NE1 else get tired of the cars/hobby? Or periods of it??

LAWFISH

LAWFISH

"A MOPAR FOR EVERY MOOD"
Was wondering if any one else goes through periods of being totally tired of the hobby or maybe stagers/periods of time feeling that way.

I have maYbe 10 cars, one of which is done, the 70 Cuda vert clone. The rest are projects, including three other E body 70 barracudas, RRs, and more, even a 32 Plymouth.

I recently finished the 70 vert and have since HAVE become tired of the cars and more or less the hobby and a lot of the people in it. I am not trying to start any crap, just seems it is not what it used to be. More about the $$$ than the commaraderie?

I am in the process of selling off 4 or 5 cars as I realized I may never build them all and want to start a new home where I am retiring. I like building homes, and home projects more anyways and even enjoyed building my hotrod shop more than the cars themselves.

I will never sell 4-5 of the cars but thought at times what used to seem like a prize possession in the back yard waiting for a restoration, now looks more like work:huh: maybe its just a phase or the fact that winter is here.

Just curious

LAWFISH
 
This time of the year is always depressing. Suicides increase during the first months of winter. Plus, having too many projects looking at you can be overwhelming.
It's a wise move to sell some of your "projects" and then focus on one of them and try to visualize it finished.

May be best to relax for the winter and wait for those juices to start flowing again in the springtime.;)
 
LAWFISH said:
Was wondering if any one else goes through periods of being totally tired of the hobby or maybe stagers/periods of time feeling that way.

LAWFISH
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Its not a hobby anymore. It hasn't been for several years.

There are so many people in the old car biz to make money (I'm one of them, being as I own a bodyshop), the term "hobby" is now used more as a sales pitch.

I frequently get burned out from working on cars - or more correctly - dealing with owners and parts suppliers, who's sole purpose sometimes seems to be trying to get me to do stuff cheap, or buy the inferior parts, because, after all, this is only a hobby. Right?

Old cars is a full-fledged business nowadays. Its time to do away with the "hobby" moniker. Or just let Barry Meguiar use it so he can kiss people's ass easier.
 
I have gotten tired of the car business and MOST of the people involved in it. As far as the hobby, I like to go out and tinker with my cars and motors, I use it as my stress relief.

Resto is right "Its not a hobby anymore. It hasn't been for several years"

As far as you owning a bodyshop Resto, how much work do you do on "hobby" cars? I figured the majority of bodyshop business would be from late model cars, or has it shifted?

I will continue to do as much to my cars as I can, and only send out what I can't do on my own.
 
A good 90% of what we do is on older cars. Late models are seldom seen on the bodyshop side of things. we do quite a few in the mechanical department tho'.

None of what we do can be considered hobby cars. It takes good hard earned money to pay for what we do. It also takes good hard earned mnoey to keep the doors open.
Not a hobby in my books.
 
Really? Not many late models. When I was in Tx I dealt with a couple body shops on a regular basis and 80% or better of there business was new crap. Only one did old stuff regularly, but he did A LOT of exotics, and Vipers too(at one time he had 3 Vipers and a Crossfire in my shop) but he charged what many thought to be too much. At his shop he did custom work, removed door handles, shaved trim, etc. The others did mostly crash repair, PDR and that sort work, I asked them what it would cost me to get my truck repainted and they said they didn't do that...:wtf:
 
i bounce between 3 things ..online gameing, cars in general and RC trucks..specificaly NITRO....whenever one gets old i step into one of the other 2..keeps me going and from getting burned out
 
Same as what we do - tho' there aren't too many exotics in Sarnia. :)

Most people think we charge too much too.:bravo:
 
I always felt if they think they get charged too much, then they should try to do it themselves. I would not negociate the price on body and paint work, I know that you get what you pay for...most of the time.
 
yesterday after unloading the umteenth truckoad of crap, muttering under my breath "I'm a slave to my crap", I picked up the DA and hooked it to a compressor that can keep up and knocked down some filler on the dogga fender. :)

Was good to do some actual work ON a car and not FOR it.
 
It is a hobby for most of us. An escape from the drudgery of day to day life - work, family and all of the other pressures that come with being a North - American human being in the 20th/21st century. I live for going to shows (the only time I truly relax...), tinkering in the garage and the other fun stuff. It's making me broke, but really not any worse than a couple snowmobiles or ATV's would...(Or for that matter a high-end home theatre rig.)

There are the "investors" who take it very, very seriously. The hobby is in grave danger of being destroyed by this pack of jackals. That said, there is a huge difference between that particular "only in it for the money" crowd and those like Resto who make their living from their craft. People who can't tell the difference need to give ther heads a shake.

RestoMike - part of the reason I think Joe average doesn't "get it" is the way your industry bills for it's work. A $90/hr labour rate to someone who makes $15 - $20 hour just seems outrageous to most. IMO, labour should be billed at a reasonable mark-up and the balance as "shop & equipment" costs or some such thing. It wouldn't change the cost any, but mebbe the buying public would not blame the working guy for the outrageous money "he" makes...And perhaps they would have a better idea of why the work costs what it does.
 
I find myself going through phases of zero interest more and more it seems. Right now the car sits in the garage giving shape to the car cover and I have no desire to even look at it. I'm currently more satisfied with working on projects around the house and improving the garage with insulation and lighting to have a nice place to work on the car once the desire resurfaces.
Working on other peoples cars 40 hrs a week really burns a guy out from working on his own junk and if I had a different job making more money the car would likely see more attention. There was a time I was obsessed with the hobby and had project after project brewing...such is no longer the case.
 
Yeah Dave...I think in part it is the time of the year, but I wane back and forth. I love cars, but I find myself wanting to DO less and less.
Really, what I like to do is dress up as a bum and scare people on the street. It is such a stress reliever. ;)
don't sweat it, we still love to hear from yah, even if it is about your new home project! :)
 
XLR8R said:
Yeah Dave...
Really, what I like to do is dress up as a bum and scare people on the street. It is such a stress reliever. ;)
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Those are not your everyday clothes?
You're PRETENDING?[smilie=2:
 
Not A Duster said:
RestoMike - part of the reason I think Joe average doesn't "get it" is the way your industry bills for it's work. A $90/hr labour rate to someone who makes $15 - $20 hour just seems outrageous to most. IMO, labour should be billed at a reasonable mark-up and the balance as "shop & equipment" costs or some such thing. It wouldn't change the cost any, but mebbe the buying public would not blame the working guy for the outrageous money "he" makes...And perhaps they would have a better idea of why the work costs what it does.
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I've tried it that way - billing at a much lower labour rate and charging for "shop time, shop supplies and paint material". It ended when folks started asking if they could supply their own materials and have me do the work in their shops.:doh:
Don't get me wrong, I really like being in business, even with all the stress and headaches. We've got some fantastic customers who bring their work to us to fix. Not someone else. Us. That little constant vote of confidence makes me want to show up everyday.

The problem as I see it is the big buck guys in it purely for the money, belittling (sp?) every thing by calling it a hobby. I don't necessarily mean the Barrett-Jackson type guys alone, its the guys that want it perfect, done yesterday, and for free. They have no concept or appreciation for the tremendous amount of skill and ability that is required to fix their cars, so they can participate in the "hobby".

I too find myself not wanting to play around with stuff after 50-60 hours a week at work. My poor old Dart is slowly sinking into the asphalt for lack of time, desire and funds to complete it.
It sucks when life gets in the way, eh?
 
Lawfish,

I know what you mean. I occasionally go through periods like that. They aren't frequent though, for I have learned to not beat myself up for simply not working on something when I don't feel like it. Taking the pressure FROM me off me helps avoid the real sure-'nuff lulls in interest.

By the way, Lawfish is the one that told me about moparnuts, and as such is the reason I joined. External reasons on another board are why I come here so much though...
 
v8440 said:
Lawfish,

I know what you mean. I occasionally go through periods like that. They aren't frequent though, for I have learned to not beat myself up for simply not working on something when I don't feel like it. Taking the pressure FROM me off me helps avoid the real sure-'nuff lulls in interest.

By the way, Lawfish is the one that told me about moparnuts, and as such is the reason I joined. External reasons on another board are why I come here so much though...
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Hey v8440, glad you made it over. Im not here to bash any other board, but you wont have to defend mopars here.:giggedy: I have been trying to stay away from the boards all together as I get destracted and find myself sitting and not taking care of anything, but I do like it here and there is no antagonism.

As far as relaxing and going to shows, I finished my 70 vert and went to one show, (MY FIRST SHOW EVER, WHEN SHOWING A CAR) I cant stand it. I even placed a please do not judge sign on it to save them some time. I HATE watchign some of these guys who are chasing trophies and then there are the ones to check out your car and say, that the wrontg this, or the wrong that and give you that look because you are not as anal as they are.

As long as the damn car runs right and looks OK, I say, drive it and have fun.

I took it off my street as this P.O.C rustang was coming by and then ran up behind him-----when he both hit the show, his gilr got out of the car and came back and checked out the CUDA. She then asked for a ride so I had to say yes, [smilie=i: , took her for a ride and when she came back, she didnt like his rustang any longer:tats: , and told her fella to get "one of those" as she pointed to the vert. I dont think he was happy, he and she were about 28-29 years of age, I am an old man of 45. But she wanted nothing to do with the ford and longer. Thats why I ma a mopar guy:bwuhaha:

I guess I am just going through one of those phases. [smilie=f: I will have to wait it out. I also do have way too many projects and really do like building more as I am just better at it. I am very luck in that I have finished the shop, which is approx 3300 SQ FT of restoration shop at home. I think I will go out today and install the interio in the roar runner and post it for you folks later this evening while I have my weekend cigar and a 15 year scotch.

LAWFISH
 
LAWFISH said:
but I do like it here and there is no antagonism.
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nanner,nanner,nanner... I think we all go thru this phase, it will eventually fade too. Just gotta hang in there, and don't sell itjust to get it out of your sight, you might regret it when the bug comes back. DAMHIK.:doh:
 
beeper*71 said:
Right now the car sits in the garage giving shape to the car cover and I have no desire to even look at it. I'm currently more satisfied with working on projects around the house
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Mine too, except it's my son, he's 9 and his growing into a young man needing a lot of attention has me at the point of writing a check to finish the car (engine,trans, diff work). I know, call me moparts jr.........:silenced:


Between homework, football practice, games and the rest of life my nights and weekends are pretty much booked for the next decade raising him in a way I wish my dad had.
Friends and family know not to ask aboot it anymore.

I want to be like Viking, do whats best for the kids/family but hopefully not have to sell off the "Ick, It's gio green" beast just yet.;)
 
When I start getting tired and bored with Life I take a little walk to the grocery store and pick up some Corn Flakes.
 
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