Projects I Wish I'd Finished

Tmate

Tmate

H-M Supporter - Diamond Member
H-M Lifetime Diamond Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2020
Messages
421
Many of us probably regret not having finished some project we started. We either we lose interest, move, or lack the necessary funds, but ultimately live to regret not having completed it.

Near the top of my list was an engine swap of a small block Chevy V-8 into a VW Beetle. I built a sub-frame for it out of 2" x 4" rectangular tubing, cut the area away for a firewall, and installed a narrowed 12 bolt chevy positraction rear end. Chevy engine can be seen on engine stand in second picture.

I had fabricated motor mounts and bolted a Chevy bare block bolted in place when I sold my house, and no longer had room for the project. Kept the engine, but practically had to give the car away.

I would be interested in projects others started but abandoned for one reason or another.
 

Attachments

  • Chev powered VW.jpg
    Chev powered VW.jpg
    121.3 KB · Views: 51
  • VW left side.jpg
    VW left side.jpg
    1.4 MB · Views: 35
  • rear shot.jpg
    rear shot.jpg
    1.2 MB · Views: 41
Last edited:
Never!!!
Actually a 1'x4'x3/4" piece of steel had been sitting on a dolly for three weeks right outside the shop door recently, before I gave up on remembering why I drug it out to begin with. It's safely tucked away for next time.
I've got some plant stands for my wife that need finished. The pieces have been sitting in the garage for a year now. I actually think she gave up before I did.
Thankfully nothing as cool as what you were up to. I'm too cheap to have ever taken that on to begin with. Anyway that sure would have been cool. Maybe later in life you can revisit it. Never give up! So long as you ain't dead, there's hope!
 
Wish I had pictures but I once had a early Ford Ranchero that someone had attempted to put a built 302 in.

should have sold the motor and found a six.


Ended up selling the whole thing for a little more than I paid.
 
My brain is overwhelmed by the projects I have yet to finish but are still in progress. I think I've lost track of the ones that just got abandon.

My first car was a 1970 VW bug. I was fascinated by the V-8 conversions, but that was way beyond me at 15. I did cut one down to make a sand rail/dune buggy, lots of welding, but same engine, transmission and suspension. Just pulled the body off, shortened the tunnel frame by 14", and welded up a roll cage/body. Did replace the floor with deck plate, which given that I landed on rocks and stumps more than once is a damn good thing. It got sold off when I went to college, that would be a project that I would happily pick up again if I could.
 
Most notable was the restoration of a '65 VW Karmann Ghia. Started in the late 70s. Got it painted, bought all the necessary rubber while it was still available from VW, even had the headliner installed. Marriage got in the way, then life, then divorce. Sold it for a song when I had to short-sell my house in 2012. It did, however, provide the motivation to actually finish my '63 Double-cab.
 
I don't ever abandon a project, it just gets pushed lower on my list. So I try to keep track of the projects that I have accomplished rather than the ones still waiting to be addressed. I do find that as I get older I am more selective about the projects I take on. The frustrating projects are the ones that made it to about 95% and just living with the unfinished 5% part.

It took me a year to install a 3 zone mini split heat pump in my 3 bedrooms. I had lots of encouragement on that one when the weather turned hot this year though. I need to run some conduit to replace my temporary power wiring and finish the covers for the copper lines... but it is too hot out side to think about doing that presently. I was dragging my feet on the metal stand for the outdoor condenser unit as I wasn't looking forwards to spending a weekend in the shop building it. To my surprise my recently acquired horizontal bandsaw and mitering metal chop saw let me kick it out in a couple hours without being covered with abrasive blade dust!

I had a 67 ford F100 with a nice running straight six in an ugly body and a non-running 70 F100 with a bad 390 in a near perfect body. After buying a 2006 crew cab Duramax I finally sold the pair after a couple of years. I came to the conclusion that 67 vintage ford pickups just aren't a comfortable drive for my long legs and there isn't enough room in the cab to really fix that.

I have a nice 180g aquarium that is up, running and working really nice, but I need to make the hood with LED lighting and build some doors to finish the stand.

My next big project is to do a complete rearrangement of the shop and sell off some machines to make room for the new ones. I have 3 cabinet table saws; a Powermatic 65, a Powermatic 71 (12") and a 14" sliding table saw. I have had the 65 for near 30 years and I completely refurbed the 71 with my father before he passed (he bought it off CL for $1). The plan is to cull the herd down to the 14" sliding table. I know my father would approve. After the major shop remodel the aquarium parts will be easier to accomplish.

I have a really nice 5hp 3ph cyclone dust collector that I need to plumb at least the woodworking side of the shop with. I will arrange the woodworking side of the shop with that in mind. I paid $150 for the beautiful cyclone, blower and considerable duct work knowing that I would get to it "some day".

I also have a ~1000lb stainless steel 4' x 6' optical table that will be my new workbench top. I need to build a stand on casters with cabinets for that.

One of my daughter's friends (16yo) is starting to get into metal working. I have a deal with him to give me a few hours of help cleaning the shop in exchange for the smallest of my 4 drill presses, a 13" floor standing Chinese model. I figure that is a much better way to get rid of it than deal with the CL hassle for the $150 I could probably get for it. I like the idea of of helping a young man just starting down the road of crippling tool addiction.

That is about it for my confession!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top