[ETriggs]

Mine was a rusty and beyond hope as a car could really get. I ended up with a good chassis, dash, trim, and rear quarters and that was it from the first body. Terry sold me a good body and I went to work on it. Its been 14 years since I started this path, but I have learned a HUGE amount about these cars, their history, and what to do better the next time. I know your frustrated, I've been there too. I was at the point of just wanting to get rid of it even if it meant giving it away. But I took a deep breath and trudged on. It will get finished this year, I will hopefully get to enjoy it on the trip to Bowling Green for Nationals, then I will probably sell it and start over on a 55.

Just breathe, relax, and know there is a light at the end of the tunnel (that ain't a freight train).

 

[johnonetrillion]

Any before and present pictures would help me with the motivation factor. Thanks.

Frame off restore and RHD conversion 25+ years – including some serious hiatus years.

Lots of good advice above. Love the ‘buy once, cry once’ line!

You will do it.

Do you have a build thread? If so, I would like to follow it ... and provide any advice I can along the way.

 

[GCDC7]

Frame off restore and RHD conversion 25+ years – including some serious hiatus years.

Lots of good advice above. Love the ‘buy once, cry once’ line!

You will do it.

Do you have a build thread? If so, I would like to follow it ... and provide any advice I can along the way.

View attachment 331211

Build thread is one shell of a 55 by hcdc7 just bought one shell of a 55.

 

[rbrewer]

I'll dig some up, I recall seeing your post off and on since you started, I've always said " if he ( you) can do it, I can". As far as being discouraged, I think it's safe to say" we've all been there( or will be)" I've owned my 56 since jan 1977, so in almost every situation, there was only - previous owner- me to blame, so I've had a few " why did I ever start this thing" moments as well. Good luck, will dig up some photo' s for ya.

I'm sorry for the delay in posting, here are some before / after shots of my 56( I'd let it decay pretty badly) I hope these are helpful-

 

[Dragsix]

Take a deep breath. I think part of it is you are overwhelmed. Some of that may be because you are running in too many directions with the car. Its probably time to take pen to paper and start sketching out the jobs that need to get done and the order they need to be accomplished and start working from that list. My son and I did that because he was getting overwhelmed. So we structured it to get the frame and suspension done first so we had a roller. Then get the floor boards repaired and the body back on the frame. Then you move on to you know, paint outer firewall, then install firewall pads, paint dash, then install steering column, then wires. All in a small progression of tasks to be accomplished. Frankly I did it with my car when I was fixing it and had only a bare frame. I still have my like 50 page list and I can actually track my progress.

I am with the others, buy the parts you need as you need them. Refurbish the parts you need for the upcoming tasks as you need to. Too easy to lose track otherwise. For now, you probably want to reorganize the parts (on the garage floor, lol) in a way that makes sense in terms of the jobs you want to accomplish. Like I said, I think you just need to start taking smaller bites out of this and eventually all the smaller bites will start to add up.

 

[ETriggs]

I am with the others, buy the parts you need as you need them. Refurbish the parts you need for the upcoming tasks as you need to. Too easy to lose track otherwise. For now, you probably want to reorganize the parts (on the garage floor, lol) in a way that makes sense in terms of the jobs you want to accomplish. Like I said, I think you just need to start taking smaller bites out of this and eventually all the smaller bites will start to add up.

This! You get overwhelmed not because the overall project is too big, you're just taking too big of bites and "choking" on the amount. Take the smaller bites and complete them. Get that small project to 100%. You have no idea how good it feels to check something off the list and be 100% done with it.

 

[Rustaddict]

You've been given some good advice. A lot of us can relate to where you're at mentally. I can. There were times I had to force myself to work on mine an hour at the time and grit my teeth and tell myself it would eventually get better. It did. There were times I wanted to load up the mess I made under my shelter and haul it off and forget I ever had such a stupid idea as someone else posted. Moods and feelings pass. I can guarantee you that if you can make it through this valley-if you can just get the metal repaired, theres a lot of fun and some great memories to be made when you get the thing together. Even just pre fitting taillights and stuff was fun to me because it was easier to see some progress.

 

[johnonetrillion]

Yes. There is great satisfaction from completing a stage of work, stepping back and being able to say, ‘Yep ... it’s looked no more like a car now!’

 

[GCDC7]

Take a deep breath. I think part of it is you are overwhelmed. Some of that may be because you are running in too many directions with the car. Its probably time to take pen to paper and start sketching out the jobs that need to get done and the order they need to be accomplished and start working from that list. My son and I did that because he was getting overwhelmed. So we structured it to get the frame and suspension done first so we had a roller. Then get the floor boards repaired and the body back on the frame. Then you move on to you know, paint outer firewall, then install firewall pads, paint dash, then install steering column, then wires. All in a small progression of tasks to be accomplished. Frankly I did it with my car when I was fixing it and had only a bare frame. I still have my like 50 page list and I can actually track my progress.

I am with the others, buy the parts you need as you need them. Refurbish the parts you need for the upcoming tasks as you need to. Too easy to lose track otherwise. For now, you probably want to reorganize the parts (on the garage floor, lol) in a way that makes sense in terms of the jobs you want to accomplish. Like I said, I think you just need to start taking smaller bites out of this and eventually all the smaller bites will start to add up.

You mean like this?

 

[GCDC7]

is this what your saying yo do?

 

[GCDC7]

Frame off restore and RHD conversion 25+ years – including some serious hiatus years.

Lots of good advice above. Love the ‘buy once, cry once’ line!

You will do it.

Do you have a build thread? If so, I would like to follow it ... and provide any advice I can along the way.

View attachment 331211

Gcdc7 just bought one shell of a 55.

Take a deep breath. I think part of it is you are overwhelmed. Some of that may be because you are running in too many directions with the car. Its probably time to take pen to paper and start sketching out the jobs that need to get done and the order they need to be accomplished and start working from that list. My son and I did that because he was getting overwhelmed. So we structured it to get the frame and suspension done first so we had a roller. Then get the floor boards repaired and the body back on the frame. Then you move on to you know, paint outer firewall, then install firewall pads, paint dash, then install steering column, then wires. All in a small progression of tasks to be accomplished. Frankly I did it with my car when I was fixing it and had only a bare frame. I still have my like 50 page list and I can actually track my progress.

I am with the others, buy the parts you need as you need them. Refurbish the parts you need for the upcoming tasks as you need to. Too easy to lose track otherwise. For now, you probably want to reorganize the parts (on the garage floor, lol) in a way that makes sense in terms of the jobs you want to accomplish. Like I said, I think you just need to start taking smaller bites out of this and eventually all the smaller bites will start to add up.

So thanks for all the advice and encouragement. I plan to have frame blasted in May and start with all the parts I have to get the frame rolling. In the mean time I will get the body all braced up and get the old frame out from under it so I can mount the new floorboard and trunk floor to the new frame and transfer the bodybover.

 

[Dragsix]

Yes, one step at a time. Just be sure to decide exactly what kind of build you want (show car, decent street car, rat rod) and then keep your project within the bounds and financial means that you can complete it. You know the issue, too much time, money, effort to reach perfection when all you really wanted was a pretty decent street car to have some fun in.

Focus on one or two tasks and concentrate on those tasks only. Like the frame. Everything else will get done at the appropriate time. I think you will find that when you have the frame rebuilt, you will start doing hand stands because of the progress. Then you are on to the floors. It will come around!

Take a look at the DragSixJr. 4 door sedan thread in the project section. We are smack dab in the middle of doing exactly what you are about to do and we are 100% backyard hackers.

 

[rbrewer]

Yes, one step at a time. Just be sure to decide exactly what kind of build you want (show car, decent street car, rat rod) and then keep your project within the bounds and financial means that you can complete it. You know the issue, too much time, money, effort to reach perfection when all you really wanted was a pretty decent street car to have some fun in.

Focus on one or two tasks and concentrate on those tasks only. Like the frame. Everything else will get done at the appropriate time. I think you will find that when you have the frame rebuilt, you will start doing hand stands because of the progress. Then you are on to the floors. It will come around!

Take a look at the DragSixJr. 4 door sedan thread in the project section. We are smack dab in the middle of doing exactly what you are about to do and we are 100% backyard hackers.

I made up an informal word document/list- by category ( engine/ electrical/ body...) then went thru to see which items affected others or were dependent on others on the list- this to help with deciding what got done next, and to help buy any thing needed in advance- crossing things off the list was all gravy.

 

[Cheapskate]

I know how you feel too. I bought my '57 almost 10 years ago. Was supposed to have 4 or 5 rust holes....ended up welding it for 4 or 5 years. But it finally seems like I might drive it next summer. It has been a crazy amount of work and I've got sidetracked a couple of times ('56 DeVille, '78 Malibu, '67 Ambassador).

At times when it has been all too much I've tried to focus on one issue at a time. I tend to worry about all the problems at the same time.

 

[GCDC7]

I know how you feel too. I bought my '57 almost 10 years ago. Was supposed to have 4 or 5 rust holes....ended up welding it for 4 or 5 years. But it finally seems like I might drive it next summer. It has been a crazy amount of work and I've got sidetracked a couple of times ('56 DeVille, '78 Malibu, '67 Ambassador).

At times when it has been all too much I've tried to focus on one issue at a time. I tend to worry about all the problems at the same time.

I know that feeling of too much focus. This past week I passed on some parts that I wanted for a good price only because I am taking the advise of focusing on one thing and that is the foundation of frame and wheels and suspension.

 

[twin engines]

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must but Don't You Quit!

Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up through the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup
And he learned too late when the night came down
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things seem the worst
That You Mustn't Quit!

By Edgar A. Guest

 

[ETriggs]

I know that feeling of too much focus. This past week I passed on some parts that I wanted for a good price only because I am taking the advise of focusing on one thing and that is the foundation of frame and wheels and suspension.

This is good. Just take those manageable bites until they're finished. If you are working on 50 different things at once, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and end up finishing none of them. I fight through this all the time.

 

[Dragsix]

You know, we all now totally expect to see photos of your frame in progress and completed now that you have it on your immediate list to get done, lol!

 

[1971BB427]

One thing that's helped me during numerous car builds is to not get stuck on a particular order of the builds. There of course are certain things that have to be done in certain order, or else have to redo steps if you jump ahead. But if I'm forging along on one part of my build and begin to feel overwhelmed or frustrated, I simply turn to some other part of the build, instead of walking away. I've done this many times to maintain my build, and my sanity when things aren't going well. Often times when I complete whatever other segment I turned my attention to, returning is easier, and I often come up with a solution to whatever made me turn away before.
I've built a lot of cars in my life, and this way of approaching them has made me stay interested over quite a few challenging builds.

 

[gbullman]

Here are some before and after. I had a number of people saying "what were you thinking." This was my very first car purchased in 1965 and driven in and around New England. About 10 years ago, finally decided to get serious in its restoration which started in my garage. It took 7 years. I started by stripping it down, and photographing the process. My "go to" mechanic took on the project, (he did restoration mainly of older British vehicles). He did allow me to assist where I couldn't get into too much trouble, but under his eyes. The 55 has been "done" for 3 years now. Still a few minor tweaks to do. Remember this was a New England 55 stored for a number of years in my fathers dirt floor barn in NH..

Bill,

I had no idea what you had to deal with on your car. Your request for pictures of various joints on my 55 now makes perfect sense.

Gary