Absolutely Coniston,
Mammoth, IHScout and Urchy87 are 'giving you the good oil'.
Whilst with only a few of my own restorations, in the 'stable', I have helped out, worked on heaps of project vehicles.
Lose of 'inclination to proceed' , I'd rate as the primary underlying cause for ... lost ambition, failure to forefill, blah blah, never finishing the 'project',
and blow heaps of effort, emotion and some dollars.
To 'maintain the rage' , keep up the energy required:
Absolutely concur with the advice that You most simply get that good old girl, running, rolling (and stopping, don't forget the brakes !).
It will take You some time and cost some money, to get this good old girl where you envision, yet the tougher challenge, I reckon is keeping up the enthusiasm 'Once you've dreamed the dream of what this ride could be!'
And this truck can be exactly that ride:
Every Saturday i cruise main street Tamworth,
Do a 'Peelie' in my little red AT4 114, step side pickup truck. Most often with the beautiful bride along side me on the bench seat, always with 'a grin from ear to ear'.
This is the ute of my childhood dreams, and now I drive it, red and with a 'fox tail' secured to the radio antenna.
'King of the World, well,of my very own lunch box at least!'
Once you've got it running, driving and stopping, you'll not loose 'enthusiasm'.
Oh and the other key point:
Be crafty around how you Spend, source parts.
Don't just throw money at it !
Just this week I collected a donor truck (which may, will become the 'primary') for restoring a 4wd Inter, C series.
Bought for the 'cost to me, to collect from a farmers paddock', via a notice board advert.
Farmers adult and now city kids thought it a heap of Sht, said it was ugly and asked that he get rid of it, (go figure?).
Similarly I have removed other unwanted truck and gifted owners a case of beer.
Some I have actually, 'yes hold the phone!', paid a couple of hundred dollars for, and then had 'some spend' to recover, returning the vehicle to my space.
Crikey, a reconditioned carbi can cost more than an unwanted truck to remove.
Once chasing a 'brass bush', I spent hours of online research trying to track one down, finally did, and the ask was $45 plus post, WTF ?
Attending a local 'engineering and farm equipment supplier, BearFast, Taminda, (seeking to fix my tractor), I noted they stocked 'brass bush' , (as I needed for the Darby Dodge project). A gold coin later, and I walked out with exactly the 'brass bush' I required.
Back in 'the day' , many of the parts, bits and pieces put into the building of a 'truck' came directly off the shelf of any local engineering and equipment supplier.
Today, these type of local agent are, I acknowledge tough to find. Just FYI.
Cheers mate
Woody
