What’s your long running project ?

Ashamed to admit it, but started a restoration of a 1970 Lemans sport, GTO Judge clone or tribute car as its now called. My son was in eighth grade at the time (he's 29 now), we built a cool rotisserie and replace all rusty panels (hand made), bead blasted the body and sealed it inside and out. We then blasted the entire frame and primed with self etching acid primer and coated with three coats of epoxy paint after mocking up a LT1, and 4L65-E tranny. Rebuilt the rear end and added 4 wheel disc brakes and Eibahc lowering suspension. The rolling chassis has lived in the two car garage since 2001 while the completed body (sealed only) lives on the rotisserie. Shame on me for this. I have $10K in new interior parts in boxes. This was to be his HS car but shop work has consumed my time since then. I was so guilt ridden over this incomplete father/son project that for his 16th birthday he was given a 1898 Trans am WS-6 hurst edition, black in color and man was that a menacing looking car. Ls1 was wicked to say the least. I once ate a 1999 Corvettes lunch with that car. Any way back to the clone, I plan on finishing it after I retire in 3 years and probably without my sons help as he lives 1200 miles north. I will gift it to him when it's done with an appoligy letter. For those that know me, I normally don't start something I don't finish within a reasonable timeframe but this topic you bring up opens an old wound. BTW, my son has $1500 of his own money tied up into this project so at least I can say once its done that the rest is interest earned from is 17 year investment.

Jerry, if you have the time, finish the bike and ride it, his hormones will appreciate it. looks like a cool project.
 
10 year project - - finished it, all except paint, decided I needed to retire and sold it off - paid off the mortgage on the house and retired - now spending all my money on THIS hobby!

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New owner sent me a photo of it painted - - damnnnnnnnn

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My Giant Binocular (http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/the-giant-binocular.55688/)
In the post I said it was started 5 years ago but going through all the first drawings and pictures it seems I actually started it in 2003. Gee, time flies.
Then there was a long gap after the first bit of welding, then another gap for some more welding then a huge gap until I re started this Feb.
Its been held up whilst I've been making a bunch of small brackets for it.
 
Very nice GT40!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bike has promise too! My longest term project is a car that got me through college in style. Been collecting parts for it since 1985. To do the car right, I needed a shop. I have the 1st 7000 sq ft of a 50 x 200 building that I took apart laying in piles awaiting the day I can afford dirt work & concrete to build a 5000 sq ft shop out of. Kids, then grandkids & family in general have been more important. Seems I'm always collecting parts & tools to get where I'm going. Smaller projects & customer jobs fill the void. I'll get there - but the journey remains fun!
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Well, I started out thinking about building a cuckoo clock about 1985 - but that doesn't really count as 'project time', does it?

I finally started actively puttering on it in spare shop time about 4 years ago and almost have part of it up and running now.

Today's portion of the project was making a hub for one of the chain sprockets. And it was also an excuse for a 'learning exercise' on TurboCad and porting it to the 3D printer. Photo attached.

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Check with me again in another 4 years :)

Stu

Regarding TurboCad: The $150 'Deluxe' edition is worthless for a machine shop if you're getting into 3D printing. Any round 2D graphic objects extruded into 3D solids will end up as 14-sided polygons. Fitting round shafts into 14-sided polygonal holes is an exercise in lunacy. I'm planning on upgrading to a real solids modeler but will try the free download first to be sure it's not another mistake.
 
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