lost my motivation

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Murrayminor
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lost my motivation

Post by Murrayminor »

As some of you will know I'm currently in the process of a marathon welding session on my 1965 Minor and to break the monotony of constant grinding, cutting and welding I have recently been rebuilding a gearbox.
I will be honest I struggled with the gearbox and now its all back together I cannot select reverse gear, I know what the problem is but will require splitting the gearbox again but only to reveal the selector rods and detent balls.

I don't know if its lockdown, working from home or just seeing the same four walls each and every day but I feel really down about the project.
I attempted to keep myself going so have dug out my HIF44 to rebuild it but even so at the back of my mind I'm thinking of the amount of welding that needs doing plus everything else.

So I'm looking for motivation, how do you people who have restored a vehicle keep focused on the task in hand?

I certainly will not sell the car as an unfinished project but I wonder if I just need to take a break for a week or two and come back full of beans.
Proud owner of my first Morris Minor
philthehill
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Re: lost my motivation

Post by philthehill »

Been there done that and have the video and tea shirt to prove it. :D
Seriously though I would walk away from the welding and other Minor work for at least a couple of weeks and do something completely different.
You will come back full of renewed energy and impetus to get on with the Minor.

At least you have shared you problem/frustration which make the situation 50% less.

I find that doing a bit now and again on my Minor helps, interspersed with other things and the job gets done, may be not as quickly but it gets done.

Always happy to talk.

Phil

myoldjalopy
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Re: lost my motivation

Post by myoldjalopy »

Very dispiriting about the gearbox, Dermot - I well know the feeling of a seemingly endless task when things go wrong and you don't seem to be getting anywhere and have to start again. But I would echo Phil's advice about taking a break and doing something different and rewarding for a while and coming back refreshed when you feel like it. And remember, you have already made considerable progress and, at some point, you will have a car to be proud of - I am full of admiration for those that have saved cars from the scrapheap and given them a new lease of life through truly herculean efforts. I'm sure it will turn out well in the end.
Murrayminor
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Re: lost my motivation

Post by Murrayminor »

Well my wife and I are obviously feeling the same and we have booked a holiday for a few days just to get away from it all.
Thanks for the comments, although I love working on the Minor, I think the lockdown is taking its toll.

I will hopefully return full of spirit to crack on with it.

Thanks.
Proud owner of my first Morris Minor
philthehill
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Re: lost my motivation

Post by philthehill »

Enjoy your holiday and keep safe.
Phil

Shropshiremoggie
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Re: lost my motivation

Post by Shropshiremoggie »

Chin up , like a lot of us during lockdown we can end up ‘ fighting on too many fronts ‘ and just seeing problems .A holiday is great advice now lockdown has eased .
When you return , refreshed , the problems will have become achievable projects .
stuffedpike20
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Re: lost my motivation

Post by stuffedpike20 »

If you are going to eat an Elephant, do it one mouthful at a time.
Concentrate on one thing, do it, and then move on. If you step back and look at the whole car and how much is left to do, you will get dispirited.
'Abandoned restoration project' are the saddest words in the English language.
pgp001
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Re: lost my motivation

Post by pgp001 »

It's a bit like that in my model engineering hobby as well. You run out of steam sometimes. :D

I am currently building a highly detailed model of a Corliss valve mill engine, so far it is about eight years in :cry:
What I do is break it down in little sub projects, so the flywheel with it's 251 separate parts took about 18 months, the barring engine was about two years, I finished the governor last back end. And it is all slowly coming together but I reckon it will be about another eight to ten years before you see it at a mainstream exhibition.
I have exhibited some of the above parts at our local club exhibition and have won the best unfinished model cup a couple of times, so that spurs me on with a bit of renewed enthusiasm.

Most of this year has been spent rebuilding the new engine and installing both it and a new gearbox in my Traveller, just to add to the punishment I then rebuilt the gearbox I took out, and have just finished rebuilding another spare head to keep for a rainy day.

After all that I am really looking forward to getting on with my model engine again.
What I am saying Dermot.......Is mix it up a bit and spend some time doing other things, it works for me at any rate.

Phil P
GavinL
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Re: lost my motivation

Post by GavinL »

I'm in exactly the same position - I've been welding Vanessa for about 3 years and I break off periodically to do other things. By a strange coincidence I'm currently rebuilding a spare gearbox too, and spent the last two enjoyable evenings machining my spare gearbox and Vanessa's gearbox input shaft covers to fit oil seals even though it'll be years before I'll be ready to fit it at the current rate of progress, but its all part of the enjoymentof the hobby.
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Murrayminor
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Re: lost my motivation

Post by Murrayminor »

Thanks for the encouraging words.
I will not be the person to sell an unfinished project, it would break my heart to see my "Gracie" being taken away.
So I have decided to turn my attention to other things for a few weeks and that will hopefully spur me on.

I will still be using the forum, just not going into the garage for a while.

Thanks everyone

Dermot.
Proud owner of my first Morris Minor
moggiethouable
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Re: lost my motivation

Post by moggiethouable »

Speaking from experience, when people asked me how long it took to build a certain kit car, I replied 6 months, then 6 months off then another 6 months.
Without the break I would have just gotten fed up, taking a break is a great idea.
Where angels fear to tread
ampwhu
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Re: lost my motivation

Post by ampwhu »

have just done this on one of my projects. I took only 2 months off and re started this week whilst off work. I have got loads done in 3 days. I'm out with the wife tomorrow (don't know why i have to go with her!) and them i'm back on it Friday and saturday.
dp
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Re: lost my motivation

Post by dp »

As above - just leave it for a few weeks or until you feel enthusiastic about going back. I've been welding on and off for years on my project but broke it up with some more interesting things like re-covering and re-fitting my dashboard (not a Minor) . In theory I've just got two bits of metal to weld under a wheelarch but as it's so difficult to physically reach I have to take breaks to let my back stop hurting.

One thing I've found. Going away from a project - particularly when it presents a difficult problem - is often the best way to find solutions. The subconscious mind figures things out when it's not bothered by the fretting of the conscious mind. I've experienced this a lot.

One unrelated example. I had a broken spoke on the rear tyre of my motorbike. Quite a faff to remove the wheel from the frame then the tyre and tube. Leaving the problem and getting on with life the idea came to me out of nowhere to deflate the tyre, break the seal then use some clamps and wood to squeeze the tyre out of the way enough to get the broken spoke out and replace - all still on the bike. A 10 minute job instead of several hours.
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Mick Lynch
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Re: lost my motivation

Post by Mick Lynch »

When you come to re-do it you’ll find if will fly by.

All the tricky bits the second time round will be easy - you had a dry run. All those locked bolts will come apart - because you did the hard bit first time round.

Do what I do... pretend you are fixing someone else’s buckshee job and you get to call them something rotten in your head!

It will come together in the end
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