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My building days are over. I no longer have the desire, the drive, the money, nor the parts to build another ride. My body has been telling me its time for the last 3 builds. Every one was more difficult then the one before it. Even just keeping the ones I have maintained is getting tough. I can't stand to watch something buildable, or usable, sit here and rot away, I'd rather see someone get some joy out of it.

Since I've built my 49 truck, my coupe has been sitting. I drove it a few miles early last year (the plates expired in April), then I drove it 3 miles from my son's place back home in Oct last year. Its been sitting since. It probably needs to go.
 
Keeping track of all the junk with wheels on them...can be a daunting task...I just picked up a 1948 Willys flat fender...hoping that will keep me busy for a little while....fix things that need to be fixed...no restorations for me...new fuel lines...brake lines too...lots of metal work of course...I thrive on the rusty metal work...

The coupe I have been working on is getting closer every day...hope to find a dry place to store it once it gets running and moving...gotta keep moving...keep the mind going too...

Letting stuff go has never been a problem for me...I don't get attached to them...regretting selling them...that can be a problem...
 
gene49 said:
My building days are over. I no longer have the desire, the drive, the money, nor the parts to build another ride. My body has been telling me its time for the last 3 builds. Every one was more difficult then the one before it. Even just keeping the ones I have maintained is getting tough. I can't stand to watch something buildable, or usable, sit here and rot away, I'd rather see someone get some joy out of it.

Since I've built my 49 truck, my coupe has been sitting. I drove it a few miles early last year (the plates expired in April), then I drove it 3 miles from my son's place back home in Oct last year. Its been sitting since. It probably needs to go.
Click to expand...
I’m right there with you. I’ve been replacing the heater core on the wife’s C3 Vette the last couple of weeks. Yes, it has taken me nearly two weeks to replace a heater core. Had to take out the console, center and right dash. It’s also getting all new hoses, the lower radiator hose took 4 hours to remove and replace. I can’t imagine one of these cars with a big block in it, you’d have to take the body off to do anything. Everything is just so tightly put together, they didn’t waste any space for sure.

I’ve got an old 80’s Ford pickup I wanted to build into a sorta shop truck, I don’t think I have it in me anymore. It just keeps getting harder and harder to roll around on the floor and under the dash and lean over a fender all day…
 
Well, we’re all getting older. My problem is I have the ability but not the desire? Telling myself it’s the winter cold? Come may we will see 🤔
Take it easy gene.
 
Well, I can't blame the winter cold weather, I have a heated garage, and its been a really mild winter here.

I do still enjoy driving the old rides, I built my 49 to drive all year around. The one big snow storm didn't bother the 49's 4x4 at all.
 
I don't think I will do any more car projects after the 89 F150. Just maintaining the ones on the road is a project in itself. I don't think I will ever get away from building "stuff" but big projects wont be. A few years back I built a drift trike. Cost about $500 to build and didn't need to crawl under anything. Jim
 
Bamamav said:
I’m right there with you. I’ve been replacing the heater core on the wife’s C3 Vette the last couple of weeks. Yes, it has taken me nearly two weeks to replace a heater core. Had to take out the console, center and right dash. It’s also getting all new hoses, the lower radiator hose took 4 hours to remove and replace. I can’t imagine one of these cars with a big block in it, you’d have to take the body off to do anything. Everything is just so tightly put together, they didn’t waste any space for sure.

I’ve got an old 80’s Ford pickup I wanted to build into a sorta shop truck, I don’t think I have it in me anymore. It just keeps getting harder and harder to roll around on the floor and under the dash and lean over a fender all day…
Click to expand...
On the passenger side, towards the trans tunnel, between the firewall and air box, resides a blend door that a small vacuum hose hooks to that is totally non accessible without the dash being removed and the mice love eating a hole in them. Ya might want to pay particular attention to it.
 
Back in high school I got to experience changing out the heater hoses on a 69 or 70 Vette (73 time frame). One of the teacher had the Vette, and the guys in the school auto shop were always doing something to or on it, it wasn't even very old then. I remember having to work through the gill openings in the fender to reach the heater core hose clamps. My hands were smaller and more amble back then, but it was still difficult even then. I probably couldn't get my hands into those gills at all these days.
 
i haven't been able to do anything on my stuff in almost 6 months and may be that much longer yet. had a knee replacement, knee works great no pain. then the infection started. next friday they are taking the knee back out, putting in a spacer and a antibiotic sponge for 6 to 8 weeks and possibly longer. so i'll be straight legged. then i may have to take antibiotics for another year and the one's i'm on will make you sick being in the sunlight. so i feel yall's pain, but in a different way, and it sux big time.
 
Old Iron said:
On the passenger side, towards the trans tunnel, between the firewall and air box, resides a blend door that a small vacuum hose hooks to that is totally non accessible without the dash being removed and the mice love eating a hole in them. Ya might want to pay particular attention to it.
Click to expand...
Thanks Old Iron, I checked everything under there while I had the heater box out. For sure hope to never do that job again, if I do I’ll probably just go ahead and pull the dash.

Gene, mine has a vent there, but no gills. I had to access the hoses and clamps from underneath. Not much room, had to put them on one at a time.

Really, if I ever have to do it again, I might just rip all the factory HVAC stuff out and put in a Vintage Air unit. More compact and easier to work with.
 

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