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are you going it alone or do you have help


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over the years Ive had guys that were great friends , with a similar interest in the hot rodding,hobby and in most cases its been with thier help and even friendly competition at times, while we worked on and raced our cars that resulted in the most fun, and most progress on our cars.

joining a hotrodding or corvette club can help, but in many cases it turns into more of a hassle and endless social events than a group of guys working on cars with thier combined skills and resources, used to further all the groups cars.

and Ive found that its not always easy to find HONEST and RELIABLE friends that really want to have you help on thier car or help on your car. if you deal with any larger club, your bound to eventually run into a few guys who are less than honest, It seems at times that this is a lonely hobby simply because most of us need to make a living and support our families so the chances of both time,skills and equipment being available in two guys lives at the exact same time is low,...especially by the time you reach my age (57)and divorce,s accidents, retirements,marriages, etc. and jobs moving tends to take friends and contacts away.

how are you guys working it out?

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Interesting topic grumpy. I've got one good friend that is a car guy. I can call him at 11 pm and he will come down and help me pull a tranny. Now that is a friend.

 

Of course, I live in one of those neighborhoods where most guys think a transmission is how you get a sexually transmitted disease. But the truth is, that being a guy, I'll probably do it myself and grunt, strain and cuss before I ask for help.

 

 

Having friends takes time. Time is the one thing I have a hard time sharing.

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over the years Ive had guys that were great friends , with a similar interest in the hot rodding,hobby and in most cases its been with thier help and even friendly competition at times, while we worked on and raced our cars that resulted in the most fun, and most progress on our cars...and Ive found that its not always easy to find HONEST and RELIABLE friends that really want to have you help on thier car or help on your car....It seems at times that this is a lonely hobby simply because most of us need to make a living and support our families so the chances of both time,skills and equipment being available in two guys lives at the exact same time is low...

 

I can relate. I want to help my friend Auxilary with his car, but my growing family has required a lot of my time that I have little time for anything else. I'll be doing work to my car soon, but I'm not sure who will be around to help me when I need it. I may have to do all the work myself, but I'm hoping that at some point I can call on the knowledge of Aux, 73BOTIZ, DMANZO, Dan Juday and others when the time comes. We'll see. I'd love to show some serious progress before asking (whining?!?) for help.

 

What's nice is that I trust all those guys mentioned. Plus, they all have good mechanical ability and an eye for sanitary hot rod style.

 

If I need help in simply getting direction, this forum is the best place to be!! I know so many guys here that are near experts that I really don't worry much :D

 

Good topic, Grumpy.

 

Davy

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I think that I have done almost 100% of my projects exclusively alone. It gets tricky sometimes (like trying to remove and replace a hood on a 71 C20), but it certainly makes a person creative and definitely makes muscles hurt....I enjoy working by myself...its kinda relaxing.

I actually dislike asking for help....i guess in the back of mind it is like I am admitting defeat!

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Totally alone. I checked out one car club, but it is (as you mentioned) a social club. Road trips, dinners and such.

 

My larger problem is that the Z is a ways down the list, primarily behind the not quite finished but gotta move in now house project. (Lots of sub- projects in that one).:cry2:

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I get satisfaction of being able to accomplish most anything I need to by my self. However is is nice to have some healthy competition every once in awhile to keep the motivation going. I have managed to drop and install my own engines and transmissions with just a little determination.

 

I've tried the Club thing, and even started one locally with a handful of hands on guys, but it quickly turned into a place for some attempt to turn a profit or others that were only interested in where the next food run would be to.

 

So I "work it out" by dealing/working with people that are as independent as I am.

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This is an interesting topic. Ive usually had friends that are into cars, and friends that know how to work on cars, but most cant really keep up with the pace I keep while wrenching. Im usually the one helping everyone else out, and seeing my project covered in dust in the corner. Ive always been around older car guys (im 25 now, most of these guys are in thier 50's and 60's now) so I learned a whole lot at a young age.

 

My dad has been the influence/huge help since I was little and wanted to learn about everything with wheels. Ive taken alot of knowlage and work ethics from him, and sometimes his tools too (haha) I think without him around, I wouldnt be into cars at all. He is one of the few people who I can wrench with and not get fustrated with.

 

As for the car clubs.... The only ones ive found worth while, or 'fun' to be in seems to be the vintage racing clubs. Ive met alot of really cool people who would help me if I asked, and who are the first to throw me a beer when I can help them out a bit. These guys actually use thier cars, rather than go to the drive-in, eat burgers, and shoot the breeze while staring at everyone elses rides.

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First I want to say there is an amazing wealth of knowledge here and your cars are beyond belief. I am so jealous of some of the LS1 setups.

I'm pretty much on my own with this project. Back in the day all my friends were gearheads, we all modified our 60s-70s muscle cars and helped each other wrench without question. But that was many years ago, those guys have long moved on, families jobs and whatever took us all in different directions. I've just recently got back into the car hobby with my 280z SBC project. I work with two guys you are very knowledgeable, one especially on the SBC so that helps. But so far I've been doing all my own wrenching. But since I just bought a TPI setup for the SBC that may have to change a little, this is totally new ground for me. Still haven't tried the club thing. There is a huge Datsun club here in Atlanta but I haven't gone to a meeting yet, maybe someday.

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Nothing better than killing an afternoon with my 24yr old son in the garage on the Mutant~Z project especially now since he's moved out. I've got a core group of gearheads that are very knowledgeable. You guys here have been a great source of help too.

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First I want to say there is an amazing wealth of knowledge here and your cars are beyond belief. I am so jealous of some of the LS1 setups.

I'm pretty much on my own with this project. Back in the day all my friends were gearheads' date=' we all modified our 60s-70s muscle cars and helped each other wrench without question. But that was many years ago, those guys have long moved on, families jobs and whatever took us all in different directions. I've just recently got back into the car hobby with my 280z SBC project. I work with two guys you are very knowledgeable, one especially on the SBC so that helps. But so far I've been doing all my own wrenching. But since I just bought a TPI setup for the SBC that may have to change a little, this is totally new ground for me. Still haven't tried the club thing. There is a huge Datsun club here in Atlanta but I haven't gone to a meeting yet, maybe someday.

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I guess we're a bunch of loners!

I'm in the same boat as Deja, I used to have many gearhead friends in my home town, but since I moved down here, I have friends who are gear heads, but none to hang around with, and work on each others cars. I guess when you're younger you have more time to hang with friends.

Deja, don't bother with the Georgia Z club, they are a bunch of snobs, there are a few V8 guys that were cool, but most kept with their own group.

I set-up a local Hybrid Z club meet every once and a while, if you haven't come to one, you should.

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I guess we're a bunch of loners!

I'm in the same boat as Deja' date=' I used to have many gearhead friends in my home town, but since I moved down here, I have friends who are gear heads, but none to hang around with, and work on each others cars. I guess when you're younger you have more time to hang with friends.

Deja, don't bother with the Georgia Z club, they are a bunch of snobs, there are a few V8 guys that were cool, but most kept with their own group.

I set-up a local Hybrid Z club meet every once and a while, if you haven't come to one, you should.[/quote']

 

It would be cool to meet up with your local club sometime. You've got mail.

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That is exactly what I have been thinking for the last year. Since I moved here in the big town, let's say that people that work on their cars are far and few between, I haven't been able to find anyone yet!!!

 

I remember those days where we were putting a tranny at night, finishing everything, going for a spin that lasted a couple of hours and closing the bar at the end of the night. Those are great memories !!!

 

To answer your question, we are working alone on our car, we don't want to meet the car club because it is boring and our passion is into building!!!

 

If you stay at home, you won't meet anyone and if you go out you lose your time !!! It is like finding a girlfriend. LOL

 

Open up, show to people what you have, teach them...etc !!! I wish I had the answer. We are all in the same boat, too bad we live in different states.

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"We are all in the same boat, too bad we live in different states."

 

yeah, its a real shame that we all can,t find several guys in our own areas that are willing to swap skills/effort and time to help all of the members advance thier projects. when I was younger (18-30)most of the guys I hung out with were long on time and willing to help but short on tool/money/skills, so progess was slow on all our cars simply because most of the time we could not afford most of the parts we wanted or had the skills to do most of the necessary mods. as we got older (35-45) we had many of the tools and skills but far less time, now that most of my friends are older (50-70) we have the skills and tools and time,(but moneys still tight) but finding fellow hotrodders you can trust not to rip you off, and who are willing to work on both of your cars , to compete with at the tracks and work with the skill levels you expect on YOUR car so your not feeling like they are butchering the job vs helping you seems to be a problem

I still build engines regularly for the local guys ( at cost! which I enjoy as a hobby )BUT ONLY those guys willing to sit there and learn each and every step, and why its done that way and why it costs that much to do!, we make all the decissions on whats to be done together,so theres no surprises and the costs are aggreed on before we start.( I don,t make a dime on 90% of the engines I build, but I do frequently get a bunch of spare parts donated, and the local guys know its done RIGHT when it leaves the shop)

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I guess I fall into the loner catagory too. Even though I have several friends that are into cars that are not too far away, most of us are too busy with work, families, etc. to be able to get together and wrench on our cars.

 

One of my good buddies, Vince, is an ASE mechanic. He does pop by from time to time to lend a hand and he was a big help with my V8 510 project. But his life is busy and he really doesn't feel like turning wrenches after working on cars all day long. Pete Paraska lives less then 1 hour away. Mike Kelly lives about 70 miles from here. Too far to just drop by for an hour or 2 of wrenching. Jody also lives about an hour from here.

 

Sounds like we need to do more club type activities. Mike Kelly is real good about having Z car get togethers (shindigs) at his place. These are always a great time. We need to do more stuff like this. Maybe a Z cruise this spring.

 

When I was younger (44 now), I had lots of friends that would always just pop by and lend a hand. Now I need to make an appointment to get someone to come and help out or for me to go and help someone. That was a big factor in making the decision to have a shop finish up the LS1 swap for me. A big project like the LS1 swap is alot easier when you have people around to lend a hand.

 

 

When I am not too busy, I like to hang out up at the hot rod shop and shoot the shiitt with the guys up there. They are all into cars and seem to like my Z even though none of them own a Datsun. They work on some really cool projects for guys like myself that don't have the time to do it themselves.

 

 

Luckily I have my 12 year old son who is taking an interest in my Datsun obsession. He wants to learn more about cars and he is hoping that we will be building one of my 510s for him as his 1st car.

 

My grandfather was a car guy and owned one of the 1st Datsun dealerships on the east coast in the early 1960's. I guess it runs in the family.

 

Long live Datsuns!

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I am usually the one all my friends come to, to help "diagnose" problems with their cars, be it Japanese, American, German, Italian, English, etc...

 

I have some friends at work that are serious gearheads as well, but outside of work we do not hang out as family trumps car stuff every time. We have planned get-togethers but it seems to be an elusive plan.

 

I have help with my two sons, 21 and 23, and all their gearhead and ricer buddies, when I need more than a pair of extra hands. In fact, on weekends there is almost always somebody hanging around either looking for parts, or wanting to know what I would charge to fabricate this or that, or wantinf advice on what to do about "that noise"... :P

 

I have other friends that own machine and body shops that will do work for me at a discount price, but no free lunch. Again, we have swapped labor a few times on some projects, but those are rare.

 

Most of the time though it is just me in the garage wrenching on the Z32, or somebody else's Z, or working on the drivetrain layout design on the S30, or PM on the Power Wagon....:P

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I opened a shop 3 years ago and mostly do all the work by myself. There's a hot rodder/ex-Nissan Master Tech doing the same thing in my complex so we help each other out when needed. We check on each other at the end of the day to make sure one of us isn't pinned under a car or knocked out.

 

There's also a small group of ex or current 240Z racers that meet sporadically at a pizza place. We swap stories, go faster with each meeting, and generally BS our way through dinner. If one of us needs help we generally try and help out.

 

I tried the club thing and was bored. I have much more fun instructing at the West Coast Nationals driving school then walking around the show the next day. Showed my 240Z once at the West Coast Nationals and was bored silly after the first hour. If the HybridZ guys weren't there to keep me entertained I would have walked up to Dromo1 and dropped $120 on kart time.

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Showed my 240Z once at the West Coast Nationals and was bored silly after the first hour. If the HybridZ guys weren't there to keep me entertained I would have walked up to Dromo1 and dropped $120 on kart time.

 

Amen to that Brudda!

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20 years ago when I was in high school I had a friend that had a '64 Rambler that I would help with and he would help me with my '48 Willys cj2a. Since then it has been the "loner" situation.

Lately my brother has gotten into cars so I help him. I don't get a lot of help in return but that is normal in my family.

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