Burn out

mustang70

mustang70

Founding Member
Nov 15, 2001
2,445
2
48
San Diego
#1
After 10 years of working on the same car I think it's finally happened. I'm finally burned out. :bang: I pulled my motor apart a couple weeks ago and haven't done anything since. I can't get the inclination to go out and work on anything. I'm not to the point of selling it mind you. Since I know someone is going to ask me that. I know losing motivation is normal and it happens from time to time. I've been through it before. But never this bad. Usually all I need is a week or two and I'm back out in the garage tinkering with something on the car. I've tried to start something the past couple of weekends, but when I go out to the garage I just turn around and go back in the house. I'm still going to try and sell off some of the junk I have. Maybe with some extra play money I'll want to do something again. Anybody want to take some knitting classes? :rolleyes:
 
#2
I know the feeling... I've neglected mine for 3-4 months now. The hood is off, battery is disconnected, I have an engine stand... just need to get the cherry picker. Maybe it's because I know it's not going to get driven for another few months, I'm not trying to rush myself.

Don't worry, I'm sure the motivation will come back again.
 
#5
It happens to me every winter. I park the car for the winter with plans to fix this, install that, and modify the dohicky. But for the first 1/2 of the winter I just can't seem to drag myself into the garage to do it. However, once February rolls around and I can see spring around the corner, I usually manage to dig up some motivation.

Honestly, just getting the project started is the hard part. Once I finally get going on it, I'll happily tinker away all day.
 
#6
I've had the samething happen before. Are you currently busy with anything else like school, work, or relationships? What happened with me is that I got really busy with one and it would just burn me out everyday, so I would never work on the car. In fact right now I am really busy with work and school and haven't worked on the stang for a good 2 months. I'm to the point now where I just want to pay someone to do my bosy work, cause I just don't have time and don't want to deal with it myself; eventhough I have done everything myself to this point.
 
#7
I'm overly busy with anything. Nothing that I'm not used to at least. Work is a breeze. My wife started school again and I'm looking to start next month. I recorded Rides last night and it had some Mustangs on there. Maybe after watching it I'll feel renewed.
 
#8
I think we've all been there once, or else they just haven't gotten there quite yet. We all run into projects that are either overwhelming or underwhelming, and we just lose steam. Here are some stuff I do when it happens to me...

1. Don't let it go on too long, or else it'll just get worse. Days turn into weeks into months into years. Ask me how I know... :rolleyes:

2. Try doing a smaller/easier/more fun project. A little success can go a long way towards getting you back on track. Or even try spending some money on something more "fun" rather than necessary.

3. Call a buddy up and ask for help. Buy beer, wrench on the car, talk crap. Just having another brain/set of hands/ego/dumbass to help and keep things moving can make things more tolerable and manageable.

4. When you just get to the point where it sucks and it ain't gettin' no better, it's ok to pay someone to do some/all of the work. Load up the stuff and haul it over and let someone else deal with it. This can really help get you over big/annoying humps. Take me for instance... I started my floor replacment in the middle of a miserable hot Florida summer, cut out the old, found more rust in the subframe, got burned by the welder, etc. It was so worth it when I finally just hauled it off to the restoration shop and paid the guys (a lot) to do it. I know if I hadn't, the car would still be sitting 3 years later with one floor cut out, the other half welded in, subframe rusted more, etc. That would've been much worse. :notnice:

Anyway, hope this helps... keep the faith! :nice:
 
#9
I'm planning on pulling apart the brakes I got off a Maverick apart on Sunday so I can get them cleaned up and powder coated. I ended up ordering some high flow valves for my heads yesterday. So hopefully there's a light at the end of this tunnel.

:flag:
 
#11
How about this ;)

I think it's a more a case of you being in way over your head and not man enough to admit it so you just keep making exscuses. You probably couldn't finish what you started even if you farmed out half of it, you just don't have the skills boy. Hell, I'll bet you don't even have a car, that's why you'll "never get it finished" because you know we'll want to see pics when it's done but you have nothing to photograph. It all smells like a big steamy pile of :bs: to me, I ain't buying it little girly man. Why don't you just go sit in your chair and flip thru an autotrader because dreaming is all you got. :notnice:
 
#13
Man I think I'm also in Burnout mode right now. I pulled the wiring harness out of my car like 2 months ago. Then my girlfriend and I went out of town to Florida for like a week and it was so awesome. Anyway, I really haven't been able to get back at it since we came back.

I think it all started with this college class I had during the first part of the summer. I was really hammered in the spring and then to have a class in the summer and not be able to just goof off and play video games for such an extended time period was strange, and I think it really negatively affected my stang drive. So I have been just sitting around the apartment playing games, drinking, staring at the wall, sleeping late, cooking, eating (probably too much, no wait it's drinking I probably have been doing too much) and going to work of course (that's what I have to do too much).

I spent the other morning working on my stang and it really felt good to slave away in the heat. I got alot acomplished but it is nowhere near done.
 
#17
TireSmoknWindsr said:
I'd think a good prescription of Bullitt and Gone in 60 Seconds('74) would be a good start on your road to recovery and getting you craving the almighty stangs power.
Click to expand...

I agree. Saw the episode of Rides the other night, gave me the push I needed for the All American Show next weekend in Chatsworth. Hope to see you all there... Goin' down to see Marlon and the boys from the All Ford Club of So Cal...

http://www.allmustangandfordclub.com/

PS If any of you have a nice ride to display in our booth, shoot me an email [email protected] ...
 
#19
I saw that episode of Rides as well. I always like to see a Mustang come together. And yes, I'm one of the few that like the newer Eleanor. I would just never pay anyone to build me one.

As for my car, I pulled apart the disc brakes I bought for it and took them over to Erics's house. He knows a guy that's going to get them powder coated for me. It's a small step, but at least I did something finally. :nice:
 
#20
exactly the reason for my signature. Got tired of some things and decided to have a car I can drive any day of the week any time of the yr. Just give it time and decide what ya want out of the car, then decide what that will take and start saving up.
 
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