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In Danger of Becoming Overwhelmed

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jjbunn

jjbunn

Jedi Knight
Offline
So I have been doing little jobs on Harold for the last couple of months or so, with the aim of getting him roadworthy. I've fixed the brakes (mostly) and the clutch, and the choke, as well as various electrical jobs.

But now I find that I have so many jobs to tackle, I am getting overwhelmed. And on some, a little out of my depth!

Here, for your consideration, is a list of things I know need doing:

1) Replace windshield rubber seals etc.
2) Replace front brake hoses (new hoses on hand)
3) Replace brake pressure differential switch (switch coming from Tony)
4) Repair rear dogleg rust hole
5) Repair front wing/windscreen rust hole
6) Investigate timing/mixture/carb synch issue
7) Reattach airfilters/choke etc.
8) Repair rear tailgate bondo repair
9) Remove bonnet/hood and try to fix shape/bumps around nose
10) Investigate cost to recover rear seats
11) Cut and fit new carpet pieces
12) Fit new dashboard topper (on hand)
13) Replace front bumper (on hand)
14) Remove, straighten and repaint front air dam
15) Replace upright interior trim pieces from each side of windscreen
16) Replace hatchback hinge spring covers (on hand)
17) Replace roof courtesy light/switch (on hand)
18) Finish driver's side footwell kick panels, and fit
19) Replace passenger side seat
20) Replace lap seat belts (on hand)
21) Fine cut/polish/wax/touch-up all body panels
22) Replace headlamps with new units (on hand)
23) Fix windscreen washer pump (used spare unit on hand)
24) Fit new rubber grommets to valve cover (on hand)
25) Repair clip on bulb holder for illuminated cigarette lighter
26) Remove, clean and shine rear bumper, buffers, and license plate lights
27) Fit new gaskets to all side lights
28) Replace rear light lenses as a pair
29) Clean all interior panels and roof lining
30) Replace all tyres with 185/70 (currently 195/70SR14)

I suppose I need to define some priorities!
 
Well, some of them are easy, some lead to bigger issues, & some are related to making him roadworthy....that was your primary goal; why not stick to it?

I) #'s 1,4,5,8,9,14,15,21 all point to body disassembly & new paint - could be expensive & time consuming

II) #'s 10,11,12,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,29 are all interior

III) #'s 2,3,6,7,30 are to get him roadworthy

everything else is 'cake'....I vote for III

Get him roadworthy!
 
Just what I was going to say go with what gets you on the road then the others are to mess with. Save the other stuff for last.

Re arrange your list, get things in the order you neeed to proceed. Skip a line between areas. Helps to get the priorities arranged correctly, might even play with a time line for fun.
 
I'd go withIII cause your either gonna have not much else to do with III or find a host of other problems. Roadworthy & safety are much more important than aesthetics.
 
re: III) #'s 2,3,6,7,30 are to get him roadworthy

Ditto here! Get him on the road...worry about the cosmetics later.
 
Julian - I am with the rest of the respondents, III is definitely the list to tackle first. When we got our TD back in 74, it was drivable, but just. I concentrated at making it safe and reliable and left it looking tatty for some 7 years (it was my wife's everyday car during that period). When I decided to restore the car, my first order of business was to get a MGB, so my wife had a MG to drive (her requirements for restoring the TD). At that point I just started working on the car, following a list like yours and trying to ignore the whole list, I would just concentrate on the one task I was working on at the present. If I started to feel overwhelmed, I would walk away from the car for a time (I have a bad tendency of screwing things up when I get in a hurry). The restoration took me 5 1/2 years to complete the restoratin, but I have not had to go back and repair anything that I screwed up or forgot. Just take it one step at a time and hang in there - it will get done.
Cheers,
 
Yup. III's the ticket. Make it mechanically a trustworthy unit, the cosmetics can follow.
 
I'll agree as well with the wise folks here, and add a comment -- don't feel like you are the only one overwhelmed and out of your depth. I've felt that way numerous times since getting the Tunebug. A deep breath and I usually feel better.

Definitely get it drivable and safe first. I spent a lot of time last summer just driving around the town. Those memories keep me motivated when I look at the money that still needs to be spent, and the work that still needs to be done. If I couldn't drive it at least a bit, I'd have trouble keeping the energy up.

Good luck!
 
Julian - I spent over a decade as an EMT/Paramedic, and learned first-hand the value of priorities. In EMS terms, we look at the ABC's: Airway, Breathing, Circulation. Can the patient breathe, is he breathing, and oh-by-the-way is he bleeding? In that order, since each is dependent on the others. It didn't do me any good to stop the bleeding on a patient whose throat was swollen shut.

I did with my '73 what everybody here has recommended for Harold: One list, but 3 columns - Now (airway), Later (breathing), and Someday (circulation). The cool thing is that you'll find instances where a bit of "Later" and "Someday" get done just by doing "Now".

The list WILL get smaller. Each item you check off can go onto your OTHER list: "DONE". That's a nice list to see grow.

R.
 
Well,you're better off than you think,you have a list,now you have a direction. Not to mention,if and when you complete your mission,you might lose interest....
 
I'd also weight on III, that list of items isn't too bad to tackle and it will be a BIG difference in how she drives.

You might be surprised at how long the trim and cosmetic items will wait once she is running and driving well!
 
tony barnhill said:
Well, some of them are easy, some lead to bigger issues, & some are related to making him roadworthy....that was your primary goal; why not stick to it?

I) #'s 1,4,5,8,9,14,15,21 all point to body disassembly & new paint - could be expensive & time consuming

II) #'s 10,11,12,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,29 are all interior

III) #'s 2,3,6,7,30 are to get him roadworthy

everything else is 'cake'....I vote for III

Get him roadworthy!
Click to expand...

Thanks Tony et al: this is excellent input! I feel better already /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Be careful! You might think we are your friends here, but all this advice is just to get you (more) hooked. Once you get her roadworhty, you will enjoy driving her so much that all the other things will just seem like a minor to do list. Some folks on the Forum just want to see you get attached to driving a LBC and then take your time with the other things that, as others have said, will get done over time.

It is an illness...and the above advice is the best way to deal with it. Heck, in a few years, you will look back and say that it wasn't so bad. The other items just get done somehow when you feel like it. You have been going great guns for a while now...get 'er done!

Bruce
 
Shush, Bruce! Rats... nearly had 'im. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Good thing the brain has no real "memory" of pain, too. We'd all be drivin' Buicks.

...yeah, right.
 
Julian-

Focus. Don't get overwhelmed.

Get the car roadworthy so you can drive it a bit and get the adrenaline flowing. This helps motivate you to tackle the bigger/harder stuff.

Tackle a big job, then focus on the high impact/small victories. Repeat.

And whatever you do, dont use FOAM. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]And whatever you do, dont use FOAM. [/QUOTE]

If he uses foam, I will fly to California & call him a "DFCO" to his face & then release Harold to the wild.....hehehehehe
 
tony barnhill said:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]And whatever you do, dont use FOAM.
Click to expand...

If he uses foam, I will fly to California & call him a "DFCO" to his face & then release Harold to the wild.....hehehehehe [/QUOTE]

And I'll join you. Maybe between the two of us we can convince him. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif Maybe we need Doc too.

All together now...

No foam,
No foam,
No foam...
 
Julian - FEDEX has your brake failure switch...I sent the entire body just in case you need it.
 
Julian, I can also recommend the therapeutic properties of making your list on paper - it is so satisfying to vigorously cross things off!!
 
Agree about the foam. It WILL allow moisture to creep between it and the steel, and not dry or drain. More rust more quickly. Air and clean/clear drain holes!
 
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