The 'Don't Do This.... ' - Thread

[hotrod66]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

I actually laughed out loud at your post.
I did the same thing on my 66.
And on my 65 I cut some rot out to have the hot metal flakes burn into the windshield.
Funny how much stuff we learn the hard way.

yea and some of it hurt lol!

[ls60apache]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

The ideas we had when we were young and stupid.

and I thank God that I didn't follow thru on those other great 80s ideas a SUNROOF!

[TJ's Chevy]

Always make sure to be extra cautious when putting something together...so that way when you put it on...and get it all tight...you don't go and look in the box and find some tiny part you forgot to put on that'll require you to take it all apart again...been there done that. Oh...and when you go to start yer truck..it normally starts better in neutral....

[Captainfab]

Speaking of floor mats......I did buy a new floor mat from Chevrolet back in the early to mid 80's when they were still available. However since the work on my '63 took a backseat to life happening, the mat stayed folded up for many years. But time took it's toll and the mat dried out and cracked and when I went to unroll it it was so brittle it just fell to pieces. If I had just taken better care of that new floor mat.......

[LostMy65]

Originally Posted by sandiego65

If your truck just needs a carburetor and maybe a master cylinder, wheel cylinders to get it going just do it have a nicely tuned running truck you can enjoy working on and updating while still driving, going to shows and cruise nights. Not sitting for 3 years because you take out a perfectly good Muncie to make it an auto completely gut the break system to do "disc's" partially bag the front and never really finish then life gets busy. I get a little sad every time I see a awesome "patina" or "ratrod" style truck and think that could have been me If I didn't take my truck apart because I wanted to do a "frame off" show quality truck. In reality I don't have the time or space to do it and I should have been happy just to get my old full of character short bed just cruising. Well maybe at my pace my son is 1 maybe by the time he's old enough to drive it'll be done haha. Well good luck with your builds I thank everyone for there information, tech tips and hours of entertainment drooling over your builds. It seems like there's guys that can build a truck ground up in a couple months maybe I just need a push. Good luck and please don't take your trucks apart if you don't see your self having tons of time in your future and just enjoy your builds. I know in San Diego the weather is perfect to take a cool old truck for a spin, but mines sitting in the drive way.

I actually felt a little sad from this post. Because I can imagine the feeling.
Great post that should be right at the top of these forums.
Some have the time and resources.
But most of us just have ambition.
So, keep her rolling and tinker when you can.
Do one upgrade/fix - but get her back together.
That, I would guess is the way the majority of us should approach this hobby.

[LostMy65]

Infact, you just helped me with a decision.
I have a lot of misc upgrade parts I've been wanting to put on my truck.
One big one I planned for this winter is to swap out the sm420 for this th350 I have.
But I also have a bunch of other stuff i can do instead. Stuff that doesn't require shutting her down for some time.
I will now put off the Auto swap until after I first run out of the other stuff I want to do.
I'll tinker on my interior, get my company logo on the truck, and do some more misc repairs.
But only after then, or if the sm420 goes out.
But only after then will I swap out a working transmission for the th350.
I feel good about this decision.
Thank you.

[Sharps40]

I'll be the PO that gets grumped at one day. I will be cutting the original dash for a stereo and I will get rid of the delete plate. In addition, I will be cutting sheetmetal for speaker installation....just gotta decide where.

[Ozzy2013]

Yea i think it happens to a lot of us i tend to over analyse things and psych myself out !I go to do the task at bam it was easy.Your right i think doing a little at a time is the way to go.

[supercharged]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

The ideas we had when we were young and stupid.

Those two attributes are often mutually exclusive.

[McCoyAZ]

I wish I had never let a friend of mine's son work on my truck.

It's in pieces, all over my garage.

The kid has a drinking problem, which I didn't know about and he went on a binge, so I told him not to work on the truck.

He came in the middle of the night I guess and picked up all his tools and left it sit, in pieces.

Just have to love small minded people.

[LostMy65]

Offer him a 12-pack to put it back together.

[66Submarine]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

Infact, you just helped me with a decision.
I have a lot of misc upgrade parts I've been wanting to put on my truck.
One big one I planned for this winter is to swap out the sm420 for this th350 I have.
But I also have a bunch of other stuff i can do instead. Stuff that doesn't require shutting her down for some time.
I will now put off the Auto swap until after I first run out of the other stuff I want to do.
I'll tinker on my interior, get my company logo on the truck, and do some more misc repairs.
But only after then, or if the sm420 goes out.
But only after then will I swap out a working transmission for the th350.
I feel good about this decision.
Thank you.

I agree with all of the above. Lots of guys take really nice trucks apart and spend tons of time/money, only to end up never getting to drive the silly thing. Sad.

Good luck waiting out that SM420, though. That thing will probably live to see us all hang...

[JBX66]

I regret on not researching my truck before I got it. Although technically I had no idea I was getting it, and my dad gave me two day's notice before it was to get here.

[franken]

I sawed a hole in te hood of my 70 RS Camaro and bolted a Vette hod scoop on it.
Then I crashed it into a Buick 225 after deciding to take the rear brakes apart before doing the parts run.

Wrong

[chevyrestoguy]

THE STAGES OF BUILDING A TRUCK
1): Buying the truck: "I'm so excited!"
2): Disassembling the truck: "Man, this is fun!"
3): Looking at the gutted truck for years because life got in the way: "Someday, I'll get back on it..."
4): Getting back on it after many years: "Damn, this is expensive!"
5): Looking at the half-built truck for years because again, life got in the way: "Someday, I'll get back on it."
6): Getting back on it with the intent to finally finish it: "Where did I put all of the parts?"
7): Finally finishing it: "Man, that was FUN, let's go get another project!"

[LostMy65]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Speaking of floor mats......I did buy a new floor mat from Chevrolet back in the early to mid 80's when they were still available. However since the work on my '63 took a backseat to life happening, the mat stayed folded up for many years. But time took it's toll and the mat dried out and cracked and when I went to unroll it it was so brittle it just fell to pieces. If I had just taken better care of that new floor mat.......

How would one recommend "taken better care"?

[LostMy65]

Originally Posted by 66Submarine

I agree with all of the above. Lots of guys take really nice trucks apart and spend tons of time/money, only to end up never getting to drive the silly thing. Sad.

Good luck waiting out that SM420, though. That thing will probably live to see us all hang...

If the point comes where I need to replace the clutch or throw out bearing, then I'll just go ahead and do the swap to the th350.

[Captainfab]

Well for one, I should have had it rolled up instead of folded. And secondly I should have taken it out periodically and treated it with something to keep is soft and pliable.

Originally Posted by LostMy65

How would one recommend "taken better care"?

[TJ's Chevy]

Don't install yer plug wires 180 degrees off on the distributor...for some reason the engine just don't wanna start that way....