Looking for a reason to keep going - Lateral-g Forums

Payton King · #1 03-29-2005, 08:59 AM

I appreciate all of your kind words and encouragemt that I have received after posting my pics. It is nice when others appreciate what you are doing and the effort it takes along with emotional highs and lows that goes along with any project.

Right now I am at an emotional low. It does not help that my youngest son gave me a cold and the medicine always makes me pissy. Or that I got to meet with my accountant yesterday and the government is wanting another big chunck of hard earned money. I guess the kicker to all of this is I have been fighting with a guy in Long Island to send a short block and heads for almost a year. His shop has gone under and he owes me a lot of others parts and or money. To make a long story short he finally sent my short block, no heads, and it is worthless. So now it looks like I am going to take about a $4000 loss on the whole deal and be back to square one on the engine.

I work on cars because I love the hobby. I have done it my entire life, but for the last 6 months it has not been very fun. Between the motor and really pushing to get the car finished, it has become one of the bigger stressors in my life. I am at the point where I need to decide whether to push on and complete the car, take a break, or sell it the way it sits and move on.

MaxHarvard · #2 03-29-2005, 09:19 AM

Ask yourself, what will you gain/lose by selling and what would you gain/lose by keeping it?

It helps me sort through things to think about it this way.

~Eric
Almost a LMFT

**Steve1968LS2** · #3 03-29-2005, 09:28 AM

Do a BIG push and finish the car.. enjoy it and get the passion back..

I got burned out once.. sold the cars and became a "non car guy".. well not really since I got sad every time I saw a car show, event or nice musclecar drive by.. I would say "I used to have a car like that...".. the "used to" part sucked..

If you sell it you will regret quitting and giving up.. you will always have "what ifs" and everytime you see a nice 69 slide by you will be sad.

jannes_z-28 · #4 03-29-2005, 10:04 AM

Hey Payton, it's life man.

We all have our ups and downs and sometime everything sucks. Over the years I have learned that how dark and misserable everything is there is always light at the end of the tunnel. It can be far to it but it evetually comes. Even though you feel low now in the future you will regret that you sold your car. Don't do that!!

Take a break, charge your batteries. Do something else for a while and then go to a car show or meet and I can assure you that the inspiration will be back before you know it.

We have all had our missfortunes with our cars, more or less. Myself I blew my engine last summer after my rebuild to ProTouring. Only made 500 miles in it. It was hard and I really missed it. The whole winter I was looking forward to really drive it. Now I will do it this summer.

We all must have something to look forward to, sometimes we have to wait to be able to fullfill what we want.

Our cars ar part of our souls, part of our lifestyle, we need them to live. But as everything in life it is not always a dance on roses but if you wait it out you will get the urge back and then in a not to short future you will be cruising down the road in your very cool car.

Don't give up my friend, hang in there. We will all support you.

Jan

**Ummgawa** · #5 03-29-2005, 10:32 AM

Payton

Here is what I do. I cover my project up, close the garage door, and stay away from it for a while until I am no longer pissed at the project. A sweet sunny day will come and you'll hear a set of flowmasters off in the distance and "The Love" will return. It is a phase and believe me we have all been "Rammed" on our rides in one form or the other.

Hang in there Bro, We are all pullin for ya.

MarkM66 · #6 03-29-2005, 10:49 AM

I agree, take a little time off. And give yourself a little more time to get it done.

Trying to get a car done by a certain time, can be very stressfull. Sometimes I get sick of not being able to sleep well some nights because I'm thinking of all the little things I need to do, and I can't get them out of my head,

.

But don't let the car become a never ending project either.

**camcojb** · #7 03-29-2005, 10:51 AM

I've been there, done that more times than I'd like. I do as most above suggested and just stop working on it for a while. I will not work on mine if there's no "fire" going on. You'll start taking shortcuts and making poor decisions. If you're a car guy like I think you are the "fire" will return.

Good luck in your decision Payton.

Jody

**61Bubbletop** · #8 03-29-2005, 12:03 PM

..is look at the homepage of this site, and the cars that are presented, and that should be more than enough incentive to keep going....If I gave up when my car sat in paint jail for 2 years, or when I got ripped on my motor, or a host of other things that happen, not just to you or I, but EVERYONE from time to time, I would be sick that I didn't follow through....every situation is different, YOU are the only one who knows what is best for you and your family...It is easy to make a decision to quit, but in the long run the rewards of perseverence can be great.....

Good Luck

p.s. As a sidenote, I have made some of my bestfriends (Scott, Brent, Jody...) because of my car...That is a byproduct that is better than the car itself...

**Ummgawa** · #9 03-29-2005, 12:28 PM

...and the Pivot man....

**XcYZ** · #10 03-29-2005, 12:42 PM

Jeff brings up a good point. I built this website as motivation to work on my car. All of the cars, projects, and events pictures are inspiration to me. I've also made some great friendships because of this and they are a great support system when things get frustrating.

I can see how getting burned by the shop would take some serious wind out of your sails, but lets hope the guys here on Lateral-g can encourage you to keep the faith.