Just need a little help

[Guest polarity]

How did you guys decide where to start. There are so many things I'm afraid to just jump into one.

 

I am working on purchasing a full motor (so I dont have to finish building this one bit it bit). So I will have to install that

 

I want to do some body work (round off rear end and clean things up, sand, etc)

 

I want to do alot of things to my interior (already have it ripped out, but where to start)

 

There are just so many things that need to get done. As I start each one I quickly learn that I dont have all the tools or knowlege at my fingertips to do any of them. Although given time I can aquire anything I need (my friends shop or I can buy it) It just makes me want to not start because I can't finish (like the rear end for example. I know I can take off the bumper. But I dont have any tools or experience in welding to put in a new piece of metal)

 

So my question is to everyone, before you knew what was going on. How did you let yourself just jump into it. Just looking for a little pick me up I guess.

 

Billy Ronie

[dsommer]

Start with the underside back and work your way forward. Suspension/rearend swap (a test of brains, muscle and patence) , fuel tank lines (just a screw driver and new hoses), brakes, (kinda like a jigsaw puzzle but more fun).

 

I tried to do mine one system at a time and it worked out relativly well. Each smaller task prepares you for the next "larger" task. The largest task is dropping in the engine.

 

Hope this helps.

 

ds

[Guest Z-rific]

Most people will tell you to do the engine swap last. Do bodywork, brakes, suspension upgrades and interior first. This is very wise advice...but here's my take on it.

 

I never was able to fet fully motivated to do all the smaller projects until the engine swap was finished and the car was running. Now I'm getting through all the things I had been putting off forever.

 

So if you are a person like me, the engine swap may be the way to go for now.

 

As far as things like bodywork, suspension and brake projects, don't get intimidated. A good factory or Chilton manual will help tons.

 

And if you don't want to learn welding now, just find somebody who will do that for you. It's okay to contract out some of the work.

[Guest greimann]

Like Mr. Z-rific said, motivation is the best tool you have. Start with some small easy projects. Successfully complete them and pat youself on the back about the results. Build on these little successes to go on to the next project. Keep the work fun and do the improvements in the order that makes you happy, not what others may suggest is the logical order. If you want, do the motor first. Enjoy the results and that will give you motivation to do the body, brakes, and so on...

[Dan Juday]

I broke my project up into "stages", i.e. : motor swap, interior, body, suspension. I made rules for myself as well. I didn't buy parts for, or work on another stage untill the one I was working on was done. There were certain exemptions to the rule. If a particular part was need from a future stage to finish the one I was on that was ok. Or, if a fire sale deal fell in my lap for a part for a future stage I would buy it. Other wise I stuck to the rule.

 

This helped me stay motivated and kept me from getting overwelmed. It also helped to combat "scope creep" and spending too fast. Two dreaded symdromes that can kill a project (and your relationship with the little lady).

 

And don't be in a hurry. I'm approching the three year mark and it has all been good. Others here have taken much longer. The joy is in the journey, not the destination.

[RPMS]

There is a logical order in which to work on things, and you're wise to ask before diving in.

 

I think your best bet is to work on safety items first. You're less likely to be impatient if you handle them first thing while you're still fresh, and you can drive the car for a while after you get the brakes/steering/basic suspension and structure sorted out, but before you dive into the driveline or bodywork.

 

Do the work in logical order, where you don't have to remove the pieces tomorrow that you just put back on today. There are several must-haves, in my mind. You can not paint the engine bay with an engine in it. Well, you CAN, but it's a horrible pain in the ass, and it won't look as good as it would have if the engine were pulled first. The interior should be pulled before you paint, or you run the significant risk that when you paint your doorjambs there will be a hole in the masking and you'll inadvertently spray paint inside. And doing bodywork makes a HYOOOGE amount of dust that will get everywhere, including your interior. And it doesn't make any sense to spend months painting your car before you fix the interior rust, because there's a good chance you'll bung up the paint while you're welding things and moving in and out of the interior. If you convert a 260 or 280, you'll have a large amount of unnecessary wiring to remove, and this is best done with the interior (passenger side, at least) removed. So here's the logical order:

 

1) Pull interior, cleaning each piece thoroughly as you remove it.

2) Fix all rusty spots inside the car, as well as any mechanical bits in the interior that don't work.

3) Do all bodywork and modification.

4) Pull the engine and detail the engine bay. Remove unnecessary wiring.

5) Paint the car.

6) Replace driveline

7) Reinstall the interior, making upgrades as necessary.

 

Please note that if you do the work yourself, items 1,2,3,and 4 take very little money, but take the longest time. That way, you can gradually buy your engine parts as they come on sale, and you can work out the kinks in your plan before you get to the tough stuff. Keep in mind that you can do suspension work at any time in the process and it won't interfere with anything. The more you screw around with it, the greater chance you have of messing it up. So do it right the first time, and you'll thank yourself.

 

Greimann also had a very good point when he talked about motivation. The best advice I can give you is to not do all the simple things first. Wait until you're at your wits end with another project, then take a break and treat yourself to a simple, rewarding project. That way you won't go to bed that night feeling like you'd done nothing productive. If you're about to light your car on fire because you can't get the bodywork straight the fifth time you've tried it, stop working on that and replace the broken maplight, or paint your wiper arms, or something. That keeps things fun, and that's what this is all about, isn't it?