jag1886

I have been working non stop on my 65 for last 30 months including weekends working a 2nd job to pay for it.
I took a trip to Joseph Ore to a car show the 6th of June ( no problems) when I got back, I was so burned out of my project I haven't touched the car for a month.
Just curious if anyone else has this ailment.

442rocketdave

Just take a breather and do something else for a little while and then think about how much fun it will be to finish it and drive and enjoy it!!! We all get burned out sometimes!! Go fishing, to the beach or take the kids to an amusement park anything different for a while and you will get your zing back!!!

coppercutlass

Lately I have. The last year it's been one issue after the other. Last year I hurt my engine ., So I tossed in a 307 to enjoy it throughout the summer. Then I built the new 355., broke in the cam and the intake was leaking oil. Fixed that problem. Then I finally drive it and I notice the engine vibrates. turns out my flex plate is no good. So I put I a new one. I also have been chasing down a metallic grinding noise that is no engine related. It's one of two things my drive shaft hitting my safety loop or my trans. I have driven it as much as I have worked on it but. Im so frustrated. But I guess that's the price I pay for having it so easy with my first combo and second combo. Hopefully I will put in my back up trans if needed in two weeks . I get burnt out but as soon as I hit the street it reminds me of why I do it. I usually do my venting on open industrial roads. To the sweet tune of the engin at w.o.t

jensenracing77

From time to time I do. I am 2 months into restoring my 442. it will likely be 2 more years till it is done. I take time off when it is very hot or cold out but this past winter I had tons of Oldsmobile stuff packed in the basement to keep me from taking a break. I feel a big break coming on very soon.
I was into offroad riding and racing 3 wheelers and 4 wheelers for 31 years. It was almost every day from 5 years old till i was 36. I am so burned out of that I don't even like looking at them.

s i 442

Don't let a project rule your life.
If its too much then sell it, save some money and buy something more drivable.

Greg Rogers

I was going to say I know how you feel, Jag, but then I went back and reread the starting of this thread. I can't imagine working every weekend for 30 months- yeah that's too much, take a break. It's supposed to be a hobby for enjoyment.

coppercutlass

I Found it easier before I bought a house. I though yeah now I got a big garage a compressor tools im gonna be doing work all the time. Wrong. I now work as I please on my car which is why a flex plate swap too me 2 weekends. Instead of 6 hours. When I restore my car it took me about 1.5 years. I did it on week days , holidays weekends, hungover, tired, you name it . I wanted it sooo bad. I was also 17 now 24. I work on cars doing collision repair day in and out . I do side jobs usually 3 a month to pay for my addiction to car parts, then in between that I work on my car and my dad's 77 Pontiac. I usually only work on my car thu, fri, and sat. i thought i was burnt out from working on cars and left my field for 6 months but it turns out i needed it more than i thought and went back to it. I didn't touch my car all winter about 6 months and it was what i needed to kick me back into gear on my car. but the last 3 months have been fix drive fix drive fix drive.

Octania

Yes, it happens to everyone.

Driving the results brings out the grin though.

lshlsh2

My car is a hobby that let's me relax from work. I own a plant nursery, spring I work 6 days a week then often several sundays. May I had 2 days off. The car is totally different, I use it to relax. My yard however is a mess with tall grass and weeds.

Larry

Crusty

Not only am I brunt, I'm crispy. I've been working on my brothers 64 cutlass for over 6 months. He cuts corners, never puts tools back, etc,etc... Tired of being a nurse maid. I have to do all the detail work, because he's blind in one eye, and can't see out of the other. He tries though, I enjoy the challenge. Alot of good advice given, try some of the suggestions.

brandon 455

I also know the feeling. I have a 79 cutlass I droped a 455 in to. I've spent many weekends fixing this and that ordering parts and making trips to the parts store. It gets aggravating but like coppercutlass said its all worth it at w.o.t and you have a ear to ear grin.

stan 65 cutlass

ive been 2 years sabatical on the car, still gathering parts tho, gotta fix the boat and the dirtbike first. vroom!

m371961

I work until the money runs out, pay off the card and start again. The problem is I can spend a grand and only have a week or 2 of work.

oldcutlass

Get it drivable, and drive it for a while while you work on it.

MDchanic

I get burnt out my job, not on my car.

Reading your description, though, it sounds like your car has become your job, and I suspect that's the problem.

- Eric

TheBigBlueBoat

That might be part of your problem.

A couple years back I spent almost every day working on one of my cars, then fell into a collision job. I figured "great! I'll hone my skills and apply it to my car!"

Well every day after a 12 hour shift, I'd come home, look at my partly finished car, and think "I don't even want to think about doing body work."


But overall I can sympathize about being burned out. I've been itching to get back to work on my Cutlass, but my Mustang has been sucking up all my time. It seems every time I'm on track to wrap things up, something new goes wrong, and of course I think of 10 more things to do while I'm doing that repair. It sucks the fun right out of it, and you slowly lose the desire to work on it.

Then again, I don't know about you, but I get absolutely fixated on a goal, even if the fun is no longer there. I want that end result, even if I'm miserable in the process. It's enough to burn a man out.

citcapp

Working on my first full frame off has caused me to take several breaks. I never realized how much work it takes to take it apart catalog all parts. cut and replace floor pans and on and on and on. If I didn't take breaks and drive my 57 and enjoy life I would quite and sell the 48. Your working way to hard and that takes the fun out of the experience. Another thing with me is I am a one man show with no support which makes is tough as well.

kitfoxdave

We all get burned out on our projects from time to time. I have multiple projects going at all times so I can swap around. I have built houses, hangars, garages, airplanes, etc... If you do a little something on one of your projects every day, you will be surprised at it all finally coming together. My Cutlass sat for about 8 years until I had to work on it so I can get rid of the donor car to make room for working on stuff. I find that if I do not feel like working on stuff, LEAVE IT ALONE! otherwise you mess it up and make a lot more work for yourself. And my wife is pretty understanding about this.

jaunty75

The collection, restoration, and driving of old cars is a hobby. Pursuing a hobby should never burn you out. If it does, it's not a hobby. The great thing about a hobby is that it's something you pick up and do when you're interested and then put down and not do when you're not.

I understand, though, the drive to get a car at least into running/driving condition before you put it down for a while. I also understand that if you start something major, like repainting the car, you can't really just put it down for a while in the middle of the job. Still, these kinds of things can be spaced out so you're not doing major projects consecutively with no downtime in between.

Sampson

Lots of great advise in this thread. I worked on mine every night and every weekend literally for 6 months. Burned out? You Betcha! The last week or so before it left I was rushing and not doing very good work. Then the car went to the body shop and I can now work on cleaning and detailing parts at my own pace. The best advise from what I read above is "when you don't feel like working on it or when you are too rushed to do the job right" walk away and take a break". Good Luck

Alb

I've been retired for 10 plus years now.(51 when I retired).Bought a 69 Cutlass in 2009. Took me 3 years to finish to finish her. I did it all including painting it. Have to say I did get burned out once in awhile. Just walked away for a week or so. Then got back into it. Sometimes only for a couple of hours. So I know the feeling you are going through. Take a break. It will be there when you decide to get back at it. The main thing is to have fun doing it. I know that sometimes that can be hard, especially when things aren't going right.
Alb

Seff

Ever so often, when the project hits a dead stop. The next day I'm ready again.

Finn5033

Yes absoluetly. I haven't worked on mine nearly as much as you but its only fun when you want to work on it. Not when you feel like you have to work on it. I agree with everyone else. Take a step back, don't work on it again until you feel like you want to.

gearheads78

If I was single and no family I can honestly say I don't think I would ever get burned out of working on projects. The reality is I am not and I start to feel guilty if I spend too much time outside. 2-3 straight nights at a time is all I do from time to time or wait until after 9:00 when kids are in bed. 5:45 AM sure seems to come up quick when I do that though.

nonhog

What's really hard is doing a project your not passionate about.
I'm years into a project that should have taken months.
Such is life. Its for my wife, so in the long run it'll be worth it but it does drag out.

jag1886

Thanks for the words of encouragement.
I am still working weekends to make extra money but I think I will let the car sit until fall and save up my money, by then I bet I will find my old ambition to start the several new projects that need to be done.
I do enjoy this old car, I think I have just gone totally overboard working on it.

ziff396

Same advice. If you don't really feel like working on it just blow it off for another day. Things don't go well when your not into it and feel rushed. I did mine in 14 months. Everything. Paint ,body, trans,rear, wiring , brakes, interior, etc etc. The only thing I farmed out was the engine. I have built chebbies, but decided on a professional for Olds. Good choice. Yes, I got burned out. Now, I have had new vintage air sitting in the boxes since last November and it is still not installed. When I had time last winter I just wasn't in to really doing it. And by the time I finally decided to start, it was cruising time. Oh well, maybe next winter. Air would be nice, but it's been a cool summer so far here in Michigan. I would rather drive it now, and worry about the upgrades later.

Summerof84

I once read where less than 20% of car projects are completed by the guy who started it. That's where barn finds come from, I guess. I think everyone knows someone who bought a stalled project, thrashed on it for two weeks straight and had it on the road enjoying it. That's how close some guys are when they call it quits and sell. Take a deep breath and don't be that guy.

ent72olds

Aahhhh......yeah! Check out the gaps in my Vista Project. I'm in a funk again right now....started the job I think 5 1/2 years ago....

ent72olds

You couldn't have said it any better brother!

oldsman72

That's the spirit. Step back, gather yourself, let things settle down a little then give it another go when you feel up to it. I'm pretty sure most folks on this site can relate

Will22

I am constantly watching other drivers but we have so much fun that it over shadows any other concern. Love driving our convertible with the top down in the Ozarks!

classicmuscle442

It does get to be to much sometimes, take time off and a some point you will be ready to finish it.

marxjunk

how i remedy the stall is with a driver/beater...i never get down to nothing old to drive..i always have something reliable sitting around that isnt pretty that i can drive and torture...when i get burned out on a current project, i jump in my beater for a few weekends and come back to it..i havent sold a project car in 10 years by using this system...it works for me...

CRUZN 66

I sure hope the original poster has overcome his burned out period issues somehow in the past 4 1/2 years...

Bee Saint Louis

Yes to the point I listed my unfinished car for sale today on CL and my Facebook group CutOvers. I'm too much of a 'coward' to list it on here or the W30 Olds FB group. I'm just tired of blowing money fast on just a Cutlass.

ELY442

I dont blame you. A friend of mine is selling his 69 Road Runner, parts and his die cast collection. He said he just dont have the time.

Funkwagon455

I work on aircraft for income, both fixed wing and rotor craft. My co-workers do not understand with my interest in cars and level of quality why I do not do restorations as a career. The answer is that I thoroughly enjoy both. I have the privilege to work on aircraft that cost multi-millions of dollars and have the responsibility of individual's lives in my hands and all the while get paid to do so. But when I get home, I get to relax and try to make our "old car" as nice as I can. If I looked at our hobby cars in more of a "job" light, I'm sure that I'd get burnt out pretty quickly. After all, the cars were built to serve mankind, not vise versa. Close the door, give your account and your body a break... Do something fun with your family or a friend that is not car oriented. Return when you feel rejuvenated on your schedule.