name, and the address looked to be about right (Lowry Avenue N.E.), so I asked my Mother who "John (x), the grocer" was, and she said, "Why, that's my uncle!"

Of course then I had to explain everything...

Thank you once again, Pete! You're Good People!
 
Are you sitting in a lounge chair watching the sprinkler. If not then you're not burned out.
I've been watching the lawn get watered for the past 2 years.
 
fishmens67 said:
Are you sitting in a lounge chair watching the sprinkler. If not then you're not burned out.
I've been watching the lawn get watered for the past 2 years.
Click to expand...
My wife was doing that a few years ago when she first went on disability. Five years later she has been 'officially' retired for a year and a bit, says she works harder now than she ever did before. I never ask her what she's done while I was at work and I don't care if she puts her feet up and relaxes all day, that's fine with me.
The state of the economy and the government constantly reaching both hands into my pockets just leaves me feeling stressed out every day.
 
ProjectBazza said:
Maybe it's just me, but....

As a young child I played with Hot Wheels, Matchbox cars, and Tonka trucks. Couldn't get enough of 'em! A few years later I got into building scale models (cars, tanks, planes...), and I think I built about 40 of them before I was 10. When I got a little older I plastered pictures of cars all over my bedroom. When I was a teenager I absolutely devoured anything and everything automotive related, it didn't matter the Brand or Manufacturer. And when I was 16 and got my DL...Man! I couldn't wait for the latest issue of Hot Rod and Car Craft to arrive so I could dream about all the things I was going to do with my Minimum Wage savings! Hours and hours I spent pouring over catalogs, parts books, and all of the Ads in the back of the magazines. Then I got a job selling auto parts, and I worked my way up to being a Store Manager for NAPA. Still had the Passion....

Fast forward about 30 years...

When I was at MITP a couple weeks back I met a number of people my age or older who seem to still have this Passion, and while I thoroughly enjoyed meeting every single one of them (you, perhaps?), I think something has changed inside, as my Passion for all of this seems to have diminished considerably. For instance, now when I go out to shed/shop to work on one of my trucks I think of it as "work", and not "fun", anymore. I don't look at parts catalogs, couldn't care less about the "latest and greatest" HP gizmo, I've almost given-up on watching YouTube videos (Life's too short, IMO), and overall, the Passion seems to have died.

And for the first time in I don't know how long, I didn't even think of going to Back to The 50's at the MN Fairgrounds this year.

I think I'm burned-out.

Does this sound familiar to anyone, and is this temporary? I sure hope so, 'cuz I have a helluva lot of money tied-up in tools, parts, and Projects.
Click to expand...
You are not alone!! While I do still "play with cars", it's not as much a priority anymore. Before, I couldn't wait till the local dragstrip opened up for the season so I can go beat up my vehicles... Now, I'm lucky to go once a year... not to race but to watch others race. I'm quite content on driving my newest acquisition (in avatar) to take my wife to go get an ice cream cone or just drive it around. No longer need to get as much HP out of my engine to be the fastest (there is always someone faster). I just want to enjoy it and not constantly work on it. Getting too old for that. (56)
 
But didn’t you work steady on Bazza’s car? It’s time for a break, then you can ease back in it and enjoy
 
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