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Working on cars alone VS having a buddy over...

I work alone and I am more like the guys you mentioned. I go to shows but tend to engage in conversations with non car people who are reflecting on owning one of the types of cars I have. I enjoy the artistic part of restoring the cars most I think. Researching what what was correct and restoring it to make it correct or an artistic license to correct. For me it is not mainly about the car it’s about the history and restoration process.


This. I could copy this post verbatim onto an inspirational poster and hang it on my shop wall. Well stated.
Our, and I mean our, WannaBee is my wife’s and my artistic statement. Every detail is selected by us as what we want on the car. That’s why we didn’t buy one. But it’s also the process of building it. I enjoy disassembling every detail, refurbishing it, and reassembling it. It isn’t perfect, but perfect isn’t the point. It’s about doing it. It’s why I build guitar amps. I could buy a Chinese Fender or Marshal for a few hundred bucks. But to start with a clean sheet of paper and lay out a chassis and faceplate, drill, punch, bend and fabricate it, paint it, mount the parts, and then plug in a Fender Stratocaster, turn on the amp and warm it up. Hear that very soft humm that indicates it’s ready. Hit a power chord and hear that sound, well, it’s like building a WannaBee. Some people get it but most don’t. I‘ll never get my money back, don’t you know.
At car shows and on the street it’s the non car people that appreciate our cars, not the fender tag douchebags. My buddy has a ‘68 Roadrunner. Back yard restored, no numbers match. Home sprayed black on wavy metal. High back end and old school mags. Howls in reverse and you have to shift carefully. At the drive through he pops the hood and sets the idle while we wait for burgers. Park that thing anywhere and it’s like the Beatles arriving in America the first time. Crowds swarm it. For me, that’s the target audience besides my wife and me. People that just appreciate these cars as they are.
 
And I also do the best work when alone because there's no distractions like beer drinking etc. :D


That is something I will absolutely NOT do, that comes at the end of the day during "clean up" time. That's like taking a 6 pack with you to the gun range, not going to happen here!
 
I believe it was stated earlier about figuring out how to do things when by yourself.
Sure is a good feeling when you do.
Absolutely but sometimes it takes me to friggan long. I’m my own worst critic.
 
I do a lot by myself. Have 3 boys. One graduated last year. My middle son is my gear head, but he hangs out with his friends. Youngest would rather play on his PS4 or go into town to be with his friends. I am the mechanic, plumber, electrician, and everything else. Helped with sports and still help coach high school trap. Through all of this I don’t really have any friends. I do wish I had a group of guys to hang/help out with.
 
1980-1984 me & about 6 other guys rented a large warehouse to store & work on our cars , it was awesome , bunch of hot rods, built some cool stuff & it was nice having help when needed, my current Charger was 99.9 % done by me alone, IF & when you get sick or older & unable to work on other peoples cars you find out how many TRUE friends you have including family, my phone RARELY rings now days, but I still get the occasional call from someone wanting advise on how to fix their car, OH but they will pray for me LMMFAO !!!! my advise to others is LIVE LIFE like there is NO tomorrow while you still can.
 
I wrench alone 90% of the time. Occasionally, my youngest Son or Brother In Law help out once in awhile. As mentioned, usually if buddies stop over even less gets done. It becomes a bench racing session....
 
I work alone mostly, people that tend to stop in seem to be overwhelmed by jealousy, instead of learning from me or just appreciating the time I put into my builds. I do find its mostly the case at car shows, out of every 100 people Id say there's only a few that actually appreciate and can recognize the detail and man hours that go into a build. Seems like its not like the old days where someone can stop in without drinking being the priority, I quit 7 or 8 years ago and haven't looked back. I pride myself in my work, I am my greatest critic , but I would love to mentor some younger generation kids , but the attention span in this internet need it want it now world has ruined that.

Main problem I run into is the prices of parts, people hording things just to make a buck, no wonder the younger guys get turned off of the hobby, chances of them being able to own and repair thier own mopar are slim to none,

Heres my latest show car build, 2.5 years on and off as i work full time as a biomedical technologist. Have 2 full on show car builds under my belt, now I can use what I've learned to make my 2 70 chargers stand out. Only way I can afford to have the cars I want is to do every single thing myself , steel, body paint, upholstry engine , electronics, Helps to have a career that allows me the time to research and find what I need for parts at a reasonable price.

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Some of our citizen’s think living in the East is more relaxing environment .
 
That is something I will absolutely NOT do, that comes at the end of the day during "clean up" time. That's like taking a 6 pack with you to the gun range, not going to happen here!
Maybe I should have a couple before hand....? Might settle me down some and shoot better. lol In the 70's I had a 67 Dart with a 6, 3 speed and 3.91 gears and some other mods and would hang up the shifter unless I had a couple of beers before hand. Back then I really didn't drink all that much but two did the trick. Kinda found out by accident and didn't do it but a couple of times. It also showed me that even a small amount of alcohol does slow down your reflexes....contrary to what anyone tries to say otherwise. These days I won't even get in a car after just one sip.

1980-1984 me & about 6 other guys rented a large warehouse to store & work on our cars , it was awesome , bunch of hot rods, built some cool stuff & it was nice having help when needed, my current Charger was 99.9 % done by me alone, IF & when you get sick or older & unable to work on other peoples cars you find out how many TRUE friends you have including family, my phone RARELY rings now days, but I still get the occasional call from someone wanting advise on how to fix their car, OH but they will pray for me LMMFAO !!!! my advise to others is LIVE LIFE like there is NO tomorrow while you still can.
I hear your pain. Years ago there was always 'friends' looking for some help including moving (years ago, I was one of the few with a pickup) but after telling people to go find someone else with a stronger back and a weaker mind than what had and it wasn't long before they quit coming around. Same thing for borrowing my flat bed until someone borrowed it and then loaned it to another person! Screw that crap. U-Haul down the street has them cause mines broke....and sometimes it was and done by others!
 
I used to love having a bunch of my car buds over
always BBQ-ing, having parties, watching games or races
but, most of them are 100+ miles away now...
I miss the comradery of that old group 6-10 reg. key people/friends
we all had common interests & we had racecars
we all were good at what we did & we celebrated it often

Now, too many of my friends have been divorced (some more than once)
& moved far far away or are running away for some lame reason or other
to what 'they think' are greener pastures :jackoff:
A couple have actually moved back too &/or divorced & moved back
said; "they really regretted the move"...

I still rarely see any of them now, since 2007-ish
the 100+ miles is a big deterrent for most...
I hate going back to Concord or Sacramento area, myself...
They do seem to like coming up here
but not to help or work on the car or trucks etc.
to want to enjoy the country, wilderness, fishing or hunting etc.
away from the shithole valley or bay...

I still did most all the work on my cars
even when we had people over...
It didn't really ever slow me down either
in fact I think it motivated me more...
I did most/much of the work on many of their cars too
or they would be paying to have it done...
I wanted them to be out & active, without the help they wouldn't ]have been able to do much of it...
I didn't mind it at the time...
I did get burned out on always helping others,
but not the riciprication...
But,
I enjoyed the like-minded people, joking, bench-racing
drinking a few beers, watching flicks, eating meals
going to races or traveling with them...
And especially giving 'each other **** constantly'
& loving it...

Like someone else said; "sort of like a sports team aspect"
I do miss that part...

I do have a neighbor Darren that tries, he's eager to learn
but he's more of an extra hand when needed...
I rarely ask for his help...
He's 10 years younger than I am
But, he also has young kids & is always busy
so it's few & far between, he's always going somewhere...
He did build a nice 68 CJ5 from the ground up, with a lil' guidance/help
I helped & guided him for about 2 years...
I enjoyed it & I think he really did too...
He wants to do a 64-71 Dodge D100 truck next...
That will be fun...

Wall of Text Batman -shut up Robin he was talking.jpg
 
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I used to love having a bunch of my car buds over
always BBQ-ing, having parties, watching games or races
but, most of them are 100+ miles away now...
I miss the comradery of that old group 6-10 reg. key people/friends
we all had common interests & we had racecars
we all were good at what we did & we celebrated it often

Now, too many of my friends have been divorced (some more than once)
& moved far far away or are running away for some lame reason or other
to what 'they think' are greener pastures :jackoff:
A couple have actually moved back too &/or divorced & moved back
said; "they really regretted the move"...

I still rarely see any of them now, since 2007-ish
the 100+ miles is a big deterrent for most...
I hate going back to Concord or Sacramento area, myself...
They do seem to like coming up here
but not to help or work on the car or trucks etc.
to want to enjoy the country, wilderness, fishing or hunting etc.
away from the shithole valley or bay...

I still did most all the work on my cars
even when we had people over...
It didn't really ever slow me down either
in fact I think it motivated me more...
I did most/much of the work on many of their cars too
or they would be paying to have it done...
I wanted them to be out & active, without the help they wouldn't ]have been able to do much of it...
I didn't mind it at the time...
I did get burned out on always helping others,
but not the riciprication...
But,
I enjoyed the like-minded people, joking, bench-racing
drinking a few beers, watching flicks, eating meals
going to races or traveling with them...
And especially giving 'each other **** constantly'
& loving it...

Like someone else said; "sort of like a sports team aspect"
I do miss that part...

I do have a neighbor Darren that tries, he's eager to learn
but he's more of an extra hand when needed...
I rarely ask for his help...
He's 10 years younger than I am
But, he also has young kids & is always busy
so it's few & far between, he's always going somewhere...
He did build a nice 68 CJ5 from the ground up, with a lil' guidance/help
I helped & guided him for about 2 years...
I enjoyed it & I think he really did too...
He wants to do a 64-71 Dodge D100 truck next...
That will be fun...

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upload_2022-1-18_17-16-31.jpeg
 
In my younger days I preferred working on
my vehicles alone.
My latest project involves teaching my son
(discharged from the army w/PTSD and a
TBI) how to plan and execute certain steps
in building a 'from the ground up' hot rod,
It's been interesting. Where he just wants to
bang it out, I'm slow and methodical.
But we're gettin' there!
20211227_152836.jpg
 
I do prefer to do some things by myself without any distractions. As another member mentioned, bodywork !
I've had car owners want to help on their cars and every time, I have had to go over their work. I'm not an OCD perfectionist but I do try to get the body and paint to look as good as I am capable.
Engine building? Oh yeah. A chatterbox buddy can distract you enough to make a mistake that shows up during break in or miles down the road.
Most of the time when I really appreciate the help is on some junker car where precision isn't a factor.
Lifting hoods with helpers avoids scratches.
Breaking in an engine is another time where extra eyes really helps.
I do get help from Mary for moving cars around the yard, bleeding brakes and some other medium duty tasks. She is strong enough to help lift steel hoods too!
It does come back to the guys working together though. If you've never been in the military, been on a sports team or worked alongside a bunch of like minded guys, you might not understand why I say that I really like the camaraderie. It really is a thing.
Years ago, We'd have marathon sessions doing engine swaps. In the 80s and 90s, lowered cars and mini trucks were the big thing. I was "the guy" in the neighborhood with a floor jack and jackstands so I got tapped to chop coil springs, install lowering blocks, do spring-under jobs, etc.
I rarely drink...same for most of the dudes that I hung out with. When we were focused on a project, if there was a screw up, we only had our own incompetence to blame.

1 laugh 1.jpg
 
Here’s the day my Dad came over and helped me pull the motor out of a 65 Coronet parts car. The car was so bad that getting it off the trailer wasn’t going to happen, so of course we went old school. I did the climbing, and took the chain fall up to the tree limb, he cranked the motor up and I pulled the car out from underneath. If it’s old school, Big Al is all in!

9B1A69E9-39BB-4DFB-B9C7-A1DABBD07344.jpeg
 
I do prefer to do some things by myself without any distractions. As another member mentioned, bodywork !
I've had car owners want to help on their cars and every time, I have had to go over their work. I'm not an OCD perfectionist but I do try to get the body and paint to look as good as I am capable.
Engine building? Oh yeah. A chatterbox buddy can distract you enough to make a mistake that shows up during break in or miles down the road.
Most of the time when I really appreciate the help is on some junker car where precision isn't a factor.
Lifting hoods with helpers avoids scratches.
Breaking in an engine is another time where extra eyes really helps.
I do get help from Mary for moving cars around the yard, bleeding brakes and some other medium duty tasks. She is strong enough to help lift steel hoods too!
It does come back to the guys working together though. If you've never been in the military, been on a sports team or worked alongside a bunch of like minded guys, you might not understand why I say that I really like the camaraderie. It really is a thing.
Years ago, We'd have marathon sessions doing engine swaps. In the 80s and 90s, lowered cars and mini trucks were the big thing. I was "the guy" in the neighborhood with a floor jack and jackstands so I got tapped to chop coil springs, install lowering blocks, do spring-under jobs, etc.
I rarely drink...same for most of the dudes that I hung out with. When we were focused on a project, if there was a screw up, we only had our own incompetence to blame.

View attachment 1226178
I've hung sheet rock, trussed turkeys, dug
potatoes on a commercial scale, owned and
operated a restaurant, raced snowmobiles,
dabbled in deep ocean drilling, and then
spent the next 46 years as a mechanical
engineer. Dear 'ol dad instilled a work
ethic rarely seen today. Every one of
these jobs required working along side
partners or as one of the group or team.
Working alone on the vehicles I've owned
got me away from that atnosphere. It
becomes fun when you can apply what
what you do for a living as also your hobby.
The amazing thing is, I've never stopped
learning, and have added to my knowledge
base, simply by being a member on FBBO.
There are some smart cookies here.
I'm a little apprehensive on the next phase
of my truck build, as it involves finish bodywork
and paint. Ahhhgh....
 
I am fully capable of doing almost any car task by myself. I've stacked conventional and truss roofs alone for years.

Yolo 2.jpg


Yolo 3.jpg


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It is more fun to have good buddies around though.
 
I am fully capable of doing almost any car task by myself. I've stacked conventional and truss roofs alone for years.

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It is more fun to have good buddies around though.
Awesome work there, KD.
My dad and I put up a lot of rock. We did
a bunch of the tract homes in Petaluma
when it started booming in the late '60's/
early '70's. We also did a few in Napa, Cotati,
Rohnert Park, and Santa Rosa. Made good
money being a kid in high school. That job
financed my first hot rod. A 1964 Ford Falcon
Ranchero.
Pine Green with a black and Grey leather
interior. Great little truck.
 
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