Quote:
Originally Posted by Trakrat
I have a couple of questions...
1.) I'm curious about your method of taking everything apart and keeping it organized?
2.) Did you have any background with welding/metal fabricating before this project?
3.) What would you have done differently now that you can look back at it?
4.) For someone who is looking to do the same... any advice?
5.) And finally... I'm looking at trying to document my project with pictures and updating my post... what method of documenting worked best for you? (ex... did you stop in the middle of a task to upload your pics to here and type it up, then go back? did you take a bunch of pics throughout the day then post it all up at the end of day/week? etc...)
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Trackrat -
1) "Everything" gets bagged and labeled - everything! Then the bags go into a box that lists on the outside, which bags are in the box. This way, you can take a quick glance at the boxes and find the part(s) you are after. I can't tell you how many times I've opened the same boxes, over and over, in search of a particular part or fastener. Mark the boxes!
2) Youtube is my friend. Kinda handy in general, but never mig welded or painted a car before.
3) I did what I could under the circumstances. Set-up a canvas carport in my yard to do most of the heavy work. I particularly didn't enjoy patching and fixing the tarps after every wind storm!!! Things might have progressed a little faster if I had a large heated garage, but all in all, no regrets.
4) Think about what your goal is and stick to it. If you're going all-out, don't cut corners on anything. If you don't want to or think you can go all-out, set smaller goals and get them done. You can always do more later. For example, if the car just needs a little work to get it road-worthy, start there and enjoy it for awhile. It was really hard not being able to drive my car for 6-years.
5) It's really easy to be "in the mode" when you're getting things done and want to finish. Have a dedicated camera in the garage, or carport in my case, at all times and remember to take pictures. I took pictures and updated my thread as progress was made. Sometimes, it could be months between posts/updates - life happens. Take pictures before you dismantle, as well as during the resto. They can be great resources to remind you of how things were before you took it all apart, as well as documentation of all your work.
There's my pep-talk. Now, get out there and get 'er done!
P.S. My good friend John Walker once gave me some advice when things were dragging on and my motivation started to wane - he said, "if you can devote just "one hour" a day to working on the car, you will see progress and things will eventually get done." I would recommend spending more on the weekends, but one-hour per day is the mantra. You can do this!