True Confessions of an Obsessive Compulsive

[foghorn14]

Hello,
The first step of fixing a problem is acknowledging it. So here goes: Over the last ten years I have acquired from the US, my home, and from the UK the following British cars: a Morris Minor convertible(rust bucket-US), two saloons-US, two Travellers-UK and two vans-UK, a saloon that someone has chopped the top and cut out all the bottom and floors-US, a Morris Mini-UK, a '46 Austin van-UK and some Sunbeam Alpine baskecases-US. None of them run and not all have titles. I guess I am a hoarder and not a doer. So this year I hope to DO something and get one of them going. Of course my dilemma is; which one? To continue my obsessive compulsive story I have acquired two 1275 midgets and two 4AGE Toyota RWD parts cars for alternative drive trains and a Suzuki Samurai for the chop top body; they don't run either. I have purchased a welder and now need to learn how to use it. I am not particularly mechanically inclined but am able to learn. I have been on the internet and not doing. Now I need to DO IT!

Any constructive suggestions?

Thanks!

[foghorn14]

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[foghorn14]

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[Dean]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

For me the first restoration project would have to be the Mini or one of your Moggies. The Sunbeam Alpines though would look fantastic too though!

[rayofleamington]

Any constructive suggestions?

not to buy any more for a while?? ;-)

To be fair, I have the same problem, but have at least put quite a few back on the road.
If it wasn't for the lack of parking space I'd have bought a Wolseley 1100 last week
As it is, I have to work on my cars* out in the rain as the garage has a pickup in it and there's nowhere left to move it too.

* - technically i've only worked on other peoples cars this year but that's another bad habit...

[Fingolfin]

Haha, I'll help where I can, when I can! Which you of course already know. Very pleased to see pictures of the van and the saloon!

[foghorn14]

[quote="rayofleamington[/quote]
not to buy any more for a while?? ;-)

My wife thinks you are a genius!

[Pyoor_Kate]

I was going to suggest that you could give me one of the vans when I (eventually) get to BC, but I realised you're in Missouri, and that's a bit far from BC by my British standards... ;)

[dp]

Hello,

Any constructive suggestions?

Thanks!

Hello,

Any constructive suggestions?

Thanks!

Hmm you need to buy a few more Minors

But seriously, pick the Minor that's easiest to put together and do that. Leave all the others alone until that one is running and legal.Unlike the Alpine, you can borrow parts from the other Minors to keep going if necessary. Plus parts are easily available. If you start on the Alpine, you could be slowed right down while you search out elusive parts, especially stateside.

Also consider just getting the first Minor running as standard, not modified - again this will make things quicker, it's easy to get disheartened if projects drag on. You can always make the second one modified, once you have one under your belt.

Make it a rule that you aren't allowed to tinker with the next project until the current one is running and has passed the govt roadworthiness test (MOT here) .

Could titles be a problem? No idea of US law. Might one of the cars be un titleable - if so, don't make that your first project.

If circumstances change in the future, it's easier to justify keeping a roadworthy car going than sheds full of bits.

[davidmiles]

Some great suggestions there. My advice as a flegling car restoration nutter is... pick the best condition moggie and cover all the other cars up, out of sight out of mind. Concentrate on that one car and pritty soon the car restoration part of your brain will get a nice fix of satisfaction. I very nearly got my head turned during the middle of my current pickup project by an amazing find. Three 1960's Humber super snipes in a collapsing shed/garage. But I made a conscious decision to keep on with my 1000 pickup. Its coming long great, every so often I get that restoration fix. Great feeling.

[MarkyB]

Obsessive Compulsive refers to something else.
Unless you wash your hands all the time, as well as buying lots of cars another term needs to be invented.

I propose Hoarder Vacillator.

You need to stop both hoarding and vacillating and start repairing restoring.

Would you like a 12 step plan? $5000 to you